Repower options...what to do?

[HeavyMetalSearunner]

Great link.Thanks Mark.Hard to believe that kind of performance but seeing is believing.Very nice boat too.

[OP-NW]

I'd go with the 250, maybe the 300 and save on duplicate maintenence. I've read that people with two motors tend to not maintain them as well, it's just human nature. When focusing on one motor you listen to it, and are more in tune with it. A 9.9 will get you back to the dock.

[chico99645]

I agree on the 250 with kicker. If you can't get on step with twin 115's , not make the same mistake I did. Go big single!!!

[HeavyMetalSearunner]

Punt!Goin with a plan D.Bought twin Merc 135hp Optimaxes(2003)with 350hrs each.Controls and gauges too for 7k.Throw in rigging,steering upgrade,etc and should come in under 10k total.Have a buyer for my twins(one blown)for $2500 without controls and gauges which i should be able to peddle elsewhere.Roughly 7500$ net for repower.It's not the new Yamaha set-up for 25000k but the inevitability of having to pay for my youngest daughters' college tuition starting in the fall,got in the way.......godammit!Just kiddin,priorities right?It's all good.

[kastn too]

I have the 300 yamaha and 9.9 kicker and it has been a great setup. I also hear that the new 300 v6 is supposed to be even lighter than the v8 by 200 lbs.

[HeavyMetalSearunner]

Finally!My boat is done at last.3.5 months it took to rerig it(a very busy boat shop).Got twin 135 optimax's.Lots of work;$650 welding job on the transom(raised and boxed...hell for stout)as we went from 20" to 25"shafts,all new hyd steering,had to replace an alternator,new trim tab pump,new ss props,batteries,trailer jack,oil tanks,and lots of little things(but not little thing priced) and full 100 hr service and test runs.......and all for...wait for it....$8800!!!The motors were 7k,so my 10k repower ended at 15k but still substantially less than the 26k for new.Still hope to get 2-3k for the old yamaha stuff.Still need to buy seat suspensions too.Gonna pressure wash the hull in the morning and load it back up with its stuff(raft,puller,downriggers,pots,etc)and hope to be screaming around by the afternoon.Will post photos and impressions later.I'm SO pumped,it's been exactly a year since i been out of the water.

[SilverFox]

We'll be waiting! I like the Optimax on our boat, and the 135hp is essentially the same motor as the 150hp. Did you get SmartCraft gauges with your re-rig too? Not as nice as a NMEA 2k interface, but close.

[Sobie2]

HeavyMetalSearunner,

I am in Craig often enough. I will look for your boat. Optimaxes are loud but fuel efficient, and isn't that what really matters most? They should be a good fit for the 26 Searunner. Up here in Juneau the guys with original twin 115s on their 26s have all gone with new 150s. But you did good for price... plus if you have problems optimax powerheads are only some 3k and that is an easier pill to swallow. Looks like a sucessful project.

Sobie2

[HeavyMetalSearunner]

Well fellers,we finally got her in the water today.Fairly impressed with the new power.5400 rpm put me at 39kts.Pretty fast!Trying to sync the engines was a bitch with each one varying 10 to 40 rpms constantly,pretty much impossible.Is that a 2-stroke thing?My old Yammis never varied like that.I also need to adjust the friction on the throttles...way stiff.
Liking the hyd steering,the old set-up was becoming armstrong steering.I could put a suicide knob on now(does anybody use those?) .Got the Smartcraft gauges that can give a lot of data but only one thing at a time.My Yammi gauge pkg was handier.So it's kinda like learning the boat all over again again,handling wise etc...you know how used to your particular set-up you get.We didn't fish but i'm thinking that trolling with one at idle is gonna be too fast...it was perfect with the old 100s.There's no room left on the transom for a kicker but it could be done with some modification and fabrication.
I'll try to come up with some fuel consumption numbers.One other thing that bugs me,the gauges can give your motor trim numbers but when i match them the motors are visibly different tilt-wise.I'll just go visual on that.Comments welcome.

[HeavyMetalSearunner]

One more photo for now.Hopefully the next pics will be of fish!