Repowering a 27 Skagit Orca

[Sentinel]

Never understood why anyone would want twins. My last 3 boats all had singles with a kicker and my next boat will also be a single with a kicker.

I've walked away from several 27 ft Orca's and Sea Sports because they had twins. Pod out your boat and put a Suzuki DF350 on the bracket. Much better power to weight ratio then if you had twin anything hanging off your stern. Get a good reliable kicker.....if for some reason the single goes down, the kicker will bring you back just as safely to the dock .....maybe a bit slower then one half of a twin but it'll get you there way cheaper then all that extra weight (fuel burn) and double maintenance cost of those twins

There are good arguments on both sides when it comes to single vs twins. I have owned and operated boats with both. You make some good points about the upsides of singles so I will highlight some for twins.
Slow speed maneuvering is so much better with twins than a single. It makes docking with that higher windage cabin much easier. On bigger heavier boats like this 27’, twin engines can be run easier than a single, possibly extending service life of motors. When on step, the grip of the twins makes the boat resist torsional motion better than a single and is much more comfortable riding in “the trough”. This grip also gets the boat on step easier with less throttle. The more obvious attributes to twins are better redundancy, and more viable “get home power”. This is less of an advantage if one of the twins won’t plane the craft but still a handling advantage vs a kicker, especially in big seas. As always ymmv. Carry on!

 

[Sharphooks]

I don't have a dog in this fight but I have been tracking the first-hand reports from the new-adopter types who stepped up for the DF350 when it first hit the market---mainly because a few months ago I had wallet in hand to step up for a new 27 XLC Orca and my intention was to hang that new Suzuki DF350 on it ---everything that's said about how exacting and precise boat handling with twins is at slow speeds around the dock the guys who are running the DF350's echo in spades....mainly because of the dual props, one of them being counter-rotating. It get's top marks for hole-shot, grip once you're on step, and precise tracking and stability at speed

I currently run a 24 Orca with a DF300 and those boats are very squirrely due to the sharp bow entry ----once you get into the mid to upper 4K range heading towards WOT you'd better be hyper-focused on sea conditions and tab settings ....my guess is single or twins produce the same effect because in an Orca, all the skittishness happens at the bow, not the stern.

And so my vote for the DF350 for the 27 Orca---duo props for grip and handling at slow speeds and last but not least, you shave approx. 200 kgs of weight off the stern if you stepped up for a single Suzuki instead of the twin F200's with the V6's.

In all my years of running singles on my boats (Hondas, Yamahas and Suzuki's) the only time I ever had to shut off the main and resort to the kicker was when I spun a big log up into an aluminum prop on a Honda Bf150. Broke off a fluke and the engine got the shakes so bad there was no doubt I'd damage it if I kept running it

A reliable single and a kicker works for me, though I understand why guys who run charters with a boatload of peeps on board would run twins

 

[Thunder21]

I was in this predicament lately. I wanted a big single over twins but After bothering every single knowledgeable person I could find I decided on twins vs a big single. The main reason was that I heard from 2 local sources that the Suzuki 350 wasn't a huge upgrade over the 300, power wise they weren't overly impressed.Also it is unproven at this point. The f350 is apparently a POS and the 350 Verado is "weak" apparently. My boat is a bit heavier than a 27 Skagit but not much so the
Only other option is the new Yamaha 425 that is over 50k. I think when a reliable 400 -450 hp large displacement outboard comes out it will eliminate a lot of twin setups.

 

[Sentinel]

A few observations about duo props. The slow speed maneuvering is not so slow speed as the duo prop boats I have run do 3+ mph just bumped into gear with no extra throttle applied. You dock fast and it works once you get used to it and the reverse is crazy good thank god. Unless rough and trolling into the wind, they do not go slow enough to troll salmon if kicker fails. The efficiency on them is great and economy should be good. They are too new to comment on the longevity but if the Suzuki dp proves robust, it will be a game changer. I will still want 2 on my next boat though. Lol

 

[Aces]

There are good arguments on both sides when it comes to single vs twins. I have owned and operated boats with both. You make some good points about the upsides of singles so I will highlight some for twins.
Slow speed maneuvering is so much better with twins than a single. It makes docking with that higher windage cabin much easier. On bigger heavier boats like this 27’, twin engines can be run easier than a single, possibly extending service life of motors. When on step, the grip of the twins makes the boat resist torsional motion better than a single and is much more comfortable riding in “the trough”. This grip also gets the boat on step easier with less throttle. The more obvious attributes to twins are better redundancy, and more viable “get home power”. This is less of an advantage if one of the twins won’t plane the craft but still a handling advantage vs a kicker, especially in big seas. As always ymmv. Carry on!

I agree 100%. Other than the initial outlay in rigging for twins, i find everything else a positive

 

[trophywife]

That's hilarious because he gave a freind the exact same story and run around.

sounds like his wife wants it sold.. not him!!

 

[BigReel]

I approve of this for the pod conversion.

 

[High Time]

And the Winner of the P#ssing Contest Is.....

 

[Aces]

And the Winner of the P#ssing Contest Is.....

There is never a real winner

 

[northvancb]

I highly recommend speaking with Breaker's marine in Port Alberni. They did my Grady inboard to POD conversion and I couldn't be happier. The quality of their work was top notch and I am loving the new Suzuki 250s and 20 hp kicker we installed. They were a one stop shop for the pod, glass work and outboards - it's well worth the trip over there trust me.

 

[High Time]

Thanks northvancb for your recommendation and all the other comments and advice. I will file all the info and after putting in a season on the boat with current power I will make a call for better or worse. Just received my Garmin TR-1 for the kicker and arranged a 10" Garmin plotter/sounder for the back of the cabin. A few more modifications and tuneups and hopefully there will be some where to fish come April...

 

[John s]

Hi northvancb. Is your pod conversion fiberglass or aluminum? And would you have a picture of it. Thinking of doing a 97 26ft stripper. Thanks