SBH2OMan
Well-known member
Hey guys,
Looking for feedback on a motor/bracket combo based on others' experience.
Back in 2011 we re-powered the 2330 with a Honda BF225 and from a reliability and easy of use standpoint, it has been a GREAT engine. After dealing with years of unpredictable behavior from the OX66 250 it replaced, it has been so nice to be able to head off shore to the islands without a single care about the engine. It's currently mounted to the original early 90's Armstrong bracket (narrow, very little flotation)
Now we have about 650 hours on the motor, and we're thinking about making some investments in the Parker we've really grown to love. The only complaints with the current setup are the following:
1. Slow getting on plane, and only planes at high speed.
Despite having a metal hydrofoil (not one of the cheap ones - the "good one" but I can't remember the name of it) and a 13p three-blade stainless prop, the boat is so ass-heavy that it struggles to get up on plane, and will only plane out smoothly once we get up to 20+ mph. At anything under 16-18 mph (statute) it just drags the motor through the water and throws up a big spray.
2. Scuppers sit below the water line
When we have more than 1/2 tank of gas and a couple of guys fishing in the back, the deck is flooded with an inch or more of water at the transom. Luckily we can usually fish barefoot, but its a pain not being able to wash the deck when we're stationary (bloody water just pools on the deck)
3. Lack of "oomph" when we need to get moving in a hurry
Now Parkers aren't meant to be fast boats, and we know that. But there are occasions when it would be nice to be able to "floor it and get the Hell out" of certain situations (like when a sudden swell comes in and you're a bit close to boiler rocks, etc). Coming home into a big head sea with green water washing over the house, I've had a few situations where the ability to climb up an oncoming swell had me wishing for more ponies (or a jet engine, in a few cases..)
4. Steers like a 1959 Lincoln Continental Limo
Not sure if this is a prop, motor, bracket, or other issue, but I would hope that we could somehow improve on the handling characteristics of the boat. I know twins would make a big difference, but that's just not in the budget.
So.... Right now we're thinking about a larger flotation bracket that would provide 100+ lbs of buoyancy with a full-width swim step, and a 250 or larger motor. Some have suggested that Suzuki's are good because they "swing a bigger prop" but I don't really understand what that means.
The boat lives in a marina, so corrosion resistance is a big deal for us. Also warranty coverage is important. We've had a couple of issues fixed under Honda's warranty, including a recent ECU swap that would have otherwise cost us close to $800.
Unfortunately Yamaha is not a good option for us, as there is no local dealer, but if it is a vastly superior option, we'd consider it. Re-using the Honda controls aren't really important, since we don't actually even use them. All our instruments are NMEA 2000, so the motor needs to put out clean NMEA2000 signals.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions you guys might have based on your personal experience!
-Brent
Looking for feedback on a motor/bracket combo based on others' experience.
Back in 2011 we re-powered the 2330 with a Honda BF225 and from a reliability and easy of use standpoint, it has been a GREAT engine. After dealing with years of unpredictable behavior from the OX66 250 it replaced, it has been so nice to be able to head off shore to the islands without a single care about the engine. It's currently mounted to the original early 90's Armstrong bracket (narrow, very little flotation)
Now we have about 650 hours on the motor, and we're thinking about making some investments in the Parker we've really grown to love. The only complaints with the current setup are the following:
1. Slow getting on plane, and only planes at high speed.
Despite having a metal hydrofoil (not one of the cheap ones - the "good one" but I can't remember the name of it) and a 13p three-blade stainless prop, the boat is so ass-heavy that it struggles to get up on plane, and will only plane out smoothly once we get up to 20+ mph. At anything under 16-18 mph (statute) it just drags the motor through the water and throws up a big spray.
2. Scuppers sit below the water line
When we have more than 1/2 tank of gas and a couple of guys fishing in the back, the deck is flooded with an inch or more of water at the transom. Luckily we can usually fish barefoot, but its a pain not being able to wash the deck when we're stationary (bloody water just pools on the deck)
3. Lack of "oomph" when we need to get moving in a hurry
Now Parkers aren't meant to be fast boats, and we know that. But there are occasions when it would be nice to be able to "floor it and get the Hell out" of certain situations (like when a sudden swell comes in and you're a bit close to boiler rocks, etc). Coming home into a big head sea with green water washing over the house, I've had a few situations where the ability to climb up an oncoming swell had me wishing for more ponies (or a jet engine, in a few cases..)
4. Steers like a 1959 Lincoln Continental Limo
Not sure if this is a prop, motor, bracket, or other issue, but I would hope that we could somehow improve on the handling characteristics of the boat. I know twins would make a big difference, but that's just not in the budget.
So.... Right now we're thinking about a larger flotation bracket that would provide 100+ lbs of buoyancy with a full-width swim step, and a 250 or larger motor. Some have suggested that Suzuki's are good because they "swing a bigger prop" but I don't really understand what that means.
The boat lives in a marina, so corrosion resistance is a big deal for us. Also warranty coverage is important. We've had a couple of issues fixed under Honda's warranty, including a recent ECU swap that would have otherwise cost us close to $800.
Unfortunately Yamaha is not a good option for us, as there is no local dealer, but if it is a vastly superior option, we'd consider it. Re-using the Honda controls aren't really important, since we don't actually even use them. All our instruments are NMEA 2000, so the motor needs to put out clean NMEA2000 signals.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions you guys might have based on your personal experience!
-Brent