Article by Capt. Steve Katz
Winter boat show season recap – Engines that move you
Mercury marine introduced a new line of outboard engines, called “Mercury Four Stroke”. These four-stroke models are based on the 3.4 Liter V-6 outboard in 175, 200 and 225 horsepower sizes. They are naturally aspirated, so there is no supercharger or other forced air induction. The engines are all new, with the design and manufacturing done in-house by Mercury.
One unique feature of the engines is that the alternator is located within the “V” of the engine block, thereby reducing the dimensions of the engine.
This new engine lineup will replace the 4-cylinder Verados and the 225HP 6-cylinder Verado. At 475 lbs., these engines are the lightest in their class when compared to other modern 2 and 4-stroke engines.
Another interesting feature is a special access “door” in the top of the cowling, allowing quick and easy access to check the oil level and add engine oil if needed. This eliminates the need to remove the entire cowling, as with most outboards just to check the oil.
While painting outboard engines some other color besides black is not a new trend, Mercury has listened to customer and offers this engine in customizable look. There are four main colors; phantom black, pearl fusion white, warm fusion white, cold fusion white, (white options only available on the 200 and 225 models) and on top of that the buyer can customize the central part of the grille in four other colors , pacific blue, graphite gray, redline red and Mercury silver.
If this wasn’t enough, there are a few more interesting and unique features to these new engines such as, the engines charging system is designed to put out lots of power at idle (or trolling speeds) and can output a charging capacity of 20 Amp at 650 RPM. This is higher than other similar sized outboards.
While reportedly getting 15% better fuel economy, these engines come with adaptive speed control that maintains RPM regardless of load or condition changes, operating like cruise control in your car.
Mercury has had a proprietary engine gauge and monitoring system called Vesselview. This system has been recently updated to include features that may lead us to a driverless boat!
Working seamlessly with Mercury engines, the auto pilot and cruise technologies get boats to their final destination point while offering signals and alarms (similar to today’s cars) that alert the driver if another boat is coming or if it’s in too shallow water. Whether it’s quickly plotting out a few nearby fishing spots or heading to a new place that’s hours away, Mercury’s technologies all work together to take the guesswork out of boating.
Rumors on the water indicate that Mercury’s Verado line, the popular high horsepower engine first introduced in 2004, may be getting a significant re-designed in the near future. This update is rumored to contain a V-8 engine and supercharger availability.
The ever popular Yamaha outboard is reportedly not as available this season. A “perfect storm” of internal and external events has caused a shortage of the popular sized Yamaha four stroke outboards.
Reportedly, the supply of these outboards may not get back to previous availability levels until the fall of 2018. Many boat builders who place orders years in advance have a reasonable supply of engines, although Yamaha dealers are experiencing delays in securing engines for repower and replacement jobs.
Suzuki, the “other” outboard, with over 50 years in the outboard business, has been gaining popularity in recent years with their affordable engine prices and modern features. The new DF350A now gives buyers a third option for a 350 horsepower outboard.
The DF350A, introduced last year, comes standard with twin counter rotating propellers. Suzuki is the only mass manufacturer offering dual propellers as standard on a 350 outboard.
Another feature of this V6 4.4L engine is that each cylinder has two fuel injectors, allowing for more uniform and complete fuel burn. The DF350A 25-inch model weighs 727 pounds, which is 77 pounds less than the Yamaha F350 V-8 but 49 pounds more than Mercury’s supercharged 2.6L Verado 350. One of the Suzuki demo boats, a 390Z SeaVee powered by quad Suzuki DF350A outboards had a top speed of 72 MPH. This engine is also available in black or white.
The Seven Marine outboard, made famous a few years ago by offering a supercharged V-8 outboard engine with 557 horsepower, has sold a significant portion of their company to Volvo Penta, a global manufacturer of engines and complete power systems for boats, vessels and industrial applications. Seven Marine will continue to operate as a stand-alone entity.
Whether you are buying a new boat or repowering your existing outboard boat, there are many choices and most of them will have better features and lower noise and emissions, reliably taking you to your favorite fishing spot.
Captain Steve Katz is the owner of Steve’s Marine Service and holds NMEA, AMEI and NMEA2000 certificates along with ABYC Master Technician certification and factory training from many manufacturers.
