We all know the demand for outboards is overwhelming right now. And if you have tried to repower a boat or even order a new boat with a larger outboard, the manufacturers are having trouble meeting demand. There are several factors and it is mostly the improvement in outboard performance and technology, along with popular boat designs for outboards. I love outboards, especially on smaller boats but I have to admit, the quad and quint application of large outboards is a little silly, adding complexity and making the boat inefficient. Have we gone overboard with outboards?

When does it become ridiculous to have multiple outboards? Obviously, there are some boat designs that are more suitable for outboards and some not. For tournament tow boats, inboards make a lot of sense. For luxury cruisers, inboards offer many advantages from aesthetics to practicality. The hidden engines and outdrives are nice, creating a large swim platform unencumbered. And, you can have larger displacement engines that deliver more power for less money.

Generally, a Mercury Racing 520 with a Bravo XR package is far less expensive than a 450R outboard, while delivering more torque. The point being, in high performance single engine applications, over about 550 HP, you’re probably better off with inboard power. A 450R might be able to run with a 520 but not a 565 or 600. And, twin 600 HP sterndrives are more effective than triple 400+ HP outboards. I was talking to a builder the other day about this, comparing a model with twin 300R vs just using a single Mercury Racing 565 or 600 with digital shifting and warranties. I think the single big block is just cooler sometimes.

Even in the cat world, especially out west, you still see plenty of new boats with big sterndrives. And if you want a big cat to be seriously fast, over 150 MPH, you need big power, something the outboards can’t do.

According to NMMA, outboards represent about 85% of “traditional” recreational boat sold, where sterndrive sales increased slightly in 2018, after years of decline, stabilizing a bit now.

For big cruisers, a large displacement gas or diesel can offer vastly more power and torque than any outboard for large vessels. When I see big center console fishing boats with quad or quint outboards I think it is a misuse and bad design. Thankfully, the new Mercury Verado V12 600 will solve that and reduce some of those to twins or triples. I love seeing a big center console inboard, you don’t see them often but it can be a better use of space. Too many outboards off the back can hamper the aesthetic.

Some of my favorite boats of all time are sterndrive powered. The design, the weight distribution and other factors make them hard to beat. We are living in an outboard world now where many manufacturers have redesigned or desperately added brackets to their boats to capture the market. The good news is you can still find some sport boats of all sizes available. And luxury cruisers are still mostly inboard, that won’t completely change for a long time.

Ironically, I have championed outboards on cruisers in the past and it makes sense. You get more space in the boat technically with only a few drawbacks. Maybe I have changed my tune a bit or maybe I’m an old man yelling at a cloud. I hope we don’t lose some of the traditional builders and designs by going all in on outboards. I have found myself browsing the sterndrive engine offerings lately, dreaming of a project with a big block. Nothing beats the sound or the power of a big V8 sterndrive.