Yesterday while cruising around Ono Island on Old River in Orange Beach, Alabama, we spotted a center console fishing boat in a lift. That's a common sight around the island but this boat was unusual in that it was powered by quadruple 400R Verados. We motored as close to the boat as was safely possible for a closer look. There was only a few inches of clearance between the engines and the transom was filled from side to side. Unfortunately the lift straps obscured the boat builder's name.
The island is high-end real estate and high-value boats are popular among the offshore fishing folks with vacation homes there. The west end of the island is approximately a quarter-mile from Perdido Pass which is direct access to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Bluefin Tuna bite is on, so the pass is very busy for the slow season at the beach.
Mercury Verado 400 HP Engines
Re: Mercury Verado 400 HP Engines
We visited Orange Beach a few years ago. I was expecting a sleepy little boating community with a bunch of old bass boats. Wow, what a collection of expensive yachts. It really surprised me. I thought I was in Boca Raton.
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Re: Mercury Verado 400 HP Engines
The 400 costs $5,000 (estimated) more than the 350. Lots of money for an extra 50-HP.
Re: Mercury Verado 400 HP Engines
Yes, but for the $5,000 you get really much cooler cowling decals, and that can carry a lot of weight when you pull up at a restaurant dock on a Saturday night.
Re: Mercury Verado 400 HP Engines
The wealthy offshore anglers want to get to the fishing grounds as fast as safely possible to increase their dwell time and thus enhance their chances of a good catch. Cost is not a big factor for these guys but bragging rights are important. Most of the truly well-to-do anglers could easily afford the sixty to eighty foot inboard powered battle wagons with all the bells, whistles and sumptuous appointments. Yet they often choose the center consoles for the speed.
Butch
Re: Mercury Verado 400 HP Engines
Back in the seventies it was a sleepy beach town. Ole River was known as the 'not desirable' side of Ono. My friends parents had one of the first homes on Ono. It was like the wild west back then.
Re: Mercury Verado 400 HP Engines
Horsepower and money are funny things. I have a customer on our little island that had to be the first to get the 400R on his little boat. It raised the top speed by only 6-natucial-miles-per-hour. The improvement for them was to have a cruise speed just under 50 with almost 3-MPG. For that they spent $36,000.