posted 02-11-2007 02:30 AM ET (US)        

Well today I purchased my first [Boston Whaler] 2007 190 Outrage with the 150 Verado. No turning back now! Dealer took me and my two friends out for a sea [trial]. The 45 minute demonstraton surpassed my exceptations by far. I grew up commercial fishing in Hawaii in the early 1980's, when two-strokes were the norm. Went away to college, started my career, and now am back home in Hawaii to settle down. Boy, since then technology has sure changed. The Verado's response is incredible. It's as smooth as having a automobile gas pedal at your finger-tips. We ran out past the channel head buoys in small 3-foot wind chop; the Outrage ate it up. No one got wet; very impressed. I backed down slowly into the small chops, got minor splashes, but nothing major. I went WOT for about 10-15 seconds twice, and I must say it was scary fast. I definately think this boat wouldn't have any trouble coming home with three [Ahi tuna] and crew. One thing that I need to address is the bow angle. Seems like the boat runs stern heavy at low RPM, then as expected planes off at about 3,700-RPM. I plan to install trim tabs in the future, but for now I'm going to try the Doel-fin product. Has anyone done the same? ETA to Kona will be Feb. 20th, look out onos...

posted 02-11-2007 09:39 AM ET (US)            

You say she is stern heavy at low RPMs....very interested in understanding this..motor is quite heavy I heard...but once she is up on plane....shes gone:))

I dont ahve trim tabs either...I expect I never will because my engine is much lighter than the verado....

posted 02-11-2007 09:59 AM ET (US)            

I like Lenco tabs because they don't require space for a hydraulic pump, which space in an Outrage is at a premium.

http://www.lencomarine.com/

posted 02-11-2007 10:39 AM ET (US)            

Check with your dealer to MAKE CERTAIN that installing the fin on your awesome Verado will not void the warranty.

I have a 190 Nantucket with the 150 Optimax and have found that the bow is extremely light. I was looking into installing the "SE Sport 300" but read somewhere that another owner's warranty was void because they installed a hydorfoil fin on their lower unit.

posted 02-11-2007 11:25 AM ET (US)            

quote:

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You are really going to install a $30 piece of plastic on a $20,000 Mercury Verado "propulsion system" in order to make it work better?

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Wouldn't that be an amazing thing? One would expect to have to spend a whole lot more to make a $20,000.00 propulsion system work better. ;-)

To be more precise though, I wouldn't expect DoelFins to make the Verado work better, but I would expect they might make the combination of boat and motor to perform more to some owner's preferences, under some circumstances.

posted 02-11-2007 01:42 PM ET (US)            

Do not bother with a Deol Fin. You engine is heavier than my Opti and I definitly think you need tabsand should just save your money for something that will increase the performance and utility of your boat and not some cheap piece of plastic that will degrade it by if nothing more the drilling of holes in a 20,000 dollar engine!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW, if you notice, the boat has a fairly stron positive sheer which is not noticeable so much until the boat is in the water, it is not sitting tail low, it just has a high bow. If you look at the boat on the trailer you can see it nad that the gunwale sheer is not parrallel to the keel and this results in the appearnece of sitting stern low in the water--it is normal because it actually is not stern low---it is sitting level.

posted 02-12-2007 09:17 AM ET (US)            

Go ahead and install a set of Lenco trim tabs and forget the wing.

I went the same way your planning on my 1999 Outrage first but only saw minuscule improvement. Bit the bullet and put on a set of Bennets ( big mistake, pump problems/actuator problem and the last straw when hinge broke ) finally replaced them with a set of 9x12 Lenco's and the bright sunshine of happiness abounds.

Tight Lines
Milt

posted 02-12-2007 04:32 PM ET (US)            

Maybe rather than a sand bag, or dole fin, just load up the bow with a dodger, sun lounge, and a women or two and you will not have thi bow rise again...you may have another kind of rise with all the toys though:)

posted 02-12-2007 10:04 PM ET (US)            

quote:

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Propulsion for 190 outrage

135 XL OptiMax® Mercury® engine STD
No Charge

115 EXLPT EFI Mercury FourStroke
$-200

150 XL OptiMax Mercury engine
$843

135 XL DTS Mercury Verado™ FourStroke
$2,875

150 XL DTS Mercury Verado FourStroke
$3,357

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posted 02-14-2007 01:14 AM ET (US)            

Thank you for your e-mail regarding your 2006 Mercury 150 XL 4 stroke, serial # 1B429175. We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

Your warranty will only be voided in the event of a gearcase faillure that cracks the case through one of the drilled holes.

If you have any other questions or concerns please feel free to contact us at 920-929-5040, Monday through Friday, 7:30 am - 4:30 pm, CST.

We hope this information is useful to you,

Sincerely,

Mercury Outboard Customer Service

Ref: 2007-XXXXX

Their reply was very prompt. After reading many past threads on this subject, I agree that this would be prudent solution. Not just a bandaid fix. Again I want to thank everyone on this board for their comments and insights.

posted 02-14-2007 08:49 AM ET (US)            

I appreciate reading the information from Mercury, and I think it was prudent of you to actually check with them. I don't know how the warranty language reads, and I guess I'd probably want to see that too, if I was concerned about drilled holes in the AV plate, before I made the decision to drill them. It really is of little practical use to raise hue and cry about not doing something (drilling AV plate), as some folks are wont to do, simply because it *might* void the warranty. If you didn't boat because it *might* rain, you'd never get on the water. Better to get the best information you can, which you did.

I also find it interesting that almost all the vociferous arguments I've read against the install of DoelFins (or other Hydrofoils) come from people who have never tried them. I'm not talking about those who suggest you try the boat for a while before you change anything, so you can experience its actual performance characteristics for a while first, or those who calmly remind you to read your warranty (always a good idea). I'm talking about those who scream, "Omigod, don't do *that*!", or the sky will fall, or something.

I try pretty assiduously to stay within the boundaries of personal experience, or on occasion the personal experience of someone whom I know and whose judgment and veracity I trust, when I post answers to question such as yours here on CW. That sort of real time first person information is one of the things that I value here on Jimh's site, and I think a lot of others do too. (I *have* used both DoelFin brand of hydrofoils, and trim tabs, on numerous boats, and have found for my purposes that sometimes one works to my liking and sometimes the other. And sometimes neither. I have a good friend whose judgment and boating knowledge I respect, who actually uses both on the same boat!) I have occasionally thought about attempting a survey to record, among those who have negative reactions to the use of Hydrofoils like DoelFins, how many have tried them and how many have not...

Anyway, congratulations on your decision to install the Lencos. I think you will like what they do for your boat's performance, and I hope you will publish your findings here once you get on the water with them.