CONTINUOUSWAVE

Now that Volvo Penta has agreed to become majority owner of large-outboard maker Seven Marine, I wonder if Boston Whaler may be a customer. Seven Marine's 557-HP and 627-HP V8 outboards may be a good option on some of the larger Boston Whaler boats. Using these V8 engines would mean lower total weight and lower fuel consumption when using a single instead of twins and double outboards instead of triple or even using two instead of four on the largest boats.

Didn't realize Volvo Penta was reentering the outboard motor segment. Thanks for the information.

The trajectory of Seven Marine has been a surprise to me. Their first V8 outboard engine exhibited some years ago at the Miami International Boat Show looked grotesquely too big to be actually useful. I thought it would be and remain a curiosity, not a real product. But it turns out the designers of this monster outboard were actually ahead of the curve, and somehow 50-foot outboard-powered boats that sell for $1,000,000 seem to have appeared on the market and are actually selling, creating transoms where outboard engines of this size, weight, and power can be used.

As for Boston Whaler becoming a customer, I have some doubt. If Boston Whaler were not owned by Brunswick, then perhaps the Seven Marine outboards would be an option. But Mercury Marine's FOURSTROKE VERADO will probably remain as the only factory-installed engine on new Boston Whaler boats. Crazy as it seems to most of us, customer demand for the biggest hulls made by Boston Whaler seems to be very strong. I don't get the feeling that there is any lack of customers for these big boats now. Perhaps if sales begin to taper then a new engine option might be considered.

Perhaps a Boston Whaler dealer selling a $1,000,000 boat would consider removing four Verados and installing two Seven Marine engines if that's what it would take to close the sale. I'm convinced any experienced buyer would prefer twin over quad engine power.

I don't think your average boat dealer can install Seven Marine engines. They look like they need some special expertise to properly install and rig.

I do think there is a lot of ego involved in these crazy-big center console boats, so maybe if you get more KOOL points for twin Seven Marine engines, some buyer with the money and ego need will spend an extra $100,000 for them.