Outboard Motors On Steroids—They’re Here Now!
MIAMI—(BUSINESS WIRE)—In addition to being the boating industry’s first V8 5.3-liter, four-stroke outboard motor, the 350-horsepower Yamaha F350 is unique for the way in which it was developed – through Yamaha’s relationships with a diverse group of independent U.S. boat builders.
“Our boat builder partners wanted an outboard not only for today’s boats, but for boats of the future,” said Phil Dyskow, Yamaha Marine Group president. “They know better than anyone where the market for boats is headed, and they knew their customers would want clean, reliable, quiet outboard power for a new class of outboard boats. We like to think of them as F350-class boats.”
“The idea that led to the Yamaha F350 took shape several years ago, when a group of us (boat builders) met with Yamaha engineers,” said Leon Slikkers, chairman and COO of S2 Yachts (the parent company of Pursuit Boats). “They wanted to get a feel for what each of us wanted in an outboard of the future.
“Big boats were becoming more popular, so we said we needed a very powerful outboard, something with about 350 horsepower.
“There was a time when outboards were smoky, noisy things. The four-stroke changed all that. Now the professional fisherman likes having that smooth-running jewelry back there.”
The Pursuit Boat division of S2 Yachts is now developing a 36-foot outboard-powered boat, joining a variety of boat builders at the leading edge of the trend.
Another Yamaha partner with an F350-class entry is Edgewater Boats. “The market is changing,” said Peter Truslow, president of Edgewater Boats. “We see a trend with some customers; they want to go 50 to 100 miles off shore; they want to fish; they want to enjoy a boat, but they don’t want to maintain a 50- to 60-foot yacht.
“We have customers who have used our smaller outboard boats as tenders for their yachts. Now we can build a boat that does everything they need. This year, we will produce a 38-foot Edgewater outboard-powered boat that has all the functionality of a larger boat in a smaller, more efficient package.
“Our new boat will use high-tech materials to make it lighter and stronger. The F350 is exactly what we needed to power it. The Yamaha F350 has the performance of an outboard with the efficiency of a diesel; that really makes sense for this kind of a boat. To our customers, an outboard means lower maintenance. At the same time, it makes more room on the boat. In a cabin boat, it means having an aft cabin instead of an engine room.”
In addition to Pursuit and Edgewater, several Yamaha partners are planning F350-class outboard boats. Yamaha Partner Grady-White introduced a 36-foot outboard-powered boat last year, the Express 360, a certain candidate for Yamaha F350 power.
“With 96 square feet of cabin room, the Express 360 exemplifies the efficiency of using outboard power in a larger boat design,” said Dyskow. “Outboard power also means there is room available for features customers want, like its aft deck refrigerator/freezer.”
Our boatsforboaters.com comment; this makes that old Boston Whaler with the 33 horse Johnson on the back look—well—like a dinghy.