270 OB 300 Enough HP?

Hi folks, Looking to move up a bit from our 240 I/O to a new 270 SDX OB with a 300HP. The boat is about 5,700 dry. Is 300HP sufficient power with a typical load - 6 - 8 people to get going and comfortably cruise? Not looking for top end speed, just don't want to feel bogged down as I sometimes do now. Thx.

I have that boat. It performs terrific. 50 mph, snaps onto plane. Reasonable fuel economy.

Thank you! How's the build quality then and how about now? Hard to find these to even look at, much less trial.

Search my name and you will find a post with a detailed thread on quality when it was built. From what I have seen and heard, build quality is not good right now.

Thanks for search info. Not a confidence builder right now :-(

Ben Levitt said:

Thanks for search info. Not a confidence builder right now :-(

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Mine has been a pretty good boat overall from a performance and functional standpoint. Lots of small issues that I took care of myself. However, it was just barely worth the price I paid in 2018 (which appears to be $50-60k lower than 2022) based on the quality of materials, fit and finish, etc. But, those are the going prices…..

I like your choice of one big outboard but am not acquainted with that larger hull. As I consider the large hulls, it is obvious that many were designed around an I/O package with the resulting void relabeled as storage. The I/O is comfortable and quiet. Maintenance on the OB is much easier. What your friends will think of your new toy cannot be discounted.

The full width swim platform of an I/O has emerged as an issue of contention.

Arminius said:

The full width swim platform of an I/O has emerged as an issue of contention.

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That is the one big obstacle for the OB. My wife and I can work around it, but my friend ordered the IO version and the platform is much nicer.

I think if you are going to use the boat in fresh (non-salt) water IO or OB. But, if you are boating in the ocean or brackish water the OB would be my only choice. To me the swim platform is secondary.
Another thing is one vs two engines. If you are running long distances or crossing open water then two engines would be my only selection to make sure I have an engine out option to get back to terra-firma.

We've come to appreciate the cushions and luxury of the 2003 Searay 20' SELECT bowrider. I always liked 2 stroke outboards in the 18-20' range and bought this used 18' Campion w/140 hp 4-stroke outboard as an experiment and to use till they get our local boat launch dredged. The 2 liter, 4cyl Suzuki with a built in reduction gear compares favorably with 2-strokes although it needs the 15" prop I got by mistake but like. As to the Searay, The 17" pitch on the 5.0 mpi makes it pull adequately. Harder for me to get into a ski now but can squirm in on the big open platform. It is time for my last new boat and maybe a similar bowrider pushed by that V-6 with the Mercruiser heads and the cushion upgrade would be more suitable. Good I'm experimenting as there is much negative feedback from Susan regarding the "fishing boat."

ttmott said:

I think if you are going to use the boat in fresh (non-salt) water IO or OB. But, if you are boating in the ocean or brackish water the OB would be my only choice. To me the swim platform is secondary.
Another thing is one vs two engines. If you are running long distances or crossing open water then two engines would be my only selection to make sure I have an engine out option to get back to terra-firma.

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Flying may require a 2nd engine but boating not so much. The 2nd engine doubles the drag and fuel consumption. I liked the OP's choice of one big engine. One engine is so accessible for maintenance. Some of these new engines have really extensive maintenance schedules with multiple filters and stuff. Whatever.

Arminius said:

We've come to appreciate the cushions and luxury of the 2003 Searay 20' SELECT bowrider. I always liked 2 stroke outboards in the 18-20' range and bought this used 18' Campion w/140 hp 4-stroke outboard as an experiment and to use till they get our local boat launch dredged. The 2 liter, 4cyl Suzuki with a built in reduction gear compares favorably with 2-strokes although it needs the 15" prop I got by mistake but like. As to the Searay, The 17" pitch on the 5.0 mpi makes it pull adequately. Harder for me to get into a ski now but can squirm in on the big open platform. It is time for my last new boat and maybe a similar bowrider pushed by that V-6 with the Mercruiser heads and the cushion upgrade would be more suitable. Good I'm experimenting as there is much negative feedback from Susan regarding the "fishing boat."

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The 140 Suzuki is over rated and is more like a 125. Good running motor though.

This may be apples to oranges, but I have a very deep-v 25' center console with a 300hp Yamaha. Came from a 24' Four Winns with a 8.1L IO. Biggest motor they offered at the time. Also, a friend has a 2017 27' Four Winns open-bow with the same Yamaha 300hp IO I have.

Our hulls are completely different however I can speak to the differences in propulsion. If there's a chance you'll be doing any saltwater boating you'll never regret going for the OB. Flushing that motor is ridiculously easy and can flush the entire unit while the boat is still in the water. My IO had a flush port as well but couldn't raise the IO leg out of the water so it was always submerged in saltwater while at the dock. Resale of the OB will be way above the IO if it is a 'saltwater boat'. Everyone is scared to death of the manifolds and risers being rotted out, whether justified or not. Or, for the matter, the block, if it is not freshwater cooled.

On my friends 4W the swim platform is still very roomy as the OB is mounted at the trailing edge. There's easy access to the water and excellent walking around room on the platform. That said, my 4W IO boat was better and the view from the sunpad was unobstructed by the motor. His boat will hit just under 50mph with full fuel, 4 adults and lots of gear. It comes out of the hole a bit better than adequate, but not overly impressive. His storage space where the engine used to go is AWESOME. I'n very jealous of that space.

I just did my 100 hour service and it was a game changer. Being able to stand next to the motor and work at shoulder height was a gift from God after 35 years of hanging upside down in bilges. I did plugs, filters, impeller, lower unit oil and and oil and filter change in less than 4 hours, even though it's the first time I've ever done it. Next time will be so much easier.

Funny you mentioned 'fishing boat'. When we were looking for a used boat to take to Florida we had an opportunity to buy my good friends CC with a 250hp OB at a highly discounted price. My wife said the same thing, "I don't want a ugly fishing boat with a big ugly outboard!". So, as a good husband, I went out and found the 24' 4W IO. Beautiful boat and she was happy. Until we got there. Rough ride, more maintenance and restricted where we'd go. We sold it, luckily at a profit, and bought a very similar CC to the one we could've had for $35K less. She now LOVES the new boat. Oh well.

In the end, if I was 100% freshwater lake boating, I'd still probably go IO, otherwise no way.

I'll take my I/O any day, love that V8 rumble.

7.4 big block with the sport bellows idling in slip. BLUBADA BLUBADA BLUBADA. Not even Harley comes close to that sound.