Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari browser.
sorry drivesOutdrive, as in one?
hi i live in st pete fl. the boat will be kept on my boat lift and we run down the coast to keywest alot. stopping at islands on the way down and staying the night out. thats way i was looking for stern drive's because the cruise speed would be around 30mph and with all the afternoon storms we have i can get out of the way fast. i don't know the cruise speed on inboards but i imagine it would be in the low 20 mph. any help or advice would be appreciated since all my boats have been outboards.Before we go too far down the rabbit hole of v-drive vs IO... where will the boat be and what is your anticipated use? I seem to recall that the 340DA's performed slightly better with IO's, though. I don't think I've ever looked at the numbers for the 390, though. Generally the IO's are more efficient due to the ability to trim. But it's really important to know the area of use and how the boat will be used.
thank you for the info. i'm only going to buy a 390 that was used in fresh water i've been looking in lake michigan area at the moment i figured that it will have low hours on it and in better condition then down here in fla.if you know anyone with one or a place up there that would be great. once i get one i can't wait to post more stuff about it.Thanks for the info, EH - that helps. There's certainly more upkeep with outdrives in saltwater - a lot more. But having it on a lift will diminish that. You'll still have things like the bellows to contend with - but those are not something you do every year. I may have some numbers at the shop pertaining to the 390's - I'll take a look later this week.
If the boat was previously in saltwater, inspect the drives really well for corrosion - they're nextdoor to a couple SS props so start with the area directly in front of the props.
I've read about some type of epoxy paint for the props (and holds up pretty well over time) that lessens the galvanic corrosion between the props and outdrives - but I can't remember the name. Maybe Google can help.
Please complete your info/profile with your location as it can help in many ways. The fountain you mentioned, is very interesting.hi thats what i liked about that engine room. i guess there are alot of them out there if you look for that boat. still want to compare inboard versus stern drive with cruise speed and gph. a neighbor has a 43 fountain with diesels and bravo 3 drive and it's heavy no problem's. what is your cruise speed and fuel burn? any info would be greatly appreciated.
HERE IS THE BOAT SPECVery interesting conversation. I have some thoughts on this.
For my manner of boating (a lot on Lake Powell)... The ability to back into a beach and cruising speed and range are important, outdrives perform well. I am in freshwater and the boat is primarily stored on a trailer and indoors, so corrosion is not a big issue.
That 390 with outdrives is highly appealing to me. But I would definitely want an extensive sea trial. Even with duo props, that boat might have sluggish handling around a dock. Also, the ability to trim is less important with that much hull length.
I would guess that outdrive powered boat would significantly out perform a V in the same hull in terms of cruise speed, top speed, and range. But, I wouldn't be shocked if that turned out not to be true given the length and weight of the hull.
I would be curious what gears and props it runs. Assuming it is propped correctly, that would say a lot about performance. Taking a guess, I would say that boat will cruise low to mid 20's at 35-3900 rpm.
Final thought, my boat has the same propulsion system. That's a lot more boat to push with it.