Boating USA — January 2018

Rigging the boat with twin 300

Suzukis produces a $51,000

savings over rigging with the

Cummins inboard. That

will buy a lot of fuel; by

our back-of-the-envelope

calculation, and using

current average-per-

gallon prices, at least 15

years’ worth at 300 hours

of running per year.

But won’t the inboard

outlast the outboards? Maybe.

But Judge states he has built

outboard boats for guides who have

happily put over 3,000 hours on the Suzuki

engines. That translates into more than a decade

for most recreational owners. Yes, the outboards

are saltwater-cooled, but modern systems make

regular fl ushing easy with a dockside hose,

especially if the boat is kept on a lift. This should

assuage the concerns of those

who boat in salt water.

Another huge diff erence

is ease of maintenance.

The cost for oil and fl uid

changes is comparable

until we consider the

inboard’s cooling system,

which requires not only

periodic changing but also

winterization. Fouling a line

or grounding and damaging

a propeller requires a diver at

least and perhaps a haul-out for the

inboard, while tilting an outboard makes

solving most problems much easier. For major

repairs, the ability to swap out a gear case or

even change engines on the bracket gives the

outboard boat an obvious advantage. Obviously,

twin outboards provide redundant security for

get-home power versus a single inboard.

Fishing is a mixed bag. Judge much prefers

the Suzuki option for setting trolling speeds

electronically, in contrast to the trolling valve

needed on the inboard. Handling a big fi sh

around two outboards on a bracket, however,

is more diffi cult than over the inboard’s clear

transom. One alternative to help the 36’s

outboard is a transom door. On the drift in seas, PHOTO: COURTESY JUDGE YACHTS (INSET OF BILL JUDGE)

COST FOR OIL AND FLUID CHANGES ARE

COMPARABLE UNTIL WE CONSIDER THE INBOARD’S

COOLING SYSTEM, WHICH REQUIRES NOT ONLY

PERIODIC CHANGING BUT ALSO WINTERIZATION.

CRAZY MR. FOX

Bill Judge has been both a

boater and a boatbuilder all

his life. He’s been building the

36 Chesapeakes for 10 years.

In the beginning he sold it as

a diesel inboard, but the last

three years he’s powered

it exclusively with Suzuki

outboards.

With twin Suzuki

300s, the 36

Chesapeake

recorded a top

speed of 43.6 mph

at 6,000 rpm.

60 | BOATINGMAG.COM | JANUARY 2018