OR
the life of the motor; it’s unlikely you’ll ever need
to look under the cowl at valves.
Gone is the demand for pricier digital throttle
and shift controls. Mercury’s new motors, while
operating on coveted but expensive digital
throttle systems, have cable-capable controls
inside, so repowering a boat is possible with a
choice of digital throttle and shift or standard
cable controls likely already installed on the
repowered boat.
Gone is the leaning, lightbulb shape of the
Verado motors. These are angular, sharp and
poised like a hatchet to attack the competition.
Gone is the monochrome color choice of blackor white. Now you have not 50 shades of gray
but an unlimited number of color combinations
thanks to four factory, optional color panels, plus
a primer-coated panel to custom-paint to match
your boat. And these panels are applicable to
cowls of black or three shades of fusion white.
But we were about to experience what the
new motors had gotten as well as what was gone.
We jumped aboard a Scout 275 Dorado with
dual 200s and digital throttle and shift. The silky
controls enhance the experience because they
are so easy to operate and can be adjusted to give
just the right amount of friction. Also on board
was Mercury’s Active Trim, an automatic system
that trims the motors to
the ideal position based
on an acceleration profi le
custom-calibrated to any
boat. Merc has of ered that
for a while, but now it can
be set and operated through
the VesselView gauge.
Another new advantage: If
you override Active Trim,
it re-engages when you
stop trimming. There are
fi ve trim profi les for the
boat, and if you fi nd load
or sea conditions require
more or less trim, you
can select a more- or less-
aggressive trim profi le from
the VesselView gauge. Our
engines were linked to the
navigation system to display
gauge information on the
big navigation displays or
VesselView screens.h e 24-valve system is
ultra-responsive and
provides rewarding power
and smooth idling. Engine
functions can be monitored
on digital or analog
gauge systems for easy
repowering.NOW YOU HAVE
NOT 50 SHADES
OF GRAY BUT
AN UNLIMITED
NUMBER
OF COLOR
COMBINATIONS
THANKS TO
FOUR FACTORY,
OPTIONAL
COLOR PANELS,
PLUS A PRIMER-
COATED PANEL
TO CUSTOM-
PAINT TO MATCH
YOUR BOAT. PHOTOS: COURTESY MERCURY MARINE (3), COURTESY WEST MARINE (ANALOG GAUGES)78 | BOATINGMAG.COM | APRIL 2018