newbie in need of advice-- soon

[Not For Hire]

Dave,

Look in the forums under outboards and systems. Find an old thread with lots of posts and read the posts from Les Lampman, Bob Austin and other learned folks. The single v twin discussion is well documented. There is no right answer, put what makes you smile back there. A single 40 will troll just great. A single 40 (one of the twins) will not plane the boat (a single 50 mounted in a single configuration amidships will plane a light 22). The Honda 40s are not EFI. The Honda 90 on the dealer boat is likely not EFI either as only the very newest (Honda) 90s have EFI.

Here is the previous thread 22 Motors

Regards, Mark

[flagold]

[Dave Gallagher]

Flapbreaker

That is a great point. You know not having ever handled twins or any sizable power boat , I wouldn't have thought of it. But of course-why would I want to pilot all fishing day instead of hanging loose and looking around. One really has to sit there and attend the running twin-no way to set the throttle and pour a drink and stare off for a few?
It strikes me that you have made the best argument for the single /kicker combo, certainly if fishing is a main activity. And if the kicker was a 15 or so you could still get out of trouble pretty well.
Just when I thought twins were the answer ,you've got me thinking.
Dave

[CatyMae n Steve]

I'm going to add to your thought process. We have the 90 and a kicker -- kicker mounted on the starboard side...normally they put both batteries in the starboard lazarette...we listed for several months until we made a change and put the batteries in the port lazarette...some cabling issues that the dealer took care of quite nicely (the switches for the batteries remain in the starboard lazarette, so we store only lightweight items there)...and now we don't list -- I don't know if the configuration of a kicker on the port side is possible, but you might want to give that consideration in order to not have to move the batteries so's not to list . We put a leather pad on the boat where the kicker comes up in the resting position against the stern...works out great so neither the boat nor the kicker get scuff marks. We like controlling the kicker from the helm, so we've attached a bar to the main motor...and a call out to the other person if we want the speed adjusted. This has been a good selection for us, because our main (only time we cruise is to get to fishing grounds usually...) use of the boat is for fishing.
Caty
PS...gone fishin tomorrow...

[Doryman]

Just to confuse the issue further: I met a fellow who owns another brand of cat about the same size as a TC-- not Glacier Bay, a boat that I understood is no longer being built -- and he runs twin 150s AND a kicker. Say's it's more efficient for trolling. Any thoughts on that?

Warren

[flapbreaker]

[CatyMae n Steve]

[flapbreaker]

ok, I'll keep quite. You can also get them from Cabelas.

[thataway]

Ihave fitted the bracket which holds my 3.5 hp dinghy motor so that it will fit in the dive ladder fitting of the Armstrong motor bracket. I know that 3.5 hp sounds like a very small motor--but it will push TC 255 3 knots easily--and trolls really well at 1 to 2 knots--where some fishing is great--and you can still tiller steer, plus the bottom of the motor does not go below the bottom of the TC 255 hulls...so 15 to 18" water is "enough".

Back to the question--look if you can install a swim step and boarding ladder with the twins. I do believe that boats should have those for safety as well as versitility. I personally have gone with the single and kicker for the smaller boats--the TC 255 obviously has the twins. I also like to have one side of the motor well in the CD 22 clear so that we can put a ramp ashore, clean fish there, step into the well for other reasons.
But--it is a very personal choice. If you go with a single--do have a kicker of some sort.