Is 300hp enough on a Freedom 255?

[andrew.baldwin.young]

Is 300hp enough on a Freedom 255? Or do most choose twin 200hp engines?

A used Freedom 255 is for sale in my area (Long Island Sound) with a 300hp engine. I've been considering buying new, with twin 200hp engines, but this boat might be a nice opportunity. The salesman claims that the extra weight of twin 200hp engines makes it significantly harder to keep the bow down.

Thanks.

 

[family affair]

Depends on your expectations. Look at Grady's website for that boat and the performance report.
Most novice boaters become obsessed with a boats top speed, when in fact conditions will rarely allow one to run wide open. The 4.2 f300 makes good torque, but if you are running the boat regularly with a full load, you will wish you had more power.
For what it's worth, we have a 248. The hull and weight is very similar to the 255. We run a 225, and i rarely wish for more power, but it is a 2 stroke... it probably has as much torque or more than an f300.

 

[deepdesire]

GradyWhite.Com has a comparison chart that shows you the specs and performance of that model in several power configurations.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

You could always sea trial the boat and see if it has the power you think it should have.

 

[SCW]

I have a 275 with twin 150's. Is it a rocket ship no, is it sufficient yes. I would think much better on 255

 

[ocnslr]

We bought our Islander 270 new in March 2002 with a single 250 OX66. Much bigger boat and rated for 500hp. Performance just adequate and repowered to twin F150s in Oct 2005, mainly for improved fuel range to fish offshore.

Considered a larger single, but 300 HPDI only option at the time. If the new F300 was available, I would not hesitate. Lower unit drag is significant, and while the additional prop blade area of twins is a definite plus, I would not shy away from a 255 with a single F300.

As noted, sea trial it. See if WOT meets your needs, but more importantly if a 4000-4200 cruise works for you.

 

[Shredder66]

I have a 275 Freedom with a single 350 and the boat gets on plane faster and is faster then twin 150’s. With less weight and more horsepower, the boat performs better. I would think the single 300 on a 25 would be similar to my set up on a 27. Either way, make sure you sea trial the boat before closing the deal.

 

[Rustygaff]

I have a 255 with the single F300. It tops out a bit over 40-42 MPH @6000 RPM. This depends on fuel level, passengers, and how much canvas I have up. It gets out of the hole quickly without any issues. The boat is not speed demon by any means but the F300 is more than adequate for our needs. I rarely find water where I can run it at full throttle for any extended time without getting yelled at so any more power would be a waste for me. Good luck.

 

[blindmullet]

I'm still working on getting it the correct prop. I'm 45-45 at about 5500 on a 24.4. I would assume you would lose a little hole shot. Is there a 350 option?

 

[battles2a5]

If you look at the performance reports on the site, you can compare side by side. Bottom line, cruise speed is almost identical. The twin 200's have better efficiency at cruise (2.4 vs 2.3mpg) and you have 8mph high top end. Performance figures aside, you also have to consider the benefit of having twins vs. a single. Twins are sooooo much more maneuverable and you have built-in redundancy. I would do twins all day if I had the choice, but it depends on how much better the deal is on the f300.

 

[NapTownGW255]

I have a 2011 255 with a Yamaha 300. I get up on plane in about 10 seconds and can cruise comfortably at 35 mph or 4600 rpm. WOT is 5700+ rpm and about 41-42 mph with just me and about 1/2 tank of gas. Best economy is 4000 rpm or about 27 mph. I find the 300 provides plenty of power and maintaining a single engine is much easier on the wallet! Re. maneuverability, I can ease her into any reasonable docking situation without needing a second motor or bow thruster. Just go slowly and carefully.