journeyman- Marlin Question.

[magicalbill]

Hey journeyman;
I noticed in your reply to the bowthruster topic that you list owning a Marlin with 350's.

If I ever buy another boat, at this juncture it'll be a Marlin with 300's or 350's.

I would appreciate any input you have on the performance/satisfaction level that you have experienced with your 350 setup.

Does it feel stern-heavy with the 350's? If you have a generator back there that would add to it, obviously. Are the scuppers submerged? Is there any porpoising on plane with the weight aft?
What are your perf. numbers? Fuel burn? Cruising speed?

I have folks advocating the 300's instead. I know the 350's have had flywheel troubles, or something to that effect. I think Yamaha is replacing them every 300 hrs. now as part of the maintenance plan.

I am not opposed to the 300's, but I pack every bit of HP I can on a boat..That's just me. However, I don't want to order them if the negatives outweigh the positives.

I appreciate any feedback from you or anyone else knowledgeable on this.

 

[journeyman]

Magicbill, glad to answer any and all questions I can but they will be few at this point. I just bought it in December and need to wait until the Ice Age is over up here before getting wet. I will post performance numbers when I get going this spring.

I do have a generator and also the previous owner had 2 extra AGM house batteries installed for a total of six. There is a 100 amp charger on board so it's able to keep up. They can be isolated with a switch.

With that extra weight and the engine weight , the bottom paint is just at the top of the cockpit drains but the waterline is at the midpoint of the through hull. That puts the transom scuppers just under water.

The flywheel issue with the 350's is something to think about. Doing my research before buying and talking with the dealer, the original flywheels were replaced on all the 350 engines and will be replaced every 300 hours at Yamaha's expense. Even out of warranty (for now). I believe there was a material design flaw with the original flywheel and they fixed it but are being cautious for now. I am satisfied on this issue.

Another issue Yamaha has been hit with is that some early models have had cylinder failure. It is in a specific location and the true cause has not been identified as yet. There is rampant speculation on THT on this subject. Apparently all Yamaha 350's are exploding just by looking at them. Gotta love the experts over there! The majority of owners who have had an issue are happy with Yamaha's response on this issue. I've always been a happy Yamaha owner and until they prove otherwise...

Hope this helps. I am really looking forward to the good weather coming soon! I hope!

 

[magicalbill]

Thanks for the quick get-back!

Yeah, numbers would be great when you get the boat out this spring. Just sometime when you think about it..thanks!

I am not worried about slightly submerged scuppers; My 232 with twin F200's has the scuppers underwater; it doesn't matter,the cockpit drains fine. I mentioned the scuppers only as a stern weight reference point.

Like yourself, I have always been happy with my Yamahas. I have heard enough negative press about the 350's to start asking questions before I buy a pair though.
If I ever get serious about it, I'll study the perf comparisons between the 300's/350's and go from there. I can read them on the Grady site, but real world input to balance the website stats out is helpful to me.

Warm weather is coming..enjoy the boat!

 

[megabytes]

I might at least consider moving the batteries if the scuppers are under water. That could be a hazard if the tube breaks and recall they are PVC since they are generally above the waterline. It might take a few dollars but it would improve safety.

 

[journeyman]

Rear scuppers in a Euro transom are compressed copper tubes with a PVC Puck that houses the rubber flapper mounted on the outside. I see nothing that could compromise safety given the fact that they are underwater. I've read many posts on this site including Magicbills' above about their scuppers being under water.

 

[1998sailfish]

Wow 350's ! What are you getting for mpg at 30 mph ?

What fuel capacity do you have on the newer Marlin? My 2000 has 306 gal.............

 

[journeyman]

Wow 350's ! What are you getting for mpg at 30 mph ?

What fuel capacity do you have on the newer Marlin? My 2000 has 306 gal.............

Magicbill, glad to answer any and all questions I can but they will be few at this point. I just bought it in December and need to wait until the Ice Age is over up here before getting wet. I will post performance numbers when I get going this spring.

If I'm remembering right, 300 gal.

 

[journeyman]

Been able to finally spend some time on the water over the last couple of weeks. Spring was less than ideal plus work keeps getting in the way of pleasure,

Some numbers for my 350's. Best I could get yesterday.
3800 rpms, 31 mph, 1.3 mpg
5700 rpms, 49 mph, 0.8 mpg (ouch!)

Conditions - 1 foot chop, 250 gal of fuel, motors trimmed slightly, no tabs, 2 people, live well full of Macs, full gear.

Still learning the nuances of running the Marlin but I'm happy! The best thing, I think, with these engines is the torque. She jumps out of the water! Even while running at 3800, if I push the throttles, the response is WOW! Top end speed would be faster if i ran lighter and learn to trim her better but I won't spend much time there anyway.

 

[magicalbill]

Thanks Journeyman;
Glad to see the number stats and that your enjoying your rig. This gives me some idea as to what to expect.