It’s not often that you can compare the performance of a brand-new boat with different power configurations, but Back Cove has just released that information for its new 34O (for outboard) cruiser that will make its public debut at the Newport International Boat Show, starting Sept. 13. The standard power for the Maine-built couple’s cruiser is two 300-hp Yamaha outboards; two 350-hp Suzukis are an option. Here’s how they performed.
Back Cove tested the two power options three days apart in mid-August with about the same fuel, water and load in similar sea conditions on West Penobscot Bay near the factory in Rockland, Maine. In both cases, the time to plane was the same: 4.5 seconds. So was the time of 0 to 30 mph: 9.8 seconds.
At top speed, the Suzukis were 3 knots faster, 40.5 knots to the Yamahas’ 37.5 knots.
And at the lower end, 3000 rpm, the Suzukis were more than 2 knots faster, 13.6 knots to the Yamahas’ 11.5 knots. At that rpm, the Suzukis also were more efficient, burning 12.6 gph for a range of 243 nm, while the Yamahas burned 12.5 gph for a range of 207 nm. The sound levels were the same, at 72 dB(A).
Throughout the normal cruising range the two were generally not far apart.
At a normal cruising speed of 3500 rpm, the Yamahas ran at 17.0 knots, burning 17 gph, with a range of 225 nm and dB(A) of 76.
At 3500 rpm the Suzukis ran at 18.5 knots, burning 18.0 gph, with a range of 231 nm and a dB(A) of 78.
At 5000 rpm, the Yamahas ran at 31.4 knots, burning 37.5 gph, with a range of 188 nm and a dB(A) of 78.
At 5000 rpm, the Suzukis ran at 32.4 knots, burning 36.6 gph, with a range of 199 nm and a dB(A) of 85.
At a wide-open 6000 rpm, the Yamahas ran at 37.5 knots, burning 52.9 gph, with a range of 159 nm and a dB(A) of 86.
At 6000 rpm, the Suzukis ran at 40.5 knots, burning 58.4 gph with a range of 156 nm and a dB(A) of 88.
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