Which Engine Combo is Best on the Boston Whaler 280 Outrage?

The Boston Whaler 280 Outrage has three engine options for consumers. 

Many of us wonder how much extra speed we might get by opting for more powerful engines on any given package, but it’s not all that common to have an opportunity to compare apples-to-apples results of varying power packages on the same exact hull. However, Boston Whaler, has done the testing for us. Let’s take a look at it--

In general, Whaler’s tests of their varying hulls show what you’d expect—more power equals more speed, but at a cost of higher fuel burn and thus shorter range. And, of course, initial cost for higher horsepower packages can add dramatically to the sticker price of any boat.

What is Your Mission for the Boat?

If you want the fastest boat to the sand bar, the cost may be well worth it to you. On the other hand, if you want a dependable fishing boat/family boat that performs well under a variety of loads and has plenty of range, the extra cost of bigger engines may be a waste of money.

However, it’s also true that in some packages at some speeds, more powerful engines might actually be more economical in terms of fuel consumption, as the larger engines can be run at lower rpm to attain a given planing speed. And if you routinely carry large loads of friends and family, more power may be essential to get reasonable performance.

3 Power Packages for the Boston Whaler 280 Outrage

Here’s a look at the performance of a Boston Whaler 280 Outrage, one of the company’s popular center console fishing models, with three different engine packages, with the tests conducted by the company and Mercury Marine techs.

The Whaler 280 Outrage has a 28’ (8.53 m) LOA, 9’4” (2.84 m) beam and weighs about 6,200 lbs (2,812 kg) without engines.

Twin 250-hp Mercury 4.6 L V8 AMS Outboards

First is the package with twin 250 Mercury V8 AMS outboards:

WOT is very respectable at 54.1 mph with the 14 5/8" x 19" Revolution 4 props. 

And, the 28.6 mph cruise at 3500, delivering 2.01 mpg for a range of around 337 stature miles, is all most offshore anglers could ask for in a boat of this size. 

However, these performance numbers were based on a test with a light load—96 gallons of fuel (576 lbs./261.8 kgs.) and under 400 pounds in crew. Anglers more commonly head offshore with a full tank of fuel—186 gallons (1,116 lbs./507.2 kgs.) in this case—and a crew of 4 or more (800 lb.+/368.6 kgs.+) on a boat this size.  In addition, the livewell will be full of saltwater, and the fish boxes may be full of ice, plus lots of gear would be aboard – probably a boat 1,500-lbs. (681 kgs.) heavier than the teste boat. So, performance will be less than what’s indicated in the data. 

Twin 300-hp 4.6 L V8 Mercury Verado Outboards

For those who want a bit more performance without impacting the fuel economy excessively, the package with twin 300-hp Mercury Verado’s, same load and same fuel, turning 14 5/8" x 21" Rev 4 props delivered these numbers: 

Note that at 6000-rpm WOT, the boat is running 60.0, nearly a full 6 mph faster than with the 250’s. And best cruise, once again at 3500 rpm, is 31.6 mph where she got 1.95 mpg. Again, this boat was about 1,500-lbs (681 kgs.) lighter than she would be if going to the canyons. In any case, a better cruising speed and not much penalty in range – whatever it really is -- makes this an appealing package.

Twin 400-hp Mercury Verado 5.7L V10 Outboards

And finally, for maximized performance, the company set up the Outrage 280 with dual Mercury 400 Verado V10’s turning 14 5/8" x 20" Rev 4’s. The V10’s weigh about 695 pounds, 95 pounds heavier, each, than the 300’s. Same fuel load, same passengers:

Now, WOT at 6750 rpm is 64.3 mph, over 4 mph faster than the 300’s, 10 mph faster than the 250’s. 

But best cruise is actually slower than with the 300’s; at 3250 rpm she ran 28.9 mph. Range is still pretty strong, calculated at about 300 miles. Again, all the numbers will be lower in actuality because of the increased 

Comparing the Packages

A graph provided by comparing performance of the three engine packages looks like this: 

So, not surprisingly, buyers who want to get offshore ahead of the fleet on most days might opt for the added capability of the 400’s.

But, in this test at least, boaters who want to maximize range do well to stick with lower horsepower motors, which can deliver about the same or better cruising speed in some conditions, at a significant savings in fuel use, which equals less range anxiety, a big plus in an offshore trolling platform.

In this case, the twin 300’s had the fastest cruising speed, maxing at 31.6 mpg at 3500 rpm, right about where you want an offshore boat to cruise on most days heading out or back. 

And it was also the quickest on plane with the light load, 4.8 seconds, indicating plenty of torque to plane heavier loads as well. (The added weight of the V10’s on the transom could also be a factor in the slightly slower planing time of that package.)

The Cost of Speed 

While the cost of a factory-installed dual engine setup can vary widely based on extras including joystick digital steering, here’s a rough estimate of what the various engine packages are likely to run:

Twin 250 Mercury V8’s are about $28,000 each plus $2000 to $5000 per engine installation.

Twin 300 Verado V8 XL’s are about $30,000 each plus installation.

Twin 400 Verado V10’s are about $45,000 each plus installation.

The 280 Outrage is roughly a $360,000 to $400,000 package depending on power and other options. 

While the match of every boat and engine package is different and the packages that work well for one boating family may be all wrong for another, in this particular case it would appear most buyers would be happiest with the middle of the pack, the twin 300 V8 Verado’s, giving the most bang for the buck in terms of value for money as well as performance and range.

Learn more at https://www.bostonwhaler.com. 

See our tests of this model at https://boattest.com/boats/boston-whaler/280-outrage-2019.