alpha 1 vs bravo III

[torcano]

I am considering buying a 2004 Chaparral 290 signature series. The boat has twin 4.2 L Mercruisers with Alpha I sterndrives. My previous boat (Searay 240DA) had a single 5.0L Mercruiser with Bravo III. I was happy with the performance of that combination. Should I have any concerns about going to Alpha I sterndrives? Any concerns with the 4.2 L Mercruisers? The Chaparral has a 8500 lb dryweight so that I think the twin Mercrusers (220 HP each) should be enough power. Any comments would be appreciated.
RK

 

[180shabah]

Re: alpha 1 vs bravo III

I think you are going to find that the twin 4.3's(?) are a little less than ideal for pushing 10,000lbs out of the water.

With that said, they are well under the power limits of an alpha, so the drive should hold up well. If you do go with this combination, I would suggest four blade props to replace the cheapie 3 blade ones that will come from the dealer.