Up here in Michigan we are seeing an increase in larger boats that carry multiple outboards instead of inboards...... any advantages to this or just what the owner wants??

Are they all timed to run together, or can they run independently of each other--- all separate throttles??

Appreciate it.

There are several reasons that outboards are now used more frequently ..... The power of outboards has been going up a lot in recent years and you can now get outboards with 600 and more horses under the hood. Outboards leave you with more room on the boat as the kind of hang out board as it says on the can. The notorious rubber bellow that is used on IO's that has sunk more than one boat is done away with as well. No gas fumes in enclosed spaces from the engine making them safer to use.Servicability is another plus for the outboard.
As far as control goes, There are several systems on the market these days. From solid linked steering to independent electronic controlled steering. Throttle control goes the same way. Sometimes using them in pairs where the two starboard engines run together and the two port ones do the same. Some are individually controlled by a computer allowing for the use of a joystick for parking the boat. You can make the boat go sideways or turn on the spot etc.

Very nifty !
Thanks Scube.

I need that on mine, the uss crashthedock

One other thing I forgot to mention is that with the engine controls and steering being " fly by wire " on the more modern engines. The throttle and wheel etc are just like game controllers and have no mechanical connection to the engines. That allows to set up multiple steering stations really easy as they just get plugged into the network and bolted in wherever one wants them. flybridge, cockpit for docking .. inside station for bad weather etc. Easy as pie to set up. I just a couple of weeks ago installed a double side thruster on a couple of outboards and the controls for those are wireless from the get go. So you just run a happy and a sad cable to the controller and wire up the thrusters with the thick stuff and thats it.

Just to add...

We run a 26’ Regulator offshore, mostly wreck fishing 6-25 miles off. Twin Yamaha 225 , bow thruster and big Rhodan trolling motor/gps anchor.

The props on twin outboards are counter rotating, meaning one turns clockwise the other counter clockwise, to synchronize them in the water. Separate throttles but try to keep consistent RPM when running.

Another benefit of multiple outboards, is you can still limp in on one motor if you lose one.

Bow thruster is nice at the dock, allows parallel movement.

Big trolling motors are replacing anchors in some cases. Makes it nice to stop directly over a wreck or a fishing spot and not have to mess with an anchor, especially in 40-90 ft of water.

Bow thruster on a 26, must be a east coast thing.
I do like the trolling motors with the gps capability.
Anchoring even in wind or current with the push of a button or troll with no noise

Just to add one thing to the video..... Note how slow the docking process is. .... That is about the right speed. match the speed of the boat to the speed of the dock. or don't hit the dock harder than you can afford. People that watch me dock, usually get bored after a bit and walk away. Thats when i know I am doing it right

Appreciate the information !!