The fact that Americans like outboards is nothing new. Fast boats for sport fishing often have two or even three engines hanging off the stern. Performance counts when fighting fish on the high seas - or if you just want to look good in the marina.
In response to the question of how to bolt as much power as possible to the transom, the engine builders at Seven Marine The number actually stands for the horsepower that the impressive big-block outboard brings to the shaft. That's a whopping 200 hp more than Yamaha's 350, the previous alpha male among outboards.
The 557 from Seven Marine is based on a 6.8-litre V8 with turbocharger from GM; however, the aluminium block is not installed vertically as usual, but sits horizontally on the shaft. The engine weighs a total of 454 kg and three shaft lengths are available (508 mm, 635 mm, 762 mm). The colour of the bonnet and shaft can be individually adapted to customer requirements.
If one 557 isn't enough, it's best to have two - a 370 Intrepid Cuddy was presented at the Miami Boat Show in spring. According to the manufacturer, it has been shown that operating the double pack is cheaper and delivers more speed than a 350 trio. Incidentally, the minimum boat size for a 557 is specified as 27 feet.
