2520 ENGINE OPTIONS

[ultimatejay]

Fishing offshore in a smaller boat I’ve learned to appreciate running a boat with max horse power.

While it’s true you don’t if ever run wide open throttle.

There are other points to consider.

When it’s rough and the wind starts to blow hard. You’ll appreciate being able to work the throttle in big seas and not have to worry about getting back up on plane because she’s heavy and it takes a long time to get on plane.

In a head sea, slow down to get over a big swell, then speed back up.

In a following sea, have power to punch through the slop or to ride up on the back of one.

Same applies to running bars and inlets, if she heavy and your coming in you’ll be able to maintain position between the swells easier with more power.

While fuel economy should be part of the discussion. Equally the overall performance of the boat should be discussed.

Some may say, I don’t plan on going out when it’s rough. Well the weather man gets it wrong too.

Just my .02 cents.

Comparatively I’ve been doing this a short time compared to some. But my above statement's reflect my current perspective running my 2320 offshore the last 6 years.

I'm bouncing around between the 23 and the 25. Good pros and cons to each one. How do you like the 23 for offshore? The only thing I didnt like is the front v berth is a lot smaller than the 25. I'm only 5'10" and my feet hang off the end on the 23 and on the 25 I have like 6" add room when stretched out. I'm planning on sleeping over at the local islands in So Cal. so they are 30 and 60 miles out.

 

[A-K]

I'm bouncing around between the 23 and the 25. Good pros and cons to each one. How do you like the 23 for offshore? The only thing I didnt like is the front v berth is a lot smaller than the 25. I'm only 5'10" and my feet hang off the end on the 23 and on the 25 I have like 6" add room when stretched out. I'm planning on sleeping over at the local islands in So Cal. so they are 30 and 60 miles out.

I think the 23 is an excellent boat. It has many great points.

Mine is rigged with many extras, including a 50 gallon bait tank, 15 rocket launchers on the hard top, full set of Garmin Electronics including the reactor AP and V2 pump…I really like the AP .

Seaspension seats, and all kind of goodies.

The second station is great to jockey the boat forward or aft, but the wheel is low so not that good to drive while on step.

Has a huge fish deck. It’s a great little fish killer, and fishes 2-4 great.

The Yamaha 300 is perfect power.

The hull can handle a lot of water and is very solid, almost to point where I think there is almost no flex.

When you really understand Parker and the box grid stringer system, and how everything is engineered, the boat is a little tank.

It does ride on the rough side but I have upgraded to 12x18 tabs, and permatrim.

I will say the 25 is a lot more boat and really in a different class, so the comparison between the 23 and 25 is more apple to oranges.

The cons to the 23 is the cabin is small and low, it does make for a good center of gravity and makes the boat more stable. But for the unaware it can I cause injury. The cabin is a bit of a turnoff for some.

The 23 won’t come in twins, but Parker understands their customer base so it’s priced appropriately.

The fish box could be better but I run 2 kill bags.

All and all I think it’s a awesome fish boat. But more of a hardcore boat.

If headspace, overnighting, etc are part of the priority then 25 would probably be a better fit.

 

[Rio_01]

I've ridden on a few 2520 XLDs with the Suzuki DP 350 and it is a great setup - perfect power in my opinion and DP is just awesome out of the hole.
I have a 2013 2520 XLD now and had the Yamaha F300 that was a good engine but it took a while to get on plane and in a decent following sea was a bit sketchy to me. I just finished re-powering with a Yamaha F350 V8 and man, what a difference, all the torque in the world - it planes very quick now and I can cruise at my old top speed (38 mph) - the prop on the 350 is massive and effortlessly moves this big boat. (Note: the 350 is taboo on 2520s: the Armstrong bracket is rated for only 300hp and the 350 has some serious haters due to past crank issues - so I know it's a choice that a lot of folks will disagree with - but I did my research and everyone has to make the best decision for themselves).
For what you're looking to do, I'd go with twin 200s on a new 2520 - that is a great engine and will give you many years of reliable service if properly maintained.

I would love to do this but I haven’t been able to find anyone to do it, nor could I find a good used 350. I’d like to try a new 425 but with the bracket not rated for it, no dealers will do it, not that I’ve found anyway. If anyone knows a dealer who would do a 425, I’m in.

 

[ultimatejay]

I think the 23 is an excellent boat. It has many great points.

Mine is rigged with many extras, including a 50 gallon bait tank, 15 rocket launchers on the hard top, full set of Garmin Electronics including the reactor AP and V2 pump…I really like the AP .

Seaspension seats, and all kind of goodies.

The second station is great to jockey the boat forward or aft, but the wheel is low so not that good to drive while on step.

Has a huge fish deck. It’s a great little fish killer, and fishes 2-4 great.

The Yamaha 300 is perfect power.

The hull can handle a lot of water and is very solid, almost to point where I think there is almost no flex.

When you really understand Parker and the box grid stringer system, and how everything is engineered, the boat is a little tank.

It does ride on the rough side but I have upgraded to 12x18 tabs, and permatrim.

I will say the 25 is a lot more boat and really in a different class, so the comparison between the 23 and 25 is more apple to oranges.

The cons to the 23 is the cabin is small and low, it does make for a good center of gravity and makes the boat more stable. But for the unaware it can I cause injury. The cabin is a bit of a turnoff for some.

The 23 won’t come in twins, but Parker understands their customer base so it’s priced appropriately.

The fish box could be better but I run 2 kill bags.

All and all I think it’s a awesome fish boat. But more of a hardcore boat.

If headspace, overnighting, etc are part of the priority then 25 would probably be a better fit.

I'm not up to date on all the electronics. What is the Garmin AP?
Also, on boats like Parkers that dont have generators, how do you run electronics like your chart plotter and lets say you wanted to keep some live bait in your 50 gallon tank and need to run your pump on all night with the engines off?

 

[Tombro]

I’m an offshore angler in NJ with a 2520 XLD with twin Yamaha 200s. I absolutely need twins and the second helm station for docking in a very tight slip, right against the quay. I’ve just finished my second season with this boat and love it. Rarely does the North Atlantic let me get much faster than 23 kts but I like the hole shot and redundancy of the twins. I’d probably go with the 350 as the single.
I see another 2520 with twin 300 yammies (!) at the gas dock occasionally.

 

[johnfbushjr]

Twin F225’s on my 2510 Walkaround DV. I get about 1.7 miles per gallon running at 4200 RPM and 33 mph. For blade props. No problems at all getting up on plane nor staying on plane at slower speeds in rougher water.

 

[baker]

If $ were of no concern, I would go with the twins!
I wonder how the 350 would perform on the 2520 Mod V?

 

[ultimatejay]

I’m an offshore angler in NJ with a 2520 XLD with twin Yamaha 200s. I absolutely need twins and the second helm station for docking in a very tight slip, right against the quay. I’ve just finished my second season with this boat and love it. Rarely does the North Atlantic let me get much faster than 23 kts but I like the hole shot and redundancy of the twins. I’d probably go with the 350 as the single.
I see another 2520 with twin 300 yammies (!) at the gas dock occasionally.

WOW, twin 300"s! I think the boat is only rated for max 500hp. Hes going to rip the transom off lol

 

[A-K]

I'm not up to date on all the electronics. What is the Garmin AP?
Also, on boats like Parkers that dont have generators, how do you run electronics like your chart plotter and lets say you wanted to keep some live bait in your 50 gallon tank and need to run your pump on all night with the engines off?

AP is your auto pilot. So nice on a long run.

I don’t do the overnight thing.

I guess you could add more batteries or shore power.

But that’s a little out of my experience or current knowledge base.

 

[pelagic2530]

I'm not up to date on all the electronics. What is the Garmin AP?
Also, on boats like Parkers that dont have generators, how do you run electronics like your chart plotter and lets say you wanted to keep some live bait in your 50 gallon tank and need to run your pump on all night with the engines off?

Power management is going to be key.

First of all, you’ll need to upgrade to a three battery bank system. From the factory, they’re equipped with two batteries and standard 1-2-Both-Off selector switches. One of the switches will also have the house power lead connected to it. In essence, you’re using one of the two cranking batteries to power the house electrical load. Compliant with regulations, but not ideal.

With your power consumption requirements, you’ll need a separate house bank. This allows you to do several things: install a deep-cycle house battery (or batteries) with the capacity that you need for your power requirements; and simultaneously keep your cranking batteries from being drained by your house electrical loads so that you always have the ability to crank the motors, even with a severely drained house battery.

The best way to do this is via a BEP cluster battery switch, which will allow you to separate the cranking batteries from the house battery while automatically managing the charging of all three.

As far as “how much battery do you need” that’s a more complicated figure. There are many formulas and spreadsheets to help you figure that out, but the long and short of it is that each piece of equipment has a specified amperage draw. Multiplying that amperage by the number of hours that that equipment will be used between battery charges gives you the amp-hour requirement for that piece of equipment. Calculating the aH for each piece of gear, then adding them together, gives you your required aH capacity. Deep-cycle batteries are sized by aH capacity, so you’ll need to select one or several that meet your requirements. Remember, however, that for battery longevity it’s a good idea to discharge them no lower than 50% of their stated capacity.

So, if your required capacity comes out to say 110aH, you’ll need a battery or bank of batteries with a capacity of at least 220aH. More is better.

Another thing to consider with large battery banks is that adding shore power charging ability is CRITICAL. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to replenish a deep discharge on a big battery using the engine alternators alone, unless you have a VERY long run back to the dock. Even then, the charge from an outboard alternator is unlikely to get them to 100% recharge, which is the best for the health and lifespan of the battery. Furthermore, in order to keep them at 100% charge while the boat is at the dock, they’ll need to be plugged in continuously so that the charger’s trickle charge function can compensate for the batteries’ tendency to slowly self discharge, as well as for any small voltage draws on the system.

All in all, big batteries are very expensive, so it’s worth your while to carefully think through your system, size it appropriately, and maintain it well. You don’t want to be replacing it frequently due to preventable abuse or lack of maintenance.

 

[ultimatejay]

Power management is going to be key.

First of all, you’ll need to upgrade to a three battery bank system. From the factory, they’re equipped with two batteries and standard 1-2-Both-Off selector switches. One of the switches will also have the house power lead connected to it. In essence, you’re using one of the two cranking batteries to power the house electrical load. Compliant with regulations, but not ideal.

With your power consumption requirements, you’ll need a separate house bank. This allows you to do several things: install a deep-cycle house battery (or batteries) with the capacity that you need for your power requirements; and simultaneously keep your cranking batteries from being drained by your house electrical loads so that you always have the ability to crank the motors, even with a severely drained house battery.

The best way to do this is via a BEP cluster battery switch, which will allow you to separate the cranking batteries from the house battery while automatically managing the charging of all three.

As far as “how much battery do you need” that’s a more complicated figure. There are many formulas and spreadsheets to help you figure that out, but the long and short of it is that each piece of equipment has a specified amperage draw. Multiplying that amperage by the number of hours that that equipment will be used between battery charges gives you the amp-hour requirement for that piece of equipment. Calculating the aH for each piece of gear, then adding them together, gives you your required aH capacity. Deep-cycle batteries are sized by aH capacity, so you’ll need to select one or several that meet your requirements. Remember, however, that for battery longevity it’s a good idea to discharge them no lower than 50% of their stated capacity.

So, if your required capacity comes out to say 110aH, you’ll need a battery or bank of batteries with a capacity of at least 220aH. More is better.

Another thing to consider with large battery banks is that adding shore power charging ability is CRITICAL. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to replenish a deep discharge on a big battery using the engine alternators alone, unless you have a VERY long run back to the dock. Even then, the charge from an outboard alternator is unlikely to get them to 100% recharge, which is the best for the health and lifespan of the battery. Furthermore, in order to keep them at 100% charge while the boat is at the dock, they’ll need to be plugged in continuously so that the charger’s trickle charge function can compensate for the batteries’ tendency to slowly self discharge, as well as for any small voltage draws on the system.

All in all, big batteries are very expensive, so it’s worth your while to carefully think through your system, size it appropriately, and maintain it well. You don’t want to be replacing it frequently due to preventable abuse or lack of maintenance.

Thanks for the info that helps a lot. Do you have any picture of this set up and where the add. batteries are installed on a 2520 Parker? I assume under port side bench seat would be a good option?

 

[Key Largo]

If $ were of no concern, I would go with the twins!
I wonder how the 350 would perform on the 2520 Mod V?

Here is a email conversation I had with Parker Sales in 2017 about powering a 2520 Parker with a 350 Yamaha when I was considering selling my 23DVCC for a 25DVCC.

 

[warthog5]

I'm not up to date on all the electronics. What is the Garmin AP?
Also, on boats like Parkers that dont have generators, how do you run electronics like your chart plotter and lets say you wanted to keep some live bait in your 50 gallon tank and need to run your pump on all night with the engines off?

Adding to what Pelagic said.

Garmin AP is Auto Pilot.

The #1 thing that consumes / draws down a battery is the engines starter motor.....But it is only working for 30secounds if that.
The #2 is a stereo amp.....and it consumes a lot, for long periods of time. For that reason, I'm not a Big fan. Sitting at ancor / engine off.....A amp can kill a battery in a hour. If your system is factory rigged with Perko switch....That means it kills your STARTING battery.

But lets move on to your real question about running a Livewell pump on a 50gal tank.
Using Kodiaks website. Pumps For Bait Tanks | Bait Tank Pumps

It says a 1100GPH pump for 37 - 45 gal tank. That pump draws 3.9amps.

Your claiming a 50gal tank, but I suspect the 1100 will be just fine, as the tank is not slap Full.
If you move to a larger pump.. It will Coast WAY more and it will consume way more Power.

Do NOT buy "Sureflow" pump's ! Every boat manufacture installs them for 1 reason. Their Cheap! If you get 2yrs of of a Sureflow aka NoFlow pump you have done well.
Rule is what I use. A lot of Livewell usage and overnight....I'd have the wiring setup with a quick connect and a spare cartarage motor for offshore overnight. Consider it your insurance policy....If you have it....I bet you'll never need it.

 

[ultimatejay]

Why not use a portable generator? I have a small Honda generator i could bring for those two-three night trips off shore.

 

[ultimatejay]

Like this

 

[pelagic2530]

Why not use a portable generator? I have a small Honda generator i could bring for those two-three night trips off shore.

You could do that. It’ll work, however unless you plumb it in to your main fuel tank, now you’re carrying around extra fuel cans as well, which increases the fire hazard. Also, you’ll need a way to connect it to your electrical system; a 110v shore power system is best, but a plug-in permanently installed battery charger will work as well.

It’s not ABYC compliant by any means, and you need to be smart about it to avoid issues with CO, electrical shock, and fire hazards.

Also, it’s not going to replace the need for a dedicated house battery or battery bank.

 

[Mpellet]

You could do that. It’ll work, however unless you plumb it in to your main fuel tank, now you’re carrying around extra fuel cans as well, which increases the fire hazard. Also, you’ll need a way to connect it to your electrical system; a 110v shore power system is best, but a plug-in permanently installed battery charger will work as well.

It’s not ABYC compliant by any means, and you need to be smart about it to avoid issues with CO, electrical shock, and fire hazards.

Also, it’s not going to replace the need for a dedicated house battery or battery bank.

We’ve had some power outages over the years and I’ve run my home on a gasoline generator for a few days at a time. I’ve always run the generator outdoors, at least 20’ from the house on the garage side of the house with the garage door closed. Again the generator is OUTSIDE of the garage not in the garage. Even with the generator outdoors there have been times when I have absolutely smelled fumes from the generator in the house. Every time I see one of these posts with someone running a gasoline generator on a small boat it makes me question the safety of doing this. I just don’t see how you run a gasoline generator that is not designed or more importantly does not have a proper marine exhaust system on a small boat, especial dangerous trying to air condition an enclosed wheelhouse.

That generator/ ac combo looks like a darwin award in the making just for carbon monoxide poisoning, let alone the fire & electrical hazards…..

 

[ultimatejay]

We’ve had some power outages over the years and I’ve run my home on a gasoline generator for a few days at a time. I’ve always run the generator outdoors, at least 20’ from the house on the garage side of the house with the garage door closed. Again the generator is OUTSIDE of the garage not in the garage. Even with the generator outdoors there have been times when I have absolutely smelled fumes from the generator in the house. Every time I see one of these posts with someone running a gasoline generator on a small boat it makes me question the safety of doing this. I just don’t see how you run a gasoline generator that is not designed or more importantly does not have a proper marine exhaust system on a small boat, especial dangerous trying to air condition an enclosed wheelhouse.

That generator/ ac combo looks like a darwin award in the making just for carbon monoxide poisoning, let alone the fire & electrical hazards…

How do you think they install generators on larger boats? The exhaust has to exit somewhere. If you watch the video I posted the generator is all the way on the back of the boat, when you anchor the wind is almost always from bow to stern so any exhaust will go away from the cabin. Not only that the guy has a carbon monoxide alarm inside his cabin for extra safety.

 

[Mpellet]

I fished 3 days last week on the anchor. Each day there were periods of wind against current and my stern was pointing almost directly into the wind despite being bow anchored. If I’d had a genny bungeed onto the stern the fumes would have been blowing into my cockpit and ultimately the wheelhouse.

I’m only speaking for myself, if you wanna run a gasoline a generator like that and are comfortable with risks, have at it, I don’t make the rules up for anyone but myself.

 

[ultimatejay]

I fished 3 days last week on the anchor. Each day there were periods of wind against current and my stern was pointing almost directly into the wind despite being bow anchored. If I’d had a genny bungeed onto the stern the fumes would have been blowing into my cockpit and ultimately the wheelhouse.

I’m only speaking for myself, if you wanna run a gasoline a generator like that and are comfortable with risks, have at it, I don’t make the rules up for anyone but myself.

First off even if that happened the fumes would be so diluted by the time it entered your cabin it would be harmless. We are talking about a couple horsepower tiny little engine in the open air. How much fumes do you think are going to get inside your cabin? You aren't parked inside your garage you know. You suck down more carbon monoxide every days sitting on the freeway and your worried about a tiny generator that has an exhaust port that is 1/2" in diameter 15 ft away in the open air. You have more of a chance dying from getting struck by lightning. Live a little