Re: considering twin outboards
Seems like a lot of weight to me. It also seems like a very expensive proposition between purchase price and maintenance costs.
One option might be to consider a pair of ETECs. The new 115HO supposedly compares with most 130hp engines and ETECs are very good on fuel. They also require no maintenance for 3 years. Total engine weight with a pair of them would be about 720 pounds.
I think the only concern that I would have with a pair of 115hp motors is what the single engine performance would be. From what I have seen on the net, your boat should do about 50 mph with the 225. That said, I would think if the 115s aren't propped too high, the boat should plane on one motor, so you should have decent "get home" capability.
I've had a couple of boats with twin engines and really like the setup, but there is no doubt that they are more expensive to own and operate. Because of this, I would also do a bit of homework on such costs for the twin F150s and the twin ETECs. Obviously maintenance costs are going to be much higher on the Yammys for the first three years, but if you are planning on keeping the engines for a long time, continued comparison should be made. My guess, however, is that the ETECS will remain less expensive, just because there are no oil changes to be done, no valves to adjust, etc.
As for twin engine redundancy and safety, there is one thing that many people don't consider - that, if you hit something in the water, you can take both engines out quite easily. For this reason, some people prefer to have a single main powerplant and a good sized "kicker." This arrangement also tends to be a great deal less expensive from both an acquisition standpoint and in terms of operating costs.