Think Inboards Beat Outboards? Pro-Line Changes the Game

Can an outtie compete with an innie, when building a mid-sized express fishboat?

A few years back, the answer was a simple "no," but modern advances in outboard technology and fiberglass construction have changed the game. Case in point: Pro-Line's 35 Express, a super-sized, outboard-powered express that fishes and cruises in waters once reserved for inboards.

Pro-Line's 35 Express is both overbuilt and nicely appointed, with several extras on the list of standard equipment that are costly options on other boats. With a base price of $251,500, it is not cheap. But the use of triple outboards accommodates many design changes that should draw the attention of anybody looking for an express in this size range.

The biggest advantage of strapping outboards onto an express is additional cabin space. Where there would normally be a pair of diesel motors in a 35-foot express, the Pro-Line has living space. Under the helm deck, there's a mid-cabin berth. It's not a cabin you can stand up in, but there's sitting headroom and plenty of space to stash the kids when weekending. Although the only means of closing off the area is a curtain, you do get some privacy below decks, which is extremely rare in an inboard express of this size.

Another space-saving grace is the area under the cockpit sole, which would normally be used to house shafts, rudderposts and the like. In this case, Pro-Line built in a pair of huge, insulated, macerated fishboxes (I don't use "huge" loosely – you'll have no problem stuffing a 100-pound bluefin tuna into one of them). Building the boxes into the sole actually boosts fishing space; an express with inboards would have either a large cooler sitting on the deck or an extra-wide transom with a built-in fishbox. In both scenarios, the space would be lost, so the race goes to Pro-Line.

TRIPLE BONUS

But what about efficiency – aren't diesel inboards far more fuel-efficient than outboards? Not necessarily. Check the performance numbers here. Rigged with triple 250-hp Verados, our test boat achieved 1 mpg while cruising at a reasonable 4500 rpm. That's comparable to twin diesel boats of this size, with one exception: You'll be moving along at 36 mph. The diesel boats cruise 5 to 10 mph slower. And, when you're really late getting back to the dock and you want extra speed, this rig has it. Open up the throttles, and you can burn the water at more than 50 mph.

In the case of mechanical failure, again, the triple-screw outboard holds the advantage. If a diesel goes down, you're going to putt home at trolling speed, but if an outboard fails you can still plane and run for the inlet. I tried running the test boat on the two outer powerplants and cruised comfortably in the mid 20s. Only in the event of a double disaster – far-fetched, considering how reliable modern four-stroke outboards are – would you have to take the slow road.

Even when everything runs fine, there's another ace up the outboard sleeve: vibration and sound. Outboards make a lot less of both, and with our triple test rig, we were hearing a mere 84 dB-A at cruise (65 is the level of normal conversation). Check out comparably sized inboard fishboats, and at their slower cruising speeds, sound levels usually push the 90s and feel twice the vibrations.

Of course, there are downsides to the outboard rig when compared to diesels. The biggest is the ride, because inboards provide a lower center of gravity. Diesel boats run flatter and enjoy better stability. Maintenance and reliability are generally also plusses with diesels, but it's a close call with newer outboards like these Verados. Added bonus: With modern four-stroke outboards powering the boat, you won't have to deal with that diesel exhaust smell.

CASTIN' EXPANSION

When it comes to wetting lines, the Pro-Line delivers plentiful space in the cockpit, tapping out at 115 square feet. That's equivalent to the cockpit in an average inboard rig of this size. The livewell is bodacious, too, holding 45 gallons. It's finished in buff blue inside, which helps calm baitfish, so they don't swim head-first into the fiberglass and beat themselves up, and it has a hatch supported by gas-assisted struts for easy lifting and slam-free closing. It's lit as well, but the light is white, and when I'm night fishing, I prefer not to go temporarily blind over and over again. A red livewell light would be better.

The tackle station, which is built into the aft-facing bait-watcher's seat, is also roomier than the norm. There are three big drawers, five tackle trays, plus slots for stowing tackle wraps and hook racks. Right next to it under a separate hatch, there's a rigging station with a freshwater sink and cutting board. The rest of the cockpit is similarly decked out to fish, including perks such as cockpit toerails, four under-gunwale rod racks, 4 gunwale-mounted rod holders, side-mounted hardtop rod holders, four rocket launchers, and coaming bolsters throughout. The bolsters are removable for easy replacement, and their mesh backs keep them from holding water and then dripping on you when you lean against them.

However, when you're fighting and landing fish, this rig forces you to operate without the transom. The outboards are set back way too far to work a fish around them, so you'll have to bring fish up and gaff or net them on the sides of the boat. This is true of virtually all multiple-outboard boats, but in the Pro-Line's case, you can't even reach the back of the outboard cowls with a 5-foot, 6-inch-long stand-up rod.

The Pro-Line will surprise the heck out of you, though, when you need to oppose the motors and turn the boat fast to keep an angler facing a hooked hot marlin that's tail-walking to starboard. Most people think a diesel inboard is better suited to this type of task, and they're right. Traditionally inboards spin much better than outboards when the motors are opposed, because the props are larger and farther apart. In the case of the 35 Express, however, when I opposed the motors, they had plenty of leverage, because the outer engines are spread far to accommodate the center powerplant. What about that middle outboard? Mercury's Shadow technology tells the center engine to follow the outside engines when in forward or reverse (turning the average rpm of the port and starboard powerplants), but it also instructs the center engine to drop into neutral whenever the port and starboard are opposed. Net result: Oppose those ponies, feed 'em some gas and you'll have no trouble keeping up with that marlin.

HARD BODY, SOFT HEART

Since the 35 Express is capable of running with the big boys, it has to be built tough. Stringers are pre-formed foam-cored fiberglass, bonded to the hull with Weld-On adhesive. Once this hardens, the fiberglass will shear before the bond will give way.

Plexus adhesive, which is the same agent used to hold the heat-resistant tiles to the space shuttle, seals the hull-to-deck joint from stem to stern. It's also used to secure the deck and cabin liners. The motor mount is beefed up with a 3/8-inch aluminum plate, so the vacuum-bagged, high-density, foam-cored transom will withstand the torque of up to 900 horsepower.

Decks are cored with Divinycell to provide maximum stiffness with minimum weight, and the hull bottom is solid glass. It's laid up with 3610 stitched fabric, overlapping at high-stress areas like the keel and chines. Tilting molds allow Pro-Line to remove excess resin, so you end up with a good strength-to-weight ratio. The hardtop is through-bolted down, but I'd like to see gussets added at the weld joints, because there was a hair of flex in the one on my test boat. That aside, this top has what all hardtops should: molded-in red and white courtesy lights, spreader lights, and speaker boxes; overhead hatches for letting in a breeze; and an electrically actuated center windshield vent that opens with a hum at the press of a button. Equally impressive, it has the beef to support a crow's nest or a small tuna tower.

Speaking of beef, as you enter the cabin, be sure to glance at the hefty powder-coated aluminum stair frame. It's twice as sturdy as it needs to be, indicative of the overbuilt construction techniques used throughout this boat. The windshield frame is another example. Shake the tempered-glass windshield, and the powder-coated aluminum frame holds tight. Better yet, pop open the anchor locker hatch, stick your head in, and look up at the underside of the deck. You'll see that all of the hardware is through-bolted, backed with aluminum plates, and secured with nylock locking nuts. The same is true of the rest of the hardware throughout the boat.

DOWN BELOW

While some fishboats cater to the hard cores only, the Pro-Line 35 Express will make the cruisers in your family happy, too. The cabin is finely appointed, with cherry-finish wood and Formica cabinetry and countertops, a teak and holly sole, and slick magnetic catches that hold the cabinets shut even in rough seas.

There's an enclosed vacuum-flush head with pullout shower at the entry, a full galley (including stove, microwave oven and refrigerator) to port, a dinette to starboard, and the requisite V-berth forward. But my favorite feature below decks is the cabin overhead. It's backed with ½-inch foam, so if you ever bump your head – not exactly uncommon in boats – it won't be painful.

Unlike many express boats in this size range, the cabin also doesn't feel like a cave. Two large overhead hatches let in plenty of natural light, and opening ports to each side boost brightness. And, of course, there's also a flat-panel TV with DVD player to entertain the kids on fishless afternoons.

If you plan on doing long-distance cruising or extended vacationing, you can opt for an air-conditioning system with reverse-cycle heat. In that case, you'll probably also want the 7-kilowatt generator. One unexpected perk on the standard equipment list is a windlass, anchor and chain, items that many other builders charge extra for. The same goes for the hot-water heater, the cabin pillows, curtains, and linens, as well as the remote battery-management system.

Why does Pro-Line include features like these in the base boat? Maybe the builder just wants you to remember what the 35 Express is: a game-changer. Especially for folks looking at 30-something express boats with twin diesel powerplants.

Lenny Rudow was senior technical editor for Boating magazine for more than 10 years, and is currently the electronics editor for Marlin and GoBoating magazines.

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