i was wondering which would be better to have on a 22-26 foot boat.

merc bravo 2 drive,love mine on a 24 fter.

How much gas can you afford? OB's on that size of boat will burn a s__t-load of fuel, even new Yamahas :p .

You could go with a 200 HP 4-stroke, but they weigh a ton and cost a mint.

If it's a 26', you'll probably want dual OB's, which is really cool looking and nice for close-in maneuvering, but a lot more expensive to rig and maintain.

Regards,

Finegrain
Woodinville

I have a Volvo dual prop outdrive with a 454 vortec.You can turn the boat in a circle no problem
My boat is 24ft and Ill bet I can turn it around in a 27ft circle easy!!!!

What do you want your boat to do:
A) Go FAST!!! (Dual outboards, 2 or 4 stroke)
B) Get decent fuel economy (Inboard V-8 with counter-rotating prop sterndrive)
C) Be (fairly) inexpensive to repair-engine anyway (See B)
D) Be able to work on it yourself-engine anyway (See B)
Etc.
Etc.

Spoke with a fellow who had just trailered his 32' Bayliner Command Bridge out of the Everett launch. He had a built 454 gas engine with a dual, counter-rotating prop sterndrive. He couldn't say enough about it's power and handling.
Personally, If I could get it, I would have twin diesels/sterndrives on that size boat.

Went out with a friend who owns a 25' Bayliner Trophy with twin 175 HP Merc 2 stroke outboards.

Advantages:
Plenty of power out of the hole, tight turn radius and, a 55+ knot top speed.

Disadvantage:
High fuel burn (Don't know how much per hour at full throttle, but quite a bit)


What I have heard (and correct me if I'm wrong) is if you take the horsepower of a 2 stroke outboard and divide the number by 10, you get approximately the gallons of fuel burned per hour at full throttle or just under.
(Example: I have an 85 HP Johnson outboard on an 18' tri-hull. In calm water, at full throttle, I burn approximately 8.5 gallons per hour).

A little clarification is needed here. I have a 25' boat with a 225hp Optimax outboard. I had a 25' boat with a Volvo I/O 225hp before this new one. The direct fuel injection outboard is considerably more efficient. ..and considerably faster. I could rebuild the old one with my eyes closed and couldn't find the spark plugs on the new outboard. Not many Mercury mechanics can work on the Optimax. I don't work on anything anymore so that is not a consideration for me. Just my opinion.