---

A Suzuki 300 should be a very good choice for the boat. I base that on the economies involved more than anything else. On the central Gulf Coast Suzuki is rapidly taking the guide repower business away from Yamaha because of prices.

Reliability should be more or less equal between the contenders. I don't know which 300 is the lightest but don't imagine that is a critical element in the decision on a relatively heavy boat.

I would look very closely at the Verado if a Mercury dealer can come anywhere close to the Suzuki cost. The supercharged engine provides amazing instantaneous torque when called upon. For a lot of information on the Verado engines try www.veradoclub.com and read the library offerings. It's a subscription site but lurking is free as is a lot of good information. I believe you can visit and make up to eight posts free of charge.