Long, narrow V hulls like the SeaVee 34 can hold their own in the rough stuff—and at a decent speed.

We’ve poked fun at the triple-outboard powered boats that have elbowed themselves into the mainstream fishboat market, questioning whether such a power troika is really necessary, or just another example of American extravagance (May 2003 editorial). And with gas prices through the roof, our skepticism is at an all-time high.

Three-powering is typically done on today’s large center console fishing boats from about 33 to 36 feet. Most of these boats run fine with two, but can easily carry three. In this month’s boat review, we have two such vessels: the Hydra-Sports Vector 3300CC with a trio of 225-hp Yamaha four-strokes vs. the SeaVee 34 with twin 250-hp Suzuki four-strokes. Gentlemen,…