Mercury Verado 250HP CXXL Outboard

Mercury's CXXL badge on this Verado 250 means the longest shaft in the 250-horsepower V-8 lineup, at 35 inches, built for boats with unusually tall transoms. The block remains a V-8 four-stroke at 4.6 liters, 600 pounds on the scale.

Why the extra shaft length matters

Running an outboard on too short a shaft leaves the anti-ventilation plate riding too high, hurting both bite and cooling; a 35-inch shaft exists for hulls where a shorter option would sit too shallow. An electronic control manages throttle and gear changes on this unit, power-assisted steering lightens effort at the helm, isolated mounts cut vibration, and the starter carries built-in overload protection. Wide open, the range runs 5200 to 6000 RPM.

Rigging notes

Measure transom height carefully before ordering a 35-inch shaft; an oversized shaft can run the gearcase and propeller too deep just as easily as an undersized one runs too shallow. Counter rotation is included on this particular unit, useful for owners weighing a future two-engine, opposite-rotation build. Included are the owner's manual, mounting hardware, along with a tool kit.

Who needs a 35-inch shaft? Mainly larger boats or unusually tall transoms where shorter shaft options would run the engine too high in the water.

Is counter rotation a separate add-on? No, it is built into this specific configuration as sold.