Having stood on my head and suffered some of the worst motion sickness of my life in the Haro Srait trying to solve an engine problem, I take my hat off to anyone who wants to load their boat down with engine electronics.
I quess it's like driving a new car, if the engine quits, don't bother opening the hood, 'cause there's nothing you can do but call AAA. I quess if the engine quits on your boat you need not bother opening the hatch. Call the Coast Guard.
I still have points in the engines in my boat, and carry spare points, condensers, rotors and caps, extra plug wires, fuel filters, carb kit, fuel pump, water pump impellors, and the tools to repair. I can't imagine what one would do out in the Haro or Georgia Straits and something in the electronics takes a dump. Stuff only seems to quit when the wind's blowing 30-40 and and the tops are blowing off the waves into your face. Salt water everywhere...and electrical connections don't like it.
Don't get me wrong. I applaud the use of the six. They take up less floor space in the boat, can be very reliable. My thoughts about a boat out in the Salt is to keep it simple. KISS !!!
I lived on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and have run boats to Alaska. I personally wouldn't trade off reliability or the ability to service for a couple knots of speed.
Good Luck
