Want To Buy: 15-30hp diesel engine for 27ft sailboat

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

chowdan,

I am in agreement with two points brought up here...

1. Yours- That Bristol doesn't need an ugly OB ruining her lines...

2. Others- 20 hp seems a good max... More than that and you would need foils and some Nascar decals... Which would negate opinion #1

The trade off is cleanliness......

Do you want an old leaky, smelly, smoky diesel down below, or a new clean running removable 4 stroke outboard on the stern (or out of site in the aft well)

Think of the diesel he will get for $1,000.......

But if you motor a lot, maybe get a big ole diesel and enjoy. Some folks don't mind that smell.

You also must remember that your main source of power are the sails which is why I bought a new main to go along with the almost new jibs the PO bought before his farewell cruise to Florida.

[deltaten]

OB v IB. ??
Horses for courses.

A *rated* 30HP motor *may* be too big; but factor in that a 30 hp *may* only produce an actual 24 (?) at ma cruise. My older Beta 20 HP is rated 16 @ ma cruise and prolly less at the 4.5-KT I travel at.

5 to 10 HP one or two lung-er will get you out of the slip; but what chew gonna do when ya need. to scoot back into harbor ahead of a storm or similar needfuil moment?

Trying to find the right balance between HP and useful speed is the key. Good luck

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by deltaten

OB v IB. ??
Horses for courses.

A *rated* 30HP motor *may* be too big; but factor in that a 30 hp *may* only produce an actual 24 (?) at ma cruise. My older Beta 20 HP is rated 16 @ ma cruise and prolly less at the 4.5-KT I travel at.

5 to 10 HP one or two lung-er will get you out of the slip; but what chew gonna do when ya need. to scoot back into harbor ahead of a storm or similar needfuil moment?

Trying to find the right balance between HP and useful speed is the key. Good luck

The 5 hp actually works pretty darn good........especially with sail assist.

I have also observed since switching over to monohulls that folks seem to want to start a boat refurb by installing an expensive diesel engine before doing anything else.....even sailing the boat!

It seems very strange since the idea is to sail. You would think the first thing would be to make the boat strong by replacing needed items then getting a good or new set of sails since just about any old engine will get you out of your slip.

Maybe more sailors should sail boats without engines for a few years first before having a boat with an engine.

[pickpaul]

My Alberg 30 has a Yanmar 2gmf20 for comparison. My friend has the 1gm in his 27ft and it seems adequate. I think you may be about to overpower. I see used Yanmar here frequently for your budget. Diesel inboards all the way, Good luck!

Sent from my SM-G925T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[grjfield]

This winter I converted my 40' sailboat to electric as my old saildrive bit the dust. Going electric has always appealed to me and if you decide to join the electric ranks, I'm happy to share my experience. I was planning to tune up and sell my Buhk DV20 (20hp) later this summer once the warm weather returns. It had never let me down. I contemplated keeping it as a 'generator' for extended cruising but its an awful big generator and I figured I can get double duty out of a good Honda generator if needed. It would come with a stainless steel gas tank and all the cables and linkages. (I recently posted about difficulty in removing the throttle lever for this diesel so hopefully that displays that this is still a functioning motor....although I know I need to replace the waterpump seals before selling. (But until I had unplugged it, it started every time.) The boat is in Point Roberts until the end of March when I'll be bringing it up to Vancouver BC. If you want more info, please email and we can discuss. I mention the move as I expect it gets much more complicated if you try to import a Canadian diesel into the US in April, as opposed to just buying a US (Point Roberts) diesel in March.

[Martkimwat]

I replaced my 1GM10 (8hp) on my Parker 27 with a 2GM20 (15hp) which I bought second hand and renovated, it pushes he along at hull speed (6.5knot) with a three blade feathering prop and a 65Amp alternator and using around 2500RPM which is around 80% rated power. T use less, particularly if you are using the engine for a long period, (no wind) risks glazing the bores and increasing wear/reducing compression. Diesels like to be worked and don't like light loads so putting too big an engine in is not the way to go as you will not get more speed, just more 'squat' under power.

[Cheechako]

Yes, check boatyards for derelict boats that eventually get scrapped. I'll keep my eyes open up here. Check Craigs list ( I assume you have)
You're right...You cant completely solve the problem with the outboard being a PITA.... no matter how long the shaft or how good the bracket. It's just the way it is. Did your boat have an inboard previously?

[thomm225]

Actually, the new 4 stroke outboards are great.

He said his budget is $1,000 - $1,500. For that, you can get a new outboard or a crappy old diesel. There is also a shop manual available online for the small Mercury outboards as well

http://boatinfo.no/lib/mercury/manuals/4-5-6.html#/0

That's his choice.

The nice thing about the small 4 strokes is that you can remove them with ease. Mine will actually fit on the stern rail where the PO used to keep his dinghy motor.

Trying to rebuild an old boat with a tight budget can lead to trouble. You can end up with nothing but junk......from the boat, to the sails, to the junk diesel.

[darylat8750]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Actually, the new 4 stroke outboards are great.

He said his budget is $1,000 - $1,500. For that, you can get a new outboard or a crappy old diesel.

That's his choice.

The nice thing about the small 4 strokes is that you can remove them with ease. Mine will actually fit on the stern rail where the PO used to keep his dinghy motor.

Trying to rebuild an old boat with a tight budget can lead to trouble. You can end up with nothing but junk......from the boat, to the sails, to the junk diesel.

The hardest part of inboard maintenance is access. If he buys one and puts it on a work stand it will be easy and civilized. If good machine shops are nearby going through the engine and doing a top end rebuild and replacing all the seals and gaskets is easy and inexpensive. Then when installed carefully he should get years of trouble free service.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by darylat8750

The hardest part of inboard maintenance is access. If he buys one and puts it on a work stand it will be easy and civilized. If good machine shops are nearby going through the engine and doing a top end rebuild and replacing all the gaskets is easy and inexpensive. Then when installed carefully he should get years of trouble free service.

Awesome!

All that on a $1,000-$1,500 budget. To first buy the engine, then pay for a "quality" rebuild.

[thomm225]

You also have to be careful on what you are putting this diesel into.

Looks like he's trying to redo the whole boat from thruhulls, to chainplates, to rigging, to engine

It may need sails also.

Do the math.

He could end up with a lot of money in a very old beatup boat.

You can get a pretty nice Bristol 27 these days for around $4,000 -$6,000 that doesn't need much at all.

https://fredericksburg.craigslist.or...405833951.html

http://maine.craigslist.org/boa/5386690601.html

My boat was $2,000 so I could afford to play around a bit with engines, sails, solar, having it pulled repeatedly .........especially since it didn't need new rigging, chainplates, thruhulls, etc

I used it as an education on monohulls in preparation for buying a larger boat only to realize I have enough boat for now .....

[hamburking]

+1 for getting a smaller diesel. My Pearson 30 had a volvo 2002 with 18hp...way more power than needed. For a 27, even a heavy one, I would think something in the 8-12 hp range would be sufficient. Makes a big difference in price, weight, size, etc. A one cylinder engine is a simple device.

In Canada there are other benefits to having under 10hp...the boat need not be registered or licensed, saving on taxes and paperwork.

Also +1 for going electric. You save a ton of space and weight. An electric drive is tiny, clean, and requires no maintenance or fluids...no filters, no hoses, no coolant...just clean and simple. You get rid of a huge engine block, fuel tank (and fuel), and a bunch of through hulls. With the savings in weight you can add additional batteries and solar panels. Those panels will come in handy when you start longer passages.

Any way you slice it (diesel or electric inboard), there will be much labour installing a shaft through the hull. Although your stern will be much nicer without the outboard.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I now have a new bought 2012 5 HP 4 Stroke Mercury Outboard with a 25" XL Shaft mounted on a 14" adjustable bracket. Its much better than that old Bukh 10. I've used it now for 3 years.....$1,500 w/ 5 year warranty.

I pulled all the diesel crap out of my boat and totally cleaned up all the old diesel, sludge, and oil from the bilge

Thomm,

Can you PLS share some speed data as well as tell us what you see now as the biggest drawback (if any) as well as the biggest gain?

I think all owners of any older sub 30 ft submarine may and will be at this point one day. Our own boat is 27 and displaces 3t (light, 3.5t if you chuck in all the diesel related junk - engine, tranny, shaft, prop, batts, cables and hoses and the tank and the diesel ...)

I am at times looking at Tohatsu 6 XXL as our option should our 40 y.o. Volvo Penta have any major breakdown (touch wood).

Regards,
b.

[thomm225]

Here's a nice B27 with an outboard in the well.

Looks like he saved money on the outboard over diesel and used it to make the rest of the boat pretty darn nice...

1975 Bristol Bristol 27

[Cheechako]

You cant get a new OB for $1000.
-To control the speed on an OB you will be running back and forth and leaning over the back. And of course the OB will change speed from vibration often too.
-To control the shift you will be running back and forth and leaning over the back.
-Meanwhile you will be tripping over the fuel tank and hose in your cockpit.
-When you sail you will... you guessed it... running to the back and trying to lean over and raise the OB bracket.,... and tilt the motor.
-When you want to motor you will be... you guessed it....running to the back and trying to lean over and lower the OB bracket and untilt the motor as well.
-Yes, then you will be banging your elbow on the stern pulpit trying to start the OB.
-Then when you get in some chop, the outboard will be cycling in and out of the water, running wild with the prop in the air at time.
You can solve all of the above (except the running in the air issue) by spending thousands of $ on a fancy OB with power tilt, shift cabling and throttle cabling setup.


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