Where in the grand scheme of budget does diesel vs gas fit?

[Time2Go]

Years ago I had an Ericson 27 with an Atomic 4
Had no issues but was mainly a daysailer then
so can't comment on gas consumption.
That said I recently crossed Biscay on a boat
that had a Honda generator as a power back up.
We had two 5 gallon cans of gas tied to the lifelines.
As there was a cigar smoker on board
That Gave Me Great Worry
The same thing can be said for the
fuel for the gas powered dingy.
This for me is the bigger issue
Storing extra fuel
Gerry cans of Gas bouncing on the rail
give me the chills as compared to diesel
However I believe
With proper fuel storage
and blower use an Atomic 4 won't become an
Atomic bomb.
I had the Ericson for years and wish I kept it.
Cheers
Neil

[thunderhoof]

As matsubob stated do not underestimate the problems associated with spark ignition. Consider a long sail on a wet, messy day when every part of your boat is damp. A gas engine may show corona around the distributor and wiring while the diesel engine will just start.

[hamburking]

If budget is a primary concern (as it is for me), your absolute best bet is to buy an old boat with a non working engine. A sailboat with a dead inboard is a free boat. Some boats you literally cannot give away for free.

So you buy a boat with a dead engine, remove the engine and slap a new(ish) outboard on the stern. An outboard is by far the cheapest to replace (two bolts) and maintain. I would take my outboard to a local shop each fall for maintenance and winterization...and it was usually less than $100 all in. Sometimes I would skip a year if the engine was running really well and I saw no need to fiddle with it. For comparison, I doubt you can get a diesel mechanic to come to your boat for less than $100. Thats before he even steps aboard or opens his toolbox.

Having said all that, I still would buy the best sailboat I could find with a good working diesel. When the wind picks up and you are in a narrow channel, or its dark and stormy and you just want to get there, there is nothing as comforting as the wump-wump-wump of the diesel engine that will run forever to get you where you want to go.

You didn't ask for recommendations, but I'm going to offer one anyway...the older Mirage 26/27 (early 1970s) was a well built boat with a good layout and sailing characteristics. And most were equipped with a yanmar 1 cylinder engine that will run forever, sipping diesel like a fine wine. The combination of age and ugliness make this particular model a great value, often under $5k in sail-away condition.