Opinions on inboard vs outboard on 29' cruiser?
Trent D. Sanders
[gas tank, through hulls, exhaust, wiring, etc].
While it runs fine I just wonder about potential problems when a gazzilion
miles from "civilization" and if an outboard might be a viable way to go. I'd
also be interested in simplifying the Islander by "losing" all the systems
required by an inboard.
Met a fellow with a Columbia 29' that was originally built sans inboard. He's
used an outboard for the last 18 years with no trouble [so he says]. And
there's an article in the latest "Good Old Boat" magazine about repowering with
outboards.
So I'm looking for opinions, especially opinions from someone who's actually
made this conversion, on whether the advantages of an outboard would outweigh
the advantages of an inboard. Or vice versa. And whether they'd do it again.
[The boat's being fitted out for extensive bluewater cruising.]
Cheers,
T. Sanders
"Cimba"
Marina Del Rey
Southern California
longhaul6
space in the engine room, reduction in bad smells, no oil drippings or
gas in the bilge, easier maintenance of an outboard, and you can close
up through hulls.
You will have to find a way to charge your batteries. Solar or a
charger at the dock will work. I used a 30W panel which kept the
batteries charged for the weekend but couldn't really keep up with
full time use, you would need about 100 to 200W of panels, depending
on your use of power.
I found that a 6hp four stroke Tohatsu worked fine on my 28' Tanzer,
which is about 8000 lbs. It had plenty of power. The one problem is
that the prop will catch air in waves of over 6 feet or so. The motor
revs up and you have to keep the throttle relatively low to avoid high
revs. This makes exiting a channel into the wind over a bar somewhat
exciting. You may have to use discretion in this type of situation
and maybe turn around and try tomorrow. But you can also motorsail to
power your way along in many cases.
Take a look at the 2002 Prelaunch Pictures here:
http://cruisenews.net/tanzer/
I think removing the old gas inboard was the best thing that I have
done for my boat. Many older gas powered sailboats would benefit from
this conversion.
This is assuming that you prefer to sail over motoring. If you motor
a lot, a diesel is a good choice. But I found that a new diesel
installation would cost almost as much as the value of the boat.
Paul V
gonzo...@aol.com (Trent D. Sanders) wrote in message news:<20021101230329...@mb-me.aol.com>...
Rich Hampel
Repowering with an outboard for offshore service is a trap waiting to
catch you.
There are a zillion reasons for NOT removing an inboard atomic four. The
chief reason is safety in very rough condition where the waves lift the
outboard free from the water allowing the outboat to spin free with the
prop out of the water at infinite rpm thus killing itself. What goes up
must come down, so, - what will happen to the outboard when its totally
submerged when the next wave poops it when hanging off the transom?
If you're going to use an outboard offshore, Id at least consider
placing/adding a snorkel tube of 8 ft. height to keep it from aspirating
green water; or, discover a way to keep water from entering the
carburator or destroying the electronics modules when submerged.
A total professional rebuild (by one who KNOWS how to rebuild an A4) of
an atomic-4 (from lips to sphincter - reboring, pistons, line-boring,
electronic ignition, freshwater cooling, electronic fuel pump, hardened
valve seats, etc.) should cost no more than $3500 (plus installation
labor). The ONLY consideration would be if the present Atomic 4 has
enough uncorroded block in which to do the rebuild, as usuallly the ONLY
problem with A4's is internal corrosion. Test: remove the exhaust
manifold and attachment bolts, reach into the bolt holes and count how
many threads remain, if 4-5 threads remain then you have more than
enough for a rebuild.
If you're located on the east coast, I'd recommend Don Moyer of Moyer
Marine (www.moyermarine.com) in Harrisburg Pa. for the rebuild. Don is
the undisputed world's atomic-4 EXPERT. I rebuilt my A4 about 5 years
ago after 25 years of hard service; it had less than 0.002" cylinder
wear!!! - still a 'puppy'.
James Johnson
>
>Repowering with an outboard for offshore service is a trap waiting to
>catch you.
>There are a zillion reasons for NOT removing an inboard atomic four. The
>chief reason is safety in very rough condition where the waves lift the
>outboard free from the water allowing the outboat to spin free with the
>prop out of the water at infinite rpm thus killing itself. What goes up
>must come down, so, - what will happen to the outboard when its totally
>submerged when the next wave poops it when hanging off the transom?
>
Look at this month's Good Old Boat magazine. Had a very good article about the
feasability, advantages, disadvantages of putting an outboard in a well,
including a fitted hull plate to keep following seas from flooding the motor.
For a small cruiser who can live without having a large alternator, an outboard
can be a viable and economical option even for offshore use. Scores have
circumnavigated with an outboard as an auxilary. It will depend on the boat
and the needs of the owner. YMMV.
JJ
Bill Kiene
I guess it would be nice to have a diesel on any boat around 30' ?
--
Bill Kiene
Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA, USA
www.kiene.com
"James Johnson" <jame...@spam-not.telocity.com> wrote in message
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