What does everyone think of the new lower units that they are putting
on the new boats now. They are essentially an outboard lower unit
attached to the inboard diesel. In sail magazine a few months back they
raved about them as they saved some interior room, and provided better
thrust, but my concern in their maintenance load over the lift of the
boat and the fact that if anything goes wrong, you essentially have to
haul the boat to repair.

My primary experience has been with outboards and I have had to have a
lower unit repaired as the seals leaked. With a traditional
configuration the transmission is inside the boat with only a
seal/thrust bearing and the shaft and prop outside of the hull.

We are considering a Catalina 320 that has this and this is about the
only thing about the boat that gives me pause.