chris...from what i have heard, some of the volvo parts are expensive,
and one
can get "locked into" buying genuine volvo parts, driving up the repair
and
maint costs...some of the other, popular motors can use generic or off
brand
parts...keeping some of the costs down...havinh said that, i personally
hve
owned volvos for 20 years and wouldn't buy anything else.....i don't
mind spending
a bit more $ for a brand i know and trust....if (when) i buy my used
ericson
32-222, 36, or 38..(not sure what one yet)...it will be powered by
volvo penta...(sp?)..

btw...what 27 foot boat are you deciding on? did you see/sail and used
ericson 27's or 28's?
i see them on eBay every once and a while for pretty chepa prices...a
few in san diego,
marina del rey, etc...one think i liked about the ericsons were they
wera always a bit
"over built", a bit heavy, a bit more sturdy than other boats in their
class...the newports,
catalinas, cals, etc...

good luck ! a 27' is a nice size for so cali off shore cruisin'.....you
can do one or two
ensanada races...

On 18 Dec 2004 16:30:57 -0800, wrote:

First, thanks a lot to everybody for the advice!

I am looking at two boats now, one with a
Volvo MD7A, the other with an Atomic 4.

Besides the different engines I would say that
they are in about equal condition.

I'd be interested to hear comments on the Volvo,
as I am leaning towards the Diesel.

Volvos are reliable until they break, at which point they become as
expensive as anything manufactured by unionized Europeans.

Atomic 4s are still common (in fact, replacement blocks are being
cast), the fuel (gas) is most common, and they are easy to service.

There is a huge aftermarket for parts and upgrades and the owner base
is active and extensive...lots of free advice.

I never took shop nor owned a car or anything above a chainsaw and
moped when I bought an Atomic 4-equipped boat: now I have rebuilt two
successfully. Getting a rebuild is four grand, a diesel rebuild can be
twice that.

Caveats include raw-seawater cooling thinning out the block, the kind
of wear common to old gas engines (blowby, gaskets, fouled plugs,
gummy carb, etc.). One converted to closed fresh-water or coolant/heat
exchanger cooling is going to be in much better condition UNLESS it's
lived all its life in fresh water, like the Great Lakes.

But if you are reasonably mechanical, you will likely find an Atomic 4
easier and cheaper to service and better suited to daysailing (short
periods of running the engine followed by five days of being docked).

In general, gas engines will not suffer from short bursts of
occassional use. A diesel by its higher compression pressures will. A
diesel run frequently and sufficiently long to fully warm up will last
a lot longer than "cold start-run slow to get out of marina-off" that
is most people's sailing.

Finally, if it's a 27 footer, you might just consider a 9.9-15 hp
four-stroke on a transom motor mount if the inboard ever dies. Unless
you want to do extensive passagemaking, that's the simplest solution
of all, and without a shaft and prop, you will sail a little faster.

R.