"Lee308" writes:

1) Diesel inboard or over the stern gas outboard?
Outboard easy to reach and repair/replace, no worry of shaft seal
leak and less thru hulls, but small diesel's are very fuel efficient
plus large alternator.

I've never known an outboard that didn't fail - when you most needed
it. A single hander hanging over the stern in bad weather trying to
deal with an outboard is not a pretty picture.

Also, in my little experience with outboards on larger boats, they
become less effective in a seaway, as the prop is continually near or
above the surface of the water.

And an outboard implies storing and dealing with gasoline in loose tanks.

I single hand my Tartan 30, which has a Yanmar diesel. The fact that
I can just "push the button" any time I need power - no waiting for
fumes to clear as with a gasoline inboard - no fear it won't start as
with an outboard - makes me feel much safer always, and particularly
when alone.
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