On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 12:15:55 -0500, DSK wrote:

It makes good sense *if* you plan to use the boat for a long
enough time to amortize the diesel.

I'm in a similar sort of situation, but with a functioning A-4. Try as
I might, I really can't see a way to amortize the diesel replacement
unless one is covering a lot of distance under power. At about C$10K
for a diesel replacement I would have to save something like C$1K on
fuel each year to pay it off in 15 or 20 years. I didn't get up close
to spending that much on gas this year, even though I lived on the
boat for 3 1/2 months straddling the Katrina spike and spent most of
it on the move.

The only way I could see paying off a diesel replacement in fuel
savings would be if I was making the powered ICW trip both ways each
year. Of course that may change if North American fuel prices move up
to match Europe.

Besides, I really like my A-4. I can replace the entire ignition
system out of an auto parts store for $120 and I can trouble-shoot all
the problems I've hit so far without calling in a pro. It's very good
for the ego.

Ryk

Ryk wrote:



I'm in a similar sort of situation, but with a functioning A-4. Try as
I might, I really can't see a way to amortize the diesel replacement
unless one is covering a lot of distance under power.

I don't know how you put a price on it, but if something screws and the
gasoline goes BANG, what price does that carry?

If you have guests on board when it happens, what is the cost of
litigation to settle the claims?

Just curious, what is the increase in insurance premium of having a
gasoline power plant over a diesel engine.

Not taking sides, just asking questions.

Lew

Lew Hodgett wrote:

I don't know how you put a price on it, but if something screws and the
gasoline goes BANG, what price does that carry?

If you have guests on board when it happens, what is the cost of
litigation to settle the claims?

Just curious, what is the increase in insurance premium of having a
gasoline power plant over a diesel engine.

Not taking sides, just asking questions.

Lew

In my case - NONE! My current 40' catamaran had twin gas
outboards until this year. Installed a diesel and called my
insurance company and they said "no difference" after
punching the numbers into their computer. Said that
sometimes it makes a difference, sometimes not.

Evan Gatehouse

On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 07:08:50 GMT, Lew Hodgett
wrote:

Ryk wrote:



I'm in a similar sort of situation, but with a functioning A-4. Try as
I might, I really can't see a way to amortize the diesel replacement
unless one is covering a lot of distance under power.

I don't know how you put a price on it, but if something screws and the
gasoline goes BANG, what price does that carry?

If you have guests on board when it happens, what is the cost of
litigation to settle the claims?

Just curious, what is the increase in insurance premium of having a
gasoline power plant over a diesel engine.

My son's Newport 27 with A-4 is insured for $2M liability as a rider
on my household policy for a total of about $70 / year, so the gas
soline differential must be some fraction of that.

An awful lot of A-4s have logged an awful lot of hours without much
carnage. How do you feel about propane?

Ryk

Ryk wrote:

How do you feel about propane?

Never thought about it as a motive power fuel.

Lew

On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 05:35:44 GMT, Lew Hodgett
wrote:

Ryk wrote:

How do you feel about propane?

Never thought about it as a motive power fuel.

It doesn't matter why you have it on board, just whether there's a
leak that has filled your bilge with an explosive mixture.

One of the advantages of gasoline is that we are all so wary of it.
Those of us with some sense run blowers and sniff carefully for the
scent because a few bozos do spectacularly stupid things.

Ryk

Ryk wrote in
:

My son's Newport 27 with A-4 is insured for $2M liability as a rider


What's the boat insurance difference A-4 to a diesel on a Newport 27?
Liability doesn't cover the boat exploding, right?

On Tue, 27 Dec 2005 07:31:35 -0500, Larry wrote:

Ryk wrote in
:

My son's Newport 27 with A-4 is insured for $2M liability as a rider


What's the boat insurance difference A-4 to a diesel on a Newport 27?

Less than $70 per year

Liability doesn't cover the boat exploding, right?

It covers our obligations to anybody who is injured. The loss of the
boat would be small potatoes.

Ryk