|
Diesel Engine Choice?
Can't afford to run gas engines in my preferred tonnage of boat, even
though gas engine boats are usually tens of thousands of dollars cheaper at the start. Thinking about replacing gas engines or buying a boat with. Been through Pascoe and all that. Have been a fan of gas engines all my life and would stick with 'em if it weren't insane at this point. Gasoline isn't that much more expensive but diesels are simply better on consumption. I'm talking about pushing around a 25,000+# vessel with a planing hull but perhaps just pushing it around at hull speed or slightly above. Seen lots of different diesels in boats. Cummins, Detroit, Perkins, Volvo, Hino, Yanmar, Mann, John Deere and, of course, Cat in natural and turbo. The major differences I understand a 2-cycle vs. 4-cycle Natural vs. turbo Aluminum vs. steel Piston sleeves or not If you were advising someone on what to look for/avoid, in either new or used diesels, what would you say??? Thanks in advance, jps |
Diesel Engine Choice?
A lot has changed in Diesels in the past few years. One source you
should look at is www.boatdiesel.com, for $25/yr you can 'join' and see all their archives. The past few months are free :-) -al- On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:20:52 -0700, jps wrote: Can't afford to run gas engines in my preferred tonnage of boat, even though gas engine boats are usually tens of thousands of dollars cheaper at the start. Thinking about replacing gas engines or buying a boat with. Been through Pascoe and all that. Have been a fan of gas engines all my life and would stick with 'em if it weren't insane at this point. Gasoline isn't that much more expensive but diesels are simply better on consumption. I'm talking about pushing around a 25,000+# vessel with a planing hull but perhaps just pushing it around at hull speed or slightly above. Seen lots of different diesels in boats. Cummins, Detroit, Perkins, Volvo, Hino, Yanmar, Mann, John Deere and, of course, Cat in natural and turbo. The major differences I understand a 2-cycle vs. 4-cycle Natural vs. turbo Aluminum vs. steel Piston sleeves or not If you were advising someone on what to look for/avoid, in either new or used diesels, what would you say??? Thanks in advance, jps |
Diesel Engine Choice?
|
Diesel Engine Choice?
"jps" wrote in message ... In article , says... On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:20:52 -0700 in rec.boats, jps penned the following thoughts: IMHO... 4-cycle, Natural, steel, Piston sleeves Thanks Gene. Which brand? I don't think Cats have sleeves, Cummins are aluminum, Perkins? I know Hino's have sleeves. Any faves? jps At least some of the Volvo's have sleeves. Mine does, but are turbo'd six cylinders. But, a naturally aspirated small diesel is likely to last a long, long time. Replaceable sleeves may not be all that important. At 6000+ hours the original Ford Lehman in my wife's Grand Banks is just broken in according to Bob Smith of American Diesel Corp. RCE |
Diesel Engine Choice?
In article ,
says... A lot has changed in Diesels in the past few years. One source you should look at is www.boatdiesel.com, for $25/yr you can 'join' and see all their archives. The past few months are free :-) -al- Thanks Al, Went digging around and got to some articles but the forums are completely locked off for anyone other than members. I remember running across this site before but don't recall it being members only. Diesel info must be a hot commodity! jps |
Diesel Engine Choice?
"jps" wrote in message ... In article , says... "jps" wrote in message ... In article , says... On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:20:52 -0700 in rec.boats, jps penned the following thoughts: IMHO... 4-cycle, Natural, steel, Piston sleeves Thanks Gene. Which brand? I don't think Cats have sleeves, Cummins are aluminum, Perkins? I know Hino's have sleeves. Any faves? jps At least some of the Volvo's have sleeves. Mine does, but are turbo'd six cylinders. But, a naturally aspirated small diesel is likely to last a long, long time. Replaceable sleeves may not be all that important. At 6000+ hours the original Ford Lehman in my wife's Grand Banks is just broken in according to Bob Smith of American Diesel Corp. RCE I keep hearing that boat hours are different than normal applications-- that'd have diesels running constantly for those long-hour lives. And, that low hour diesels should be gazed upon with suspicion (not that any engine shouldn't be suspect) since infrequent use is not kindly to diesel engine parts. Is this baloney or is there some basis in fact? jps I don't know, but consider this. Back-up generators for hospitals, large supermarkets, etc. are typically diesel powered and they sit for long periods of time without running other than the occasional test run once a month or so. My guess is that a diesel that sits unused for extended periods of time is more forgiving than a gas powered counterpart. Also, diesel fuel does not go "stale" like gasoline. With proper anti-biological additives it can sit for months or years. RCE |
Diesel Engine Choice?
jps wrote: I keep hearing that boat hours are different than normal applications-- that'd have diesels running constantly for those long-hour lives. And, that low hour diesels should be gazed upon with suspicion (not that any engine shouldn't be suspect) since infrequent use is not kindly to diesel engine parts. Is this baloney or is there some basis in fact? jps I say Baloney! Check out Cummins. their Consolidated Diesel (the same type in the dodge Pickup trucks) is very efficient. hold together well, and replacement parts (if ever needed) are down to competetive marketing. Cat is good stuff, but if you need anyting, hold on tight! perkins is a cantankerous old engine that does well, but you don't get the hr's out of them as you would the cat or cummins. a 2 cycle Detroit was great in their day, but they like to leak oil regardless of what configuration. They got a nink-name of "Drip-troit" But they pushed boats for years. Odly enough, parts for the 2-cycle "Jimmys' are high. AND they suffer low end torque. you have to ahve them wound tight (approx 24-2600 rpm) to get effeciency out of them. I'd check out the marine versions of the 5.9 cummins myself. |
Diesel Engine Choice?
jps wrote: In article , says... "jps" wrote in message ... In article , says... On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:20:52 -0700 in rec.boats, jps penned the following thoughts: IMHO... 4-cycle, Natural, steel, Piston sleeves Thanks Gene. Which brand? I don't think Cats have sleeves, Cummins are aluminum, Perkins? I know Hino's have sleeves. Any faves? jps At least some of the Volvo's have sleeves. Mine does, but are turbo'd six cylinders. But, a naturally aspirated small diesel is likely to last a long, long time. Replaceable sleeves may not be all that important. At 6000+ hours the original Ford Lehman in my wife's Grand Banks is just broken in according to Bob Smith of American Diesel Corp. RCE I keep hearing that boat hours are different than normal applications-- that'd have diesels running constantly for those long-hour lives. And, that low hour diesels should be gazed upon with suspicion (not that any engine shouldn't be suspect) since infrequent use is not kindly to diesel engine parts. Is this baloney or is there some basis in fact? jps Those engines that run constantly usually get exceptional maintenance. I'm thinking of some of the diesels that run power plants on the north slope, where operating manuals call for a minor overhaul "every 20,000 hours." Run as fast as you can from any used diesel that isn't currently sitting in a boat. There had to be some reason that somebody would go to the expense of removing the engine and replacing it with something else, and you might not find out what the reason was until after you have gone to the expense of paying to have the engine installed in your boat. One of the common rules of thumb (will always come in handy when you're trying to finger something out) is that a 2 to 1 ratio of CID to HP is desirable. My original Perkins was 354 CID and developed 165 HP, so that was a good combo. When that engine bit the dust at right around 4000 hours, it was a failed exhaust manifold rather than internal wear and tear that did it in. My new engine is also 354 CID, develops only 135 HP, and has a FWC exhaust manifold so I don't expect it to let me down again when I get to that 4000 hour figure. You boat on Puget Sound. Where the heck you think you need to go at a blistering speed? Almost nobody but the greenest of peas seriously attempts to do two-day weekends in the San Juans from Seattle or points south. Take my trawler challenge: Get out a paper chart (remember those?) and draw a 32 nm arc around your home port. That's a Saturday morning cruise in a boat that gets 3-4 nmpg. Bet you'll count 20-40 potential ports of call, state parks,cozy anchorages, waterfront bars, and marinas in that space. You could boat every other weekend for a year and never visit the same place twice. :-) Speed is going to cost you, whether gas or diesel. It's that monster speed, not the choice of fuel, that will make boating less than optimally affordably for most people. |
Diesel Engine Choice?
In article ,
says... "jps" wrote in message ... In article , says... I keep hearing that boat hours are different than normal applications-- that'd have diesels running constantly for those long-hour lives. And, that low hour diesels should be gazed upon with suspicion (not that any engine shouldn't be suspect) since infrequent use is not kindly to diesel engine parts. Is this baloney or is there some basis in fact? jps I don't know, but consider this. Back-up generators for hospitals, large supermarkets, etc. are typically diesel powered and they sit for long periods of time without running other than the occasional test run once a month or so. My guess is that a diesel that sits unused for extended periods of time is more forgiving than a gas powered counterpart. Also, diesel fuel does not go "stale" like gasoline. With proper anti-biological additives it can sit for months or years. RCE Good point but losing an engine in a parking lot is a bit less harrowing than losing it at sea. I sure hope hospitals have backups to backups. I like that fuel can sit but have also seen long threads about spending multiple BU's on fuel conditioning, filtering. Doesn't matter, I'm sold that I need to move away from gasoline. I wish I enjoyed sailing 'cause I'd be all over it at this point. Nice little Atlas 4 cylinder and 7 knots would be so damned cheap to run. Have you considered bio-diesel yet? jps |
Diesel Engine Choice?
I thought this was interesting if anything else....
http://www.yachtsurvey.com/comparing_diesel_types.htm |
Diesel Engine Choice?
"jps" wrote in message ... Have you considered bio-diesel yet? jps I have not. I'd like to see more long term tests of it before using it in the boat engines. My boat was built in 1999, and I am not sure the use of bio-diesel was planned for. I'd try using it in my truck first. I've read and heard of problems with rubber seals, etc., none of which I know exist for a fact. One issue I have is that I have not used my boat much in the past couple of years for cruising. It sits in the slip like a floating Cape Cod cottage. I've been busy with other activities and just don't have the desire or time to take it on a cruise and it's not the kind of boat that you take out to run around for an afternoon. I almost took it south to Florida again last year, but we ended up selling our property down there. Good thing I didn't go, as Hurricane Wilma paid a visit. I considered selling it last year, but decided against it. It's value has depreciated to the point where further depreciation has leveled off and it will be worth about the same in three more years as it is now. I've kept it in like new condition and it's a very roomy and comfortable boat to spend a week or more on when we want to get out of the house for a while. With fuel prices as they are, my wife's boat, the Grand Banks, will be much more practical for runs over to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. RCE |
Diesel Engine Choice?
One issue I have is that I have not used my boat much in the past couple of years for cruising. It sits in the slip like a floating Cape Cod cottage. I've been busy with other activities and just don't have the desire or time to take it on a cruise and it's not the kind of boat that you take out to run around for an afternoon. I almost took it south to Florida again last year, but we ended up selling our property down there. Good thing I didn't go, as Hurricane Wilma paid a visit. I considered selling it last year, but decided against it. It's value has depreciated to the point where further depreciation has leveled off and it will be worth about the same in three more years as it is now. I've kept it in like new condition and it's a very roomy and comfortable boat to spend a week or more on when we want to get out of the house for a while. With fuel prices as they are, my wife's boat, the Grand Banks, will be much more practical for runs over to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. RCE One thing to also consider is the over-all cost of the repower to diesel. Look at the bottom line and see if it's actually worth the cost over the even high cost of gasoline. Tim |
Diesel Engine Choice?
An older diesel engine with low hours is simply a lightly used diesel engine
and is almost without question in exceptional mechanical condition. Old wives tales die hard. Butch wrote in message oups.com... jps wrote: In article , says... "jps" wrote in message ... In article , says... On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:20:52 -0700 in rec.boats, jps penned the following thoughts: IMHO... 4-cycle, Natural, steel, Piston sleeves Thanks Gene. Which brand? I don't think Cats have sleeves, Cummins are aluminum, Perkins? I know Hino's have sleeves. Any faves? jps At least some of the Volvo's have sleeves. Mine does, but are turbo'd six cylinders. But, a naturally aspirated small diesel is likely to last a long, long time. Replaceable sleeves may not be all that important. At 6000+ hours the original Ford Lehman in my wife's Grand Banks is just broken in according to Bob Smith of American Diesel Corp. RCE I keep hearing that boat hours are different than normal applications-- that'd have diesels running constantly for those long-hour lives. And, that low hour diesels should be gazed upon with suspicion (not that any engine shouldn't be suspect) since infrequent use is not kindly to diesel engine parts. Is this baloney or is there some basis in fact? jps Those engines that run constantly usually get exceptional maintenance. I'm thinking of some of the diesels that run power plants on the north slope, where operating manuals call for a minor overhaul "every 20,000 hours." Run as fast as you can from any used diesel that isn't currently sitting in a boat. There had to be some reason that somebody would go to the expense of removing the engine and replacing it with something else, and you might not find out what the reason was until after you have gone to the expense of paying to have the engine installed in your boat. One of the common rules of thumb (will always come in handy when you're trying to finger something out) is that a 2 to 1 ratio of CID to HP is desirable. My original Perkins was 354 CID and developed 165 HP, so that was a good combo. When that engine bit the dust at right around 4000 hours, it was a failed exhaust manifold rather than internal wear and tear that did it in. My new engine is also 354 CID, develops only 135 HP, and has a FWC exhaust manifold so I don't expect it to let me down again when I get to that 4000 hour figure. You boat on Puget Sound. Where the heck you think you need to go at a blistering speed? Almost nobody but the greenest of peas seriously attempts to do two-day weekends in the San Juans from Seattle or points south. Take my trawler challenge: Get out a paper chart (remember those?) and draw a 32 nm arc around your home port. That's a Saturday morning cruise in a boat that gets 3-4 nmpg. Bet you'll count 20-40 potential ports of call, state parks,cozy anchorages, waterfront bars, and marinas in that space. You could boat every other weekend for a year and never visit the same place twice. :-) Speed is going to cost you, whether gas or diesel. It's that monster speed, not the choice of fuel, that will make boating less than optimally affordably for most people. |
Diesel Engine Choice?
|
Diesel Engine Choice?
In article .com,
says... jps wrote: In article , says... "jps" wrote in message ... In article , says... On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:20:52 -0700 in rec.boats, jps penned the following thoughts: IMHO... 4-cycle, Natural, steel, Piston sleeves Thanks Gene. Which brand? I don't think Cats have sleeves, Cummins are aluminum, Perkins? I know Hino's have sleeves. Any faves? jps At least some of the Volvo's have sleeves. Mine does, but are turbo'd six cylinders. But, a naturally aspirated small diesel is likely to last a long, long time. Replaceable sleeves may not be all that important. At 6000+ hours the original Ford Lehman in my wife's Grand Banks is just broken in according to Bob Smith of American Diesel Corp. RCE I keep hearing that boat hours are different than normal applications-- that'd have diesels running constantly for those long-hour lives. And, that low hour diesels should be gazed upon with suspicion (not that any engine shouldn't be suspect) since infrequent use is not kindly to diesel engine parts. Is this baloney or is there some basis in fact? jps Those engines that run constantly usually get exceptional maintenance. I'm thinking of some of the diesels that run power plants on the north slope, where operating manuals call for a minor overhaul "every 20,000 hours." Run as fast as you can from any used diesel that isn't currently sitting in a boat. There had to be some reason that somebody would go to the expense of removing the engine and replacing it with something else, and you might not find out what the reason was until after you have gone to the expense of paying to have the engine installed in your boat. One of the common rules of thumb (will always come in handy when you're trying to finger something out) is that a 2 to 1 ratio of CID to HP is desirable. My original Perkins was 354 CID and developed 165 HP, so that was a good combo. When that engine bit the dust at right around 4000 hours, it was a failed exhaust manifold rather than internal wear and tear that did it in. My new engine is also 354 CID, develops only 135 HP, and has a FWC exhaust manifold so I don't expect it to let me down again when I get to that 4000 hour figure. You boat on Puget Sound. Where the heck you think you need to go at a blistering speed? Almost nobody but the greenest of peas seriously attempts to do two-day weekends in the San Juans from Seattle or points south. Take my trawler challenge: Get out a paper chart (remember those?) and draw a 32 nm arc around your home port. That's a Saturday morning cruise in a boat that gets 3-4 nmpg. Bet you'll count 20-40 potential ports of call, state parks,cozy anchorages, waterfront bars, and marinas in that space. You could boat every other weekend for a year and never visit the same place twice. :-) Speed is going to cost you, whether gas or diesel. It's that monster speed, not the choice of fuel, that will make boating less than optimally affordably for most people. Good advice Chuck. I rarely exceed 12 kts. and probably wouldn't care if it were 8 or 9 if it cut costs. When we want to go out for a weekend, the San Juans are out of the question. Poulsbo, Silverdale, Port Orchard, Gig Harbor... I agree, easy cruise of no more than 2 hours to a nice destination. What I'm thinking about is the long term. My love of the gasoline powered engines is being forced to an abrupt halt. I want to have less impact on the planet, not to mention the wallet, so my choices a stop boating, get something far more fuel efficient or start sailing. Numbers 1 and 3 are painful propositions to me. For whatever reason, I love powerboats. Big ones, with lots of complicated systems. They're bliss to me. As someone said: Cruising is working on your boat in exotic locations. I'm thinking my best option (at this point) is a diesel powered vessel. That means either doing a conversion or buying something with 'em already installed. As we all know, these sorts of ambitions can take years to realize. I'm hoping that, by the time I make the next major move, I'm working from a well-thought-out plan. jps |
Diesel Engine Choice?
jps wrote: In article .com, says... jps wrote: In article , says... "jps" wrote in message ... In article , says... On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:20:52 -0700 in rec.boats, jps penned the following thoughts: IMHO... 4-cycle, Natural, steel, Piston sleeves Thanks Gene. Which brand? I don't think Cats have sleeves, Cummins are aluminum, Perkins? I know Hino's have sleeves. Any faves? jps At least some of the Volvo's have sleeves. Mine does, but are turbo'd six cylinders. But, a naturally aspirated small diesel is likely to last a long, long time. Replaceable sleeves may not be all that important. At 6000+ hours the original Ford Lehman in my wife's Grand Banks is just broken in according to Bob Smith of American Diesel Corp. RCE I keep hearing that boat hours are different than normal applications-- that'd have diesels running constantly for those long-hour lives. And, that low hour diesels should be gazed upon with suspicion (not that any engine shouldn't be suspect) since infrequent use is not kindly to diesel engine parts. Is this baloney or is there some basis in fact? jps Those engines that run constantly usually get exceptional maintenance. I'm thinking of some of the diesels that run power plants on the north slope, where operating manuals call for a minor overhaul "every 20,000 hours." Run as fast as you can from any used diesel that isn't currently sitting in a boat. There had to be some reason that somebody would go to the expense of removing the engine and replacing it with something else, and you might not find out what the reason was until after you have gone to the expense of paying to have the engine installed in your boat. One of the common rules of thumb (will always come in handy when you're trying to finger something out) is that a 2 to 1 ratio of CID to HP is desirable. My original Perkins was 354 CID and developed 165 HP, so that was a good combo. When that engine bit the dust at right around 4000 hours, it was a failed exhaust manifold rather than internal wear and tear that did it in. My new engine is also 354 CID, develops only 135 HP, and has a FWC exhaust manifold so I don't expect it to let me down again when I get to that 4000 hour figure. You boat on Puget Sound. Where the heck you think you need to go at a blistering speed? Almost nobody but the greenest of peas seriously attempts to do two-day weekends in the San Juans from Seattle or points south. Take my trawler challenge: Get out a paper chart (remember those?) and draw a 32 nm arc around your home port. That's a Saturday morning cruise in a boat that gets 3-4 nmpg. Bet you'll count 20-40 potential ports of call, state parks,cozy anchorages, waterfront bars, and marinas in that space. You could boat every other weekend for a year and never visit the same place twice. :-) Speed is going to cost you, whether gas or diesel. It's that monster speed, not the choice of fuel, that will make boating less than optimally affordably for most people. Good advice Chuck. I rarely exceed 12 kts. and probably wouldn't care if it were 8 or 9 if it cut costs. When we want to go out for a weekend, the San Juans are out of the question. Poulsbo, Silverdale, Port Orchard, Gig Harbor... I agree, easy cruise of no more than 2 hours to a nice destination. What I'm thinking about is the long term. My love of the gasoline powered engines is being forced to an abrupt halt. I want to have less impact on the planet, not to mention the wallet, so my choices a stop boating, get something far more fuel efficient or start sailing. Numbers 1 and 3 are painful propositions to me. For whatever reason, I love powerboats. Big ones, with lots of complicated systems. They're bliss to me. As someone said: Cruising is working on your boat in exotic locations. I'm thinking my best option (at this point) is a diesel powered vessel. That means either doing a conversion or buying something with 'em already installed. As we all know, these sorts of ambitions can take years to realize. I'm hoping that, by the time I make the next major move, I'm working from a well-thought-out plan. jps Survey the stink out of an older Taiwan trawler. You can own a decent 40-footer for under $100k, (but you may have to take a couple to survey to find one that's a keeper). Yeah, you'll be doing 8-9 kt. But you'll burn 300 gallons a year instead of 300 gallons a weekend. Big difference. Then put a shoreboat with a big, snarling outboard up on the boatdeck. When you just absolutely have to have a shot of 25 or 30 kt performance you can get the toy boat down and let 'er rip for 20-30 minutes to get it all out of your system. Going crazy speeds is for small boats, or for those unfortunate souls who have to travel 50 miles from home port to "get anywhere" or to find the continental shelf where the last surviving fish is rumored to hang out. If you want to enjoy a good sized cruising boat with comfortable accommodations and sophisticated systems and you're lucky enough to live where ideal cruising conditions begin about 20 yards beyond the breakwater of your home port, diesel is the right choice. |
Diesel Engine Choice?
Shortwave Sportfishing wrote: On 18 Apr 2006 19:22:42 -0700, " wrote: When you just absolutely have to have a shot of 25 or 30 kt performance you can get the toy boat down and let 'er rip for 20-30 minutes to get it all out of your system. Ahem - excuse me? TOY boat? ~~ mutter ~~ yeah. T.O.Y. Top Of Yacht :-) |
Diesel Engine Choice?
In article .com,
says... jps wrote: In article .com, says... jps wrote: In article , says... "jps" wrote in message ... In article , says... On Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:20:52 -0700 in rec.boats, jps penned the following thoughts: IMHO... 4-cycle, Natural, steel, Piston sleeves Thanks Gene. Which brand? I don't think Cats have sleeves, Cummins are aluminum, Perkins? I know Hino's have sleeves. Any faves? jps At least some of the Volvo's have sleeves. Mine does, but are turbo'd six cylinders. But, a naturally aspirated small diesel is likely to last a long, long time. Replaceable sleeves may not be all that important. At 6000+ hours the original Ford Lehman in my wife's Grand Banks is just broken in according to Bob Smith of American Diesel Corp. RCE I keep hearing that boat hours are different than normal applications-- that'd have diesels running constantly for those long-hour lives. And, that low hour diesels should be gazed upon with suspicion (not that any engine shouldn't be suspect) since infrequent use is not kindly to diesel engine parts. Is this baloney or is there some basis in fact? jps Those engines that run constantly usually get exceptional maintenance. I'm thinking of some of the diesels that run power plants on the north slope, where operating manuals call for a minor overhaul "every 20,000 hours." Run as fast as you can from any used diesel that isn't currently sitting in a boat. There had to be some reason that somebody would go to the expense of removing the engine and replacing it with something else, and you might not find out what the reason was until after you have gone to the expense of paying to have the engine installed in your boat. One of the common rules of thumb (will always come in handy when you're trying to finger something out) is that a 2 to 1 ratio of CID to HP is desirable. My original Perkins was 354 CID and developed 165 HP, so that was a good combo. When that engine bit the dust at right around 4000 hours, it was a failed exhaust manifold rather than internal wear and tear that did it in. My new engine is also 354 CID, develops only 135 HP, and has a FWC exhaust manifold so I don't expect it to let me down again when I get to that 4000 hour figure. You boat on Puget Sound. Where the heck you think you need to go at a blistering speed? Almost nobody but the greenest of peas seriously attempts to do two-day weekends in the San Juans from Seattle or points south. Take my trawler challenge: Get out a paper chart (remember those?) and draw a 32 nm arc around your home port. That's a Saturday morning cruise in a boat that gets 3-4 nmpg. Bet you'll count 20-40 potential ports of call, state parks,cozy anchorages, waterfront bars, and marinas in that space. You could boat every other weekend for a year and never visit the same place twice. :-) Speed is going to cost you, whether gas or diesel. It's that monster speed, not the choice of fuel, that will make boating less than optimally affordably for most people. Good advice Chuck. I rarely exceed 12 kts. and probably wouldn't care if it were 8 or 9 if it cut costs. When we want to go out for a weekend, the San Juans are out of the question. Poulsbo, Silverdale, Port Orchard, Gig Harbor... I agree, easy cruise of no more than 2 hours to a nice destination. What I'm thinking about is the long term. My love of the gasoline powered engines is being forced to an abrupt halt. I want to have less impact on the planet, not to mention the wallet, so my choices a stop boating, get something far more fuel efficient or start sailing. Numbers 1 and 3 are painful propositions to me. For whatever reason, I love powerboats. Big ones, with lots of complicated systems. They're bliss to me. As someone said: Cruising is working on your boat in exotic locations. I'm thinking my best option (at this point) is a diesel powered vessel. That means either doing a conversion or buying something with 'em already installed. As we all know, these sorts of ambitions can take years to realize. I'm hoping that, by the time I make the next major move, I'm working from a well-thought-out plan. jps Survey the stink out of an older Taiwan trawler. You can own a decent 40-footer for under $100k, (but you may have to take a couple to survey to find one that's a keeper). Yeah, you'll be doing 8-9 kt. But you'll burn 300 gallons a year instead of 300 gallons a weekend. Big difference. Then put a shoreboat with a big, snarling outboard up on the boatdeck. When you just absolutely have to have a shot of 25 or 30 kt performance you can get the toy boat down and let 'er rip for 20-30 minutes to get it all out of your system. I'll always keep the dink we have. 11' Whaler with a 25 horse merc. Little sucker screams and is really stable. Great for pulling crab pots. It thinks the big boat is just there to ferry it to fun spots. jps |
Diesel Engine Choice?
I have this engine in my trawler and am very pleased with it so far. It has 2200 hours and runs like a top. I switched it to Amsoil 15-40W marine diesel oil run through a bypass filter and hope it will give me 20,000 hours. I run it between 1600 and 2000rpm and get about 3mpg. Ask me when I'm even older and I'll tell you how it worked out. Capt. Jeff |
Diesel Engine Choice?
|
Diesel Engine Choice?
jps wrote: In article , says... I have this engine in my trawler and am very pleased with it so far. It has 2200 hours and runs like a top. I switched it to Amsoil 15-40W marine diesel oil run through a bypass filter and hope it will give me 20,000 hours. I run it between 1600 and 2000rpm and get about 3mpg. Ask me when I'm even older and I'll tell you how it worked out. Capt. Jeff Single screw? What sort of headway do you make at 2000 rpm? jps You might want to go down to Chandler's Cove, see Dave Formo, and check out a Camano Troll. Could resolve your speed vs economy dilema- at least somewhat. |
Diesel Engine Choice?
In article .com,
says... jps wrote: In article , says... I have this engine in my trawler and am very pleased with it so far. It has 2200 hours and runs like a top. I switched it to Amsoil 15-40W marine diesel oil run through a bypass filter and hope it will give me 20,000 hours. I run it between 1600 and 2000rpm and get about 3mpg. Ask me when I'm even older and I'll tell you how it worked out. Capt. Jeff Single screw? What sort of headway do you make at 2000 rpm? jps You might want to go down to Chandler's Cove, see Dave Formo, and check out a Camano Troll. Could resolve your speed vs economy dilema- at least somewhat. The layouts don't do much for me, but that may change based on prevailing circumstances. Trawlers are beamy but spend so much sq. footage on walkarounds that the cabin ends up too narrow for my taste. That's why I like the sundeck version. It too has its weaknesses, especially if it has no cockpit. Right now I'm far less concerned about speed than efficiency. I'm resolved to 8 kts if that's what it takes. jps |
Diesel Engine Choice?
In article .com,
says... jps wrote: In article , says... I have this engine in my trawler and am very pleased with it so far. It has 2200 hours and runs like a top. I switched it to Amsoil 15-40W marine diesel oil run through a bypass filter and hope it will give me 20,000 hours. I run it between 1600 and 2000rpm and get about 3mpg. Ask me when I'm even older and I'll tell you how it worked out. Capt. Jeff Single screw? What sort of headway do you make at 2000 rpm? jps You might want to go down to Chandler's Cove, see Dave Formo, and check out a Camano Troll. Could resolve your speed vs economy dilema- at least somewhat. BTW, I hope you didn't take my response and question as disparaging or tongue-in-cheek. I'm truly curious. jps |
Diesel Engine Choice?
"jps" wrote in message ... In article .com, says... jps wrote: In article , says... I have this engine in my trawler and am very pleased with it so far. It has 2200 hours and runs like a top. I switched it to Amsoil 15-40W marine diesel oil run through a bypass filter and hope it will give me 20,000 hours. I run it between 1600 and 2000rpm and get about 3mpg. Ask me when I'm even older and I'll tell you how it worked out. Capt. Jeff Single screw? What sort of headway do you make at 2000 rpm? jps You might want to go down to Chandler's Cove, see Dave Formo, and check out a Camano Troll. Could resolve your speed vs economy dilema- at least somewhat. The layouts don't do much for me, but that may change based on prevailing circumstances. Trawlers are beamy but spend so much sq. footage on walkarounds that the cabin ends up too narrow for my taste. That's why I like the sundeck version. It too has its weaknesses, especially if it has no cockpit. Right now I'm far less concerned about speed than efficiency. I'm resolved to 8 kts if that's what it takes. jps I never realized how enjoyable it can be. If a boat only does 7-8 knots, you don't expect anything else and begin to enjoy the characteristics of that particular boat. One of the most pleasant afternoons on the water last year was a relaxing, full speed run on the GB. Took a couple of hours, didn't go very far, only burned about 5 or 6 gallons of fuel, but it was genuinely enjoyable being able to relax and take in the sights. RCE |
Diesel Engine Choice?
jps wrote:
In article , says... I have this engine in my trawler and am very pleased with it so far. It has 2200 hours and runs like a top. I switched it to Amsoil 15-40W marine diesel oil run through a bypass filter and hope it will give me 20,000 hours. I run it between 1600 and 2000rpm and get about 3mpg. Ask me when I'm even older and I'll tell you how it worked out. Capt. Jeff Single screw? What sort of headway do you make at 2000 rpm? jps Single screw in a 36 Monk. It does about 9 knots at 2000 rpm, 8.5 at 1900 and a little over 8 at 1800, depending on how heavily I'm loaded. I just did some research with Cummins and others to find out how slowly the motor could be run for extended periods without problems. It's a turbo and there are issues if the thing doesn't spool up fast enough and heat up properly. i am told to go 1500 at a minimum, maybe 1600, but to make sure it's running at the regular operating temperature. I'm doing the Great Loop this year and the difference in operating costs between getting 3 mpg and 3.5 mpg will buy a lot of beer. Capt. Jeff |
Diesel Engine Choice?
In article ,
says... jps wrote: In article , says... I have this engine in my trawler and am very pleased with it so far. It has 2200 hours and runs like a top. I switched it to Amsoil 15-40W marine diesel oil run through a bypass filter and hope it will give me 20,000 hours. I run it between 1600 and 2000rpm and get about 3mpg. Ask me when I'm even older and I'll tell you how it worked out. Capt. Jeff Single screw? What sort of headway do you make at 2000 rpm? jps Single screw in a 36 Monk. It does about 9 knots at 2000 rpm, 8.5 at 1900 and a little over 8 at 1800, depending on how heavily I'm loaded. I just did some research with Cummins and others to find out how slowly the motor could be run for extended periods without problems. It's a turbo and there are issues if the thing doesn't spool up fast enough and heat up properly. i am told to go 1500 at a minimum, maybe 1600, but to make sure it's running at the regular operating temperature. I'm doing the Great Loop this year and the difference in operating costs between getting 3 mpg and 3.5 mpg will buy a lot of beer. Capt. Jeff Cool, thanks for the info. Having grown up with twins, I'm in awe of those who dock their singles in tight spaces, especially the ones without a thruster... jps |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:37 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2014 BoatBanter.com