Inboard diesels

[blighbaum]

My BMW MD-7 inboard diesel is dead. Most people here (in California) use Yanmar or Kubota diesels, but my mechanic is from the Baltic, and he recommends a Farymann or Bukh. He says they are just as reliable as a Japanese engine, and much easier to start manually with a crank. (People who have Japanese engines confirm that they are indeed difficult to crank-start.) Many people like Volvo Pentas, but my mechanic thinks that the smallest Volvo Penta now in production (the D1-13) might be too large for the boat. I'd be grateful for any advice!

- Tom Kirschbaum, IF 637, Feral

[maja]

An alternative to consider is to make an "outboard conversion". This is a more simple solution and not so expensive.

This can be made more "permanent" by mounting a heavy 4-stroke 8-10 Hp outboard motor with an extra long rig and with remote controls of gears and throttle from the cockpit.

The only things you will miss will be the electric starter and the alternator for battery charging. You will aso miss the oil smell in the cabin.. ... And you will gain lot of storage space inside the boat...

[blighbaum]

Thanks, Marek! A 4 stroke outboard is not the best for me because I already have a steering windvane hanging off the stern and solar panels on the aft rail, and I am afraid of having gas (petrol) on the boat. I actually thought of getting an electric trolling motor instead of another inboard diesel, because about 70% of my engine use is simply getting the boat out of the slip and less than 100 meters up a narrow finger and around two hairpin turns to the fairway. However, I think I will do some cruising in areas that can have light winds, at times when I need to get back by Monday morning, so it looks like another diesel for me.

Good sailing and happy new year, Tom Kirschbaum, Feral IF 637

[YotMax]

Hi Marek,

A previous boat of mine (not an IF) had a transom mounted bracket on which the outboard lived. The problem that I found was that the weight of the outboard suspended aft of the stern tended to cause the stern to bury itself and drag. This was a much lighter boat (only around 600 kg) although much beamier in the aft section. In the end I moved the outboard onto the transom itself and added ballast in the bow area to give good trim. Do you find this effect much of a concern on an IF?