Best live aboard power flybridge cruiser

[boatman61]

How about something like this.. its listed at $145K but with a haggle..??


PS; cancel the above.. just seen your in Oz

[AJ-SeaChange]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I guess petrel means gas? Anything other than a runabout having gas is not to bright. JMHO

Yes, it means gas.

Because of the running costs, we were favouring petrol, however, I was reading recently though that the difference between replacing a petrol vs diesel engine is huge, and if we needed two new diesel engines (might be a likelihood at some point if we buy an older boat), that could turn out to to run at up to $50,000 more than gas for two engines.

[boatman61]

If your considering a sailboat this looks good and is in your price range.. not a flybridge.. but a decent centre cockpit.

http://www.boatsales.com.au/boats-fo...30&pss=Premium

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by AJ-SeaChange

Yes, it means gas.

Because of the running costs, we were favouring petrol, however, I was reading recently though that the difference between replacing a petrol vs diesel engine is huge, and if we needed two new diesel engines (might be a likelihood at some point if we buy an older boat), that could turn out to to run at up to $50,000 more than gas for two engines.

The up side is the right diesel will last for ever not so the gas engines I see today.

They seem to be pickup truck engines with four bolt mains, but not meant for the continuous duty demanded of a boat engine. JMHO

[30West]

Originally Posted by Cadence

The up side is the right diesel will last for ever not so the gas engines I see today.

They seem to be pickup truck engines with four bolt mains, but not meant for the continuous duty demanded of a boat engine. JMHO

Actually my 8.1 Mercruisers are two-bolt mains, but that is no longer as significant as it once was. Gas and diesel engines have gone through revolutionary changes in the past few decades, but gasoline engines have seen much bigger improvements, mostly driven by U.S. CAFE and emissions rules. My engines are ancient technology compared to what is being produced today, but are light-years more advanced than the old carbureted big-blocks we used to see fail after 1000 hours. Diesel engines haven't really seen the big improvements gas engines have seen, and the reliability and lifespans have gotten much closer.

Diesel engines are actually being pushed harder for more performance than ever before, and modern diesels seem to be failing faster than they used to. A diesel that spends it's life running well below max RPM and load, and isn't used for a lot of short trips or idled too long, will last the longest. But recreational boaters aren't using them that way, I suspect that is why we are seeing a higher failure rate, just my opinion.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by 30West

Actually my 8.1 Mercruisers are two-bolt mains, but that is no longer as significant as it once was. Gas and diesel engines have gone through revolutionary changes in the past few decades, but gasoline engines have seen much bigger improvements, mostly driven by U.S. CAFE and emissions rules. My engines are ancient technology compared to what is being produced today, but are light-years more advanced than the old carbureted big-blocks we used to see fail after 1000 hours. Diesel engines haven't really seen the big improvements gas engines have seen, and the reliability and lifespans have gotten much closer.

Diesel engines are actually being pushed harder for more performance than ever before, and modern diesels seem to be failing faster than they used to. A diesel that spends it's life running well below max RPM and load, and isn't used for a lot of short trips or idled too long, will last the longest. But recreational boaters aren't using them that way, I suspect that is why we are seeing a higher failure rate, just my opinion.

After reading some of the tails of woe about some of the newer diesels here I might have to agree. Give me an old blown GM that will run forever. Probably never stopping but for maintenance.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Cadence

After reading some of the tails of woe about some of the newer diesels here I might have to agree.

???

References?

-Chris

[30West]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

???

References?

-Chris

There aren't statistical analysis I can find on recreational marine diesel failure rates, but people who work on them seem to think there has been a significant increase in failures. Some articles blame diesel fuel, which has lost a lot of stability and other good attributes to meet pollution rules. Some blame the fact that diesels are built with much tighter tolerances to get better emissions and efficiency for a given weight. Still others blame the newer generation of boaters, who aren't perhaps as interested in understanding the nuances of diesel engine care and feeding, as they are in turning the key and going.

Boat Engines: Choosing Gas or Diesel - boats.com

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

???

References?

-Chris

30West somewhat summed it up. I was basically predicating the comment on newer diesels seem failure prone on reading here. Older ones might be a little less efficient or not. Probably pollute more but have fewer failure prone parts.

I had, I think, a 32HP on a JD 350 dozer you couldn't kill. Same thing with a Long tractor also 32HP, A couple of 671s marine. Oiled summers, while in college, on a tug 50 years ago. The gen. was as I recall a 453 and the main a 12v567 low tech and ran twenty hours a day.

I can't recall a problem with any other than the dozer it got worn out and would run on sump oil on shot down and a raincoat over the air breather would stop it and a ring job would fix it. So that are the references.

Right or wrong on my assumptions? I was also agreeing with the gas engines being improved they a squeaking more HP out of them and they run cleaner.
As you can probably guess a distributor with points on a flat head on in my Wheel house.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by 30West

There aren't statistical analysis I can find on recreational marine diesel failure rates, but people who work on them seem to think there has been a significant increase in failures........

Originally Posted by Cadence

30West somewhat summed it up. I was basically predicating the comment on newer diesels seem failure prone on reading here. Older ones might be a little less efficient or not. Probably pollute more but have fewer failure prone parts......

I guess I'm probably reading different fora... with focus usually on bigger, sometimes much bigger, diesels than are typically installed on recreational sailing vessels. I haven't noticed any similar trends in those discussions...

I do know of three diesel failures right in our area. A CAT 3208 (not particularly new), a Volvo of some sort, and a Cummins like ours. The latter instance, said by the yard to be his second failure, was (my best guess) likely from operator error... since I never saw him run that boat at less than WOT.

OTOH, I'm surrounded by hundreds, maybe thousands in the slightly broader area, of diesels that seems to work fine.

For that matter, ditto thousands of gas engines... and even the old ones are mostly ticking right along. Newer ones seem even better.

All that assuming appropriate maintenance regimes, of course.

Sometimes some of the bolt-on stuff needs replacing; mostly those seem like wear items, with a given service life, not really associated with the life of the engine itself.

-Chris

[AJ-SeaChange]

Thanks you

[AJ-SeaChange]

Hi all, thank you for your advice. I've been quiet as we've been researching thoroughly and have finally made the decision to go for a sailing monohull. I will post in the right forum with the next step