Repowering - NC, come help us?

[CamWrenRoo]

Hello folks,
My husband and I are preparing to repower our tartan 34c in June. And, while my husband has a lot of experience sailing, we have never owned our own boat before, so the mission to repower is a bit intimidating. We need help!!
Here's a bit about us and the boat:
We are planning to live aboard in NC for the summer (New Bern Area), with intentions to go south to warmer waters in the fall. We have a four year old son who loves the water, and has an adventurous soul (must be genetic...).
The boat is a 74 tartan 34c yawl. It is currently in Sneads Ferry, and we plan on dry docking it in Sneads Ferry as well. We are planning on hauling it out in June, with the goal of installing an inboard engine. This boat had a Farymann in it originally, but it is theoretically beyond repair. The old engine is currently at the former owners house, and it does come with the purchase of the boat. At the very least it will be helpful because we can measure it and its stringers...
So, we will be finding a suitable replacement, in the 15 - 20 hp range, diesel, and hopefully freshwater cooled. We are hoping to find an engine which requires very little modification to the engine bed... Our budget requires us to do the installation ourselves, although we will hopefully be able to afford at least a consultation from a marine mechanic.
So - the questions -
Is there anyone in the Sneads Ferry area with experience in engine installation who would be interested in coming down to take a look at our situation and give us some advice on how to proceed? (Prior to our consultation from a marine mechanic ($$$), just to make sure we are on the right track.) I am a pastry chef so any payment I have to offer in exchange for your knowledge would be in croissants, tiramisu and pie...
Does anyone have recommendations on good freshwater cooled engines? I have my eye on an albin, 18 hp right now (salt water cooled - parts hard to find, and I think it would require a lot of modification in order to mount it); a universal 16 hp that looks pretty good, and sounds like a good fit, fresh water cooled; and a yanmar 2GMF (small - only 15 hp, but fresh water cooled) Any thoughts?
Thank you!!!!

[Kalinka1]

You might want to consider a Kubota based engine such as Beta. Give Stanley a call at Beta Marine. They're in I think North Carolina? Very knowledgeable and help full and very good engines

[skipmac]

I highly recommend the Beta. Good friend repowered his 32' with a Beta and could not say enough about the support and assistance from them company. I understand that, within the limits of the engine size, they can customize the mounts on the engine to fit your existing engine beds. And yes, they are located in NC.

[a64pilot]

It's sort of similar to a which boat to buy thread in that it helps if you can give us an idea of how much can you spend.

[CamWrenRoo]

Thank you for your responses. So, a new beta sounds fantastic, but the purchase of a new motor would eat through my available funds like a famished rabbit let loose in a salad bowl. (Strange metaphor, I know...But it seemed suiting)
But, when all is taken into account -would the difference really be that bad?. A new beta is about 6000 + right? Do you think that their customization of motor mounts would be expensive?
If I buy a used engine in good condition, for about 2000 - 2500, but I then wind up needing to but a large amount of cash and time into it just to get it to work and fit...
What do you all think? I'm hoping that a used engine + about 1000 dollars budget to install and modify, including any needed parts (new prop shaft, maybe even a new prop, fiberglass materials to make any adjustments to the motor bed / stringers...) would make my engine project around $3000, while a new one would easily cost two to three times that.
What do you all think? Is the saving worth the struggle?

[CamWrenRoo]

Ok - budget - ideally on the cheap - I'm hoping to spend a total of 3000 or less.

[AfterHoursNLCT]

Why don't you try to find the same make engine that came out of it? Then there wouldn't be any modifications.....

[Scaramanga F25]

You really would appreciate a more powerful engine more like 30+ hp as a minimum.

[CamWrenRoo]

Farymanns seem to be rare, and, from what I have read, they are often quite corroded, as they are salt water cooled... But, if I could find one in decent condition, that was well maintained, you are right, that would be ideal. Anyone know of any used farymanns out there?
My husband is really hoping that the original is still fixable, but we have not seen it yet... I am a bit more cynical. I do not know the model off hand, but I do know that it is a 20 hp, and was an upgrade option offered from the manufacturer as an alternative to the atomic 4.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by AfterHoursNLCT

Why don't you try to find the same make engine that came out of it? Then there wouldn't be any modifications.....

The OP said it was a faryman.....at it's time was reliable, but too hard to find parts for the older ones now.


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[polaris2.11]

Outboard maybe?

Honda 9.9 works wonderfully for us on our 33 foot, 13,000 lb boat. Get's us in and out of slips and up and down the ditch. Very maneuverable.

The outboard is not useful in much of a chop, but that's what the sails are for.

And yeah, sometimes the outboard does limit where you can go when - but that is what seamanship (and planning ahead) are for...

I like that if it breaks, I can lift it off and, for a grand or two, have a new engine installed in minutes... and I don't have to share my living space with a smelly engine...and LOTS of extra stowage with no inboard.

...just a thought

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by CamWrenRoo

Ok - budget - ideally on the cheap - I'm hoping to spend a total of 3000 or less.

You are in the ball-park. But the transmission comes into play. The Kabota is an excellent choice, check E-Bay, there are tons of them used there. It would be nice if you could adapt the old transmission, a new ZF for that size engine and adaptors is probably going to be about $2500 by itself.

[CamWrenRoo]

Originally Posted by Scaramanga F25

You really would appreciate a more powerful engine more like 30+ hp as a minimum.

Do you think that my engine compartment could accommodate a larger engine? The compartment was designed to fit an atomic 4, and it's right in the middle of the salon, under a seat. So no room for something bigger.
I have read that the hp necessary to maintain hull speed is around 18 for the T34c, with a minimum of 13 to move the boat slowly. According to articles I have read, anything over 20 hp is a bit overkill. Could I use a bigger prop with lower hp to still achieve decent results?
Our main goal with the engine is primarily getting in and out of the marina, but we are also going to be traveling the ICW, so perhaps a more powerful engine is better?
I've done a bit of research on this, but that's no replacement for actual experience!! So you input is greatly appreciated.

[CamWrenRoo]

Originally Posted by polaris2.11

Outboard maybe?

Honda 9.9 works wonderfully for us on our 33 foot, 13,000 lb boat. Get's us in and out of slips and up and down the ditch. Very maneuverable.

The outboard is not useful in much of a chop, but that's what the sails are for.

And yeah, sometimes the outboard does limit where you can go when - but that is what seamanship (and planning ahead) are for...

I like that if it breaks, I can lift it off and, for a grand or two, have a new engine installed in minutes... and I don't have to share my living space with a smelly engine...and LOTS of extra stowage with no inboard.

...just a thought

Well, that was the original plan, actually. I would much rather have my engine outside... But, it seems tragic to put an outboard on such a pretty stern. If all else fails, we will go for it.... So, your 9.9 pushes your boat in the ICW? How's your fuel economy? Do you have any issues with currents? I was thinking about a 9.9 high thrust, there's one for sale in my area for cheap, and it's a 25 in shaft. too... I have to say, I would love to get rid of the seat that coves my engine, it's a bit awkward in the cabin with it in there. And no smelly engine sounds fantastic... The old diesel apparently had a bad leak, because our cabin smelled of diesel until we scrubbed the bilge and engine compartment...

[jstevens]

I think with a $3K budget and apparently no personal experience with engines, you're best options are the already mentioned outboard or finding a free engine with transmission and a mechanic willing to do the job for $3K.
After a repower, many owners will give away the engine just to get rid of it. If there is a Tartan 34 owners group, it might be the source of an engine that will be a drop-in replacement.
Overall, I think the best option would be the outboard. It will at least get you from Snead's Ferry to New Bern.

John