Repowering a Bayfield 29 sailboat

[kabloona]

I have owned and loved my '79 B29, Kabloona, and sailed her from our home port on Lopez Island, WA for nearly 10 years now. During those years I have replaced or up graded nearly every system and component, including a complete YSM12 engine rebuild about 5years ago. She sails well and I have no plans to replace her.

The engine performs adequately now, but on destination-oriented cruises in often low summer winds we find ourselves motoring for long stints. Also, as I am in my seventies, I am thinking about eventual resale. The 19" vertical clearance into this horizontal engine space is problematic in finding a new replacement engine for this fine boat. I may be willing to put up with the idiosyncrasies of the old single cylinder diesel, but I doubt that a younger sailer would.

Has anyone successfully repowered a B29 having a YSM12?

Thanks for your willingness to wade through this question.

Kabloona.
Lopez Island, WA

[gunkylump]

Mike Gozzard, the son of Ted Gozzard, is still putting out Gozzard sailboats in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. Mike is a great guy!

You might do well to do an internet search and call him, or send him an e-mail. Our 1984 Bayfield 29 had a two cylinder yanmar, 12.9 hp I believe if I remember right. Might have been 12.3.....hmmmmm.

There is also an awesome Bayfield owners group on yahoo...a ton of great info there as well...the only two leads that I can think of at the moment.

Best of luck, and I agree, awesome boat!

gunk
s/v Moorahme
Follow our blog at randbsailingadventures.wordpress.com

[Stu Jackson]

Hi, and welcome.

I'm in pretty much the same boat and have given this quite a lot of thought.

I finally concluded that they'd have to tear this sailboat out of my cold dead hands before I'd sell it.

By that time, resale would be the last of my issues, and my family would take care of those little details. My only issue these days is to assure that they are familiar with all the documentation and original manuals that I've saved. Alternatively, I could just burn a CD with all of them, since I have just about everything digital, and I've been scanning my engine logs into PDFs for the past 18 years in additional to the originals on the boat.

That's just my view after going through similar thoughts as you may have.

As far as repowering:

1. Why? If it's still working fine, what do you have to gain from doing it? If it's only for resale, the incredibly large numbers of posts about doing so almost ALL conclude that the cost to do so NEVER is recovered. If it's not for $$, then it has to be for reliability, 'cuz no sailor in his right mind would do it for fun, right? So, if it's for reliability, then do it right away so YOU can get the benefit. As you most likely already know, diesels LIKE TO and are meant to be run.

2. Is yours raw water cooled? If you change to a freshwater cooled can you fit a water heater? THAT would increase the resale value.

3. Most all repower threads include and promote BETA. But anything different than what you have is going to include exhaust system, wiring, engine panel, etc., etc.........

My boat is now 30 years old, I've had her from a single meticulous owner for the past 18. We service and maintain regularly and use her a lot. Sound familiar?

Good luck. Sorry if I overdid the Philosophy 101.

[kabloona]

Reply to Moorhame from Kabloona

Is this how to reply to your post to me? I can't see any other way.

Yes, Mike Gozzard is probably a great guy. But I emailed him for guidance on options for re-powering before I gave up looking for something that would fit and had my existing YSM12 rebuilt about 5 years ago. His response was essentially that I'm on my own. ''

I had actually had a phone conversation with founder, John, his dad, several years ago about replacing the B-29's holding tank. He was more helpful, but admitted that glassing the original tank in was a mistake which they re-worked in the next model year. I ended up having to cut the old tank out.

Thanks for your interest.

Kabloona

[kabloona]

Hi, Stu Jackson,

I take it that you have kept your B-29 but now hail from your Catalina 34!? We moved from the San Francisco Bay area to Lopez Island several years ago. Great sailing there!

Yes, although I've re-built K's YSM-12, I find that I still yearn for an engine with greater and smoother power. Since I was very active in the rebuilding, the cost was very nominal. It was not a mistake. But, for the same reason, and my intension to use a used (rebuilt?) replacement engine, neither the cost nor the hassel of replacement put me off.

Kabloona

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by kabloona

Hi, Stu Jackson,

I take it that you have kept your B-29 but now hail from your Catalina 34!? We moved from the San Francisco Bay area to Lopez Island several years ago. Great sailing there!

Kabloona,

I never did have a B29, although a friend had a B25. Great boats.

The way to reply is to use the Quote button, then edit what you need to.

My f-i-l lives on Vancouver Island, I know it's great up there.

So, you want more power, is that it? Try Beta then, based on a Kubota block, or newer Yanmars.

Good luck.

[kabloona]

Stu,

I'm well aware of the specs for the three best options for engine replacement: Volvo, Yanmar and Beta. The question is 'which would fit'. The vertical clearance into the engine space on my boat is only 19" - possible because the YSM12 (and the alternate engine available in those boats, the 2GM) were horizontal mounted piston engines. All later engines have vertical reciprocating
pistons and are physically taller.

Various parts could be temporarily removed from the engine (exhaust riser, etc.) to get it in through the access behind the companionway stairs, and I have installed a large knife-edge hatch opening in the cockpit deck (to get at the transmission, shaft, etc.), but the location of the two hull recesses under the engine (oil pan and shaft recess ) need to correspond with those of the engine. The vertical clearance inside - hull to cockpit deck - is very short!

I have the engine profiles but have not been able to get a dimensioned profile drawing of the hull for comparison. That's one of the things I was asking the Gozzard people for with no luck.

John

[Jim Allan]

"Kabloona"
Please advise what engine you installed, I have recently sold my HR352, I have spent up to 4 months in Florida/Bahamas many years escaping the cold winters
of the UK.
I have started looking for a smaller sailboat with the Bayfield 29 top of the list.
Potential engine replacement has to be considered, therefore I request your help.
We are of same age, good to hear you are still sailing.
Take care, Jim Allan