Orana 44: Planning Speed for an Orana 44 Under Power

[beau]

The Orana 44 is a good boat for motoring, it does have a fast displacement hull (narrow in this case)

I have a friend with a similiar cat with 2 X 170hp Steyr diesels and he can get 20 knots but generally cruises at 12-15 knots.
You need about 25hp/ton to achieve these speeds.

A planning motor boat requires about 60 hp/ton.

On my 42 ft Trimaran with 2X 30 hp I got a max of 7.5 knots. I replaced the thirties with 2 x 90 hp Tohatsu outboards and i get a max of 15knots.
However to save fuel I generally use one motor at cruising rev's and get 8 knots.
I sail downwind whenever I can.

[muskoka]

Originally Posted by beau

The Orana 44 is a good boat for motoring, it does have a fast displacement hull (narrow in this case)

I have a friend with a similiar cat with 2 X 170hp Steyr diesels and he can get 20 knots but generally cruises at 12-15 knots.

The Orana is a sailboat with a 2 x 30hp standard engine package (2 x 40hp optional). It's a good boat for motoring - for a sailboat.

Even if you were willing to re-engine the boat you couldn't physically fit 170 hp engines without massive engineering & structural works. If he shops around the OP may find an Orana with the optional 40 hp engines and he'll be able to cruise comfortably at about 7 knots.

If 7 knots is too slow it's best to get the sails out - after all that's what these boats were designed for.

[beau]

I am sorry to correct you, but you can fit Steyr diesels (an Austrian light weight diesel common rail) into most catamarans, including Orans.

Just because you have not seen it done does not mean it can't be done. With NO structural adjustments.
My friend has a Grainger 42 ft cat which oringinally had 2 x 40 Nissan diesels he replaced then with the 175 hp Steyrs and I have been on the boat and it performs 20 knots easy, no squatting, no bow wave.

Think outside the square, he did, and it works

[muskoka]

The OP asked for advice on how to budget time & fuel fo a journey in an FP Orana sailing yacht. Which makes the suggestion to re-engine with 2 x 170hp engines a whimsical piece of advice.

But, to answer your claim, perhaps it is physically possible to cram those engines in. Assuming they're compatible with sail drives (because you can't fit a shaft without serious surgery). Adding 2x100kg to the stern of a sailboat will will totally screw performance under sail and increase hobby horsing. And I don't for a minute believe you can whack in an extra 260hp without reengineering the engine mounts and probably large parts of the hull. And finally, there is the massive cost of re-powering a boat with perfectly good engines.

It's not about thinking 'outside the box' - it's about answering the question raised by the OP.

[YOGAO]

Originally Posted by beau

A planning motor boat requires about 60 hp/ton.

Beau,

I think you are getting caught by spelling. The OP was asking about PLANNING the trip, not PLANING!

[muskoka]

Originally Posted by YOGAO

Beau,

I think you are getting caught by spelling. The OP was asking about PLANNING the trip, not PLANING!

I think you've nailed it!

[HappyMdRSailor]

From my research....Boat speed is not the limiting factor....

From captainjohn.org

This leg of your journey is 338 miles from Waterford, NY at the Hudson, to
Tonawanda, NY at the Niagara River. In order to pass through the entire length of the Erie
Canal your vessel must be able to clear a fixed bridge height of 15' 6". (If you can't clear
this height, you must exit at Oswego). There are 57 locks on the Erie Canal that lift your
vessel a total of 565 feet above sea level. In addition, there are 20 lift bridges on the Canal
System.

All recreational vessels passing through any lock or lift bridge on the Canal System must
purchase either a Seasonal Pass, a Ten-Day Pass. For boats over 39 feet the toll is
$50.00 for a ten day pass. Smaller vessels of course, have a smaller fee.

The Erie Canal opens May 1st to September 1st (weather permitting). Locks and Lift
bridges are operated daily from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. So there is no cruising at night as
you can not go any further than the next Lock or lift bridge.
\
Cruising the Erie Canal is a long (6 or 7 days) and a slow cruise.


There is a slow canal speed limit on the entire Erie Canal. NYS navigation law dictates a 5
mph canal speed limit in most areas