Ditching the diesel inboard engine

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

true that you can reduce your gph burn rate by slowing down. However in doing that, you make your voyage take longer. Less gallons per hour for more hours might not decrease total fuel consumed for the voyage as much as you think.

An outboard is certainly usable for a smallish boat. A diesel is clearly better. If the diesel is already installed then it makes a n awful lot of sense to try to start it than to just get rid of it, even if there is already an outboard.

In fact, with the diesel in good running condition, it doesn't hurt a thing to still keep the outboard, as well, if you have a safe way to store the gasoline and you replace it periodically with fresh.

Fresh?

I just used the last of the 10% Ethanol Gasoline I bought last October.

A couple ounces of Stabil in your tank takes care of it for I believe 1 year.

I usually have 2-4 gallons of gas onboard in different containers all plastic.

As for the old diesel, get rid of it if more than 25-30 years old because they are usually leaky, smelly, and very heavy plus the diesel smell in the boat is awful to deal with.

[MicHughV]

There is a very good book available for those interested in this thread.

HP numbers are thrown around here willy nilly, but there is a lot more to it than that.

The book is called "The Propellor Handbook" by author, Dave Gerr.

The book goes into great detail about every aspect of marine propulsion, with many graphs, tech sheets, engine types, prop types, shafts, hull types, apertures, etc, etc.

It is quite a technical read and will require some patience and diligence to fully understand, but at the end of the day, it will give you, the reader, a greater understanding of marine propulsion, boat performance, etc.

[TrentePieds]

Calimantes:

"It seems to have compression" implies that you have turned it over. How did you do that if the starter motor isn't functioning?

This engine is capable of being started manually - like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjueyfWDSeQ

I wouldn't for the life of me trade this wonderful, wonderful engine for a tatty outboard. As you see, you DON'T need electics at all to start it, and that is because when the Danes designed this engine (intended for hard-working Danish fishing boats operating in the Nordsee with all that that meant for risk and for safety) back in the late 1920s NOBODY, but nobody, had electics in their boats. Navigation lights were oil lamps!

Don't be taken in by some notion that more "modern" is always better - it ain't necessarily so :-)! This engine will stand you in good stead - particularly in remote corners of the earth - because it will never let you down!

These things don't ever break unless you deliberately abuse them, and that is hard to do! So have a go at starting the beast manually as per the video.

If you would like to learn how to hook up your batteries to the starter motor on the Bukh engine, sing out and I will walk you through it :-)

Viel Glück :-)!

Bei näherem Nachdenken - verlasst dir nicht auf Glück :-)!

TrentePieds

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by TrentePieds

I wouldn't for the life of me trade this wonderful, wonderful engine for a tatty outboard.

You wouldn't because maybe you want to go deaf?

Or you like the smell of diesel and oil fumes in your cabin? (from the leaks)

My Bukh 10. Which btw weighs in at 352 lbs and can push the boat almost as well as my 5 hp outboard. Plus I removed all the associated BS .......prop, prop shaft, huge muffler, motor mounts, 25 lbs of sludge, stuffing box, copper fuel line, metal fuel tank, etc

The outboard's weight: 57 lbs. Plus no leaks into the boat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKTHfGSch5A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoW10TdIPnQ

[Ekeno]

Hello Guys ... on the one hand, the long discussion of no money but I want to do long cruises seems doubtful to me. On the other hand, the assembly of the outboard motor with rusty elements does not seem to resist analysis and the mechanism for lowering or raising the leg is to say the least precarious and without any nautical element.
Sorry, but oblique frankness

[Fore and Aft]

thomm225 we had a folkboat with an outboard on the transom and plenty of times it came out of the water while motoring and on at least a few occasions it got totally swamped. But my biggest issue is they just look ugly bolted on the back with the control cables and fuel line exposed.
I had a Bukh DV10 in our 30 foot yacht and even though it was a leaky, mess making unit I never once contemplated changing it for an outboard.
Cheers

[Volkeno]

I don’t think you need to have a diesel to sail, and the outboard will be fine for getting in and out of marinas to get gas, but that side bracket is going to be taken by the sea and the motor with it.
I ran with a 6hp outboard on the stern and the prop definitely did come out of the water until the boat was up to speed. Then it was usually fine although with the prop down low some waves did come up and nearly flood it.
My second boat had a somewhat unreliable diesel and I learned a trolling motor will push a 3.5 ton sailboat in absolute still and calm conditions. I have sailed into my slip until it was banned.
If you have the time, you can wait out weather. When you don’t have time is when you fire up the motor.
I would store the motor off that bracket and put it on for motoring only. I would move it behind the stern except I think a wind vane was mentioned for steering and that seems more important to me

[carstendenmark]

thomm225, now we know that you love your 5HP outboard.
In which conditions do you use this setup ?

The waters in the North Sea can be very rough with squalls, wind and current abundant.
In the Mediterranean Sea it is well known, that storms can build up in an instant, leaving any chance of anchoring impossible (deep water, many rocks).
Sailing in a 60 knot gale is only possible with storm sails.
An inboard and a autopilot can keep the boat facing the waves, when changing sail settings, etc. An outboard is useless in squalls, and might likely be kicked off by a rough wave, due to the rather weak mounting of the elevation system and the motor.

So, OP, in the waters you will head out for, there are no other option than to fix your Bukh. Thank your God for having a Bukh, and not a Volvo Penta !

Could you please send us a photo of the ID plate on the engine (type, year, etc.) ?
And perhaps some overall photos of "the mess" that you describe ?

When you need help, you may call the factory in Denmark +45 74 62 20 88 or the agent in Bremen, which is actually quite close to you :
Bukh-Bremen GmbH
Ferdinand Porsche Str. 11
Bremen 28237
+49 421 535070
info@bukh-bremen.de
http://www.bukh-bremen.de

I assume, that skipping the diesel and go electric is not for you, especially at this point where you struggle with money and electric manuals.
However, it may likely fit your needs in the long term, though.
Your little motoring use - power and torque in an instant - no startup - quiet - not stinky - almost no maintenance.
I would say a 12KW 48V system would do you good.

Until then, get your Bukh up and running ;-)
For your own safety.

As told by others here, a running engine is gold when selling it.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

thomm225 we had a folkboat with an outboard on the transom and plenty of times it came out of the water while motoring and on at least a few occasions it got totally swamped. But my biggest issue is they just look ugly bolted on the back with the control cables and fuel line exposed.
I had a Bukh DV10 in our 30 foot yacht and even though it was a leaky, mess making unit I never once contemplated changing it for an outboard.
Cheers

You must not have had the outboard deep enough. (or you didn't have the 25" extra long shaft)

Also, I found an engine with an integral tank and mine has no control cables going to it so most times unless I'm motoring many miles it's just the engine alone. No cables / no fuel line.

I'll trade the ugly for the clean, but I don't necessarily like the look which is why I like these new white Tohatsu sail pro 6 hp engines with the extra long shaft like mine has.

Or I could put the outboard in the well but I'd hate to cut a big hole in the boat

So far in 10 years the engine has stayed relatively dry and hasn't gotten swamped even on this day when it was gusting over 30 knots and the tide was against the wind. (but) I wasn't going to slow down to see if a wave could swamp the outboard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nXfjcCuiPk

[MicHughV]

my experience with trying to push a sailboat with an outboard came to climatic end.

trying to leave an inlet one day, in rather choppy conditions....a wave came along and knocked the cowling off the outboard....needless to say....the engine quit on the spot.....and I had to sail back to the anchorage to await more settled weather.

this gave me ample time to consider my dilemma....and solution.....

I doubt this would sway Thomm's opinion, which is his prerogative, but having a reliable inboard diesel is simply the way to go.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

my experience with trying to push a sailboat with an outboard came to climatic end.

trying to leave an inlet one day, in rather choppy conditions....a wave came along and knocked the cowling off the outboard....needless to say....the engine quit on the spot.....and I had to sail back to the anchorage to await more settled weather.

this gave me ample time to consider my dilemma....and solution.....

I doubt this would sway Thomm's opinion, which is his prerogative, but having a reliable inboard diesel is simply the way to go.

It all depends on what type sailing you are doing and where.

Part of my problem with diesels especially old ones that smell and leak is that I got so used to sailing (clean) without an engine while racing beach cats all those years that it now seems odd.

On top of that, you need all that associated engine support to go with the diesel....to include prop shaft, stuffing box, muffler, motor mounts, thruhull for cooling (sometimes), fuel tank, controls, all the wiring, etc. Then the engine has to be aligned to the shaft.

I have now gotten used to a simple outboard on a mount.

Outboard weight is about 57 lbs. (5HP / 4 stroke / 25" extra long shaft)

I then keep 2-4 gallons on gas onboard in various containers. I have the external tank that usually has 2 gallons or so in it, then I have a plastic gas container that I like to have 1-2 gallons in, then the engine's integral tank holds 40 ounces and the outboard can run about an hour on that amount.

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

my experience with trying to push a sailboat with an outboard came to climatic end.

trying to leave an inlet one day, in rather choppy conditions....a wave came along and knocked the cowling off the outboard....needless to say....the engine quit on the spot.....and I had to sail back to the anchorage to await more settled weather.

this gave me ample time to consider my dilemma....and solution.....

I doubt this would sway Thomm's opinion, which is his prerogative, but having a reliable inboard diesel is simply the way to go.

Seems like you were trying to motor when your should have been sailing out the inlet.

It's fine to sail in and out every inlet that cruising boats can use with favorable tide it can be done anytime. Relying on diesel has suppressed your ability to learn to sail.

Imagine the challenge of bringing the sailing ship into harbor and they did. Today you have typical cruising boat can tack in 2-3 boat lengths, sail very close to the wind, and good charts with gps. This makes it very easy to sail everywhere comparatively

The sad part is it takes virtually zero knowledge or effort to operate diesel, and as a positive feedback loop the fumes cause brain damage making it even more appealing.

so people choose this without consideration of the effects it causes which is purely selfish considering that we know the exhaust as well as infrastructure required to support this form of energy is unsustainable meaning that it is like going into debt with dire future consequences.

The engines are not needed at all and serve only the purpose to enable otherwise incompetent captains as well as to degrade and spoil the actual places we travel while also painting a bleak future at the same time all because of being so lazy to want to push a joystick rather than do much physical effort even though you could in fact use electric winches or choose from several types of rigs which minimize physical effort.

[double u]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

... came to climatic end...

hilarious!

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by seandepagnier

Seems like you were trying to motor when your should have been sailing out the inlet.

It's fine to sail in and out every inlet that cruising boats can use with favorable tide it can be done anytime. Relying on diesel has suppressed your ability to learn to sail.

Imagine the challenge of bringing the sailing ship into harbor and they did.

Well, actually they often had their men out on the small boats rowing/towing in the ship to a cove/harbour.

Sometimes, the fast currents took them away, even spinning them around, totally out of control (see the Sutil & Mexican in Arran Rapids).

Years later, , they had steam tugs waiting in the Straits to tow them to port.

Sometimes, the tug wasn't there, and some hit the rocks.

Least, that's the way it worked here on the coast of British Columbia....

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

my experience with trying to push a sailboat with an outboard came to climatic end.

trying to leave an inlet one day, in rather choppy conditions....a wave came along and knocked the cowling off the outboard....needless to say....the engine quit on the spot.....and I had to sail back to the anchorage to await more settled weather.

this gave me ample time to consider my dilemma....and solution.....

I doubt this would sway Thomm's opinion, which is his prerogative, but having a reliable inboard diesel is simply the way to go.

HAHAHA No, you won't sway him but that wouldn't be the point, anyway, right? I think the point is to present your opinion and your experience and offer suggestions ans solutions to those in need of them. The only reason to argue with someone online is to keep a helpful or potentially helpful solution under consideration by those in need of it, when it is shouted down by a naysayer. I think sometimes we get too combative and take it personal and make a war about it. Guns on boat vs no guns on boat. EP vs OB vs IB Diesel vs Atomic 4 vs oars vs sculling oar. All chain vs combination rode. This anchor vs that anchor. Manual head vs electric. Hanked jib vs roller furled. fin vs full vs in between keel. Folding prop vs fixed. A lively discussion helps those sitting on the fence or those without a clue but a war just spoils your digestion. And you won't convince people whose minds are made up, anyway, no matter how hard you try to confuse them with the facts.