Replace Engine in the Caribbean ?

[Sinkum]

Hi Guys,
I have been enjoying posts for 3 months now, educational & entertaining at the same time.So I thought it was time to join in.
Don,t ask me what happened to the meet & greet section or the last thread that I spent an hour or so typing,I don't like computers but I love boats.
I am actively looking for a Blue Water Cruising Yacht & would appreciate your help.
At present I am considering one in the Caribbean,I'm not saying what make or size it is just yet.which may need a New or professionally Rebuilt engine (Perkins Ranger 135) as it has nearly 12,000 Hrs.
My questions are? after I do a compression test & consider its status.
Is it cost affective to replace it in the Caribbean? If so where?
Or do I take her to Florida or further North ?
Should I replace the transmission as well ?
What else should I consider replacing at the same time?
Where should I buy one?
Can anyone give me a well educated Guess at the cost.
I look forward to your response.

[tbodine88]

Florida would be better, I can really only speak to my experience in Antigua, the work I got done was inexpensive but not thorough. Getting parts for the engine will be more difficult in the Caribbean, and will delay the time till you can go sailing. I will say that strangely enough I found yard fees lower out there than I found them in the states.

Then don't forget import duties, which can run pretty high. I also found that things shipped to me would go missing enroute every once in a while.

[Zanshin]

St. Martin is a good place to do this - lots of chandleries, professional craftsmen, it is warm, there are no import duties, the beer is cheap, you can ship or fly items from the USA in very inexpensively (check out 4 star cargo or Tropical Shipping).

A lot depends on where the boat is - the USA is your best bet if the boat is going to purchased there. If it is in the Caribbean then St. Martin is your top choice since all of the checkboxes are ticked. You might find labour to be a lot cheaper further south, but shipping missing parts could be an issue way down south in Grenada or T&T.

The questions about replacing transmission or costs depend on so many factors that they can't be answered accurately. A surveyor or engine specialist should look at the system and make a recommendation - and the difficult part is, as always, accepting what they say and not to interpret what one wants to hear or to cut corners.

[Cheechako]

St Thomas might be a good choice also. Yes with those hours I would go for the transmission also.

[maxingout]

If I was going to keep the boat for a long time, I would bite the bullet and put in a new engine and transmission.

[MarkJ]

St Martin as Zanshin says. Plus you can sail right into Simpson Bay without nav difficulties without an engine.

If the engine is good and been maintained its only at half life. Isn't it?

Sent from a stupid phone that replaces words with weird stuff.

[Palarran]

I had Simpson Bay Diesel on St. Maarten put two motors in Palarran. At the time I thought they were ok, but in reflection I wouldn't recommend them. They were totally unprepared for the replacement and I had to spend 3 days doing half the work myself. This wasn't necessarily bad as it taught me a lot, but that wasn't the original plan. Then after 400 hours all 4 bolts holding the shaft to the transmission loosened up and came out on the port engine. Totally bizarre.

It's really tough getting true quality workmanship in the Caribbean. I have a forum member doing a refit of Palarran in Turkey right now and the photo's they are sending me of jacked up stuff is disturbing. Thankfully after an unbelievable number of boat units the pain is almost over. So my recommendation is to take the boat where ever you need to go in order to watch constantly what the mechanic's are doing.

[robert sailor]

Had Lindsay at Maritime Solutions in St. Maarten install a new Beta and we were very pleased with his work.

[Sinkum]

Thanks every one for there advice.
Does anyone have a rough idea as to the cost of a new engine & Transmission or recommend a supplier State side to contact for a price ?