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Emmalina · 15-05-2019, 19:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAJICDAN

I have a 1974 Gulfstar 53MS with the original 6.354 Perkins 120 HP motor.
It is big, heavy, and slow turning. does not put out much power, but it will last forever.
These new aluminum, highly stressed, turbocharged motors, are a good example of our throwaway society.
My boat has been around the world twice.
I have put over 8000 miles on it in the last 1 1/2 years.
It will push me up to 10 knots if I need to, but it gets very good mileage at 6 knots.
I just sailed to the Virgin Islands and back.
I filled up at St Thomas, then traveled to Puerto Rico, to Ft Pierce, FL, to Key West, To Don Pedro Island by Port Charlotte, back to the Keys and then to Ft Pierce on a little less than 150 gallons of fuel.
When I bought this boat twenty years ago the Broker said I should replace the motor.
It does not use or leak hardly any oil.
I use Amsoil synthetic, and change the oil every 800 hours.
I change the oil filter every 200 hours.
I met another sailer who had the same boat as mine. He had replaced the Perkins with a 350hp Cummins. He said now he could go 18 knots.
I think some people have too much money and do not know what to do with it.

The oil change period for a 6354 is 200 hours ! Mine is from 78 and I have the rebuild kit ready and will probably do it next year as it has 25k + hours on it and getting smokey LOL

nhschneider · 16-05-2019, 07:44

Frankly, I think that the original post is kind of silly. Who can argue against that for many, if not most, sailors consider their engines to be an important part of their safety gear? The peace of mind that comes with a new engine can give confidence that the likelihood of reaching a safe harbor if the ‘do-do’ hits the fan. Yeah, yeah, these are sailboats and any skipper worth his salt can maneuver his/her boat any place they want in any conditions. Right.

We removed a perfectly functioning Volvo from our boat before we started our circumnavigation and replaced it with a 90-hp Beta Marine, a decision which, in retrospect, was one of the better ones I’ve made.

Fair winds and calm seas.

**newhaul** · 16-05-2019, 07:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by nhschneider

Frankly, I think that the original post is kind of silly. Who can argue against that for many, if not most, sailors consider their engines to be an important part of their safety gear? The peace of mind that comes with a new engine can give confidence that the likelihood of reaching a safe harbor if the ‘do-do’ hits the fan. Yeah, yeah,.
. these are sailboats and any skipper worth his salt can maneuver his/her boat any place they want in any conditions. Right

Fair winds and calm seas.

I agree and any poster that says that these are sailboats and any skipper worth his salt can maneuver his/her boat any place they want in any conditions. Right

Forget about the fact that while true ( my opinion )
it is also a fact that any prudent captain will stack the deck as much as practical in favor of reaching port safely with all hands and that includes an engine he knows he can depend on .
A lot of the repair/replace is dependant on confidence level and mechanical ability.

People at both ends of the spectrum will likely make the same decision based on entirely different criteria.

Marc1 · 16-05-2019, 08:23

I hated the blue of the Nanni and so switched to the metallic grey of Yanmar.

john61ct · 16-05-2019, 08:42

Not everyone has big boat bucks to spend, nor do all put such a high value on their lives so as to try avoiding risks that much.

Just eating restaurant food, driving at highway speeds, never mind going scuba diving or rock climbing, are much riskier than the kind of sailing 99.99% even cruisers do.

**newhaul** · 16-05-2019, 09:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by john61ct

Not everyone has big boat bucks to spend, nor do all put such a high value on their lives so as to try avoiding risks that much.

Just eating restaurant food, driving at highway speeds, never mind going scuba diving or rock climbing, are much riskier than the kind of sailing 99.99% even cruisers do.

yes john but why not stack the deck in your favor if possible .

When you start sailing your own boat to well out of the way places for extended periods you will likely have a slightly different outlook .

john61ct · 16-05-2019, 09:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by newhaul

why not stack the deck in your favor if possible

If possible, means if you can afford it. My point is, trying to reduce all the possible risks is not a critical goal for everyone. When it's my time to go so be it.

Same argument can be made for fancy "save me" electronics, or a lifeboat, or whatever other expensive gear they come up with to make people safer.

Sure, once I've saved many thousands by eliminating other housing expenditures over a few years, and those freed-up funds weren't otherwise needed for say urgent medical care or kids' education etc, maybe I'd consider spending thousands on a new engine before it became strictly necessary.

But only maybe, most likely other basic maintenance, safety-related basics like rigging, will always have a higher claim on my pennies in the bank account.

I certainly wouldn't let not having a working inboard stop me getting out there, maybe a 9hp outboard will do in the meantime, or even a set of oars, Pardy style.

**newhaul** · 16-05-2019, 09:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by john61ct

If possible, means if you can afford it. My point is, trying to reduce all the possible risks is not a critical goal for everyone. When it's my time to go so be it.

Same argument can be made for fancy "save me" electronics, or a lifeboat, or whatever other expensive gear they come up with to make people safer.

Sure, once I've saved many thousands by eliminating other housing expenditures over a few years, and those freed-up funds weren't otherwise needed for say urgent medical care or kids' education etc, maybe I'd consider spending thousands on a new engine before it became strictly necessary.

But only maybe, most likely other basic maintenance, safety-related basics like rigging, will always have a higher claim on my pennies in the bank account.

I certainly wouldn't let not having a working inboard stop me getting out there, maybe a 9hp outboard will do in the meantime, or even a set of oars, Pardy style.

so long as you some day do get out here

Stu Jackson · 16-05-2019, 10:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by john61ct

If possible, means if you can afford it. My point is, trying to reduce all the possible risks is not a critical goal for everyone. When it's my time to go so be it.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I have a great deal of respect for those sailors who have made the choice to repower.

I have a great deal of respect for those sailors who have made the choice to rebuild.

I have a great deal of respect for those sailors who have made the choice to keep way ahead of maintenance and are lucky to have long lasting reliable engines.

I have NO respect for those sailors who decide THEIR way is better and denigrate any of the others for their own personal choices.

On my trip up the west coast from SF to BC in 2016, the very first day (of course) we wrapped the anchor line around the prop shaft and had to return, by sail, back to SF. We got to the Gate on a building ebb after midnight and the wind died, forcing me to call tow boat for the very first time in my 40 year sailing career. That's an outrageous example of a non-working engine in an extremely potentially dangerous situation with inbound and outbound containership traffic.

That would be much like someone who, in the back of their mind, is losing confidence in their engine.

I fully understand that. And why they chose to repower.

So should you.

Point is YOUR priorities are NOT theirs and you should not attempt to foist yours on them, nor would they do so to you.

The varied CHOICES folks have shared here are important to learn from.

zeehag · 16-05-2019, 12:37

when ka lunk ranaway there was a mechanic named johnco was pressuring me into repower with yanmar, said perkins 4 108 are junk.. hahahahaha. i didnot use his services.
my mexican mechanic who rebuilds 4 108s for transit buses and for tractors and other uses rebuilt it without hesitation or issues...
so the answer to the question is BULLYING by unscrupulous mechanics in pair a dice....

stormalong · 16-05-2019, 13:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeehag

when ka lunk ranaway there was a mechanic named johnco was pressuring me into repower with yanmar, said perkins 4 108 are junk.. hahahahaha. i didnot use his services.
my mexican mechanic who rebuilds 4 108s for transit buses and for tractors and other uses rebuilt it without hesitation or issues...
so the answer to the question is BULLYING by unscrupulous mechanics in pair a dice....

Perkins 4-108s are not junk but they are outdated. It is an engine based on the 4-107, designed in the 1930s or '40s and upgraded in the '60s.

I am also not a fan of engines that claim to be purpose built for marine use like Yanmar. That means limited market for parts, difficulty obtaining parts in many places and marine markup. That is why I chose Beta Marine Kubota based engines.

**newhaul** · 16-05-2019, 13:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by stormalong

I am also not a fan of engines that claim to be purpose built for marine use like Yanmar. That means limited market for parts, difficulty obtaining parts in many places and marine markup. That is why I chose Beta Marine Kubota based engines.

you do realise that the yanmar's are are not ( for the most part ) purpose built for Marine they are in fact marinized farm tractor engines .

zeehag · 16-05-2019, 13:34

108s may be outdated, but ye may want to tell the forklifts still in service they are outdated and the generators and the ditch digging machinery and other heavy duty uses for our awesome engines.
luckily i had prior mechanical knowledge so i could weed out the idiocy when seeking rebuild. many are not so smart and fall into the trap.
when it takes 18 months to figger out contaminated fuel kept ye stuffed, there is a knowledge deficit issue. yes that actually happened... thankfully i am smarter than that. the service companies here take advantage of htat deficit and make lots of money by using the opportunistic approach.