Ex-ship's lifeboat modification advice please

[FAST FRED]

In the US the cheapest source of a good diesel is removed from a refrigerated truck.
The Kubotas and Yanmar takeouts are 2 or 3 cylinder and cost $300 or so US$ , complete & running.

Many don't have that much time in hours , and would be quite reliable for a launch.

The drive/ reduction could be handled bu simple belts , 3 belts will handle 30hp , far above this boats requirements.

Sounds like any heat from a radiator could be used to advantage in your climate!

5 hp per ton of displacement is the MAX most non plaining boats can ever use.

FAST FRED

[safewalrus]

Trouble is Fed we don't get many Yankee 'reefer' trucks in the western isles (some of the islands are smaller than the trucks!) Plus of course the guy needs to be able to get a payload into the boat, by the time you gets all yer bits and pieces in there's not a lot of room for much else! (after all it is rumoured that an American machine cannot operate without a coke machine attached - in some cases its part of the main article!!