BAVARIA 38 SPORT GAS or DIESEL???

[INCA2011]

Hi,

I have been searching the forum but I could not find a similar topic so If I am mistaken sorry.

I need to decide whether I should go for 2 x Volvo D4-300 EVC/2x300 hp or 2 x Merc.377 MAG DTS Brav. III/2 x 320 hp engines on a possible Bavaria 38 Sport motorboat/yacht.

The usage will be all pleasure, nothing heavy.

the specs are:

Length overall 11,80 m
Length hull 11,65 m
Beam overall 3,99 m
Height above waterline 3,33 m
Draught, drive raised (approx.) 0,70 m
Draught, drive lowered (approx.) 1,05 m
Unloaded weight from (approx.) 8200 kg
Fuel tank (approx.) 720 Litres
Water tank (approx.) 250 Litres


From what I have been told is that over 8,000 kg I should consider diesel engines. However another approach is the engine hours per year to calculate the difference I will have to pay extra for diesel engine option. I really do not want to spend extra If I really do not need it.

Another issue is the second hand value. Trying to sell a diesel engined boat is pretty easier then the gas option.

I think at average I will put on 100 - 130 hrs/year on her. My max range would be 30 - 40 n. miles.

I would be really happy If you can share your opinions on my next buy

best,
Ozz

[hhhhar]

You may also consider 2 x D4-260 EVC/2x260 hp option if you don't want an extra payment and check out the magazines they will help you

[FAST FRED]

IF gas is easily available in your area at the dock, I would chose the Gas engines.

The fuel burn will be higher but the cost should be under 1/2 , perhaps only 1/3 of the diesels.

The boat will be lighter,and smoother and quieter,, BUT the key reason is less maint and

servicing costs.

Gas engines can be walked away from for a good while , diesels usually have a complex/expensive "Out of Service for 30Days" maint requirement.

The higher cost of oil, antifreeze , most filters and even a tune up make gas the preferred choice for under about 250 hours a year and under 25,000 lb plaining boat.

FF

[gonzo]

I agree with the gas engines. With the hours you are planning on putting, that is one service per year. You should consider insurance cost difference, if any, and resale value.

[CDK]

If you've set your mind on a Bavaria 38, gas engines seem the best choice to me.
But first rent one for an hour. Last season I made a short trip with a brand new boat powered by Mercs and was astonished by the noise and vibrations during acceleration. The owner admitted it felt and sounded like a transport plane during take off but expected things to improve after the engines had been run in because at the time they had only 30 hours. But it didn't.

You save a lot of money buying gasoline engines and can spend some of that on acoustic material to make life bearable.

[Willallison]

I agree with much that has been said, but the situation in much of europe is considerably different to that in the US and to some extent here in Australia. Petrol engined boats tend to suffer from poor public perception and thus suffer greater depreciation than diesel engined boats and can also be more difficult to sell. Whether that's the case in Istanbul, I don't know....
There are also different tax regimes to consider - in many countries diesel can be purchased for rather less than petrol.
I'm also a little surprised that CDK has found the petrol engined craft to be harsher than the petrol engined ones. My experience is quite the opposite - the diesel "rattle" and all that....
Having said all that, it's normally the case that for by far the greatest majority of owners, the additional expense of buying diesel's in the 1st instance can't be justified in a simple rational sense. That cost difference is getting smaller though, so even this argument doesn't always stack up...

[CDK]

Originally Posted by Willallison

I'm also a little surprised that CDK has found the petrol engined craft to be harsher than the petrol engined ones.

Are you sure this is what you wanted to say Will?

[Willallison]

oh... err... not exactly!
I have always found - and common wisdom seems to agree with me - that diesels are both harsher and noisier than petrol engined craft. Sure... there will be exceptions... there always are... but especially in the sort of sports boat that the OP was suggesting...

[CDK]

We are in agreement on that Will, although with the proper engine mounts, acoustic dampening and vibration suppression, diesels can be as quiet as gasoline engines.

In the Bavaria "Sport" however, even the V8's are louder than you'd expect, so diesels would make things worse.
Boats in this market segment are not bought because they provide economical transportation, long range or seaworthiness, but because they are impressive and relatively cheap.
Most make very few engine hours and don't stay long with the first owner.

[Willallison]

All too true....
Of course there's only so much one can do with a sterndrive too...
Just as an aside, I have a diesel sterndrive in Graphite. I was a little dissppointed with the racket that emanates from the engine compartment... in spite of some quite careful placement of reasonably good quality "insulation". There's still a little work to do before I'll be happy with it, but the manufacturer replaced (at their suggestion & cost) the air filter, which made a tremendous difference.