Cruiser design poll...

Nemo

Thats true, but both are significantly more expensive in europe:
1 L gas/petrol in California : 30 cents , 1 L gas/petrol in UK $1.30 (these are VERY rough but should be within 15% either way so please dont shout at me if its wrong!) - so fuel consumption becomes a much more important factor.
However as any yachtie will tell you, the only thing more expensive than gasoline is... Volvo Penta spares!

Paul

 

We will need to have all the effects of the different propulsion systems in order to make the individual decisions of which will be the one most suited to the intended use for each builder or buyer.

Cost of the installation.
Difficulty of installation.
Cost of fuel.
Maintenance costs.
Ready availability of maintenance.
Weight - effect on performance - effect on trailerability.
Cruising range.
Effect on available boat space.
Noise.

I have often been asked why I did not choose a diesel to power my boat. The short answer is that it would be an entirely different boat in cost and performance with a diesel. The design goals simply could not be met with a heavy inboard power plant.

 

Here in Oz, petrol and diesel prices are essentially the same. But almost regardless of fuel price differences, the cost differential between the purchase and installation cost of a diesel sterndrive and an outboard mean that (unless you put in the kind of hours logged by professionals) the logical choice - for either option 1 or 4 - would surely still fall heavily in favour of the o/b.
The question of reliability is an interesting one. I just had to replace the engine in my sterndrive powered boat after only 500 hrs (ouch! ) and these days any outboard should do more than double that without problem. A lightly stressed diesel should run a couple of thousand hrs without so much as a cough. But all these things rely on an engine - and its drive system - being properly maintained and it is here that the outboard comes into its own. Parts cost a fraction of those for a diesel, the engine is easy to get at, and the work can generally be done by an owner / operator (though with the new generation engines this is becoming less of an option). Sterndrive legs (and particularly the counter-rotating variety) are notoriously expensive to maintain.

As far as locating an outboard fwd of the transom, there have been a number of attempts at this in the past. It's not such a problem on a displacement boat, but on a planing boat all previous attempts that I've heard of have run into some serious stability problems. In fact most boats built these days place the o/b on a "pod" in order to move it aft of the transom. It places the prop in a cleaner water flow and produces better, flatter acceleration on to plane.
Having said all that, I did see a press release a few monthes ago about an Italian company which was releasing a boat with the propulsion package located up the bow!
Nemo: I spent a bit of time around Ropallo / Portofino - a beautiful part of the world.......

 

LOL!!!!
I see it has been a busy weekend. I’m glad to see the group has grown. With the closeness of the poll I agree with Paul on the extension. I can see now that even the designs that are passed over for this project will get a good working over by this group. If the professionals will continue to tolerate us armatures we should all learn something. That is my first reason for being here. To those of you who are lurking out there I ask again that you please join us! I’ll tell you what I think, and would like to hear what you think. If I disagree with you I’ll tell you so, take no offence, it’s only my opinion. I have been known to change my mind once in awhile. The inboard/outboard question is a good example. If a thread has already been started on this question I’ll bring it to the top. If I can’t find one I’ll start one. This subject (inboard vs outboard) deserves to have a thread of its own.

Gary

nemo, I have been in your area a few times, only breifly. I spent almost 2 years in Gaeta, courtesy of the US Navy. 1975-76

 

Just a note that this is the last day for this poll, so if you haven't voted yet, now is your chance.

It certainly is very close this time!

Also here is a link to the thread that Gary started (thanks): outboard vs inboard

 

I guess it's not a land slide but we do have a target boat. Where do we go from here?
Gary

 

I'd say that we start on the winner and then maybe there will be enough interest left to go to the others.

To avoid getting hung up on styling opinions, perhaps we should leave that until later in the program.

 

Ooops...

sleeping on the job! (well time zones you know...)

Phew! That was a close one - but a great choice - a lot of the ideas that have been floated so far can be used for this option.

What is great is that from what has been said this option has the biggest market - so we have a virtual design office - but a real market!

The next steps are here: http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=534


Cheers

Paul