outboard as in inboard?

A 42 hp Vetus will run you $9,800 - unless you are going to use it every day, a diesel makes no sense

 

Guess it's good ol' gas for me.

 

How About a Diesel!!! VOB vs HOB vs Motor Well

Corpus Skipper is right. The smaller diesels are unreasonably expensive. To power with a new 20 to 30 HP diesel will cost between 5 and 10 K. Also, while their weight has been reduced in recent years, a diesel could alter your LC etc... significantly.

I have been working on a similar issue for several months now. You probably don't want to use the traditional OB mount (VOB) because of the aesthetics -this is the case with many sail boaters of which I am one - and looking at your design, you boat's appearence would not be enhanced by an OB hanging off the stern - also, (I was unable to read the plans) but I bet your stern is not designed to accommodate an outboard. Transom design is a subject of discussion on its own. Anyway, it appears to me that you have two choices other than the horizontal OB (HOB) which deserves more thought because of it is potential - there are probably thousands of sail boaters that would be interested in repowering for 2K rather than 8K$. The more I think about it the more it has possibilities - brilliant idea! You will still need a prop, shaft, shaft tube, stuffing box (or alternative) and through hulls for the cooling water. Manufacturers might have a bit of a problem with warranty
issues::. I wonder how the enine would like the attitude? How would it be mounted? - a transom fixed to the bottom? How would it be positioned? Would the water pump be effective? How about the oil pump?....Maybe it's worth a try.

Anyway, other than the HOB you could power with a used gasoline powered inboard in the 40 to 60 HP range. There are many out there you just have to look around. I have a small Palmer IH 60 (a marineized IH tractor engine) but it may be a little underpowered for your application and its weight would not help either. Manufacturers of small IB engines have basically abandoned the market because of the benefits and popularity of the OB or should I say VOB. The advantage of small gasoline engines is that they are usually more aesthetically pleasing, parts are readily available, they are lighter than diesels, they are every bit as safe as diesels with a bit of caution and common sense, and unlike small diesels you can work on them yourself and you don't have to wait for HIM to get around to you. (You can probably tell that I have a veritable love hate relationship with my Volvo Penta MD2B - I plan to take a small diesel mechanics course this fall). Remember that you will still need a prop, shaft, shaft tube, stuffing box (or alternative) and through hulls for the cooling water. You might find one in Boats and Harbors - I think they will send you one issue for a few dollars. Also,

www.oldmarineengines.com

is a good site. Another alternative would be to mount the OB in an engine well that is properly placed between the stern and amidships. This would probably require some small modifications to the deck to hide the engine head but it could be done quite easily. You could fix the OB in place and use your rudder for steering or you could design the well so that you could use the engine for steering and do away with the rudder. Given the correct engine, alternator, controls and safety mechanisms, this solution would be aesthetically pleasing, provide good performance, facilitate servicing and maintenance costs would be lower. You have a plaining hull so your power to loaded weight ratio is very important.

Please let us know how you proceed.


Regards,

Rich Murray
North Weymouth MA