My new project

I have just acquired a partially restored 1935 vintage 17ft pilothouse fishing boat. She is a beautiful little cedar planked boat that drew crowds wherever I stopped on my way home from Canada. The original engine was removed and is no longer available. I am assuming that it was probably a one or two cylinder diesel and was mounted in the pilothouse. The previous owner said that the engine was very loud and was planning on replacing it with a vintage outboard. I am thinking that the outboard would detract from the boats appearance, but I really don't want the engine in the pilothouse. I'm thinking that I might be able to use a "saildrive" type unit mounted in the aft end of the cockpit. I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with these units? What they might think of the idea and are there any recommendations as to where I might find such a unit?

 

A saildrive unit is a pretty expensive way to go, for such a small boat and you'd still likely have the engine in the pilothouse or forward part of the cockpit.

Often hull shape has a lot to do with the placement of an engine. This is especially true of straight shaft designs and why the engine was located where it was.

Moving the engine and drive very far aft will after the trim of your little cruiser, but some of this can be offset by moving tank(s) to counter the additional weight placed aft.

You may well be better off placing an outboard in a well aft. This is much easier to do then a saildrive and would get the engine out of the pilothouse. Gas outboards, particularly the 4 strokes, are much less noisy then an inboard diesel. They don't weight nearly as much for the same HP either so the weight penalty will not be as big an issue. Outboards are also less costly then a typical inboard arrangement.

 

PAR, Thanks for the reply. I have thought about the outboard option and may end up going that route. I definitely dont want the engine in the pilothouse as I'm thinking of being able to sleep in there on overnight jaunts.
I'm going to take a few pics of the boat today and will post them here for all to see.

 

Pics

Here's some pics of my new project.

 

Between the deadwood and rudder there may be just enough space to fit an outboard in a well. If it was me, I'd ax the rudder all together and place the outboard as aft on the LWL as I could. Steering with the motor rather then the rudder will dramatically improve steering and handling qualities of this little craft. This would also place it all, or mostly under the aft deck, freeing up the minimum amount of cockpit area you have.

 

But it would sound much better with a little one-cylinder, water-cooled farymann diesel chugging along - build a nice engine cover (box) for it. Would look much better than an out-board. You could keep the rudder. At 17foot long, it is a picknick boat for day-trips. Why spoil a good thing?

The diesel will cost - but might even raise the resale-value? maaaybee?

just my opinion - no offence to you or PAR - just what i would do.

 

Thanks for the input. I definitely would like to have that single cylinder diesel sound. Thats kinda what I was hoping to do only coupling it to a saildrive unit in the stern. I don't know that this would even be possible. It's just an idea from a friend.
I couldn't go much further back with an outboard because of the large knee that supports the transom.

 

Yes it is possible on most sail drives to rotate the engine to the back, shaft foreward. I know Volvo and Yanmar can be reversed.

 

"V" drive is also an option . . .

 

it would look good with a small mast on it too..what a really cool boat..longliner

 

I would search for something orig for this wee gem, like a Stuart Turner or one of the parafin kero burners, failing that I would shove in KUBOTO single lunger, they sound like a pearling lugger? and are used in asia by many of the small gillnetters

 

http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/WEM053/
example, not a bad price, but really just sending you the site, these things are I expect more plentiful in Europe than USA or Can?

 

Please keep the rudder - and use a shaft and prop.

Farymann America
Toll free: 1-800-208-7050
Or
Phone: 1-847-328-1890

 

Jack,
I've, got a Stuart Turner P55m (8hp) in mine. Lovely old engines IMHO, even though I have a bit of a love hate relationship with mine (I am learning, slowly slowly).
heres a picture of a P55 in a little bit better condition than mine
the pic is from someones online album of restored Stuarts.

Glockrow,
http://www.oldmarineengine.com/ (if you don't already know about it) might be a good place to look for, or research, a nice old inboard,
and if by any chance you do end up with a Stuart, Fairways Marine are a great help (where they still make all the parts and keep the records, etc).
I even managed to find out who originally bought my engine, and the services it went in for back in the old country (Manufactured in October 1946 and sold to a 'well known' boat builder in England, 'Dan Webb and Feesey').

anyway, very cute little boat.
I can't speak with ANY expertise like some of the others here, but I do agree, an inboard would be lovely, and a little mast would just finish it off.

also, heres a picture of my old Solex cast brass carburetor- they just don't make things this like this anymore.
http://boatdesign.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=11180&d=1169128086

 

I spose that eng has a mag, seal the mag, make sure the slip ring opens the points, yes that engines love em hate em