I have the two 58 HP diesels

Hummmm- As many on the forum are aware that I recently re powered our boat with a running Perkins 4-346. As a result I have the smaller Perkins 4-254 and a companion Westerbeke W-58 which is built on a Perkins model somewhat different with - Westerbeke modifications. Both are 58 hp at 3000
RPM. Each has a 3:1 gear attached. (Or maybe on the Westerbeke)
I have in the past suggested to the forum, purchasing a larger older model Chris Craft or similar rig that has the huge gas engines and convert to small diesels to achieve economy of operation yet have the amenities of luxury at a pulper price, cost of modernization set aside as a fantasy not reality.
Comes now this offering on Craiglist:

1962 45 Chris Tri-Beautiful-Has to go

Is this not a wondered example of what could be?

As I am perfectly happy with all aspects of our current boat, this will remain a "What If" and offered as a topic of discussion.
Regards,
Al

$27000 pocket money whats stopping you ??? .If this boat was local to me I'd be all over it like a fat girl with a birthday cake .

With a usual >200 hour use the gas engines will probably be cheaper over a decade.

No matter how well a swop is done , even rebuilding the diesels/trannys your self , you will have $10K in the swop.

Saving $1,000 a year at the near idle the gassers would use for trawler crawler speeds would be hard to do.

Simply setting up the 4BBL carbs with mechanical secondarys and installing a $20 vacuum gauge would get the gas burn low at low 6-7K cruise speeds.

Even if the gassers are blown at $10K each for new Crusaiders , the gas would be cheaper , as long as you dont climb into the 1000 hour a year club.

The advantage of diesel is the denser fuel allows longer range from the same tank volume.

Injector rebuild $100,00 Spark plug $3.00

Injection pump rebuild $1,000+ New distributor $125.

High time heavy load diesel wins , yacht service ,not often a win.

Gaston: Please you Aussie's must not be into the politically correctness sweeping this country. That would be a "thin challenged" girl with a birthday cake.

Up date to data on the boat in discussion.
If I were 50 again!!!
Al

Robert Heay's Port Orchard Yacht Sales, Inc (Port Orchard, WA)

For your plan to work, the boat must fit a very specific mission. Say a liveaboard couple who likes to cruise a lot in protected waters. Maybe someone who wants to do the loop once or twice where the better fuel consumption would be meaningful.


One hundred and sixteen horsepower in a 40,000+ lb boat is marginal for anything but inshore waters, like the great loop. I wouldn't take that boat across to the Bahamas for example.


That specific boat you referenced on the broker's site is a dock queen. With no side decks and the high sides, I wouldn't try to dock that boat unless I had two dock hands standing by to grab lines.


Having run a gasser slow with a Flowscan I can tell you that they burn a lot of fuel at slow- 1,500 rpm speeds. You have a big engine that has a lot of internal friction and is sucking its combustion air through a very small throttle opening making very few horsepower. I'll bet the specific fuel consumption is twice or more what a small diesel would be.


So how about taking out the noisy DD 4-53 engines in a Hatteras LRC and putting your two babies in. Should be interesting. But you aren't going to buy one for $27K.


David

Given the right conditions...you could run that boat to the Bahamas or any open water passage on one engine.


You do have to know what you are doing...would 2- 75 or 100 hp diesels make a skipper feel better? Sure...but 75 hp would drive that boat to the Bahamas or a 100-200 mile coastal passage in good weather just fine.