The Great Debate

[sunchaser]

Just trying to minimize the need for en-route repairs by picking the best combination. Not looking for perfection. Thanks for your input.

Sailboat

 

[Okydowky]

I, 2nd Sailboat.

There is a hand full of vessels on TF that are blue water worthy boats, not to mention the costs of a certain vessel! Cant imagine the funding of maintenance and or spare parts needed.

There is a very good long Thread on TF comparing the big 3 manufacturers Fleming, Nordhaven, Krogen. Some real good information from some of the bigger vessel guys.

It makes you really check your bank account $, and puts a price I think on everyone’s dreams of the blue water.

Also as previously mentioned the mental place you have to be to pull this type of voyage off.....

Troy

 

[FF]

"There is a hand full of vessels on TF that are blue water worthy boats, not to mention the costs of a certain vessel! Cant imagine the funding of maintenance and or spare parts needed."


Not so, simplicity costs less than massive complexity .OK you wont be able to check the black tank temperature from 2,000miles away , but its a feature most can live without.

 

[O C Diver]

"There is a hand full of vessels on TF that are blue water worthy boats, not to mention the costs of a certain vessel! Cant imagine the funding of maintenance and or spare parts needed."


Not so, simplicity costs less than massive complexity .OK you wont be able to check the black tank temperature from 2,000miles away , but its a feature most can live without.

This is like Lindberg crossing the Atlantic in the Spirit of St. Louis. You may be able to get away with "simplicity" once as the odds are in your favor, but almost nobody wants to cross the Atlantic multiple times, in a single engine altitude limited plane, where you can't see ahead of you without sticking your head out the window. Sooner or later the law of averages (and Murphy) catch up with "simplicity", often eliminating them.

Wonder how many people have disappeared crossing oceans in the last 75 years on <75' pleasure boats? Probably no way of knowing since most just never arrive.

Ted

 

[JVCalifornian]

Agree 100%. So nice to have room all around the engine to work. If you cruise inshore or ICW one engine will work. Towing services are very reasonable. Always had membership, even when I had dual outboard on a center console.

 

[Lecomte38]

Single

Sport fishers have twins

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. JV. Welcome aboard.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. O-d. ONE thing I don't recall being mentioned but I may have missed it is BUDGET. Ballpark, how much are you looking to spend on buying a vessel?

 

[HowieB]

We own two trawlers. One is a single the other is a twin . We love them both. The twin is currently in Mex. The single is used to cruise the west coast (US). The redundancy of the twin is an advantage for us in Mex. No Boat US or USCG if you have mechanical issues . My reply to your question. You need to decide how your going to use the boat. Both have lots of pluses and some negatives.

 

[JVCalifornian]

Thank you all. Was time to chime in. I have twin diesel power. When we Talk about space to do maintenance. I feel the pain. Is so important. We look at everything else but...

 

[JVCalifornian]

That’s 100 correct. Where you go is critical &#55357;&#56397;

 

[rider1964]

And the answer is:42

Yes it was decided recently. A major vote of every boater in the country. All aspects of the choice were fully discussed and debated. Facts and figures were fed into a computer and analyzed. Thousands of images and incidents were considered.

The vote was overwhelmingly almost unanimous.

If I remember correctly:
Single Engine is the choice of discriminating boaters worldwide.

(But then my memory isn't very good or reliable)

pete

And the answer is.... 42

 

[JVCalifornian]

Thanks for having me

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. 1964. Welcome aboard. 42? You'll fit right in!

 

[dirtdoc1]

Why should there be a decision? What do you prefer? Answer this question and you will have your decision.

L

Enough said!

 

[Dcbeach]

Here’s an observation I have made during MY 30 ish years of boating at my marina.

The guys with twin engine seem to be more lackadaisical on maintenance. They seem more apt to wait for one to fail before they replace things such as impellers tune ups etc. Hence they need twins.

I talking mostly gas engines.

The ones with single have a greater tendency to be pro active on maintenance changing things before they fail cause they can’t afford to break down out there. Hence the one engine is reliable.



My observations only. I’m sure there’s other observations and opinions.



I’m taking cover now

[emoji1][emoji1][emoji1][emoji1]
So true!
Now duck

 

[Captain Joe]

I agree it all depends on the engine make. I had a 680 hp Fairbanks OP 8 cylinder in my 95 footer commercial boat. I even changed 8 pistons on the bottom crank 180 miles out on George''s Bank in 12 to 18 foot seas. Spent more time chasing tools in the bilge than working on the engine.
We carried piston rings, enjectors, belts, chain sprockets, clutch plates and more. So I guess I just made up my mind. Twenty years with a single...why change now? By the way still looking for my next boat.

 

[diver dave]

I agree it all depends on the engine make. I had a 680 hp Fairbanks OP 8 cylinder in my 95 footer commercial boat. I even changed 8 pistons on the bottom crank 180 miles out on George''s Bank in 12 to 18 foot seas. Spent more time chasing tools in the bilge than working on the engine.
We carried piston rings, enjectors, belts, chain sprockets, clutch plates and more. So I guess I just made up my mind. Twenty years with a single...why change now? By the way still looking for my next boat.

THAT is a great story. Too rough to fish, might as well major the prime mover[emoji15]

 

[Captain Joe]

Actually we were fishing. We lost power and couldn't tow the net at proper speed. Couldn't get more than 950 RPM out of the 1275 max
Ended steaming home because we couldn't find the problem, thinking it was a cracked piston. Turned out it was after we took the top cover off the engine at the dock. Found a crack in one of the upper pistons. Lost compression equals lost power. Took 30 hours to get in. I got a ton of stories like this. Have a great night!

 

[Open-d]

Greetings,
Mr. O-d. ONE thing I don't recall being mentioned but I may have missed it is BUDGET. Ballpark, how much are you looking to spend on buying a vessel?

Well, right now, I am looking (again) at the Bertram LRC 58' version late '70s to 1980 versions. running from $275K to $395K.

This model displaces 90K # plus or minus. Some that I have seen are powered by 4-71s of 160hp (.56 hp/ci) and others by 6-71s of 175hp (.41 hp/ci). Very low specific outputs for both.

Is that enough hp for 90K # to cruise economically 7-8kts without over-stressing power plant?

 

[Open-d]

Why should there be a decision? What do you prefer? Answer this question and you will have your decision.

L

Obviously there will never be a final answer on a question such as this. I worded the title that way to stimulate discussion which helps me get my head around the issue. I am not a purist, but more, much more, a realist, and tend toward redundancy. However, my mind is still open to various points of view and discussion to help me firm-up my thinking.

 

[Open-d]

Sailboat

I have considered sailboats or motor sailors, but don't like the idea of open cockpits and living in a hole in the water. like the idea of more top-sides structure and and enclosed pilot-house. Sailboat rigging, including shrouds, sheets, furling gear etc., is far from bulletproof. It would have to be a catamaran, but they are very load-sensitive and few have inside helm stations.

 

[Open-d]

Enough said!

Why is it enough. The forum is here to encourage discussion, not shut it down. NOT enough said, say I.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. O-d. Sorry. You're asking the wrong person. I know little to nothing about DD's but others do. Hope you get an answer.

 

[Open-d]

Greetings,
Mr. O-d. Sorry. You're asking the wrong person. I know little to nothing about DD's but others do. Hope you get an answer.

I think I would opt for the 6 cyl so I had some in reserve available in a blow.

 

[SteveK]

One working engine is all anyone needs. That is why I have twins

 

[Peter B]

One working engine is all anyone needs. That is why I have twins

Now having read this whole thread, that, right there, might yet end up being the best answer yet, when you think about it..?

 

[psneeld]

Yet it is the rare boater that begins a trip on one only.


I also assisted MANY one engine out boaters to their slip or through a narrows because they weren't comfy with one...but will admit they saved me hours of towing by limping a good ways on that one engine.

 

[O C Diver]

One working engine is all anyone needs. That is why I have twins

After inspecting boats with my buddy who was shopping for a 45' cabin cruiser, I've come to the conclusion that most boaters would be better off with twins for the above reason. Put another way, if we were talking airplanes instead of boats, 75% of the used ones would have crashed for lack of maintenance.

Ted

 

[sunchaser]

Well, right now, I am looking (again) at the Bertram LRC 58' version late '70s to 1980 versions. running from $275K to $395K.

This model displaces 90K # plus or minus. Some that I have seen are powered by 4-71s of 160hp (.56 hp/ci) and others by 6-71s of 175hp (.41 hp/ci). Very low specific outputs for both.

Is that enough hp for 90K # to cruise economically 7-8kts without over-stressing power plant?

Suggest you forego the general chat style internet and use some shoe leather. On this vessel there is no choice, twin DDs. Go to boatdiesel and peruse the thousands of posting on DDs for your internet answer. Remembering that prior use and maintenance is the key on a decades old vessel.