Yanmar diesel outboards???

[Rick B.]

Anyone know of these?

Are they any good?

Can they still be obtained?

[Boatplans.dk]

I did some research a while ago and you should still be able to buy them. Only problem is they are just as expensive as an inboard engine, so I guess there is not much point in buying them.

You could go for an inboard engine with a sail-drive for the Picnic. This will properly be almost the same expense as the outboard diesel engine.

[Rick B.]

Thanks Morten. I had heard of the diesel outboard Yanmar's but really didn't know much about them.

I had also wondered about a little inboard diesel w/ a saildrive. It seems to me that a set up like that would be much more durable and be a better investment over the long haul. My concern was about the weight of such a system.

Morten of the older small diesels like the Sabb & old style Volvo's, could any of those be fit to a saildrive?

If you were going to fit a boat with such a system what would be some combinations you would consider?

[Boatplans.dk]

In the beginning of the nineties I was living in Greenland for some years and up there the sealers were hunting from dinghies fitted with outboard engines. It were quite normal that they worn out 2-3 outboard engines every year. The Yanmar diesel outboard engine changed that and they were able to run for years without problems. So it is a good engine but as said before very expensive.

Be careful if you choose an older inboard engine. As far as I know not all of them can be mounted on a saildrive. You could properly make some changes in order to have them fit but depending on how good you are with a lathe there could be problems.

Normally you buy the engine with the saildrive and the base plate. Then all fit together and it is extremely easy to mount. Just cut a hole in the boat and adjust the base plate so it fits the curvature of the bottom of the boat. Glue and glass the base plate and mount the saildrive and the engine. It can't be done easier.

Yanmar makes a small 9 hp inboard with saildrive. It has a weight of 75 kg (167 lbs.) so it is of course a bit heavier than an outboard. But it may still be possible to use it in the Picnic.

[Rick B.]

I don't think exotic would be the best term to use, but it does sound different!

Anyway continuing on the theme of saildrives, I remembered over the weekend something I had read in George Buehler's first book "Buehlers backyard boatbuilding" about hydraulic transmissions for marine drive systems. So I did a little looking and stumbled across this... http://www.vonwentzel.net/Prout/01.Prop ... cs-Motors/

I thought you might find it interesting Morten.

Rick

[Boatplans.dk]

different certainly, an experience definitely.

A diesel-hydraulic or even diesel-electric system gives a lot of flexibility, so you are right, it an interesting subject. Some even makes entire systems for that: http://www.vetus.nl/indexns.asp?lang=2&productid=115

[Guest]

You are still able to pruchase a Yanmar diesle outboard, also Selva and Ruggerini from Italy offer them, but as Morten said, very expencieve, a new Yanmar in the the average of 16-17.000,- USD so it is not a realistic alternative, buy a new Suzuki 4 stroke, less noice and less smoke to a much, much lower price.
Aquatronclaus - Denmark