Repowering a boat, step by step
Once we have already chosen which marine engine are we going to install in our boat, the repowering is a standard process.
Enric Rosello explains for Solé Diesel the step by step process of the marine engine installation in a sail boat.
Repowering, step by step
1 – We start with this 4JH -TE Yanmar 55 hp installed in 1986. The tachometer marks about 6,000 hours, which is longer than usual for a sailing boat. That is because the boat was used for charter in its early years. A very erratic operation of the gearbox, the recalcitrant white smoke in the exhaust, cooling casing in its last stages of operation and a crack in the bell foundry were the most conspicuous problems of this engine.
We decided to repower when the Yanmar stopped working at the entrance port after a piercing noise in her womb. We had no intention to invest one hour or one euro on repairing (the mechanic confirmed that it was dead). Fixing it was more expensive than repowering.
2 – After considering different options, we choosed a Solé Diesel Mini 62 of 59 hp. We took on consideration that the Mini 62 is a marine engine with a low spin rate, 3,000 rpm. Most of the marine engines (that come from automotive) get it's best performance on power and consumption too high on the curve, even making use of the turbo .
Wen sailing on a motor boat, there is no problem on maintaining the engine at high rpm. It has been designed for it and only at those high revolutions the engine gets its best performance. But wen sailing with very little wind, cruising, it is common to combine sail and engine at 1,200 / 1,500 rpm . Since we are using a helix Brunton 's self-adjusting step , this type of navigation allows very high average, the propeller is supported and pushed by the sails. This is an engine that delivered much of its power under a regime of t when closing it. This is a marine engine that provides the most of it's power at a low revs. And perfect for this kind of navigation.
Read all the step by step boat repowering at: http://blog.solediesel.com/en/repowering-boat-step-by-step/