I currently have the original Volvo Penta 2000 sea cooled engine on
hull 67 (1984).I would like to install a Yanmar 27.My boat is on the
Chesapeake. Has any one any recommendations for a reliable yard to do
it?. I also need to work on the boat myself.
We just completed 2 months 8 days of work on the hard at Tidewater Yacht Service Center, Baltimore - www.TYSC.com . Although we did all our own work, the yard treaded us well - both professionally and on a personal basis. TYSC requires one to use vacuum sanders when working on the boat - especially for the bottom job. We rented one of their Fein vacuum sanders for $25 per day plus the cost of the sanding discs. In addition, they expect?you to keep?your area clean and tidy.
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Tidewater has a very competent?professional staff. The key to any work is good communications between the yard and the boat owner, regardless of whether you do the work or the yard does the work.
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S/V IDUNA
My BCC (hull #64; launched in 1983) has its original raw-water cooled
engine, a Volvo MD7B. The engine still runs well, but is prone to running
hot and is underpowered (about 17 HP) such that I am able to achieve a
maximum speed of just over 4 knots in ideal conditions (i.e., flat seas and
tailwind).
As a result, I am considering repowering with a Betamarine BD1005 engine (a
28 HP marinized Kubota engine). I have heard many positive comments about
these engines. Does anyone have any firsthand experience with these engines
or comments on them?
On a 2nd and related matter, my BCC currently has the original fuel tank
installed by the Sam L. Morse Company (which I believe is either 28 or 32
gallons). I am considering installing a larger fuel tank at the same time
as I replace the engine.
Does anyone have a larger fuel tank installed in the standard SLM configured
BCC? If so, what is its capacity?
Gary,
I had that engine in a Contessa 32. It gave me quite a lot of problems
and there was no one to fix them. I ultimately found a dealer in North
Carolina who was sympathetic but not very helpful. If it was my boat
I’d stick with either Yanmar or Westerbeke. Lots of dealers,repair
persons and parts. It’s true that Beta uses Kubota but many of the
tractor parts don’t fit the marinized version. I had to replace the
flywheel because it was undersized and the engine kept stalling at low
speed. It took months to get the part.
The large tank holds 37 gallons. actually I believe that it is a second
tank below the primary.
Regards,
Jim Hiller
I have had a Betamarine BD1005 for 11 years with very little problem. True, it doesn’t have a lot of hours because I’m a sailor!
The service from Beta in North Carolina is absolutely up to BCC service standards.
Hi Gary-
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No comment on the engine (ours is the original hand-cranked Sabb, 10 hp dont even mention underpowered!) but my two cents on fuel capacity . . .
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If it is a choice between fuel and water, I would vote for water every time. (I dont know if yours is a choice). Our fuel tank is 10 gallons we carry an extra 15 on deck in jerry cans but our water capacity is just under 100 gallons. Granted, we use less fuel for motoring than the average bear, with our engine, but in our three years of cruising the Bahamas and the Caribbean we were only worried about fuel once in the Gulf ICW at the start of our trip. Water we NEVER bought those 100 gallons lasted us 6 weeks and we managed to find cisterns or get a passing rain shower when we needed it.
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Of course, required fuel capacity depends on your cruising grounds and style, electricity requirements and desires, but we sailed into and out of some tight spots (which our boats do with ease) in all kinds of air our water capacity allowed us to stay some pretty great spots for quite a while.
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A sidebar, to be sure, and one that has been covered in these pages before. Still worth mentioning.
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Cheers,
Nica
Calypso, BCC #6
Jim:
Thanks for your response (also thanks to the others that responded).
Jim,
were your problems with the BD1005 restricted to the inappropriately sized
flywheel, or did you have other problems as well? If so, I would appreciate
hearing about the other problems, either here or directly at my email
dioscouri@h…
Thanks again!
Gary,
I did have some other problems. All were a result of a poor job of marinizing. I think that the base Kubota is ok it was the English add ons that were problematic. There were compression problems as well as water pump problems. Ultimately they were sorted out but the engine never did work well. It loaded up and tended to overheat under load and frequently stalled when throttled back
Why are you intrigued with the engine ?
Surely you know that Yanmar and Westerbeke are easier to have serviced and have far more ease of parts access.
To give you a little history on Kubota diesel engines, in the early stages of development of Kubota marinized engine, most engines were converted tractor and stationary power plant engines, as such, base engine parts, pistons, bearings, rods, heads, overhaul gaskets sets were available through Kubota tractor dealers. Marinized parts, exhaust & intake manifolds, heat exchangers, seawater pumps were only available through the marine dealers.
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In recent years, as confirmed through Kubota corporate in San Francisco, Kubota has evolved into separate divisions of manufacturer, Agriculture, stationary power plants, industrial and marine; there is currently no crossover usage between division of manufacturer, in other words, the parts do not interchange.
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Engine owners of marinized diesel engines that are manufactured in limited quantities will always experience some difficulty in finding parts and service as dealers shift ther focus toward more popular and traditional brands, such as, Westerbeke, Universal and Yanmar. The Kubota based Beta engine, as well as, many other recently emerging marine diesel manufactures, are relatively new to the market, the dealer network is still in its infancy.
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Many of the smaller engine manufacturers, especially concerning older engines, do not stock some of the marine parts; it’s not uncommon as in the case of Nanni diesel which also marinzed Kubota diesels,?to backorder an aluminum exhaust elbow through an outside vendor (foundry), with a shipping date of 3 months or more.
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The primary problem I foresee with Beta diesel is the available of complete engines and the shortage of factory trained mechanics, dealers and spare parts network. Historically, emerging marine manufacturers have flooded the market with complete boats, engine or systems, through magazines, newspapers, selling direct to the consumer; dealers with unprotected sales regions or zones, shipped engine worldwide, without local dealer support. Beta in particular, has been selling through boating publications and shipping direct to the consumer, and more recently,?on EBay.
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While it may appear to be, we are not intending to malign Beta diesel engine manufacturer, dealers or consumers; all marine diesel?manufactures need to balance service with sales to increase consumer confidence and product reliability.
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Sincerely,
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Marty Chin
Bay Marine Diesel
1150 Ballena Blvd,#83
Alameda,CA. 94501
The Kubota engines are great, we sell alot of them under the Universal
brand name. Westerbeke Corp ownes Universal and has made some
significant improvements in the production end to co-share some marinizing
parts; in particular the V-band coupling of the exhaust mixing elbows, makes
them easy to replace when the time comes.
Of the big three Westerbeke, Universal and Yanmar, they are all evenly
matched on Price, durability and reliability; if any one of the three
has an edge, I would say Universal has a slight edge concerning
maintenance and durability.
Although we have sold all three in the past, Westerbeke & Universal
continue to be clear winners when it comes to parts, service and warranty
here on the West Coast.
Best wishes,
Marty Chin