30ish coastal island hopper

[txtowman]

Here I am a year after my research seems to show the Catalina 30 to be the perfect boat for Me. While I am still single handing.

And yet I keep looking at other boats for sale.

I am also torn between getting a boat with the atomic 4 gas engine because they are sometimes half the price of diesel power, with similar upgrades and condition.

How much gas does one(A4) use?

The outboard on My C22 runs great but uses a lot of gas.(1993 6HP Yacht twin by OMC 2 cycle)

I would upgrade my OB but I really want to trade up soon.



Cruising the ICW limits the ability to sail sometimes so fuel consumption is an issue.

Some marinas don't allow inboard gas engines long term.

I feel that I need to get into a bigger boat to be comfortable living aboard.

Is a Catalina 27 that much smaller inside?

Is there a lot less storage?

Use much less fuel?

I am heading to Houston in the next week, hoping to find a job, and find a bigger boat.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thanks, Sid

 

[Bill1565]

syd, the 27 will seem like a palace if you sleep on your 22. 30 is of course even bigger. A4's were the main small sailboat engine for years. lots of know how and spares out there. never heard of marina's not allowing gas engines, but if you find one, move the boat to another marina.

Nice you don't let unemployment discourage you from looking for a bigger boat.

 

[Bad Obsession]

The Catalina 30 is much bigger than the Catalina 27. There is so much more room in the 30 and you have room to stand up too.

The universal diesel burns about .5 gallons an hour. It is a good engine and well worth the extra money to get it.

 

[txtowman]

I thought a C27 had 6' plus head room?

 

[Rag Bagger]

Sid- I've had a Catalina 30 for 1 1/2 years and it's in a marina on Clear Lake. Lots of 30's available in this area at good prices. It's been a great boat for myself and my wife and oh yeah, "Rudder" our dog. We never run out of room and she sails well for a coastal boat. There is a big difference between a 27 and 30. I've seen them side by side and if you can, go for the 30. No problem with gas engines here but go for diesel. Welcome to Houston.

 

[Sail123]

Diesel is a different animal these days, after reformulation. It has been stripped of much of what helped lubricate the engine. Especially if you have an older diesel engine, go to a auto parts store and get a diesel additive. Also, in many areas, diesel is a lot higher than gasoline, and many marinas do not sell diesel, so it means lugging around heavy cans of fuel in your car to take to your boat.

 

[stephen Penny]

Go diesel. Engine lasts longer and is safer. Operating cost s really low. My Hunter 31 consumed 1/3 gallon per hour and my Hunter 386 consumes 0.44 - 0.6 galllon per hour on average.

There should be NO worries about diesel loss of lubricity due to oil refiners reducing its sulfur content from 500 to less than 15 ppmw (ultra low sulfur diesel ) as mandated by the EPA in mid-2000's. This has been compensated by the addition of a "lubricity" agent.

 

[txtowman]

I am very familiar with diesel and diesel engines.

I was a truck driver for several years, manage My parents ranch with several diesel tractors on which I do most repairs and maintenance.

And I have driven lots of smaller diesel trucks, and own a dodge dually diesel myself.

I always add a small amount of oil to the diesel in everything I run, and run My dually on as much as 75% used motor oil to diesel ratio when I can find clean oil.

I would like to find out how much gas an atomic 4 uses at moderate cruising speed on a C30.

Thanks for all of the replies!

 

[Stu Jackson]

I would like to find out how much gas an atomic 4 uses at moderate cruising speed on a C30.

Pretty much twice as much as diesel.

 

[Joe]

I thought a C27 had 6' plus head room?

Only in the area under the oversized hatch. Which is where you'll be standing most of the time.

 

[Bold Rascal]

Fuel usage

Not that I'm an expert but as a good rule of thumb the A4 will burn about 1 gallon per hour under normal cruising. More or less depending on displacement, etc. etc. I have an older 33' Pearson and burn just over a gallon per hour.

A4's are very good reliable engines and still well supported. You should visit moyermarine.com and the forum there for more info. Good luck in your search.

 

[bffatcat]

time for my 2c about gas vs diesel

Im sure you can find some of my comments on this subject in the archives. When you talk about an atomic 4 your talking about an engine which was discarded over 30 years ago. If your a top notch mechanic and ignition man you might get by with one. But just when you need it in an emergency Its gonna let you down. And you probably wont be able to get it running. There are lots of old 30' Pearsons, Catalina`s Bristols sitting in yards for sale reasonably priced. A new diesel inboard is worth more than an 80`s boat with an atomic 4
My opinion: I would buy one of these vintage boats They are good sailers and solidly built:
Take the atomic 4 out and replace it with a New or used diesel

 

[Stu Jackson]

That may be true, but one has to factor in the other costs. Say you buy a C30 in good shape for $20K. Then add $7K to $10K for a new diesel engine (with the attendant fuel tank, filter, etc. issues)? No payback on that at all because you won't suddenly have a $30K boat.

Or buy a used diesel (a friend bought an M25 from eBay for a ridiculously low price, fixed it up - not very expensive, it's a Kubota tractor engine, and put it in his Pearson 30 (after removing and selling his A4) - the M25 works great). But not everyone is as handy as my friend is.

What we need to do is to give the OP his options, so he can make a "your boat, your choice" decision.

 

[txtowman]

Atomic 4 = willys jeep engine

I have been told for years that the atomic 4 is a marinized Willys jeep engine. I have had a Willys jeep for 42 years and can fix anything on it. I am no expert but I have rebuilt it myself before.

How much for a diesel refit?

 

[Ed Schenck]

New diesel? Minimum of $7000. doing the work yourself. Used diesel? Might find a good one for $3000. to 4000.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Room and head space
You have to realize that you do not add length to a boat at the ends. It ALL gets added in the middle. So that 3' is half a salon or a large part of a galley. I would consider 40' the minimum for a live aboard. They get mighty cramped after a while and if they are cramped to begin with.....
Also I believe the Catalina 30 has an icebox. You do not want to live aboard a boat with an icebox. The constant hassle of going for ice will get old very fast. You can convert but the insulation is not up to snuff for an efficient reefer and you cannot get access to the back of the icebox to increase it. Even if you could there is not much room for the proper thickness of insulation.
To sum up, a 40' will normally have sufficient tankage, reefer/freezer, stove/oven and electrical capability to make living aboard doable. A smaller boat may have some of this but not all. A 40 is faster too!
I'd recommend you make a list of "must have" items to guide your selection and not limit yourself to one model and length.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Motors and fuel
A larger boat will go the same speed as a smaller boat at max hull speed and not have its engine at WOT. So you can go just as fast and not use as much fuel. This is due to the "hull speed" power requirement that is highly non-linear.
A larger boat will be able to handle higher winds with fewer problems and provide you have some light wind sails can hoist more sail and keep going when smaller boats have to motor. Size does matter.
Diesel is more expensive per gal but the engine is more efficient, lasts longer and require less maintenance so keeping all the other variables constant, the cost of ownership is lower for a diesel.

 

[Bold Rascal]

I have been told for years that the atomic 4 is a marinized Willys jeep engine. I have had a Willys jeep for 42 years and can fix anything on it. I am no expert but I have rebuilt it myself before.

If your that mechanically capable then maintaining an A4 will be a piece of cake for you. From my own experience, The problems usually associated with inboard propulsion aren't necesarilly the engine (Gas or Diesal) but also the associated fuel, cooling, electrical or exhaust systems. Having a good running engine (Gas or Diesal) is only half of it. If you do decide to purchase an older boat, chances are very good it's going to need some time and money spent on these other areas as well.