New S2 11.0 owner looking for saildrive experiences

[quarteringbreeze]

All, the 11.0 I just bought has a 2003 Volvo MD2040 with a 120s saildrive. I was and am still a little nervous about saildrives, but marine mechanics and a few surveyors told me they are not particularly unreliable if properly maintained. Any thoughts from people with saildrive experience?

Thanks in advance

RW

 

[Jackdaw]

Our 367 has a Volvo saildrive and we love it. It almost completely eliminates prop walk, and the boat is very maneuverable and predictable in both forward and reverse. Only thing to take into account is that the prop is farther away from the rudder, so the wash over the rudder will take longer to develop.

Stay on top of your anode and you're golden.

 

[sailcruiser]

RW I was nervous as well and as I've learned more my fears have eased somewhat. And your motor/drive is significantly newer than what is in my 11.0 by more than 20 years.

Look into a galvanic isolator or isolation transformer IF you connect to shore power often. We are doing the latter this Spring.

Watch the oil levels in both the engine and sail drive. If the sail drive starts looking like a latté then it's time to change seals in the lower unit. Change the uppers on schedule and everything should be fine. Some I've talked to are still on the original 30+ yr old upper seals mind you. Change the oil every 500 hours or the end of season.

My experience differs from Jack's above perhaps because of age or prop. He may have a feathering where we have fixed (for now!) and I do have prop walk but it is manageable.

If you are in fresh water use a magnesium anode. Never use regular bottom paint on the drive.

These are the high points. Sail drives are becoming quite popular on newer boats. They have their issues as does a traditional shaft. Prevention is key.

Hope this helps a bit,
SC

 

[BobM]

No experience, but perhaps a clarification

What isn't being said is that typically the anodes are quite small. If you haul and block every year like we do in the northeast you will be fine. More of a problem if you leave your boat in for years at a time. Also, if you are worried about being at a slip I suggest you hang one of those big zinc fish over the side. Can't hurt, though of course a galvanic isolator means you don't need to trip over a wire all the time. Grouper is available from SBO.

http://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?18251

 

[quarteringbreeze]

What isn't being said is that typically the anodes are quite small. If you haul and block every year like we do in the northeast you will be fine. More of a problem if you leave your boat in for years at a time. Also, if you are worried about being at a slip I suggest you hang one of those big zinc fish over the side. Can't hurt, though of course a galvanic isolator means you don't need to trip over a wire all the time. Grouper is available from SBO.

http://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?18251

I am planning to leave the boat in the water for the longest intervals possible, as I plan to live aboard. I'll also be spending blocks of time tied up to a dock at various marinas. These two things both make the chances of galvanic corrosion (which is my only SD concern) a bigger concern for me. I'm going to look into the galvanic isolator. Also, and this may be a silly question, if I use the zinc fish what do I attach it to?

Finally (more silly questions) I have a 120s saildrive with a maxprop and I was considering switching to a fixed 2 blade prop for simplicity and reliability while cruising. My question is whether I'll be able to fit split anodes on some of the unused prop shaft space and if so will this extend the life of the saildrive anodes.

My anxiety is so high about saildrives I'm starting to wish i never bought the boat. I've even gone as far as working out how to convert to prop shaft. It actually seems pretty straight-forward, and with the low hours on the 120s saildrive (approx 400) and the 3 blade max prop it came with I figure I could cover the cost of parts. Anyone on this list convert a saildrive 11.0 to shaft?

Thanks to all of you for responding. I'm sure I'll have many more questions.

Regards,

RW

 

[Mark Maulden]

Don't worry about it. Keep it zinc'd and painted with a tin based paint. It has a lot lower vibration than a shaft and you don't have to worry about alignments. Keep an eye on oil and I'd change the seals every 5 yrs or so. It'll last for yrs....It would not be worth a change to a shaft..

 

[ewoden1]

Hanging zinc anodes are great while at the dock. So much stray juice floating around.

Does the lower have continuity with the engine? Maybe a stupid question.

If so, a hanging zinc anode can be alligator clipped to an unpainted place on the block. I personally did not invest in a pricey zinc fish (I am a cheap guy). I searched about the yard, as every spring, folks pitch last year's prop shaft, rudder, and lower unit zincs . Used a length of old rigging stainless cable, a clip from radio shack, a stainless eyebolt from my spares and a big lower unit scrap zinc disc and was good to go.

Just remember to haul the hanging anode before you go underway.

 

[ewoden1]

Oh one more thing. If you hang that anode a long ways from the sail drive it will be less effective. I did mine first year to save my shaft anodes and hung the zinc too far forward. It didn't perform well at all. Next season I hung it alondside the location of the shaft zinc and it did much better at preserving the shaft anode.You'll want it as close to the drive unit as is possible. Oh, and you might improve the efficacy further if you use copper wire to hang the zinc. Rather than stainless cable. But I seldom see much copper lying around ANYWHERE

For ease some folks attach the hanging cable to a stanchion on deck and then, underdeck, run a conductor to the block. That way you can easily remove and replace the hanging anode prior to getting underway and don't have to worry about snaking the cable through the boat.

Lastly, here is a goodarticle of cathodic protection: http://www.galvatest.com/WP_Cathodic_Protection.pdf

 

[Jtoben]

Just a quick addition to the other good info here....we have the 11.0 with sail drive and Max Prop. It's a great prop with the sail drive, we've had it for 11 years and also spent a year cruising the Caribbean...no problems at all regarding reliability. Some folks we know had a bit of play in the prop after 10 years and sent it in for a tune-up, said it came back like new. Just don't over pitch it, as the feathering motion will then put too much strain on the drive unit. When changing gear, keep engine at lowest idle speed.