Switching an inboard for an outboard

Aug 24, 2014
148
Aphrodite 101 148 Coeur d Alene ID
I have a 33' Aphrodite 101 after 40 years the one lung Yanmar needs to be retired. Changing it out in kind has proven to be a real hassle. A firm that rebuilds Yanmars, highly respected, talked me into going one size larger. When it arrived it was determined there was no way it was going to fit.
As anyone who has a one lunger knows they are loud and it's there job to try to beat themselves to death...
An alternative I'm considering is to just attached a 10 hp 4 stroke to the stern. While the boat was designed to sail in the North Seas we only sale it on a fresh water lake.
Does anyone have any experience with converting to an outboard?
 
Jan 5, 2017
2,263
Beneteau First 38 Lyall Harbour Saturna Island
Not sure how big the waves get on your lake but a outboard on a saltwater boat spends half its life with the prop out of the water. If possible replacing/ rebuilding the yammer will make you happier in the long run.
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
a bud with a 28' double cabin. removed his inboard and did the outboard on the stern maybe 15 years ago. he is a very avid sailor. he never looked back. sailed that boat all over the place. then he moved it from the great lakes to the gulf of California. still going strong. spends every winter on the boat. sold his house in sturgeon bay and bought a mason 33' that he keeps/ lives on in Seattle in the summer.
it will work just fine if you want it to. easy peezzee
over the last 6,000 years 99.9% of all boats had no engine.
 
Aug 24, 2014
148
Aphrodite 101 148 Coeur d Alene ID
a bud with a 28' double cabin. removed his inboard and did the outboard on the stern maybe 15 years ago. he is a very avid sailor. he never looked back. sailed that boat all over the place. then he moved it from the great lakes to the gulf of California. still going strong. spends every winter on the boat. sold his house in sturgeon bay and bought a mason 33' that he keeps/ lives on in Seattle in the summer.
it will work just fine if you want it to. easy peezzee
over the last 6,000 years 99.9% of all boats had no engine.
thanks
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
If it were my boat and in the off chance I were to sell it in the future, I would replace/rebuild the old one lunger. Yes, the Yanmar one cylinder (nicknamed thumper) put up quite a racket, but there are a number of advantages compared to an outboard. Resale value of the boat will be higher with the inboard and it will be more stable in rough seas. Just my 46 cents worth.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
A 1GM Yanmar as an auxiliary engine seems adequate for the 101, a 6,200 lbs. boat with a narrow hull shape. A Yanmar 1GM has 6-8 HP depending on the model year but to get a similar performance you would need at least a 15HP outboard. The fuel consumption would increase from 1/4 Gallon per Hour to 1 1/4 Gallons per hour. The use of gasoline as a fuel brings some safety issues with the venting of the gases. Having the engine exposed to theft or accidental hits is another consideration. A 4 stroke 10-15HP will weigh in excess of 100 lbs. and it should be tilted or raised out of the water to prevent marine growth. I can not see any positives in repowering with an outboard. If a 1GM is as large as engine will fit then stick with a 1 GM. Check out the measurements of the newer 1GM -10 and go ahead and price used engines or the cost of a total rebuild. I think you will be happier overall with the diesel auxiliary.
 
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May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
benny makes a good case. safety first is wise. lots to ponder for sure.

the most important thing is to get the sails up and have as much fun as you can.

as a young pup, dad had an alden US ONE Design, 38' racer. it had an outboard well. had a 71/2hp outboard that went in the well and was pulled out and a plug was put in it while sailing.

1612415173371.png


no aux. just a pusher to get in and out of the harbor. pic is a sistership.

it's what you know. it's what you want.

me, i know sailboats. most want motorsailers. i have a aux sailboat. i also have a 38' speedster with no engine, Ascow. it's all good.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I once chartered a Ranger 29. The charter company had done just what you are suggesting and it seemed fine. We spent a week on the boat. The space that had been the engine copartment was converted into galley stowage space.

I don't have any experience with these but I suspect over the next decade or so electric saildrives will replace diesel inboards....


They are smaller and 180 degrees from the thumper when it comes to noise.

For the weekend sailor, I can imagine a decent solar panel laid out during the week will keep the batteries topped off and you will essentially have "free" fuel.
 
Mar 29, 2017
576
Hunter 30t 9805 littlecreek
Was it the newest 2ym15 too big surprised. as it fit nice in a Santana
20210104_134033.jpg
 

Johnb

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Jan 22, 2008
1,419
Hunter 37-cutter Richmond CA
For lake sailing an outboard has multiple advantages including cost and simplicity. A diesel repower might cost way more than the boat will ever be worth and an outboard will give you what my Honda gave me, 15 years of trouble free service.

Get the longest shaft you can and a good mounting bracket
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
I once chartered a Ranger 29. The charter company had done just what you are suggesting and it seemed fine. We spent a week on the boat. The space that had been the engine copartment was converted into galley stowage space.

I don't have any experience with these but I suspect over the next decade or so electric saildrives will replace diesel inboards....


They are smaller and 180 degrees from the thumper when it comes to noise.

For the weekend sailor, I can imagine a decent solar panel laid out during the week will keep the batteries topped off and you will essentially have "free" fuel.
If the boat was in great shape otherwise, I think this would be an exciting option. Might even increase value and desirability. I don't know much about the boat or its following
 
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Jul 19, 2013
384
Pearson 31-2 Boston
I would expect the loss in value of the boat with an outboard would be more the the cost to replace the engine. Otherwise an outboard can get you to and from a mooring, but a 33' sailboat with an outboard on the stern would be unmanageable in a marina unless a crew an maneuver with the outboard.
 
Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Another reason to avoid an outboard is today’s unstable ethanol fuel. Fuel in boats generally sits a long time. Not good. In many areas non-ethanol fuel is very hard to find, and expensive.
 
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Apr 26, 2015
660
S2 26 Mid On Trailer
The only reason I would not go outboard on your boat, on Lake Coeur d'Alene you would ugly up the stern of one of the most beautiful boats ever built. Why do people start threads on "ugly boats" instead of beautiful boats. I'm guessing you stay on the north end because I've never seen the boat down south. If that is the case electric might be a nice idea. I don't think electric would work if you cruise the whole lake.

That said I'm in the fix the diesel group but only for aesthetic reasons. Where do you keep the boat?
 
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Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
Another reason to avoid an outboard is today’s unstable ethanol fuel. Fuel in boats generally sits a long time. Not good. In many areas non-ethanol fuel is very hard to find, and expensive.
I agree here. If my experiences with this EtOH situation re: outboards are the norm, generally, you’d be letting yourself in for a big hassle. For reliability you’d likely need to service the OB annually or at minimum bi-annually. The bigger engines with the electric starts seem to perform better, but in the 10 to 15-hp range you’re talking dinghy sizes in which you might expect the same kinds of “problems.” No way I’d want to do it w/o electric start and powered lift, but those are really over-kill for that size of engine.
 
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Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
I don't have any experience with these but I suspect over the next decade or so electric saildrives will replace diesel inboards....
I don’t see it. As it stands now a fully electric engine might barely get you the 21 n.mi. across the San Pedro Channel making 5 kt with no way to recharge on the other side except by solar, if the sun is out. Electrics might work fine if staying close to home or powering out to the start line for a race. But if facing a 30-h motoring run to destination, then what? Can’t even break it into three 10-hr legs. Maybe ten 3 to 4-hr legs, but where to recharge? Let’s just return to the days of pure sail. Might as well put the oars back on the dinks. Similar fantasy as interstellar space travel, IMO.
 
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Jan 19, 2010
1,169
Catalina 34 Casco Bay
Clubmates converted a Newport 28 to outboard. Their mistake was removing the Atomic 4. Forgot to anticipate that the boat was engineered with the engine weight where it was. While the outboard did what they intended, the sailing characteristics were changed. They dumped the boat the following season...
 
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Aug 24, 2014
148
Aphrodite 101 148 Coeur d Alene ID
The only reason I would not go outboard on your boat, on Lake Coeur d'Alene you would ugly up the stern of one of the most beautiful boats ever built. Why do people start threads on "ugly boats" instead of beautiful boats. I'm guessing you stay on the north end because I've never seen the boat down south. If that is the case electric might be a nice idea. I don't think electric would work if you cruise the whole lake.

That said I'm in the fix the diesel group but only for aesthetic reasons. Where do you keep the boat?
It's in Cougar Bay. it's been there since the previous owner bought it in 1980. Where are you moored?
I agree with you on the lines of the boat but after doing quite of bit of research and outboard has quite a few advantages over a one cylinder diesel. Looked into an electric motor but the price is still out of reach for me. the good news is that somewhere down the road the next owner can go back to an inboard if desired.