OMC saildrive engine

[Chaosthefirst]

Hi again. My search continues for a good cruiser/racer. I recently looked over a 1984 C&C 27 (I believe it would be a Mark V). Seemed like a really nice boat. They seem to have a good reputation, a good racer, as well as a cruiser. The only concern I had was the 2 cycle, 2 cylinder OMC saildrive. How reliable are they? Any problems with the drive mechanisim? Will this engine push the boat into any kind of wind? Any comments about the C&C 27''s? How tender are they, etc? Thanks, Ron Nash

[mikehoyt]

Ron

The OMC Saildrive was basically a 35 hp Evinrude outboard motor. The biggest problem seems to be availability of parts and technicians that are willing to work on them. That being said they are a simple easy to maintain engine. Try this link to get all the information you need on this engine http://groups.yahoo.com/group/saildriveowners/

The C&C 27 mark V is distinguishable from mark 4 by its outboard rudder vs the inboard rudder on the mark 4. The mark V is reputed to be smaller than the III/IV.

From what I have heard of the C&Cs (by reputation) the mark 1 & 2 are shorter than the mark III/IV with a shorter mast. The III/IV are larger with a higher aspect. These boats (III/IV) are often called tender but are excellent light wind cruiser racers made with typical C&C quality. The mark V is smaller again than the III/IV and is reputed to be more tender.

Of all the C&Cs I have seen the 27 III is my favourite because it sails well and is more affordable than the 27 IV which is essentially the same boat.

Try www.cncphotoalbum.com for more information on C&Cs and try the topica email list on C&Cs which is accessible from that site.

Hope this helps.

Mike

[Jeff_H]

The OMC saildrive units were very popular with boats that size for a comparatively brief period. These units were moderately reliable if carefully maintained. The lower units have held up pretty well in fresh water but have not done all that well in salt. Basic maintenance parts are still available since many of the parts were common to outboards with larger production runs. From what I gather from discussions with OMC saildrive owners, many of the more unique parts are pretty much unavailable. For example, I followed the process that a fellow went though when his outdrive lower unit was damaged and they were unable to find a replacement lower unit. In his case they ended up glassing over the hole in the bottom of the boat, beefing up his transom, installing an outboard motor bracket and buying a new 4 stroke outboard. He never found that arrangement satisfactory and so sold the boat a few years later.

If I remember the model numbers correctly the earlier C&C 27''s were all pretty much an evolution of the original C&C 27 but the Mk V was a totally new boat. If I am correct that the Mk V was the new design, I like that model of the C&C 27 better than the earlier boats. I thought they were a very well rounded design, offering good performance, construction quality and reasonable accomodations. I have sailed on a 27 equipped with a wheel steering and thought that killed the boat a little by taking up a lot of cockpit space and also damaging the tiller steered boats delightful light and balanced helm. I would look for a tiller version of this model.

You sometimes see earlier models listed as a Mk V so I am not 100% certain that the model that I am describing is in fact the Mk V. The model that I am describing was distinctive from earlier models for its outboard rudder. Due to ease of maintenance over the life of the boat, I personally prefer the outboard rudder on the Mk V to the inboard rudders on the earlier models. That said, outboard rudders are more vulnerable in a docking situation.

The earlier C&C 27''s seem to have a strong following and were very good boats for their day. There seems to be some ambivilence about the Mk V amoungst owners of these earlier boats so I will leave the discussion of the Mk V vs earlier C&C 27''s to the folks who have those particular preferences.

Regards,
Jeff

[Johnrb]

Mike and Jeff have addressed the Saildrive issue. Canadian Yachting has an older review of the Mark V 27 – link is below.

http://www.cymagazine.ca/onlineExclusiveViewer.php?onlineExclusiveKeyword=1 3

The Mark V is noticeably smaller than the previous C&C 27s and is somewhat faster. I believe the PHRF data for Lake Ontario is in the order of 174 for the Mark V and in the 190’s for the earlier generation. The Mark III and IV I believe were closer to 28 feet in overall length while the Mark V is about 26.5 feet overall. Just a question but I took a quick look at the C&C Photo Album for the spec sheet on the Mark V and the above noted review. Neither mentioned the OMC Saildrive – a few boats have an outboard but the inboard engine option was listed as a Yanmar diesel. Is the Saildrive you are referring to an aftermarket installation?

John

[Chaosthefirst]

John, I also looked at the specs I could find on the C&C photoalbum, and noticed the yanmar listed. I am confused as to whether the OMC saildrive was original or not, but it sure as heck is in this boat. The boat is listed as a 1984 model; if true, one would believe it to be a MK V. I will have to go back and check the rudder more carefully, etc. From all the input so far, the OMC saildrive might be a bit of a pain trying to fix, but does not sound impossible to deal with.
Really appreciate everyone''s input. Thanks, Ron Nash

[jbanta]

I like saildrive myself but someing a bit beter than OMC is called for... If you keep a saildrive in your boat but want to upgrade that a look at this...

http://www.saildrive280.com/

[Johnrb]

Ron: Off the top of my head, the only C&C model that had the OMC Saildrive installed was the C&C 25 Mk II (not sure about the short lived 26 ft. boat). The Mark II was an update on the early 1970''s 25 ft. boat - the update was done around 1979-80 and was in production until about 1984. The boat does have a superficial resemblance to the 27 Mk V.

The two models can be compared at the following links:
http://sailquest.com/market/models/cc25n.htm
and
http://sailquest.com/market/models/cc27n.htm

Good luck,
John

[sailingfool]

Re: These boats (III/IV) ...made with typical C&C quality.

Based on the one 27 IV I looked at a number of years ago, I''d say there is no similarity in construction quality between these models (which I consdier third generation C&C) and the earlier boats. The earlier boats (Is and IIS) up through late 70s/early 80s, depending on model, were built like tanks. The 27 IV targeted high performance at the expense of weight and solidness, - reminded me more of an Evenlyn than a C&C.

Pretty boat, nice design, good for a lake, but I wouldn''t go out too far in water over your head ...

Good luck.

[bcseafleas]

I am now offering full size patterns for the famous minimost and minimax seafleas. Included in this package, is a booklet to help guide you through the building process,construction photos from start to finish are supplied through email, and as many questions it takes to complete this fun project. These are excellent starter boats for the youngsters who are itching to get into racing. For more information, and photos pls email cranfieldbrian@hotmail.com Thanks for viewing Brian Cranfield