Outboard power for E35

[ebuyguy]

I just acquired a 1970 Ericson 35. It was a live aboard and has not been sailed for 3 + years. Seller says Atomic 4 gas engine was unreliable when he bought the boat. The engine has not been operated for 3+ years.

I'm considering the additon of an outboard motor for auxiliary power but it will essentially be primary power given state of the A4. Boat dealership recommended a new Yamaha 9.9 high thrust engine (T99EXH). This could be added and linked to the boat's fuel tank for $3-4K compare to a lot more for a rebuilt A-4 or diesel.

Does anyone have experience or comments about using an outboard as primary power source for day sailing? I live in San Francisco. I'm not too concerned about the cosmetic/esthetic issues of hanging an OB on the transom.

Thanks in advance for any input.

[sailingfool]

EBuyguy
You're going to Outer Limits territory in thinking of putting an outboard on a boat as big as Ericson 35, and spending some real money to do it. I think the description any future buyers would use for this concept is "bastardizing the boat".
If you're willing to go $4,000 to mickey mouse an outboard, you should buy a rebuilt A4 and you'll get most of it back when you sell the boat. See http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/ar....php/f-13.html for some choices.
You might first put a few hundred into having a mechanic work it over - A4s are pretty robust.

Good luck.

[ebuyguy]

[quote=sailingfool]EBuyguy
you should buy a rebuilt A4 and you'll get most of it back when you sell the boat. See http://www.moyermarine.com/forums/ar....php/f-13.html for some choices.
You might first put a few hundred into having a mechanic work it over - A4s are pretty robust.

Thanks for your candid comments. Re A4s, my surveyor and a couple of mechanics have not been encouraging about the liklihood of getting an A4 to become a reliable engine. I've been trying to locate a mechanic who will help me get the A4 running again, as you sugggest. However, even the Moyer web site has lots of FAQs from A4 owners who report engines that work one day and won't the next or repairs that seem to solve a problem but then don't. There's always a reason, of course, when something mechanical doesn't work, but at their age these engines seem touchy at best rather than robust as you report. does your experience give you confidence in this engine?

[goldeneye]

I got a e32 that had a seized a4 in it when i got the boat.I removed the plugs and pored oil in after a month of that i was able to turn the motor over with a pipe wench and a pice of 3' pipe on the end.After a week of that i could use the starter to turn the motor.I put my boat in the erie canel that spring becase of a new born babby the lake would of been to much.I motored that boat about 480miles that summer on the erie canel sweating bullets all the way and never had a problem.The a4 is a simple robust motor.

[camaraderie]

Well...hopefully the A4 can be saved/rebuilt. I would second SF's comment about the outboard...a major mistake for a 35 footer!

[coreywoodworking]

There's lots of purists who would never mount an outboard on a transom. I'm not happy about it, but I'm doing it this summer (on a Caliber 28), as the diesel seized and I just haven't the money to repair it. I'm having a canvas engine cover made, to match the other canvas. That way, it will look a little more integrated. (If you have a three-blade, remember to pull off the inboard's prop.)

Check out the Garelick 71090 and 71091 motor mounts. They're the toughest in the Garelick line, will hold four-strokes and you can change the angle.

For an engine, look at the four-stroke Yamaha T8 25" shaft high-thrust prop, engine. I've had it on another boat for two years, and it's awesome. It has elec start and elec tilt, though even with the Garelick lift-up feature, I had difficulty getting the prop to clear the water for storage.

It has a massive (for a sailboat outboard) 12" 6.5 pitch prop, total balls. Forward, back down, whatever you need, it's there. Remember, for a sailboat outboard, you don't need HP, you need thrust. You'll never be able to max out the top speed, you want instant thrust for turning, backing down. If you're choosing between an 8 or 10 and a 15, buy the 8 or 10 and invest the difference in a high-thrust four-blade prop (mine cost $175). It makes a huge difference.

Though you might not have a choice (money) try to mount a shifter in the cockpit. It makes harbor work much easier.

Look at the Bristol page, I did a long response to a guy's interest in auxiliaries.

[sailingfool]

Corey,

Good luck to you, you sure seem confident you've got the plan down.

IMHO you should find the money to fix your IB, if you don't, when you go to sell that boat, you'll basically have to deduct the value of the IB replacement from your sale price. You can expect that buyers won't be too interested in an add-on outboard when they can buy the next boat with a working IB...

If you're going to hang some 150 pounds off the back of the transom, be sure you raise the waterline to allow for the stern squat that weight will produce. I would think you may need to paint part of the stern, but I guess you can just wait and see where the grass grows.

[coreywoodworking]

I don't see it that way. I've owned four Good Old sailboats, all under $15,000 (LeComte 33, Bristol 26, Bristol 27, Caliber 28) and the tough part about Good Old boats is that the value is often tied to the condition of the engine. You can spend as much for engine repair as sail and rigging repair and why? Can't sail that well?

If you can't claw off a lee shore under sail, you are dangerously dependent on power. Certainly I want to use an engine in harbor, but with my limited wallet, I'm not going to waste money on a useless powerplant. If the inboard dies on a sailing trip, you are beholden to whatever mechanic you can find in that town, and they know it. If an outboard dies, pull it out, ask the locals about the best repair shop in the county, get a taxi and you've only lost a day of sailing. Buy a quick 6 HP, if you must, and continue your sailing.

And, yes, I'm limiting my resale audience, but I don't sell my boats that often, and there are lots of sailors with similarly-thin wallets and similarly open minds. I'm not worried.