cruising with an atomic 4

[deckhanddave]

Has anyone done any long range cruising with an atomic 4? I know that diesels are the recomended norm so am I in the market for a very very expensive upgrade?

[Tartan34C]

Originally Posted by deckhanddave

Has anyone done any long range cruising with an atomic 4? I know that diesels are the recomended norm so am I in the market for a very very expensive upgrade?

Most people do the long range stuff with the sails and the engine is only along for the ride. What question do you have?
All the best,
Robert Gainer

[camaraderie]

Deckhand...while most prefer diesel, the A4 has a long and good history. When you think of it, most powerboats use gas and they go go hundreds of miles a day. I would take measures to insure your blowers are in good shape and religiously used...but I would not hesitate to take an Atomic 4 to sea. As Robert suggests...you may only need it to get into harbors. On the other hand...the ICW and working to windward on the Thorny Path requires a "bit" of the iron genny. Make sure you take a good spare parts inventory WITH you on any trips out of the USA.

[sailingdog]

Fuel is also a bit more of an issue than it is with a diesel, as the A4 is less fuel efficient than most marine diesels used in boats of the same size. But I don't really see any major problems with going cruising with an A4 as your inboard.

[capttb]

The forty year old Tartan in the dock next to me has been doing quite well with it's original Atomic, owner likes to do the oil etc. every 50 hrs. or so.

[JT1019]

I love my Atomic 4 and I would not replace it! Upgrading to a diesel is something I looked long and hard into but it’s hard to justify if your engine is in good condition. It really does not matter what kind of engine you are taking a long cruise with as long as you take the time to inspect the engine before you go and you are prepared to repair things that might fail along the way.

One of the many advantages of the Atomic 4 is that just about every boat yard has seen them and worked on them in the past. Finding someone who is knowledgeable about these engines is almost as easy as getting parts for them. It’s also important to note that unlike most current manufactures anyone can work on an Atomic engine as the company is long gone.

If you have any questions or need anything for the engine contact Moyer Marine, they are the experts and are happy to help.

[deckhanddave]

I guess my main concern is the increased amount of fuel needed and the storage of gasoline. I have a healthy fear of explosive gases in small spaces (I do some work in wet plate photography which uses a lot of ether...) so when I think of gasoline fumes in my bilge, I cringe a bit. Are there gasoline fume sniffers out there? I know they exist for C O . What about storage, are two smaller tanks recommended over one big one?

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by deckhanddave

I guess my main concern is the increased amount of fuel needed and the storage of gasoline. I have a healthy fear of explosive gases in small spaces (I do some work in wet plate photography which uses a lot of ether...) so when I think of gasoline fumes in my bilge, I cringe a bit. Are there gasoline fume sniffers out there? I know they exist for C O . What about storage, are two smaller tanks recommended over one big one?

Yes, they do make fume sniffers that will detect gasoline fumes. Some will also detect propane. One company makes one that will detect both gasoline and propane fumes.

What camera do you use for the wet-plate photography? and what process are you using?? I occassionally shoot 4x5.

Two tanks is better than one big one IMHO. If one gets contaminated or goes bad, the other may not be affected. Also, you have a much better chance of using up all the fuel in a smaller tank, and with the current trend towards ethanol-blend gasoline, the shelf-life of the gasoline has gotten markedly shorter.

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by capttb

The forty year old Tartan in the dock next to me has been doing quite well with it's original Atomic, owner likes to do the oil etc. every 50 hrs. or so.

I've done 150 mile or so near-zero-wind motorsails with the Atomic 4 and have no qualms about it. You will notice the oil pressure gradually dropping from the nominal 50 PSI to about 25 after 10 hours or so, but this is to be expected as the engine warms to its ideal temp (I have the freshwater T-stat and that temp is 175-185 F). Once I gave the oil pressure adjustment nut a quarter turn to get the pressure up to 40 PSI, but that was it.

I change the oil out every 50 hours too and had the oil pan tapped and spigoted for this purpose.

You'll find range is an issue. I get about 85 NM of range at 5 knots in flat seas, and usually carry five gallons in small jerrycans that I fill underway (conditions permitting). The advice about the blower is excellent: We find that if we don't keep the blower going in a following wind, the dorade vents in the lazarette allow some fumes (not enough to set off the CO detector, mind) back up into the cabin.

Essentially, though, we sail whenever possible and avoid situations where we HAVE to be somewhere and need the A4 to push us there. We have found that our fondness for "late season" cruising (mid-October) has meant more motor use in dying winds just to get to a moor before full dark, because mid-October means 11 hours of daylight here. But beyond that, the A4 itself is reliable and is a better choice than diesel for the "motor out of basin, motor head-to-wind, raise sail, shut off engine" type of sailing we prefer. Diesels want to stay on and age prematurely when run for short (under 1 hour under load) periods. The A4 doesn't care, being such a low-compression engine.

[deckhanddave]

Valiente that is just what I wanted to hear. All I needed to know was that the A4 is fine in conditions where you NEED it (getting out of a moor, lee shore...) and now that I've found a gas sniffer (not cheap but well worth the price) all is well. Now I can face my rebuild with renewed vigor. Oh and Valiente, do you recommend switching to fresh water cooling? What where the advantages for you?

Sailingdog, I do collodion ambrotypes in wetplate. In the past I have used a combination of 4x5, 3.25x4.25, and enlargers. Right now I'm about half way through building a 20"x24" glass plate camera for taking life size wet plate portraits. I still do some silver gelatin 4x5 work as well. I'ts kind of sad that its becoming harder to find decent emulsions. The good side is that since no one is using their 4x5 equipment anymore, I can actually afford it