Westerbeke or Yanmar??

[chuckjohansen]

Hi Folks:

I'm new to the group but hardly new to sailing - Name is Chuck and sail a Pearson 323 on Cayuga Lk, NY.

I've been having trouble with my Volvo MD11C and am looking to repower. I'm considering a Westerbeke 30B or Yanmar 3YM30. Any opinions on reliability and/or maintenance concerns?

Thanks,
ChuckJ
SV Phrophecy

[teshannon]

I don't have any experience with the Westerbeke but I have a Yanmar and am very pleased with it. I belive it is probably a smaller and lighter engine than the Westerbeke and would make an easier retrofit. I'm sure others will chime in. Good luck.

[Maine Sail]

They are both great engines. Both Yanmar and Westerbeke have high parts prices but you shouldn't need to many for a long while. My 2003 Westerbeke 44B four has over 2700 hours on it with zero problems.

If it were me i'd pick it by who will back you up the best in the future and which installer has the best reputation... Both engines are great!!

[sailingfool]

We recently rebuilt our W33, a fine engine, however I don't hear too often of people installing them new, Yanmar seems to have most of the mainstream new engine business. People who have them seem to have nothing but good things to say...I see the new Westerbeke still have aglow plug, perhaps they still dont offer the Yanmar instant start ability.

[HoffaLives]

it's been talked about before, but research the blocks and find out if there is a non-marine equivalent. if the block is also used in industrial or agricultural equipment you can often find parts much cheaper.

Yanmar makes it's own engines while westy uses a generic diesel and marinises it, so you know that engine has non-marine equivalents out there.

[Rockter]

I think they will both be solid motors.

Have a look at the Kubota-based Beta Marine motors. I say that so that you can source most of your spare parts from a plant machinery supplier if you have to.

Don't touch another Volvo. Never. Solid motors, but until they get sane about the spare parts prices, leave them in the mad house. I have been there, and ony just got out again, semi-sane, with bits of the wallpaper missing, some of the door handles chewed off the house....and much poorer.

I have no latent interest in Kubota or Beta.

[chuckjohansen]

Hi Rockter; Yehp, I've contacted the Beta-Marine dealer about the Kubota and the prices were $1k higher than either the Yanmar or Westerbeke.

The decision to re-power rather than re-build is based on Volvo parts prices, and inability to find replacment parts for a rebuild. Tks for the feedback.

Chuck

[Cruisingdad]

Yanmar is my suggestion.

[Valiente]

I have a Westerbeke W52 and concur that perhaps unlike Yanmar and definitely unlike Volvo, there are non-marine spares that are applicable for rebuild and repair purposes.

May this never be a issue with you...

However, if your pattern of usage is "light", diesels hate "light" (10 minutes at low revs from a cold start, head to wind, off...sail for three hours, cold start, 10 minutes back...shut off for a week).

"Light" wears engines in my non-mechanic (but strongly suggestive via anecdote) far more than "regular" or even "heavy". It is possible to kill a new diesel in under 1,000 hours this way.

Sooo... if you intend to motorsail a lot, or to run your diesel for an hour at 2,400 RPM before you switch off, then get the Yanmar. They seem efficient and popular and somewhat lighter, perhaps even more compact.

If you aren't going to do that, get the Westerbeke. It may wear out just as fast as the Yanmar, but it may be a great deal cheaper to fix. They also have about the best shop manuals I've ever seen...which your mechanic will appreciate.

Please understand that there are few awful marine diesels, but that marine diesel usage, when combined with salt water, close, sometimes poorly vented "caves", and ignorance of basic maintenance, can drastically shorten the lifespan of a diesel engine, no matter what the make.

The old, heavy Perkins and Lister engines that drive old cruisers regularly go 10,000 hours between rebuilds, or 20 years for most people. That's because they get oil changes every 100 hours, clean coolant, block passage rinses, clean air, decent venting, zinc changes and, most importantly, hours and hours of runtime at 2,200-2,400 RPM or so, which is the point where fuel efficiency is best and speed is maybe only a knot below maximum.

Diesels, like dogs, thrive on routine....

[camaraderie]

My own experience is that both are good engines and if anything the Westerbeke is built a bit more sturdily BUT branded Westerbeke parts are WAY more expensive than branded Yamaha parts. You can get off brand parts for both cheaper.