Switch
Active member
Hi, Anyone had any experience with this boat? I would welcome any comments good or bad about the design, engines Caterpillar 3126 DITA 395HP, or general build quality, sea keeping etc
Thanks
Thanks
Azimut 42 Flybridge
- Thread starter Switch
- Start date
volvopaul
Well-known member
Hi Terry, what's the deal? Pm maybe? Cat 3126 a good motor, some had soft blocks and valve train probs, cat can confirm if they have been upgraded under warranty by giving serial numbers to finning.
Sherwood sea water pumps are pants, filters cheap, many engine anodes fitted, far more££££ than volvos pencil anodes.
Watch out for osmosis even on 6 year old models, I've seen a few with it.
Don't suppose it's called White mischief by any chance? If so I look after the motors.
Last edited:
rafiki_
Well-known member
Azi 39
Hmmmmm. Great question. I am looking at the Azi 39, same Cat engines but 355 hp output.
Looks fantastic, and build quality from what I have seen is very good.
Looking fwd to seeing replies to this thread.
Hmmmmm. Great question. I am looking at the Azi 39, same Cat engines but 355 hp output.
Looks fantastic, and build quality from what I have seen is very good.
Looking fwd to seeing replies to this thread.
volvopaul
Well-known member
The one at cabin? Stu and maz are a great couple.
rafiki_
Well-known member
Not sure Paul. Is it called Jet? There are a couple on the market at Southampton, and a few more in Italy and Greece.
volvopaul
Well-known member
You should know which one i mean if you know what I mean, yes jet is the one.
rafiki_
Well-known member
OAF
New member
I have a pair if 3126 cats rated at 450hp, I love them, no smoke on start up, start every time, filters are quite cheap, parts easy to get hold of, they are a bit agricultural but I like that
volvopaul
Well-known member
I have a pair if 3126 cats rated at 450hp, I love them, no smoke on start up, start every time, filters are quite cheap, parts easy to get hold of, they are a bit agricultural but I like that
Are you sure there 450 I thought they were 426 hp, the electronic ones are 450hp.
Switch
Active member
OAF
New member
Now you have me doubting myself as to weather they are 425 or 450
will check the rating when back aboard next
Thepipdoc
New member
He's not called Cat Paul for nothing.
ChrisKaye
New member
Hi Switch,
Can only tell you about the engines as have them in my boat. 3126's did have soft block issues in the early years which CAT replaced / rebuilt under warranty even though usual warranty period had passed. Mine are 1996 and were rebuilt by CAT in 2000. Wouldn't get anyone else doing that !
Give serial numbers to Finning (Poole) and they will e-mail you all work done
Early ones 3126A were mechanical are very easy to look after. B's around '98 onwards electronic.
Parts from Finning are quite pricey, but then you won't need them very often. Fuel filters I buy originals off ebay (batch of 6 for £45 ex MOD stock) Anodes (think 10 per engine, so 20 to change !) Boatzinc in US/Canada is cheapest and I buy 2 years worth at a time and even with delivery they are half UK price).
Impellors don't need often but ASAP Supplies are half the CAT price as Sherwood pump.
Been very pleased with engines (fingers crossed), no smoke no probs, very powerful as 7.2L and 426hp and huge. mine are handed so all filters are in between both engines. Oil pump out system fitted (took me while to find) flick lever one way for sump other way for gearbox oil)
VP (CATPaul??) knows engines well but needs to save up for special CAT tool for valve adjustment so I can get him to do that for me too.
Any other q's on engine just ask
Can only tell you about the engines as have them in my boat. 3126's did have soft block issues in the early years which CAT replaced / rebuilt under warranty even though usual warranty period had passed. Mine are 1996 and were rebuilt by CAT in 2000. Wouldn't get anyone else doing that !
Give serial numbers to Finning (Poole) and they will e-mail you all work done
Early ones 3126A were mechanical are very easy to look after. B's around '98 onwards electronic.
Parts from Finning are quite pricey, but then you won't need them very often. Fuel filters I buy originals off ebay (batch of 6 for £45 ex MOD stock) Anodes (think 10 per engine, so 20 to change !) Boatzinc in US/Canada is cheapest and I buy 2 years worth at a time and even with delivery they are half UK price).
Impellors don't need often but ASAP Supplies are half the CAT price as Sherwood pump.
Been very pleased with engines (fingers crossed), no smoke no probs, very powerful as 7.2L and 426hp and huge. mine are handed so all filters are in between both engines. Oil pump out system fitted (took me while to find) flick lever one way for sump other way for gearbox oil)
VP (CATPaul??) knows engines well but needs to save up for special CAT tool for valve adjustment so I can get him to do that for me too.
Any other q's on engine just ask
Switch
Active member
thanks Chris, nice feedback. How is fuel consumption LPH or MPG?
ChrisKaye
New member
This is something I got from the CAT website which might help you although may be US gallons ! I don't worry too much about the economy as don't do many miles/hours but would estimate a gallon a mile.
RPM 420hp
2800 22.9 Gallons per hour / per engine
2600 17.3 Gallons per hour / per engine
2400 13.3 Gallons per hour / per engine
2200 10.1 Gallons per hour / per engine
2000 7.8 Gallons per hour / per engine
1800 6.2 Gallons per hour / per engine
1600 5.9 Gallons per hour / per engine
RPM 420hp
2800 22.9 Gallons per hour / per engine
2600 17.3 Gallons per hour / per engine
2400 13.3 Gallons per hour / per engine
2200 10.1 Gallons per hour / per engine
2000 7.8 Gallons per hour / per engine
1800 6.2 Gallons per hour / per engine
1600 5.9 Gallons per hour / per engine
PowerYachtBlog
Well-known member
I ran an Azimut 42 for a season here for charter and teaching the owner how to helm.
I can only say good things on this boat personally. Those Cat engines the 385hp are IMO very reliable, we never had issues with them.
I think the boat runs also pretty fast in head seas thanks to it slimmer hull. I was once going up Force 4 - 5 head seas (6 feet waves), and the boat that could only keep my pace was a Sunseeker 50 Camargue, which IMO consider as one of Sunseeker's best recent hulls.
The boat in question was a 2000, and that was in 2006.
This owner kept the 42 for three more years, and he ran charters on a daily basis. He still considers it his best boat.
As for Osmosis and Azimut, I can say that I have sold a dozen Azimut's and I never found anything. I had a case of gelcoat blistering but it was not osmosis in a 55, and a 46. The 42 seems also to be one of the least Azimut to feature boat Pox.
The one above stayed 2 years in a Marina without any really Osmosis protection (gelshield).
Anyhow a survey on a used boat can usually clear this, and I know that Azimut has sometimes repaired blistering even 2 years after guarantee was expired.
I can only say good things on this boat personally. Those Cat engines the 385hp are IMO very reliable, we never had issues with them.
I think the boat runs also pretty fast in head seas thanks to it slimmer hull. I was once going up Force 4 - 5 head seas (6 feet waves), and the boat that could only keep my pace was a Sunseeker 50 Camargue, which IMO consider as one of Sunseeker's best recent hulls.
The boat in question was a 2000, and that was in 2006.
This owner kept the 42 for three more years, and he ran charters on a daily basis. He still considers it his best boat.
As for Osmosis and Azimut, I can say that I have sold a dozen Azimut's and I never found anything. I had a case of gelcoat blistering but it was not osmosis in a 55, and a 46. The 42 seems also to be one of the least Azimut to feature boat Pox.
The one above stayed 2 years in a Marina without any really Osmosis protection (gelshield).
Anyhow a survey on a used boat can usually clear this, and I know that Azimut has sometimes repaired blistering even 2 years after guarantee was expired.
D
Deleted User YDKXO
Guest
You have to be careful about using the fuel consumption figures from the Cat spec sheets because generally they give 2 sets of figures, one for max power curve and one for prop demand curve, and neither is strictly speaking applicable to a planing boat. The max power curve assumes that the engine is developing it's max rated power at all rpm which is a situation that is impossible to achieve with a single gear ratio and a propellor which is sized to allow the engine to achieve it's max power at one particular rpm (generally max rpm). The prop demand curve, on the other hand, is a curve that attempts to take account of the inability of the prop to allow the engine to develop max power at all rpm but note that the prop demand curve on the Cat spec sheets is calculated for a displacement boat, not a planing boat. Actually it would be impossible to publish a prop demand curve applicable for all planing boats because a prop demand curve is something that varies from boat to boat depending on hull design, weight, prop size, fouling etc etc.
I've had Cat engines in my last 4 boats and I have attempted to calculate a fuel consumption v speed/rpm curve for all of them but without accurate fuel flow measuring equipment, it is not possible to do that accurately. FWIW, I've found from simple calculations based on fuel fills that the actual consumption falls somewhere between the Cat max power and displacement prop demand curves. On my current boat which has electronically controlled engines, there is fuel consumption data given on the engine instrumentation and this seems to be reasonably accurate enough to calculate a usable fuel consumption curve
volvopaul
Well-known member
Also cats figures are u s gallons not uk gallons.
The figures look high to me for a sun seeker 41 chris, I'd say you get a lot better mpg based on the figures there.
jfm
Well-known member
When MBY tested the azi 42 with Cats, perhaps 5 or 6 years ago, they got astonishingly good mpg and it was the best mpg boat in that category they'd ever tested, if I recall correctly
sunquest
Member
Apologies for thread drift, but are Cats noisier than Volvos? I have 3116TA's
which are excellent for filter prices etc. but seem on the noisy side.
which are excellent for filter prices etc. but seem on the noisy side.
