Changing Bukh 24 to new engine for Med' - Which one?

Scotty_Tradewind

Scotty_Tradewind

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I'm considering taking my boat to/towards the med' next year.

One of my concerns has been to ensure that I have a good engine that is modern and that it enables me to get quickly obtained spares and breakdown service.

My 1992 Bukh 24, although plodding on nicely at present, has me thinking that parts or service may not be the easiest to get in various parts of my travels in foreign waters.

Therefore if replacing my engine for one that is a little bigger, say a 3 cylinder around 36hp, what engine would those with long experience in the Med' think would be the best to have?

thanks
S.
 
I replaced my Bukh 20 with a Yanmar 27, which proved to be an excellent choice. 100 kg lighter, smoother, quieter, far easier to work on, not that I have needed to. And so much smaller that I was able to build a substantial toolbox to fill the space previously occupied by the cylinder head of the Bukh. I have found parts easily obtainable throughout the Med.
 
The trend these days seems to be towards the Kubota based engines. Nanni are marinised in France and Beta in Gloucestershire so Nanni would seem to be the better choice although the basic 'engine' bits are available worldwide. Personally I'd keep the Bukh and carry a lot of spares.
 
Volvo and Yanmar are probably the most common engines, reflecting their domination of the new boat market. would not worry too much about spares availability. A neighbour in Gouvia, Corfu had his Bukh rebuilt there as well and as economically as it would have been in UK. However, you will be doing a lot of motoring so still worth getting a modern engine for the reasons Vyv suggests, quieter, smoother, smaller, lighter. Would go up a size as the Bukh is underpowered for your boat by today's standards. The 30hp category are mostly 3 cylinders, but you could go up to a 35hp 4 cylinder Beta or Nanni, both lower revving engines and still not too big for the boat.
 
forelle541 said:
Have you had problems with your Bukh? Only ask cause I have one.
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Not one hiccup from the Bukh since I've had her and last season we must have motored a huge %age of the time to Scotland and back to Pompey.

She does lack a bit of umph when battling against a tide but that's expected with our 9.5 tons and the hydrodynamics of a wardrobe.

As for smoothness.... she's the smoothest medium sized twin I've experienced and the quietest, yet probably marginally outdone by modern 3 cylinders. If you have a Bukh and its generally noisy, it's possibly more to do with a resonating air intake trumpet than the engine itself.

S.
 
Scotty_Tradewind said:
Not one hiccup from the Bukh since I've had her and last season we must have motored a huge %age of the time to Scotland and back to Pompey.
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Seems like a good reason to keep it.

BUKH (UK) Ltd are very good at getting spares off to you the day they are ordered. The boss (Al?) is always helpful and knowledgeable and you don't need to buy a parts manual because he carries all the part numbers in his head.

Also, it would be much cheaper to invest in a kit of the most commonly neeeded BUKH spares. Al could advise you what to get.
 
We replaced our DV20 with a Beta 30 and a 3 bladed Flexofold prop. Never looked back, better fuel economy, quieter, smoother. Wish we did it before we went to Scotland, but we didn't. So wasted a week in gareloch getting a new head gasket and cylinder head fitted.
 
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parsifal said:
Seems like a good reason to keep it.

BUKH (UK) Ltd are very good at getting spares off to you the day they are ordered. The boss (Al?) is always helpful and knowledgeable and you don't need to buy a parts manual because he carries all the part numbers in his head.

Also, it would be much cheaper to invest in a kit of the most commonly neeeded BUKH spares. Al could advise you what to get.
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Hi Parsifal,
It's not just the reliability I'm concerned about.
Although all seems to be working well, my boat is basically underpowered too.
I can push her along at six knots max' in the flat calm, but put a sea in front of her against a tide and we struggle.

I'm of course playing at devils advocate against and with my concerns.
Does Al' have service mechanics who would give her a major service if I kept the Bukh?

To make it clear, I in no way criticise Bukh engines. They are extremely high quality and if I were to continue sailing in and around the U.K. I wouldn't consider changing.

thanks
S.
 
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Scotty_Tradewind said:
Hi Parsifal,
It's not just the reliability I'm concerned about.
Although all seems to be working well, my boat is basically underpowered too.
I can push her along at six knots max' in the flat calm, but put a sea in front of her against a tide and we struggle.

To make it clear, I in no way criticise Bukh engines. They are extremely high quality and if I were to continue sailing in and around the U.K. I wouldn't consider changing.
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No tides to punch in the Med, of course, but you could find yourself doing plenty of motoring. Should you keep the Bukh (I would) it obviously makes sense to give it a thorough going-over...replace even remotely suspect hoses, coolant, etc etc. Glow plugs are cheap as chips, and when were injectors/pump last serviced? A comprehensive spares kit is wise. I imagine you know the old girl well enough to know what's needed, but I'd suggest the obvious consumables plus water pump, maybe alternator, starter motor.

I'd spend the money on Med-ising: bimini, solar panels, etc.
 
The engine is still being built in Denmark and installed in Life Boats Worldwide, so while spares might not be available off the shelf in the med ordering from DK and having it sent to the med shouldn't take long. It's used in lifeboats because it is bl00dy reliable.
 
macd said:
No tides to punch in the Med, of course, but you could find yourself doing plenty of motoring. Should you keep the Bukh (I would) it obviously makes sense to give it a thorough going-over...replace even remotely suspect hoses, coolant, etc etc. Glow plugs are cheap as chips, and when were injectors/pump last serviced? A comprehensive spares kit is wise. I imagine you know the old girl well enough to know what's needed, but I'd suggest the obvious consumables plus water pump, maybe alternator, starter motor.

I'd spend the money on Med-ising: bimini, solar panels, etc.
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Hi macd,
glow plugs.... what are they? My Bukh doesn't have them, does anyone elses?

Got the bimini and two solars but possible to have a third. Biggest problem is sailing with bimini up as mainsheet comes down to the back of the cockpit, which I like, hence the sheet goes out twixt the s/s poles to support. Fun if I gybe!

Have list (who doesn't?) of improvements for 'Med-ising' .
You've just triggered off an idea to put a new thread on suggestions for doing just that.

thanks
S.
 
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Yes - my DV20 has equivalent of glow plugs. There is a retrofit kit which fits in the air intake- avaialble from Bukh in Dorset & suppliers such as Norris. I think poss a couple of hundred quid. Pretty useful to have in UK with cold starting, but perhaps not so vital in the Med with much higher average temps?


here you go: http://www.frenchmarine.com/product/Bukh-022D2209-Cold-Start-Kit-For-DV20-1059-211
 
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RobBrown said:
Yes - my DV20 has equivalent of glow plugs. There is a retrofit kit which fits in the air intake- avaialble from Bukh in Dorset & suppliers such as Norris. I think poss a couple of hundred quid. Pretty useful to have in UK with cold starting, but perhaps not so vital in the Med with much higher average temps?


here you go: http://www.frenchmarine.com/product/Bukh-022D2209-Cold-Start-Kit-For-DV20-1059-211
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many thanks, good to be learning something each day still... :)
However, as I'm staying this side of the Arctic and going no further down than the Canaries, I think I'll pass.

ta
S.
 
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Konsortium said:
Have you replaced your engine yet? I'm looking for a second hand Bukh.
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Hi Konsortium, (welcome to the forum)..... gave it a lot of thought and have decided to go with the advice of kitting out with extensive spares and plodding on with my Bukh.



I really do try to sail as much as possible, using the engine as little as possible. Having said that when I went to Scotland and back I reckon we motored a huge majority of the time as do my friends whose yacht has been in Greece and turkey. :(

In the Med' it can be a bit of a lottery as to the amount of wind, depending on where and when you are in certain areas.
We may not get to the Med' this year so if the engine gives trouble big-time, I may sail back to Portsmouth and re-engine next winter.

We've decided this early summer to go towards western France and we may decide to stay on the French coast all summer.
if we get to n. Spain I may winter up in somewhere like Viveiro, just east of la Caruna.

Another idea is to winter up in the Azores. Anyone know the cost of that for a yacht going ashore?

S.
 
I'm envious because of your plans and because you have a running DV24ME! I agree, that magical silence you get when you turn off the engine and feel mother nature pull you through the water is special.

If i can find an engine, i hope to sail from Folkestone to Boulogne and then coast hug to Alderney, cut across to Dartmouth and Brixham and then back to Folkestone.

If anyone hears of a DV24ME coming up for sale, i'd be grateful for the heads up!

Thank you.
 
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