Diesel outboards...

Pointless for Leisure use.....

They are super heavy, and only available with lower power outputs (15hp ish).

You would need to run one 24/7 flat out to save enough on fuel to outweigh the initial cost as a 15hp fourstroke outboard isn't going to use that much fuel anyhow.
 
Diesel outboards are the work of the devil.
Avoid, unless you are involved in procurement on behalf the military...
 
Yes but if you wanted to free yourself of carrying petrol onboard...

Mal

That was the main reason for having diesel propulsion in the Alnmaritec workboat mentioned in the link below -
http://www.alnmaritec.co.uk/design_drawingboard.html

Scroll down to the 'Crew transfer & standby vessel' ALN DB 58, and click on the detailed drawings.
She has a very neat propulsion arrangement with two small inboard diesels (only 30 hp each) with Silette outdrive legs.

I am no expert on outdrives, but most that I have seen have most of the leg (and especially the bellows area) underwater, even when the leg is tilted up as far as it can go, which must contribute to the tales of corrosion woe so often seen on the Mobo Forum.

These Silette legs appear to have a fair proportion of the leg above the water (according to the static waterline shown in the drawings), hence they would appear to me to combine some of the advantages of an outboard (eg keeping as much of the leg as possible out of the oggin when not being used) with the benefits of having diesel fuel rather than petrol.
 
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I watched the Harbour Master in a certain Adriatic port use a diesel O/B to propel his open dory round the moorings. Just a couple of minutes was enough to convince me I would never, ever, be tempted!
 
Yanmar do not appear to make diesel outboards any more - I tried googling them, and got this site as one of the results - http://www.marine-power.co.uk/d2736.htm
And no mention of diesel outboards on the new site.

I would be interested in any views or opinions on the 'long leg' outdrives mentioned in my previous post above, especially when combined with 'small' diesel engines - I suppose the main thing against them is the capital cost. And with 'average' usage the cost difference would probably not be saved during a typical lifetime of say 100 hours use each year.
 
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