Gardner Diesel 150 hp 6LX - can it go slow enough for the canal network? 2.5mph

[KLJ]

Hi!
I'm interested in buying a boat that has a Gardner Diesel 150 hp 6LX engine - Twin disc gearbox. Apparently it's pretty good on tidal waters. I'm hoping though that someone might be able to provide some insight into how suitable this would be for cruising a 60ft by 11ft iron hull barge along the canal network, where it's necessary to reduce speed to 2.5mph when passing other moorers. Would appreciate any thoughts on whether this engine can handle going that slow, or adaptations that could possibly be made.

 

[scottie]

a sea trial would give you answers including boat speed at idle revs which could be more of an issue as you can always disengage gear
Water and air draft could also be a restriction to cruising area

 

[ChromeDome]

If no previous owner to ask you can estimate by calculating engine idle rpm through gearbox ratio and get the shaft rpm. Then multiply by the prop pitch to get the inches it moves forward per minute. Convert to mph.

 

[Tranona]

The Gardner runs very slowly at tickover - under 500rpm. with a 2:1 reduction gives a shaft speed of 250rpm. Using the formula in post#3 and a 10" pitch propeller this translates into a speed of 2.36mph. This is only illustrative to show that it is likely that the boat will be happy running at low speeds - but easy toconfirm in a sea trial. If the boat is already in use in inlsand waterways then guess it is suitable. However in the UK there are very limited waterways where you can use a wide beam boat like that. Most of the canal system is limited to 7' beam (and very shallow with low air draft)

 

[KLJ]

If no previous owner to ask you can estimate by calculating engine idle rpm through gearbox ratio and get the shaft rpm. Then multiply by the prop pitch to get the inches it moves forward per minute. Convert to mph.

The Gardner runs very slowly at tickover - under 500rpm. with a 2:1 reduction gives a shaft speed of 250rpm. Using the formula in post#3 and a 10" pitch propeller this translates into a speed of 2.36mph. This is only illustrative to show that it is likely that the boat will be happy running at low speeds - but easy toconfirm in a sea trial. If the boat is already in use in inlsand waterways then guess it is suitable. However in the UK there are very limited waterways where you can use a wide beam boat like that. Most of the canal system is limited to 7' beam (and very shallow with low air draft)

Thank you Tranona! Very helpful! I'd plan to live on it on the canal and river network in London which I have navigated across before on a 12ft barge, so hopefully all good on that front but good to know!

 

[Tranona]

That all sounds good. Hope the hull is equally sound. The Gardner is arguably the very best diesel engine ever made. They were one of my customers when I first started work in the 1960s. My company made all the filtration for the engines as well as power takeoffs for industrial and agricultural use. Very Edwardian - factory was built in 1911 and offices were the same era. Visits only by appointment, and some of the staff seemed to have been there since it started. My other customers were the select band of lorry makers who used their engines and many of their customers would use the same Gardner for more than one truck - wearing the truck out before the engine or moving to a bigger truck. A couple of years ago I looked at a custom built 45' bluewater boat built in the 1980s which had a 3LW that had first been fitted to a Bristol corporation tram in the early 1930s. Never rebuilt and still running perfectly. Happy days.

 

[KLJ]

That all sounds good. Hope the hull is equally sound. The Gardner is arguably the very best diesel engine ever made. They were one of my customers when I first started work in the 1960s. My company made all the filtration for the engines as well as power takeoffs for industrial and agricultural use. Very Edwardian - factory was built in 1911 and offices were the same era. Visits only by appointment, and some of the staff seemed to have been there since it started. My other customers were the select band of lorry makers who used their engines and many of their customers would use the same Gardner for more than one truck - wearing the truck out before the engine or moving to a bigger truck. A couple of years ago I looked at a custom built 45' bluewater boat built in the 1980s which had a 3LW that had first been fitted to a Bristol corporation tram in the early 1930s. Never rebuilt and still running perfectly. Happy days.

Wow! That all sounds very promising indeed I really don't know engines at all but am delighted/ comforted to hear that this is arguably the best!

 

[KLJ]

On another forum I have seen someone talking about how they marinised their Gardner engine to cope with rivers and canals and that it therefore has no problems at low speed. I'm not sure this makes sense or what that would mean exactly

 

[Tranona]

They may well be talking about fitting keel cooling or similar to avoid potential blocking of water intakes for direct cooling. Speed is all about shaft speed and pitch of the propeller. If they marinised a vehicle engine the two key areas are cooling and fitting a marine reduction box the match the shaft speed to the propeller.
More information on Gardner engines here Gardner Diesel Engine – 6LXB

 

[gardener]

I used to have one in a previous boat, oh i miss it now, however on tickover it would surge ahead at 4.7 knots. I belive the only way to go slower is to keep slipping into neutral or changing the prop if no longer needed for sea. Good luck

 

[ChromeDome]

I used to have one in a previous boat, oh i miss it now, however on tickover it would surge ahead at 4.7 knots. I belive the only way to go slower is to keep slipping into neutral or changing the prop if no longer needed for sea. Good luck

Or dragging something. Buckets spring to mind.

 

[gardener]

Or dragging something. Buckets spring to mind

Or perhaps a sunken tractor

 

[scottie]

Or dragging something. Buckets spring to mind.

It might be worth looking at trawling valve a slightly more version of slipping clutch available for some twin disc boxes at a cost

 

[gardener]

On second thoughts i have often started it on one cylinder, more to prove a point, but once started you could run on two or three cylinders and the next day run on the others, this should double the life of the already long life engine. The reduction of cylinders would get you nearer your target speed

 

[scottie]

More than likely reduce the engine life

 

[gardener]

I was not serious

 

[scottie]

Assume that someone will take you seriously on here ALWAYS

 

[gardener]

I hang my head in shame and offer my most humble apologies

 

[scottie]

I hang my head in shame and offer my most humble apologies

Ample grovel for toady note the froudien?