Inboard or Outboard

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SP2

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We are trying to move up in size from our 23' outboard powered yacht (well it's wind powered, but you know what I mean) and the boats in the 25-28' range are mainly all inboard powered. Our last boat had inboard(s) and that was fine.

The main advantages of the outboard we have found is that the whole thing is out of the water when we are on the mooring, and when we want to service it, it goes to the dealer. It has been reliable and cheap to run.

Clearly if we want a large engine (10hp +) then weight becomes a factor.

Looking at the details of some boats for sale, many of the engines look in a state and the cost of replacing them would be considerable and would not add greatly to the value of the yacht.

I appreciate that battery charging output from an outboard is not going to match a decent alternator.

If there is a choice, what would you be minded to go for - old inboard or new outboard?
 
Its a fine choice but for a 25-28 foot range I would be opting for an inboard. I moved up from a 22' Hurley with a 9 hp outboard for two reasons; below decks standing headroom and an inboard. By that time I was fed up of the noise of the OB and the unsuitability for motoring in a swell. It was expensive on fuel as well.
The OB was in a well and was a struggle to lift in an out. Anything bigger than a 9 would need to go on the transom which would require a very beefy bracket.
While a four-stroke would be quieter it will be even heavier. Charging from an outboard is really only suitable for running lights.
The inboards you have looked at may look a state, but it doesn't mean they are clapped. They are agricultural beasts and even if the paint is scabby they probably have a long way to go.
 
The very first time on my new (new to me that is ) sailing boat the inboard packed up and left me stranded. When it became obvious that the inboard diesel was terminal, i bought an outboard as a quick fix.This was so successful that i used outboard only , for a year. I have now replaced the inboard with a recon at a cost of £2k and I hate the noise and vibration. Now i have both inboard and outboard and always use the outboard by choice.It is so much more resonsive. In fact if i am facing a difficult harbour entrance or tide i use both.
 
My view would be that inboard is best (notwithstanding Laundryman's experience which sounds unfortunate). You have identified the charging issue as a benefit, but a properly designed inboard set up with a properly sized engine for the vessel and prop for the engine/vessel is difficult to beat. Used both in the past and would go for inboard everytime. Diesel is more readily available quayside - no humping petrol cans.

Prefer the rythmic thump of a diesel to the whine of an outboard.

Downside? - Diesel is a great fuel but a lousy aftershave...

Nudge
 
For that size of monohull, I reckon a recent inboard is a better choice, but have first hand experience of how expensive a new one is. I had to replace a 10hp inboard a few years ago, and it cost £5k. I got nothing back from that investment when I sold the boat.

So perhaps the best solution is to try to find a boat that has had a recent replacement engine, so someone else takes the hit. For example...

Shiny new engine

I now have a modern outboard engine on my boat. If you do go for an outboard, some of the statements above are somewhat dubious...

- charging output on modern 10hp ouboard is fine for a small boat's needs, for exmaple 12 Amps from the Honda 9.9. With the proper regulated rectified altenator these are a far cry from the old fashioned lighting coil

- fuel costs of a 4 stroke engine will not be much more than a 10 hp diesel, more than made up by lower engine purchase cost
 
I had a 9.9 outboard for a while on a 27 footer. Problems were it coming out of the water in a swell; being swamped in heavy seas; poor reverse thrust; carying fuel to the boat; and the biggest problem was the bracket, it kept breaking in heavy seas.

If on a lake or sheltered water, then an OB might be better, anything else then (costs permitting) an IB is better.
 
I picked up a 20 year old 9 HP Volvo 2001 a few years back out of "Boats and outboards " to replace my 6hp petter from a boat yard up the river near Dartmouth, it cost 400 quid, they started it up on a pallet and it ran fine so i bought it,been going fine ever since,if only i realised the gearbox is angled down by 7deg it would have made fitting it a bit easier.
 
As you are now looking at longer vessels you are likely to find that in a short swell the outboard prop is likely to lift near to the surface and cavitating only to almost stall again as it drops deep into the water again, I remember a friend of mine almost getting stuck in the Yealm in a SW4/5 in such conditions luckily he eventually got enough sea room to get his sails up.
 
I was faced by the same problem a while back - the MD1 diesel inboard on my Snapdragon 24 turned up its toes after 35+ years. I was fortunate to find a decent second hand engine - 50kg lighter than the old donk and far too powerful for the Snappy, but kinda handy when punching a tide.

A mate at my sailing club has a 25 footer and replaced his deceased diesel with an outboard a few years ago. He reckons it was the worst thing he ever did.

When buying a boat, you may get a better outboard more easily, but I reckon a shiney outboard case can just as easily hide a multitude of expensive sins as a rusty diesel. Mine looks pretty manky, but runs well. I suspect there are a lot of manky looking inboard diesels out there that will carry on chugging away for years. 90% of the time, if it starts OK from cold, doesn't smoke excessively once it's warm and pushes the boat along properly, it's probably fine.

IMHO, here are the arguments:

Pro Outboard:
Cheaper to replace(probably)
Easier installation
Easier to remove - but this applies to thieves as well!

Pro inboard diesel:
cheaper to run
servicing easier
longer lived
MUCH better in a swell
Unless the outboard is ahead of the rudder or you can steer the engine, the low speed handling is MUCH better with an inboard
 
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