Merc - v - Volvo

[whisper]

Was just about to confirm an order for a 23ft. Scandinavian sports boat which was fitted with a Volvo AD31Duo Prop giving 141hp at Propshaft. Builder has changed spec. to Mercruiser 1.7L TDI that gives 120hp at the prop.
Boat weight is approx. 1250kg ex. engine/leg. Weight of Volvo kit is 440kg, Merc. only 300kg.
Should I go ahead with the revised spec? Will it be slower, have worse handling? Any other views re noise, fuel consumption, maintenance etc?

Never knew buying a new boat could be so frustrating!

 

[Guest]

Stick with the volvo and tell them to stuff the merc , unless of course its already fitted, ie they are trying to sell you a previous cancelled order, then offer a stupid price.Heres an example, a known associate of mine orders a big sunseeker, weeks later they phone him to say that they have a cancelled order for the same boat but with bigger engines in, mtus instead of MAN engines and its yours for umpteen thousand more, so he says no, build that one for someone and build mine next with what I asked for, so in the end he gets the bigger engines for the price of the smaller ones, not bad eh just takes a phone call!!!.

paul js.

 

[whisper]

Thanks for the reply.
What the builder has done is stopped fitting the Volvo in this boat and all 2003 boats onwards will have the Merc. What I don't know is whether this will make it a worse proposition. If it does then we will try to find a 2nd. hand 2002 model.