Probably discussed before but - Single Prop Petrol or Twin diesel?

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doodles

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Hi, First post for me, I've seen two boats I'm interested in.

Freeman 24 single prop. Petrol engine and a Freeman 27 twin diesel
It will be my first boat, question is, What would you go for?

I like the idea of petrol because of the lack of noise but on the other hand would
the Diesel be easier for me to handle.

Regards
 
Diesel is better because it is available, petrol generally has to be carted to the boat as so few boatyards sell it.

I will leave the rest of the pros & cons to others.
 
I would go for the twin 27. It would give the opportunity to travel further afield..... Medway and perhaps further.
It also provides much more interior space. The 24 is a bit tight for much more than week-ending.
If you ultimately aspire to a larger boat, do yourself a favour and jump straight to it if you can. You won't regret it.

If on the other hand you are just getting into boating, have a restricted budget and are not sure you will get extensive use from the boat, a 24 is a great opportunity to dip your toe in the water. The mooring fees will be significantly less, the maintenance will be cheaper if you don't do it yourself.

Correct! The 24 will be MUCH quieter, the 27 easier to manoeuvre, although any small Freeman is a doddle to handle with a little practice and not a problem on the Thames.

Other considerations are:-
Availability of fuel. Not as many places sell petrol on the riverside as sell diesel.
You can not install a gas fridge on a petrol boat.
Petrol fumes are dangerous, diesel much less so.
The diesel boat will re-sell easier than petrol, but again with a Freeman, not such a problem.

Try them both...... one will 'feel' better for you.
 
Freemans handle pretty well on the river, you shouldn't have any trouble with either on that front :)

The Watermota petrol engines are reasonably reliable, economical and cheap to maintain as they are based on the Ford Xflow engine.
Diesel engines are more economical, but you’ll have two of them so that goes out the window, and you have the added cost of two to maintain.
On the plus side diesel is safer than petrol, but there are plenty of watermota engined boats cruising the rivers and few issues...(yes yes, I know one caught fire in henley a few years back ;) )

 
Having had both, its a difficult choice and it really depends on what you intend to do with the boat.

If you are definitely staying on the river you don't need two engines but having two throttles and greater options does add to the fun.
The difference in fuel consumption isn't worth worrying about at river speeds neither will break the bank, but then servicing two engines always costs double.

The petrol engine will be much quieter and smoother, but the diesels are much easier to find fuel for and saves carrying cans down to the boat every weekend.

If its just going to be a weekend day boat on the river only then I would go petrol, but if you intend to go for week long holidays and possibly tidal buy the diesel.

Or look for a boat with a nice big single diesel :)
 
we Probably would want to stay on it for say long weekends, so i'm leaning towards the 27

but I've been quoted £430 plus parts for the diesels to be serviced..... I'm new to this
so would they need servicing every year?....half the price for the petrol
 
Don't be afraid of the Watermota petrol, it's a Ford Cortina Mk2 engine, simple and raw water cooled.

Obviously you should take care of the Petrol bit...
 
yes I quite like the idea of the Cortina xflow

Had one of those years ago in a nice 1600E I had.....I reckon
I could service that myself.....how often do you recommend servicing
and previous post said I cant have a Gas fridge how do people get
around that problem?
 
doodles said:
yes I quite like the idea of the Cortina xflow

Had one of those years ago in a nice 1600E I had.....I reckon
I could service that myself.....how often do you recommend servicing
and previous post said I cant have a Gas fridge how do people get
around that problem?
Click to expand...

If you are / were happy with servicing the petrol boat, then a diesel is not that much different for general maintenance - I assume the engines are not turbo?
Of course when things go wrong.

does the smaller boat have shaft drive, if not there can be problems with outdrives - there are legions of threads on these for a about outdrives....

Methinks you're missing a trick if you say 'not for weekends' because there's a helluva lot to see and explore on the River, but only 'pottering' will confine you to quite a small area - but then I don't know your circumstances.
 
I think you might have mis read that bit Trueblue...I would be using it for long weekends..me the missus and a dog...
and I'm intending to moor at Walton Marina.

and yes Shaft drive and 59 hp I think.
 
The watermota petrol is a doddle to service yourself....I like to change the oild and filter every year, and do the rest when nessesary.

TBH the 24 should have ample space for your needs, as I said above I know a couple with a black lab that go away for weeks on theirs, but have said it's too small for a guest. Most of the difference on the 27 is in the cockpit so you may not see the difference.


Most run 12v fridges to get past the gas problem, check to see what they already have onboard, they will probably be already set up with leisure batteries to power it.

I see you joined the freeman forum, if you post the boats you are looking at on there, someone may well know the boats you have in mind :)
 
Last edited:
The 27 has BMC diesels which are just as easy to service as the Ford. Ok, there are two of them. You need a "Pela" pump to suck the old oil out, then change the oil filter. You will also need to replace the raw water impellor. ASAP supplies sells the oil & fuel filters and the impellors you will need.

According to the full specification on the 27 it has heating...

The roomier 27 may make a lot of sense if you are tall.

If you decided to go the single engine route you might also take a look at the Birchwood 25... it has the Ford petrol engine and good headroom in the cabin.
 
Yes they are 100hp BMC's.....you mention the birchwood 25 do you think
That has better headroom in the cabin? I've just done some research and the
Freeman 24 has only got 6'1" .......I'm 6'2"
I'll have to go and see them both.
 
doodles said:
Yes they are 100hp BMC's.....you mention the birchwood 25 do you think
That has better headroom in the cabin? I've just done some research and the
Freeman 24 has only got 6'1" .......I'm 6'2"
I'll have to go and see them both.
Click to expand...

Best to go and see, but the Birchwood is well known for good headroom. (However, I am only 5'8" so it is not an issue for me).
 
Ok guys, thanks for input.
I'll try them both out and look
At some birchwoods....are they as
Well built as a Freeman?
 
Gas fridge is a no no... 12V electric OK, but to buy new they are eye waveringly expensive.
Propex is OK on petrol boat as they are 'room sealed' - ie. The flame is only exhausted outside the boat so safe.
If going down the diesel route, an Eberspacher/Minuki/Webasto diesel fired heater makes more sense as you have the fuel to hand.

Regarding your height, the 24 will feel small, but not necessarily a no, go. Its a strange thing to explain.
The 24 and 27 are two very different boats, the 27 is NOT just a stretched 24. It is much wider, the beds are bigger etc.
 
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