shaft drive v stern drive

[blueglass]

another one here who wouldn' have outdrives if you paid me. On an older boat especially the maintenance and repairs will outweigh any conceivable efficiency advantage.

 

[PaulGooch]

Many thanks for your offer Paul.
I will certainly give you a call if i am your way.
Unfortunatly I live in Stone Staffs and mooring is in Cobbs Quay Poole.
I also have the added consideration of the lifting bridge,two of them next year.
I dont have a problem at the moment with my shetland family four, so the lower the air draft the better. Would like to move up to more a caravan on water and be able to do a coastal trip safely.
It has been very interesting reading the unbiased replies.Great site
Thanks again for the offer

You're welcome, didn't realise you were so far away.

Best of luck with whatever you decide to go for. As you mention the air draft, from memory, the MF805 is about 3m. Mines 4m with radar. Should be at the boat tomorrow, will double check what it is without the radar.

 

[ian38_39]

another one here who wouldn' have outdrives if you paid me. On an older boat especially the maintenance and repairs will outweigh any conceivable efficiency advantage.

Another here with no problems from two older twin outdrive boats over the last 5 years, a 1990 Sealine 255 and a 1993 Sealine 310 statesman. Both maintained by myself generally but a leaking internal seal on one of the Alpha drives cost £250 to have sorted out by a Mercruiser agent and a full overhaul of both drives when the current boat was purchased cost £855
Apart from these cost they have cost oil, anodes, O rings and a set of genuine VP bellows for the current one this year. Anodes I believe are needed even with shafts and come to think of it oil will be required in gearbox's even if they are inside.

Still trying to find the cutless bearings to change and worried by the lack of drips from the packing glands. ;-)

 

[PaulGooch]

<snip>
Anodes I believe are needed even with shafts and come to think of it oil will be required in gearbox's even if they are inside.

Correct on both points Ian.

Still trying to find the cutless bearings to change and worried by the lack of drips from the packing glands. ;-)

Not had to do a cutless bearing yet, 7 years old and still as good as new. No packing glands, modern Volvo seal, just needs 1cc of grease each year.

 

[omega2]

It's getting tetchy again, all I CAN SAY IS EACH TO HIS OWN, if what you have serves you well so be it. The question was asked and answers given, that IMHO should be the end of it.