applepip
New member
Anyone prepared to compare advantages and disadvantages of a sail drive against convention engine Installations. Would be appreciated.
Ta Terry
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Ta Terry
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Which Drive?
- Thread starter applepip
- Start date
Koeketiene
Well-known member
Sail drive:
Advantage
1. Takes less space (more room for storeage)
2. Easy access
3. No problems with glands, stuffing, propshaft, etc...
4. No (or less) propwalk
Disadvantage
1. Slightly more expensive
2. To change oil on gear & to change anodes - needs a lift out.
Yanita's got a saildrive, and by and large I'm happy with the arrangement. Don't pay any attention to scaremongers regarding the gaiter. There is no record, on any make of boat, of a boat being lost because of a leaky gaiter. Yanmar engines come with a double gaiter & audio alarm.
<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
Advantage
1. Takes less space (more room for storeage)
2. Easy access
3. No problems with glands, stuffing, propshaft, etc...
4. No (or less) propwalk
Disadvantage
1. Slightly more expensive
2. To change oil on gear & to change anodes - needs a lift out.
Yanita's got a saildrive, and by and large I'm happy with the arrangement. Don't pay any attention to scaremongers regarding the gaiter. There is no record, on any make of boat, of a boat being lost because of a leaky gaiter. Yanmar engines come with a double gaiter & audio alarm.
<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
claudio
New member
Disadvantages
3. You may have to change the gaitor sometime (because the insurance company won't insure you if you don't) so just check that you don't have to chop the boat up to get it out.
Sorry, not scaremongering but find out before you buy (ask for a quote from the boatyard)
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3. You may have to change the gaitor sometime (because the insurance company won't insure you if you don't) so just check that you don't have to chop the boat up to get it out.
Sorry, not scaremongering but find out before you buy (ask for a quote from the boatyard)
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Koeketiene
Well-known member
True - nothing lasts forever (as I frequently remind Mrs Yanita).
However, Volvo recently updated the recommended interval from 7yrs to 10yrs. With (newer) Yanmar saildrives you have the added advantage of twin gaiters with audio alarm. So if the outer one goes, yet get an alarm signal, but still the inner one in place. Leaving you plenty of time.
<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
However, Volvo recently updated the recommended interval from 7yrs to 10yrs. With (newer) Yanmar saildrives you have the added advantage of twin gaiters with audio alarm. So if the outer one goes, yet get an alarm signal, but still the inner one in place. Leaving you plenty of time.
<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
claudio
New member
Yanita,
Just playing the Devil's advocate /forums/images/icons/smile.gif, what happens if the inner gaitor goes first ?
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Just playing the Devil's advocate /forums/images/icons/smile.gif, what happens if the inner gaitor goes first ?
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Koeketiene
Well-known member
Claudio,
How dear you criticise my new toy ;oD
From what I gather - the inner gaiter is not directly in contact with the sea, unless of course the outer gaiter's sprung a leak. So big question - the inner gaiter is faulty, yet you get no audible alarm (no seawater in yet) - then the outer gaiter goes -> water straight in. Then what?
Well, I sail an Etap - brochure says they are unsinkable
Like always with boats - you can never say it won't happen. It never happened so far.
<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
How dear you criticise my new toy ;oD
From what I gather - the inner gaiter is not directly in contact with the sea, unless of course the outer gaiter's sprung a leak. So big question - the inner gaiter is faulty, yet you get no audible alarm (no seawater in yet) - then the outer gaiter goes -> water straight in. Then what?
Well, I sail an Etap - brochure says they are unsinkable
Like always with boats - you can never say it won't happen. It never happened so far.
<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
ccscott49
Active member
why no prop walk? there is a propellor, isnt there?
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Koeketiene
Well-known member
Well, let's keep it at "significantly less".
Mailnly because the propellor will be situated practically in the centre of the boat, as opposed to near the stern of the boat as is the case with convential engines.
<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
Mailnly because the propellor will be situated practically in the centre of the boat, as opposed to near the stern of the boat as is the case with convential engines.
<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
duncan
Active member
so it kicks the whole boat sidways rather than the stern then.....
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Koeketiene
Well-known member
Yes and no.
When moored alongside - theoretically your pivot point is near the centre of the boat; so is your propeller (on a saildrive). The shorter distance between pivot point and propeller means that the propwalk is less pronounced than on a conventional boat.
In fact, on Yanita - 6.3T - it's negligible.
<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
When moored alongside - theoretically your pivot point is near the centre of the boat; so is your propeller (on a saildrive). The shorter distance between pivot point and propeller means that the propwalk is less pronounced than on a conventional boat.
In fact, on Yanita - 6.3T - it's negligible.
<hr width=100% size=1>Fair winds.
If not... reef early!
timevans2000
New member
we have a Prout cat with a Sillette drive leg. We dont get any perceptible propwalk.
It helps being able to turn the whole driveleg too!
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It helps being able to turn the whole driveleg too!
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charles_reed
Active member
An obvious user
If I could agree on the advantages, except the exclusion of some of the other disadvantages:-
3. Higher risk of accelerated galvanic corrosion.
4. Exorbitant cost of spares.
5. In the case of the Volvo saildrives - design faults.
In fact I'd count lack of propwalk a disadvantage - fortunately all the saildrives I've driven appear to retain some, which can make getting into tight berths far easier.
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If I could agree on the advantages, except the exclusion of some of the other disadvantages:-
3. Higher risk of accelerated galvanic corrosion.
4. Exorbitant cost of spares.
5. In the case of the Volvo saildrives - design faults.
In fact I'd count lack of propwalk a disadvantage - fortunately all the saildrives I've driven appear to retain some, which can make getting into tight berths far easier.
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Rohorn
New member
Hi....I'm replacing two Yanmar 1gm10/sd20 saildrives on my cat with 2gm20/sd20 units. The gaiters on the two old drives were like new after 14 years.
I dispute that you cannot change the anticorrosion zincs on Yanmar drives while afloat.....just get into shallow water where you can stand, with mask and schnorkel, unscrew the centre M8 x 70 bolt, then the cone, then remove the propeller, then unscrew the zinc collar and replace it. Sure it would be harder than doing it ashore, but by no means impossible. Best not to drop anything. Best also you have a catamaran with shallow draft!
For the internal zinc on the port side of the drive, it won't be any more difficult than pulling out the underwater unit of your log to de-grot it. Be smart about it and have the spare ready to hand, keep the bilge pump turning.
But you know, I've changed the collar zinc once in the last eight years, and the inside zinc on the drive never. The motor zinc (on the 1GM sea-water cooled motor) is something else...twice a year in Greek waters, but that's easy to do inside.
Hope this info isn't too late....Cheers...R
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I dispute that you cannot change the anticorrosion zincs on Yanmar drives while afloat.....just get into shallow water where you can stand, with mask and schnorkel, unscrew the centre M8 x 70 bolt, then the cone, then remove the propeller, then unscrew the zinc collar and replace it. Sure it would be harder than doing it ashore, but by no means impossible. Best not to drop anything. Best also you have a catamaran with shallow draft!
For the internal zinc on the port side of the drive, it won't be any more difficult than pulling out the underwater unit of your log to de-grot it. Be smart about it and have the spare ready to hand, keep the bilge pump turning.
But you know, I've changed the collar zinc once in the last eight years, and the inside zinc on the drive never. The motor zinc (on the 1GM sea-water cooled motor) is something else...twice a year in Greek waters, but that's easy to do inside.
Hope this info isn't too late....Cheers...R
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