Ted
San Francisco, CA
Boat Name:
Model/Year: 1976 Catalina 27
Hull No.
Hailing Port: South SF |
 02/28/2006 1:27 PM Pacific Time
I'm shopping around for an outboard for my 1976 C 27.
There's an Evinrude 6HP fisherman for sale at a good price in my marina, but I'm unsure about whether it's powerful enough for my needs. I'm sure it would be sufficient if I just needed it for docking, but I may also want to make a few trips to the other side of the bay before I finish rerigging.
How much power is appropriate for this boat? |
Michael Smalter
Webster, NY
Boat Name: Marrakesh
Model/Year: 1986
Hull No. 13645
Hailing Port: Rochester, NY |
02/28/2006 4:40 PM Pacific Time
My friend had a Columbia 26 with a 6HP outboard. It did OK, but he replaced it with a Honda 8HP when it died. The Catalina 270 comes with an 18HP inboard, and it seems that a 6HP is a bit on the small side, especially since 6's and 8's seem to be the HP of choice for non-racing C22's, and the C22 is 1/3 the weight of a C27.
I went to a web-site that I use frequently to compare boats. It has some info on speed of boats with different size motors. I'm not sure it is completely valid because the prop diameter in the evaluation of the 6HP engine is much larger than what you'd get on an outboard (more like an inboard).
http://www.image-ination.com/sailcalc.html
The calculation says that a C27 can go 4.7 knots with a 6HP, 5.2 knots with an 8 HP, 5.6 knots with a 9.9HP, and 6.4 knots with a 15HP (vs. a hull speed of 6.2). It doesn't say how quickly you would accelerate to full speed. You might get by with a 6HP, but I think you'd be better off with a 9.9. |
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22 '76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
03/01/2006 5:40 AM Pacific Time
I have a 9.9hp long shaft for sale, albeit is here in Texas, it came with my C22 but it is too heavy for racing. I had it overhauled for $430, because it had sat for many years, the compression is good, it has a new water pump and fuel pump, and the carbuerater has been refurbished. It runs good, but I have a little 4hp that is a lot lighter in weight for racing. I would like to get $1200, and I'll pay for shipping.
Al Ge
817-295-9234
[email protected] |
Boat Name:
Model/Year:
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Chattahoochee Sailing Club |
03/02/2006 4:35 AM Pacific Time
Al,
Does that have the electric start? |
Fred Apstein
Gabriola Is BC
Boat Name: Scruples
Model/Year: 1976
Hull No. 95
Hailing Port: Gabriola Is BC |
03/02/2006 8:23 AM Pacific Time
8 or 9.9 is the right horsepower for a C27 unless you're trying to save weight for racing.
I had a Nissan 8 hp and a honda 9.9 on my C27 at different times. I didn't notice any difference in performance. I think 6 hp is not enough if you want to motor at hull speed.
We have strong tidal currents here in BC, so when I motor I want to go as fast as I reasonably can.
More than 9.9 may be overkill. The weight way back there becomes a factor, and fuel cost goes up a lot.
Comparing diesel inboards and gas outboards of the same horsepower is misleading. A 10 hp outboard will move a C27 faster than a 10 hp inboard diesel. This is from experience with many boats over 40 years of boating. I'll let the engineers on the list explain it if they care to. I think it has to do with higher RPM at the prop.
In Canada, we don't have to register vessels with under 10 hp. For some of us, the lack of paper and freedom from numbers is a real pleasure, so 9.9 is attractive. |
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22 '76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
03/03/2006 6:42 AM Pacific Time
No, Todd, I'm sorry that it does not have an electric start, but it does start easily once there is fuel in the lines, maybe 4-5 pulls, to fill.
Al Ge |
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22 '76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
03/03/2006 6:59 AM Pacific Time
Fred, I don't think that inboards are less effiecent that outboards as you claim. The 35' home made boat TORCH I had was built with a 9.9 in a well. It did ok but I didn't like having to take out of the well and put the plug in to smootht he bottom so I installed a one cylinder 900rpm diesel and appropriate folding prop and got equal or greater performance. When that engine seized I changed to a 12hp higher rpm deisel and got even better performance. Both had 55amp alternators on them, with the 9hp when the main D8 battery was low after an over night race, we had to wait until the battery was nearly charged before there was enough power left to turn the prop at any reasonable speed.
Just to be obstainent,
Al Ge |
Fred Apstein
Gabriola Is BC
Boat Name: Scruples
Model/Year: 1976
Hull No. 95
Hailing Port: Gabriola Is BC |
03/04/2006 9:25 AM Pacific Time
Al,
I never said inboards are less efficient. A diesel will use a lot less fuel than an outboard.
What I said was that a 9.9 HP outboard will move a Catalina 27 faster than a 10 hp diesel.
It seems to me that the horses are different sizes for gas inboards, gas outboards, and inboard diesels. Identical horsepower ratings do not give equal performance.
In power boats we see gas engines of 250 hp replaced with 150 hp diesels with similar performance.
In the C27. We see lots of universal atomic four (24 hp?) replaced with 9.8 hp outboards with similar performance.
I like diesels. On any sailboat over 30 feet, I think an inboard diesel is the best choice. A lot of larger sailboats are a bit underpowered, though. My Catalina 38 has a 27 hp diesel, and there are times I wish it was bigger.
In the example you gave (35 foot boat) neither motor is strong enough to move the boat at hull speed, and perhaps it is a heavy boat. The diesel has more torque and may push as hard or harder at lower speed.
|
Al Gearing
Burleson, Texas
Boat Name: Torch of Freedom
Model/Year: C-22 '76
Hull No. 6448
Hailing Port: Arlington YC |
03/05/2006 8:41 AM Pacific Time
Yes, Fred, I agree, I sort had tongue in cheek. Horsepower is torque x RPM, so both have the same horses, but the slower turning engines can swing a larger prop, which at times seems slower. Also, an outboard likes to run at higher rpm, so it is running closer to its rated hp, than an inboard that typically will be run at half to to thirds of the full rpm at which it is rated. I think there is the big difference you see in the relative performance inboard vs. outboard.
Regards, Al Ge |
