Hi Rick,
I'm in the Catalina 30 camp so I can't offer much insight into your C&C specificities. Also, I'm a relative newbie here in the middle of a full rebuild myself so I can't offer nearly as much advice as the experts who comb the forum to help us lost souls seemingly on a daily basis. However, I do feel I'm qualified to offer some advice as it relates to your powerplant choice soul-searching.
Like you, I faced an engine with significant reliability issues that, for me, ultimately required a full rebuild. I seriously questioned whether it was worthwhile to expend any further effort on an A-4 or switch to diesel or electric. As a testament to this group, I noticed nobody chimed in on your thread with some silly absolution like "diesels are dumb! Atomic 4-life!" or "electric is for hippies!" however that seems to be a frequent occurrence on other forums. I'll say this; for my vintage/model/market value of boat, (1979 Catalina 30) usage pattern, (infrequent) endurance/range needs, (limited to motoring out of the marina and raising the sails) and most of all budget (around $2,000-'ish') diesel was a no-go and I was leaning toward electric.
I watched hours of YouTube videos, joined the Yahoo electric boat forum, researched different motor options, learned about basic electric motor theory, weighed the benefits of permanent magnet DC vs induction AC, watched more YouTube videos, started collecting used lithium batteries from discarded power tools, watched more YouTube videos, read the biography of Nikola Tesla (not kidding) consulted Elon Musk (kidding) , watched more YouTube videos, and then ran the numbers. I could've purchased a 48 volt DC motor kit for about the same price as rebuilding my A-4, but thats before batteries. I'm sure if you've done even cursory research into an electric conversion you've discovered that lithium batteries are the only realistic option to achieve any range whatsoever and they aren't cheap. I even looked at purchasing a battery module from a wrecked Tesla model S or Roadster on eBay since they're widely available. I quickly realized it would be very difficult if not impossible to get the cost even with rebuilding my A-4.
I hope you don't mistake this as me trying to dissuade you from pursuing an electric or diesel conversion if that's what makes sense for your application. At the end of the day, as much as some would deny it, electric and diesel both have specific advantages over an A-4. Electric would be quiet, reliable, less maintenance etc. And if I were taking the boat around the world? Sure, give me a diesel for lower fuel consumption, less moving parts, and maximum range. However if cost is a primary consideration, I came to the conclusion even a relatively expensive (as I define "expensive") Moyer short-block engine would be a cheaper way to repower than an electric or diesel conversion.
Keep us posted,
-Jonathan
I'm in the Catalina 30 camp so I can't offer much insight into your C&C specificities. Also, I'm a relative newbie here in the middle of a full rebuild myself so I can't offer nearly as much advice as the experts who comb the forum to help us lost souls seemingly on a daily basis. However, I do feel I'm qualified to offer some advice as it relates to your powerplant choice soul-searching.
Like you, I faced an engine with significant reliability issues that, for me, ultimately required a full rebuild. I seriously questioned whether it was worthwhile to expend any further effort on an A-4 or switch to diesel or electric. As a testament to this group, I noticed nobody chimed in on your thread with some silly absolution like "diesels are dumb! Atomic 4-life!" or "electric is for hippies!" however that seems to be a frequent occurrence on other forums. I'll say this; for my vintage/model/market value of boat, (1979 Catalina 30) usage pattern, (infrequent) endurance/range needs, (limited to motoring out of the marina and raising the sails) and most of all budget (around $2,000-'ish') diesel was a no-go and I was leaning toward electric.
I watched hours of YouTube videos, joined the Yahoo electric boat forum, researched different motor options, learned about basic electric motor theory, weighed the benefits of permanent magnet DC vs induction AC, watched more YouTube videos, started collecting used lithium batteries from discarded power tools, watched more YouTube videos, read the biography of Nikola Tesla (not kidding) consulted Elon Musk (kidding) , watched more YouTube videos, and then ran the numbers. I could've purchased a 48 volt DC motor kit for about the same price as rebuilding my A-4, but thats before batteries. I'm sure if you've done even cursory research into an electric conversion you've discovered that lithium batteries are the only realistic option to achieve any range whatsoever and they aren't cheap. I even looked at purchasing a battery module from a wrecked Tesla model S or Roadster on eBay since they're widely available. I quickly realized it would be very difficult if not impossible to get the cost even with rebuilding my A-4.
I hope you don't mistake this as me trying to dissuade you from pursuing an electric or diesel conversion if that's what makes sense for your application. At the end of the day, as much as some would deny it, electric and diesel both have specific advantages over an A-4. Electric would be quiet, reliable, less maintenance etc. And if I were taking the boat around the world? Sure, give me a diesel for lower fuel consumption, less moving parts, and maximum range. However if cost is a primary consideration, I came to the conclusion even a relatively expensive (as I define "expensive") Moyer short-block engine would be a cheaper way to repower than an electric or diesel conversion.
Keep us posted,
-Jonathan
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