Balboa 27

[hanleyclifford]

Doing the Ditch

FWIW - I have actually seen boats like yours run the ICW from New York to Florida with an outboard, but the operators were rugged souls.

[Dave Neptune]

Plan OB

george58, I have put many ah mile under me in foul weather with an OB on a sailboat. The B-27 is very well suited for an OB as the waterline goes to the transom. The water line to the transom means far better contact between the prop and the water~especially when rough!! The OB will give you 2 advantages, first and foremost is the ease of maintenance and second all the additional storage room.

I do suggest you go with a "long shaft" model that has been extended. The additional extension is well worth the effort. And do not scrimp on the bracket if you do go OB.

The log can be easily plugged so changing back can be done if you do desire the "work" and fitting involved at a later date.

I had an electric start 15HP Evinrude with an extension on a non trailerable 27 footer. I hooked up controls in the cockpit and had electric start and somewhat of a charging system. Worked well and my overhang was near 3 feet~a big deal.

Dave Neptune

Remember a good outboard is a "marine motor" and quite rugged.

Dave Neptune

[JOHN COOKSON]

That Petter AC1M is air cooled and single cylinder. I can only guess why the original owner removed it. I suspect I would have done the same, and considered an outboard a good improvement.

+1on this.
I would never own a boat with a single cylinder engine. I've been on boats with single cylinder engines. The vibration was so bad it almost shook the fillings out of my teeth. Then there was the headache caused by the vibration to go along with it.

TRUE GRIT

[Dave Neptune]

John, I used to sail on a friends Hedson Shock "California or Coastal Cruiser" a very good sailing 30 foot sit down inside boat. It had an old Swiss diesel that I do not remember the name of. It was a big single cylinder hand start only diesel and pushed to ole gal well past hull speed~if you could tolerate the beating. I do feel that you could determine the RPM's by counting the changes in the waterline of the boot stripe. Every time that beast lit the hole the water line would change, now that is vibration.

Never did find out much about the engine other than it weighed just over 800 pounds. We had to break it down to get it out of the boat. He mounted an OB to get in and out of the slip with and was very happy about it! And that OB was the big British noisy air/water cooled, Seagull as I remember.

Dave Neptune

[JOHN COOKSON]

Never did find out much about the engine other than it weighed just over 800 pounds. We had to break it down to get it out of the boat.
Dave Neptune

If I'm remembering correctly single cylinder ("one lungers" as they were called) needed a heavy fly wheel to keep them running. This made them super inefficient as a lot of fuel energy was used to overcome the inertia of the heavy fly wheel.

TRUE GRIT

[Mo]

george58, I have put many ah mile under me in foul weather with an OB on a sailboat. The B-27 is very well suited for an OB as the waterline goes to the transom. The water line to the transom means far better contact between the prop and the water~especially when rough!! The OB will give you 2 advantages, first and foremost is the ease of maintenance and second all the additional storage room.

I do suggest you go with a "long shaft" model that has been extended. The additional extension is well worth the effort. And do not scrimp on the bracket if you do go OB.

The log can be easily plugged so changing back can be done if you do desire the "work" and fitting involved at a later date.

I had an electric start 15HP Evinrude with an extension on a non trailerable 27 footer. I hooked up controls in the cockpit and had electric start and somewhat of a charging system. Worked well and my overhang was near 3 feet~a big deal.

Dave Neptune

Remember a good outboard is a "marine motor" and quite rugged.

Dave Neptune

I agree. My C&C 24 had an Evinrude extra long 9.9, 2 stroke....friggin good motor and we took the boat down the coast in it many times...but when it got rough we had what became the usual "reeeeeaaarr" as regular as the waves as the prop came out of the water. We couldn't keep up with the boats with the inboards....those few seconds, combined with conditions, knocked off speed pretty good.

Attached is a pic of OMC outboard bracket. Had one on my C&C 24...like having a body builder lift the engine up with you. I've used allot of outboards and brackets, but I've yet to see one that helped like that...it's still on the boat years after I sold it.

[The Garbone]

Our first boat was a Catalina 27 with an outboard. Felt the one that came with the boat was questionable so I bought a almost new Mariner 9.9 longshaft for $900 on Craigslist and the wife helped me mount it. She lifted it with the main sheet and I put it on. Sailed without a hiccup for 2 years with that motor going on several multi week trips. Install time, 1 hour.

My Catalina 30 came just like yours, old diesel gone, shaft and prop and tank in place. Working on the weekends and 2 years later with a Atomic 4 rebuilt in my garage she is just now moving. Probably only have $3500 into the motor but then again that is more than I paid for the boat and not to mention 2 years of slip/dry storage fees.

[hanleyclifford]

So now you know

Our first boat was a Catalina 27 with an outboard. Felt the one that came with the boat was questionable so I bought a almost new Mariner 9.9 longshaft for $900 on Craigslist and the wife helped me mount it. She lifted it with the main sheet and I put it on. Sailed without a hiccup for 2 years with that motor going on several multi week trips. Install time, 1 hour.

My Catalina 30 came just like yours, old diesel gone, shaft and prop and tank in place. Working on the weekends and 2 years later with a Atomic 4 rebuilt in my garage she is just now moving. Probably only have $3500 into the motor but then again that is more than I paid for the boat and not to mention 2 years of slip/dry storage fees.

Boat ownership is a form of polygamy,,,

[The Garbone]

George, here's where I think you are headed with an Atomic 4 installation:

Used, decent running engine $2000.00
Engine mounts (flex mounts, stringers, fiberglass materials) $400.00
Prop shaft & prop (chances are slim the existing shaft and prop are suitable) $600.00
Exhaust system $400.00
Instrument panel and wiring $300.00
Throttle, shift and choke controls, cables $600.00
Engine space blower and ducting $300.00

Rough estimate = $4600.00
assumes the existing fuel system can be used as-is

You may find a used engine for less but by the time it's repaired to reliable running condition I'll bet you'll be at $2K anyway. Notice the engine is less than half of the entire installation.

Hope this helps

Here is an more complete explanation of my #s. I am just pulling these off the top of my head as I do not really want to know how much I really spent. This makes me weep a little.

I will go in reverse order, as the things at the top of the list I attempted to reuse and got bit in the ass for the trouble.

After installation:
Fuel pump- $50
Motor mounts- $90
Exhaust hose- $150
Muffler- $50

Before installation:
Electrical gauges, blower- $220
Parts (exhaust manifold that I most likely did not need, rings etc) $500
Exhaust riser and mixer $110
Fuel tank- $450 (in so deep why risk it)
fuel filter and hose $150
Propeller $350
Motor cleaning and resleeving at machine shop $800
2 motors $450, one was basically shot but got a nice head with it.
Electronic ignition $150
Throttle and shift controls and cables (salvage) $200

This adds up to $3720 but I think I am off on the low side on the exhaust hose (20 feet) and left out stuff like the shaft log hose saga and surely I did not add in that I had to do the electronics, blower and IE twice (even the fuel sender) since I got hit by lightning.

[The Garbone]

I forgot intake thru hull, strainer and siphon break as well as the FWC system from out host to $4600 is very right on.......

[TomG]

I truly love my A-4 and since my boat came with a very nearly brand new Moyer Rebuilt, it was one of the key reasons I bought the boat. I have had trouble with the fuel system and in the Tartan 30's, the exhaust system, but the A-4 has never ever failed me. That all said...

If you are new to sailing, I wouldn't spend the time or the money to install any inboard, diesel or gas, in your current boat. Get on Craigslist and find a longshaft 9.9 outboard and let her rip! Actually go sailing and see if you and your crew even like it. It's astounding to me that some people don't like sailing, but it isn't a sport for everyone. It would be a shame to spend a lot of time on installing an inboard that you couldn't recoup the cost if you decided that sailing wasn't your thing. Clean up your new boat, go over all the systems and rigging and learn everything the boat will tell you. If you like sailing, this is a great sized boat to learn on. If you really like sailing and want to go on longer trips, it will be much easier to sell your boat for a price you can live with if you haven't dropped 4-5 grand on an inboard. If you do decide to move up, get a 30 footer with an A-4 already installed.

My boat previous to my Tartan 30 was a Catalina 25. I got the C25 for a great price and invested a lot of elbow grease and came out with a great boat. Two things made me move up to my T30 - I wanted a little more room (I have three kids and one wife) and it was often a real hassle running the outboard on the C25 in the chop of the Chesapeake Bay (like Mo and Hanley both mentioned the prop coming out of the water as the boat pitches).

I would get a longshaft outboard and go sailing. Then see what happens!

Good luck with choices and if you decide to install an A4, you are absolutely in the right place.

[hanleyclifford]

I truly love my A-4 and since my boat came with a very nearly brand new Moyer Rebuilt, it was one of the key reasons I bought the boat. I have had trouble with the fuel system and in the Tartan 30's, the exhaust system, but the A-4 has never ever failed me. That all said...

If you are new to sailing, I wouldn't spend the time or the money to install any inboard, diesel or gas, in your current boat. Get on Craigslist and find a longshaft 9.9 outboard and let her rip! Actually go sailing and see if you and your crew even like it. It's astounding to me that some people don't like sailing, but it isn't a sport for everyone. It would be a shame to spend a lot of time on installing an inboard that you couldn't recoup the cost if you decided that sailing wasn't your thing. Clean up your new boat, go over all the systems and rigging and learn everything the boat will tell you. If you like sailing, this is a great sized boat to learn on. If you really like sailing and want to go on longer trips, it will be much easier to sell your boat for a price you can live with if you haven't dropped 4-5 grand on an inboard. If you do decide to move up, get a 30 footer with an A-4 already installed.

My boat previous to my Tartan 30 was a Catalina 25. I got the C25 for a great price and invested a lot of elbow grease and came out with a great boat. Two things made me move up to my T30 - I wanted a little more room (I have three kids and one wife) and it was often a real hassle running the outboard on the C25 in the chop of the Chesapeake Bay (like Mo and Hanley both mentioned the prop coming out of the water as the boat pitches).

I would get a longshaft outboard and go sailing. Then see what happens!

Good luck with choices and if you decide to install an A4, you are absolutely in the right place.

This is the money post. Make sure you are a sailor as opposed to a cruiser.

[george58]

Balboa 27

You all make the outboard sound really good. Add in a small generator for batteries and then added storage space. And in the water next season.

[Mo]

As much as we like the Atomic 4, we would like to see you a happy sailor and boat owner. I always tried to keep my thinking along the lines of: get the boat you need, get it with as much bells and whistles included as possible, and getting it for the best price with the requirements included.

It justs costs so much to bring a boat back, and there are times that even a free boat isn't a deal.

The outboard isn't a bad thing. They come with battery charges and you could rig a solar charger as well to keep a battery bank up...like one of the guys said, take her sailing and see if you are "in". Then you can make the call and see where you'd like to make improvements.

[marthur]

If you install an outboard, don't get rid of the inboard stuff (prop, shaft, mounting rails etc...) right away. When you decide you love sailing you could always install an A-4 should you decide to do so. You would be able to recover the cost of a used outboard.