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Old 08-12-2021, 07:43 AM
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Is the atomic 4 reliable? Long read.

In the past few years I heard more comments on the atomic 4 engine that were complimentary rather than derogatory. Comments like "you can't kill those things". I think this forum is a huge part of that shift. Of course there are the diesel lovers that will switch out engines from gas to diesel power when they purchase. It is because of that some of us are lucky to have not only spare parts, but spare engines, in good working order. But what about reliability?

Well, I would say that generally my atomic 4 didn't have much responsibility in the 14 years I've had one. It had to get me off the dock, back on the dock, and occasionally motor a few hours at most. This year was different, it had to step up ...and it did. Not only did it step up but I had full confidence in it even in bad weather and seas. It did not fail or miss a beat.

We took the boat on a 15 day, different spot every day, except a few layovers for weather. We took the boat from Halifax NS, up the Eastern Shore to the Bra Dor Lakes in Cape Breton. The weather was just awful on the coast but weather in the Bra Dor Lakes was wonderful. On the coast all but 2 days were thick fog, swells and wind was unkind. The wind was either 5 knots or 20 to 30 kts, in the wrong direction. The trip up and back that coast would dishearten any sailor. My wife said "this sucks"...and she was right.

The total length of the trip was 450 nm (833 km or 514 miles). We planned our legs in 40 to 50 nautical mile increments with alternate places to anchor if something came up. The atomic 4 ran 8 to 10 hours straight on legs of the journey both up and back the coast. We had to motor sail with the main the whole way, both directions and the weather witch was seldom on his game.

On the coast, at the worst times, we motored head long into up to 3 meter seas and 25+ kts when the forecast called for dropping seas and wind. After 5 hours we drove out of it and seas continued to roll but did abate. That was my roughest day on the back end of the boat. By that time I'd picked an alternate and committed to it just because rough weather is hard on one guy running the boat. My wife and son didn't get sea sick or anything, but I was done though. They would have been content to carry on to Liscomb but we didn't cover enough ground in the blow so I knew it would be too long a day for me. Other days we had slow rolling seas on the quarter or astern and only 2 days did we have what I'd call anything close to calm seas. I think I had one hour of sailing off the coast of Canso NS where I had the main and jib up and no engine in use...that was short lived for an hour later the wind was howling and full throttle into it. Oh, did I mention the 0 to 1/4 mile visibility for days on end? I have a radar, Raytheon 20xx that was operational only at 2 nm. Set range at 6 nm and it would drain the battery despite the 100 amp alternator charging off the engine. Also had AIS, so we were good there.

The Bra Dor Lakes were gorgeous and sailing them a treat, no fog, no swell, and sunny skies for the most part. Our time in there is what made this whole trip worth it. That make you forget the bad actually...us humans are like that.

I ran the Atomic 4 generally 8 hours a day, some days up to 12, on the coast. Traveled 450 nautical miles total (833.4 kms or 518 miles).
Engine hours used all with the main sail up. Total use: 90.1 hours.
Total fuel used. 58.5 US gallons.
Fuel economy was .65 gallons per hour on average. We burned less fuel going to the Lakes (15 gallons) than on the return (27 gallons).
Return trip we had 2 bad weather days beating through waves 2 and 3 meter seas sucking fuel to do it.
We used 16 gallons of fuel in the Bra Dor Lakes and one of those days was bow first into 35 kt winds. If the wind was too light we motor sailed.

*** I think I have Odyssey's engine tuned in pretty good and the numbers on fuel consumption are nice to see. HOWEVER, when pushing into 20+ knts on the nose the fuel consumption was pretty close to 1 gallon per hour. Had to have it throttled up or the boat would stop.

I use 15w40 oil and added oil twice. Those were after the days heading bow into 20+ knots of wind motor sailing with wind and seas on the nose. Otherwise, for days on end didn't have to add oil. I keep the oil level, on my particular boat, about 1/4 inch above the full mark on the dip stick. After those full throttle beating into seas days she'd be down to the full mark...took less than a pint of oil to put her back to where I had it.

I brought grease and at the end of each day twisted my grease cap on the raw water pump. A few days I ran in excess of 10 hours and when I saw I'd be a while shut down, checked oil and twisted the grease cap. Never had to add oil while enroute. Once anchored I wrote down my engine hours, mileage from the chartplotter, filled the fuel tank and recorded what I put in it. I carried 4 full Jerry Cans as there is only one place on that coast to haul up to a dock and get gas. I didn't need to do that on the way there but did on the way back because I burned a bit more fuel in two different blows.

Never experience one problem with the boat or the engine. During those storms that popped up I knew how hard I was pushing and thought "I hope I don't have a coil failure"...nothing happened, she forged forward driving water. Both boat and engine performed flawlessly. If I was to do it again I'd be more careful of my weight. We took stuff we never used. Once home after 2 weeks we took about 200 lbs of food of the boat we didn't eat and probably had no intentions of eating. I had 800 lbs of water on the boat when we left the docks both directions. 4 Jerry Cans of fuel was nice, but we made the trip one way on less than a tank of fuel. Less than a tank of fuel used in the lakes, and more than a tank of fuel on the way back. I'd keep the fuel aboard.

It was a decent run for the engine and real confidence builder. I wish the winds had been more in favor of sailing but they were not. We were not the only ones who put up with bad weather. Others were heading to the same destination. Some turned back and went home, some had breakdowns, and some of us made it without issue. Talked to one guy who left the same time we did and got into the blow that came out of nowhere. He couldn't keep his Irwin 32 with a Yanmar 2GM moving in the seas and headed back.

On the ocean, fog, rain and wind not one Mayday call. Once in the Bra Dor Lakes 2 Maydays within days. One loss of life from sea doo, 7 abandoned a powerboat after it caught fire...all 7 were recovered.

I am fortunate to have redundant nav systems on the boat, AIS transponder and radar. Without the radar and AIS it would be a brave soul that would do that day after day. I often wonder how the old guys ever did it, no wonder so many were lost at sea.
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Mo

"Odyssey"
1976 C&C 30 MKI

The pessimist complains about the wind.
The optimist expects it to change.
The realist adjusts the sails.
...Sir William Arthur Ward.

Last edited by Mo; 08-12-2021 at 09:20 AM.
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