[PUP] Keel Cooled, dry exhaust electronic engine question

[John Marshall]

John Deere sells a lot of L6081AFM engines for installation in keel- 
cooled, dry exhaust Nordhavns. It's an 8 liter engine with 330 hp. My  
boat (N55) has plenty of power for its loaded weight of 125,000  
pounds. Engine is electronically controlled and burns very clean.

Two boats with this engine crossed the Atlantic this year... its an M3  
rated motor, which basically says you can only run at full power for 8  
hours out of 24 hours. In reality, you are rarely above 30-40% power  
on a passage.

It's a fair bit less expensive than the Lugger engine, a 12.5 liter  
monster, that puts out 340 hp, but at an M1 rating. Both engines fit  
the 2-3 hp per 1000 pound criteria.

I don't see any sense in putting a monster M1 rated engine on a long- 
distance passagemaker (which enables continuous full power operation  
that burns 18 gallons an hour) when you really need to burn only 3 or  
4 gallons an hour or less to make it across the pond. Either buy a  
small engine and run it hard (and give up reserve power), or buy an M2  
or M3 rated engine of moderate displacement that can give you high HP  
for crisis events, but will run efficiently at low power and low fuel  
burn for the usual long periods of cruising.

Anyway... my opinion.

John Marshall
Serendipity - N55-20

On Feb 8, 2008, at 1:14 PM, LA Licata wrote:

> Dear List,
>
> Need help please. If one is to power a 50' full displacement steel
> trawler that has a displacement of about 72000 pounds with a single
> engine, I understand that the rule of thumb is 2-3 HP per 1000 pounds.
>
> The John Deere L1066T is the only keel cooled engine Deere offers. It
> comes in 3 HP sizes, 135 continuous duty, 165 medium duty, and 170
> high output.
>
> Is Medium Duty equivalent "M2" rating?
>
> Is that "good enough" if one wants to cross the atlantic on its own
> bottom or should one be looking for a M1 engine rated for 150-200 hp.
>
> I have asked these questions to John deere directly, with a less than
> forthcoming response
>
> So, if there is another keel cooled, electronic engine that should be
> considered, could someone point it out to me? I could really use the
> help.
>
> TIA
>
> Lee Licata
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