T&T: The twin/single engine answer

[Bill Allen]

Been reading this for a while and I can't shut up anymore. Yes diesels are 
reliable. I own a 43 hatt aft cabin and a 37 topaz I run as a charter dive 
boat. In five years time I've snapped a shaft on the topaz, had a 3208 
develop an internal water leak, Hit a sumbreged object twenty miles off cape 
may. All three times came in on one motor albeit painfully slow. I took my 
hatt to the keys went in sailfish marina in west palm never never would have 
been able to cope with the current and wind without my two trusty 6-71's. 
Moved the dive boat to brielle N.J. every time I come in I thank god for my 
J.D.s and 24x26 wheels since the slip is actually in the river and no room 
to manuver the current which I guess is maybe 4 kts can be overcome, still 
gives me white knuckles every time I come in and it's running hard. Sucked 
some mud in the port motor on the way in Jeckel Island had a alarm go off 
DD's can't take heat had to shut one down, again a windy day low tide narrow 
channel. No problem came in on one. That doesn't address the stuffed fuel 
filter off shore when the marina had a load of bad fuel or the afternoon 
twenty kts  south wind that blows right agaisnt the slip. Now all that said 
I owned a 35 henriques single  screw, only had it let me down one time, 
again a fuel filter problem. got it changed and running but by then had 5-6 
ft seas not fun changing it. All this said I would buy a single screw boat, 
but I'd be way cautious of it's condtion especially the engine, drive train 
and tankage. People say the engine doesn't break, EVERYTHING breaks sooner 
or later. In the icw call sea tow and get towed. When your coming back from 
offshore and you lose a  turbo (a different boat) now with one motor left at 
least you didn't call sea tow from 80 miles out. Bill
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rich Gano" <richgano at gmail.com>
To: "Trawlers-and-Trawlering" <trawlers-and-trawlering at lists.samurai.com>
Sent: Friday, December 12, 2008 11:57 AM
Subject: Re: T&T: The twin/single engine answer


> "I have enough confidence in diesels now that I would not hesitate to buy 
> a
> single screw boat."