2002 50' Post w/ 10 cyl MAN 860hp

So I sold my 2001 Post 42 a few years back and have been waiting for my daughter to get big enough to get back into the game. I am currently looking at two boats. One of them is a 2002 Post with 10 cylinder MAN 860hp engines. Historically I would put 300-500 hours on my old boats every year running to the canyons but now I expect to be in the 100 hour a year range as I have some little ones and we will most likely use the new boat for cruising and light fishing.

From other Post owners, how are these engines? I assume it is the same block as the 820hp version and the weight to HP ratio looks good. I am also looking at a boat with Detroit's. I have heard good and bad about MAN's but mostly good for the 10 cyl engines. It sounds like these motors are fairly efficient (50-55 GPH) and their maintenance schedule might be a little more reasonable? This boat just had the 1,000 hour service done at around 950 hours total. Going forward I have heard two stories for maintenance, one side says to just change the oil and do regular preventive maintenance especially with the seawater systems while the big service will be at 2,000 hours and cost ~$20,000. The other side says it is a $10,000 - $15,000 service every two years regardless of hours. What is the reality for those who have the 820hp or 860hp 10 cyl MAN's in their Post's?

On a separate note, do many of the 2002's have the Gel Coat cracking issues? I was thinking if this boat does, I would consider that in the offer.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Jay

I have, that is mostly the 1050 ‘s I believe. The 820’s and 860’s appear to be one of the most reliable engines from MAN typically going over 5,000 hours before overhaul with normal maintenance. There were some seal issues in the early generations that when fixed eliminated the issue.

Yeah I can't find anything referencing the 860hp rating although the owner swears by it...The 820's seem like a really good choice in the 50's so long as some of the seal issues and other items have been addressed. I think if someone has got 1,000 to 2,000 hours already, serviced it, and survey comes back good, there is a good probability for a long life. The scary item is the reman cost if they do go as it is so much higher than CAT, DD, etc. This boat I look at also had the worst gel coat cracking I have ever seen (made my old 2001 42' look perfect) .

At this point, considering the total cost of ownership, I am leaning towards a 46' Post with Detroit 6V92 DDEC 565hp as I know they have been well care for, parts are available, and servicing locally is reasonable. Good boat to get my girls back on the water and then decide on a 50 in the future if we want the extra space.

You make a great point. My gut was telling me that I needed to check locally for support of the Detroit 6V92 DDEC 565hp and I never followed up. Just called all the diesel marine companies locally that I or my marina have used and none are willing to support this engine.

Back to the search for a 50

Yeah Bayside is who I use as well and they are really great. They advised to go with the Man's and stay away from the DDEC's especially with such a lack of support. So onward to find a 50 with 820's in May.