Gas vs Diesel

Generally gas inboards have a much shorter lifespan than diesels, say 1000 hours versus 5000 hours. Gas engines have a lot more components on them to make them not run right. Diesel is quite a bit cheaper per gallon than gas. A diesel boat is quite a bit more to buy than a gas boat. If you aren't using the boat that much, you can buy lots of gasoline to make up the price difference. I personally hate gas inboards. But they're not terrible by any means, just lots of nagging small problems.....Also have to change exhaust manifolds/risers every 5 years on gas motors.

Nothing that wrong with a gas boat. The engines aren't as durable as diesel and typically not as fuel efficient. However, they often get you in at a lower cost and the cost of an engine replacement is less. While diesel is preferred in some size boats and some areas, gas boats dominate.

As a long term liveaboard my preference would still be diesel but gas isn't an absolute no.

Gas can work, as long as you recognize and are comfortable with the limitations...

Many would say that a Yugo is inferior to a Rolls. OTOH, the Yugo can be better suited to meet the requirements of some users.

-Chris

Let me preface........

One's experiences may affect the rationality of one's opinions. The above indicates, like in any other benefit analysis, that there is a methodical way to evaluate one versus the other, and that the outcomes are perfectly rational.

All that said..... I have seen "gassers" go BOOM. I will NEVER have a gas engine that is not mounted on the stern.

Someone brought up the Silverton sidewalk 372. I manage one. It has 2- 502 gas engines. At cruise rpms it does like 13.5 knots at about 50 gph. However if you run it 9 knots it's not too bad on fuel.

It however, is an excellent liveaboard for it's size. It's very spacious with a great layout and 2 nice sized heads and staterooms. It's built well enough and I haven't had any structural issues with it whatsoever. No blisters, no soft decks, nothing. Access to all of your equipment is good enough as well. I really cannot knock silverton on the build of this boat for it's price point. Now, if your boating plans are to use it every other weekend to go 20-30 miles, there would be nothing wrong with it as a choice and it being gas inboard. IF you were planning on using it every other weekend and doing a 150 NM trip, I'd say diesel would be the better option. But for limited use, gas is ok.

My owner lives on it 3 months out of 6 in the winter, a month on the boat, month off, month on, month off, month on. I run it 5-10 miles each way to a marina, he lives on it, I run it back to a dock behind a house, and that's as far as the boat goes.....the summer 6 months it just sits. It's fine for his needs.

For me, gas boats are fine, generally cheap to maintain, cheap to replace and with a low to moderate use, fuel cost are very reasonable.
I have my first diesel now, very happy with it, but not more ore less then with my gas engines in other (smaller) type of boats.

So with a second hand boat, put your first money in 'gas safety', and your fine!

Just my two guilders

Hoeveel florijnen is een gulden nu?

Nederlandse guldens bestaan niet meer helaas!

Weet ik. Was een grap.

Sorry about the thread drift folks, just a bit of dry humor..... I'm done. Carry on.

Speaking of 39' Silvertons... I know there's a well-kept 2000 392 on Lake Texoma that's for sale, I believe by owner (i.e., no broker yet). No clue about asking $$ and so forth, and I guess there'd be some shipping details to get it to the coast. PM for contact info, if interested.

-Chris

They have the Euro now

No problem at all