CD26 Repower

[Tim Mertinooke]

I re-powered my CD26 in May with a Tohatsu 5hp Sailpro propane outboard with a 25" shaft. Since then, we have cruised 700 miles from Maine to Connecticut. This included about 75 hours of motoring and so far there have been zero issues. The boat moves along at 5.5 knots under full power, and we had no problems fighting the current in the Merrimack River where the boat is moored. The engine weighs 65 pounds and whenever we were not using the boat, I would pull it out of the well and lay it in the cockpit sole where it fit nicely. Fuel is kept in two 20lb aluminum horizontal tanks, when combined allowed for approximately 20 hours of motoring at full throttle. At 1/3 to 1/2 throttle which we often did while motor-sailing, the tanks go much longer. The engine and tanks also fit very comfortably in the well with the lid closed. The outboard well itself is also set up nicely for propane as the opening allows for any leaked propane to safely exit through the aperture.

These are my pros and cons based on comparing outboard to outboard not inboard vs. outboard (a worthy but different discussion)

PROS:
-100% reliable (so far)
-5-year warranty
-no gasoline onboard
-I never once thought about fuel issues nor did the word carburator come out of my mouth once
-light enough to easily lift out and it fits on the cockpit sole (one could use the boom to do this easily if needed)
-no fouling of plugs if conditions created a low oxygen environment in the well. (this happened once for me this year while sailing downwind in light air with the cowl vents facing forward and was quickly remedied by turning them around. The motor itself never stopped running, the rpm's just wavered slightly. A gas engine may have fouled the plugs in this condition. I have run the engine this entire season with the lid closed.
-easily reached controls
-started on the third pull every time (my wife could start it no problem)
-enough power to buck a Merrimack River current (no small feat for those that know...)

CONS:
-noisy
-the engine spent about 5 weeks submerged in the water when combining cruising times, and there is some minor lower unit pitting even with a zinc (A friend of mine with the exact same gas engine had the same issue)
-the steering tension adjuster does not lock the engine in place
-the well lid needs to be lifted slightly to pull start the motor.

[John Stone]

Tim
Excellent. What can you tell us about the propeller (diameter, pitch, and number blades) and reduction gear. Are your propane tanks made to be stored on the side as depicted in the photo?

Thanks for sharing.

[Tim Mertinooke]

Tim
Excellent. What can you tell us about the propeller (diameter, pitch, and number blades) and reduction gear. Are your propane tanks made to be stored on the side as depicted in the photo?

Thanks for sharing.

The tanks are the horizontal style designed to be on their side. These came at quite a cost unfortunately ($300 each), but worth it in the end. The prop is a 3-blade high thrust that comes standard with the Sailpro model. One of the pics shows the dimensions as well as the gearing ratio.

[John Stone]

Hi Tim. Well thought out system. When I was a kid we had a British seagull. I don't know the size but it was small. However, it had a very big four blade prop and a significant reduction gear as in 3:1 or 4;1. When mounted on a dinghy it would push a huge boat. We played around with it pushing our 20,000lb ketch. I've often wondered about why that mechanical approach (small engine, big prop, big reduction gear) seems to be a thing of the past.

Do you also use the propane for your stove or is it dedicated to the outboard?

[Tim Mertinooke]

...I've often wondered about why that mechanical approach (small engine, big prop, big reduction gear) seems to be a thing of the past.

Do you also use the propane for your stove or is it dedicated to the outboard?

This is the SailPro model and it has a larger prop pitched to push heavy loads. We have an Origo double burner stove that uses alcohol which worked very well this season. We tap into the propane tanks for the Magma grill that hangs off of the stern using the same hose that fuels the engine which is convenient. I may convert the galley stove to propane in the future, but the alcohol works well for our needs at this point.

[Bob Ohler]

Great report Tim!

Fair winds!

[John Stone]

Tim
I have, over the past year or so, used a Honda 9.9 power thrust to move the engineless 18,000lb Far Reach when required. We recently moved her up the ICW from the boatyard to her permanent berth with the Honda. We were making 5.1 kits at 3/4 throttle. It has a 2.5:1 reduction gear. A very capable set up. Here is a picture of the 10.5" four blade prop.

[Tim Mertinooke]

Tim
I have, over the past year or so, used a Honda 9.9 power thrust to move the engineless 18,000lb Far Reach when required. We recently moved her up the ICW from the boatyard to her permanent berth with the Honda. We were making 5.1 kits at 3/4 throttle. It has a 2.5:1 reduction gear. A very capable set up. Here is a picture of the 10.5" four blade prop.

It's incredible how much mass an outboard engine can move with the right prop and your setup is proof of that. I wasn't sure about 5 horses pushing my CD26 which comes in north of #6,000 with gear and people. I was impressed with it though all season, especially considering the decent currents we fought this year (Merrimack, Piscataqua, Annisquam Canal, etc.) Mine has a high thrust prop as well, although much smaller. To each their own in terms of inboard vs. outboard, but I am very happy I chose outboard for many reasons.