inboard vs. outboard

[T.Martin]

My cd26 recently bought this past summer came with the atomic 4 gas engine. I am somewhat concerned about using a gas inboard for various safety reasons. Can I possibly mount an outboard on my boat and will this cause displacement problems? Any info provided will be greatly appreciated.



raindog@gis.net

[Dana, CD26 Hull #2]

My cd26 recently bought this past summer came with the atomic 4 gas engine. I am somewhat concerned about using a gas inboard for various safety reasons. Can I possibly mount an outboard on my boat and will this cause displacement problems? Any info provided will be greatly appreciated.

_______________________

Atomic 4?????? Sounds crazy....but are you sure? Factory installations were diesel or outboard. Was yours custom installed by the owner???



darenius@aol.com

[Bruce Bett]

Well...I'm not an expert on the 26 in fact I've never so much as seen one, but I'm fairly certain that Cape Dory never installed the Atomic 4 (or any other gasoline inboard engine) in its boats. I believe that most of the 26's had laserette mounted outboards. I believe a few of them had inboard diesel engines. Either a previous owner "upgraded" a boat designed for outboard power, or replaced a diesel engine with the Atomic 4. If your boat has an engine mount in the laserette than it would be a fairly simple matter to pull out the old engine and install an outboard. If not I would either repower with diesel or live with the Atomic 4. If you choose to do the later you will want to make sure that the instalation meets the proper standards for gas powered inboards (they are not unsafe if properly installed). I would think long before hanging an outboard off the transom of the 26. In the first place I don't like the looks of them and in the second I'd worry about the effect of hanging that much weight that far aft on a relatively small boat.

Bruce Bett
Sostenuto
CD25 #496

My cd26 recently bought this past summer came with the atomic 4 gas engine. I am somewhat concerned about using a gas inboard for various safety reasons. Can I possibly mount an outboard on my boat and will this cause displacement problems? Any info provided will be greatly appreciated.

bettb@mcaomb.cc.mi.us

[Dana]

It may be just the term "CD26" which is throwing us. Take a look at at http://members.aol.com/darenius/CapeDory/CD26.html at the bottom of this message on the CD26. There are 4 Cape Dories in this "size range" from the CD25, CD25D, CD26, and the CD27 to be sure of what you have. The CD26 has an outboard engine well or inboard diesel..which started to be made in 1985. The CD25 was made in the 70's up to the early 80's and could have the outboard or diesel...but no standing headroom. The CD25D was offered in the early 80's (approx 81) but a complete different design with standing room and diesel. The CD26 was offered beginning in 85 as an "elongated" CD25D (standing headroom)with an outboard engine well. Later it was offered with a diesel option which is the CD25D. An idea of your model year and a look at the web page below will help us understand which configuration you have.



darenius@aol.com