Cant reply to the original thread so i thought id start this one.
Amazing how the threads start and how they end sometimes isnt it. Goes off on some weird tangent and ends up not being about Bukh Sail drives! haha.
Thanks Meg for the compliment. I appreciate that coming from someone with so much first hand experience and appreciate your very genuine posts. Wisdom Vs Knowledge. Wisdom comes about by doing. Knowledge is learned from books, internet, talking etc , but never from doing. I prefer to learn by doing.
ANYWAY. This'll probably annoy some people, but i just dunno about inboards. Im reading some posts lately by some of the fine members here and they seem like a real hassle. My new tophat has just an outboard. There was a guy selling a tophat up north with no complex systems on it whatsover. He successfully circumnavigated around cape horn and across the australian bight and south africa on this tophat. photos to prove it, small dinghy, outboard, surfboards, snow. beautiful.
I dont know what im missing regarding having a sail drive. All i know is - i can fix an outboard and theres not alot that can go wrong with them. Im a big fan of keeping it simple.
I guy in woodford bay just ripped his old engine out and replaced it with some cheap chinese thing. left the engine in the mangroves to rust away into the harbour. Nice. He's selling this boat. I guess with a bigger boat you must use an inboard, but im never going over 30foot.
Sail drives do not have a good reputation no matter which brand they are. They are a bit like the tail wagging the dog.
According to the Buhk distributor in Sydney (who is also the Beta Marine distributor), the only new engines/gearboxes Buhk now manufacture are the standard lifeboat engine which I believe is the DV24.
There are a few catamaran designs (up to 40') which use outboards. Usually two Yamaha 9 Hp. There are a couple that use one outboard from a centre pod. So I don't think 'size' is really a factor.
My personal opinion is with everything that goes against a yacht already drag wise, if you can tilt the motor out of the water when under way, go that option. Especially if you a knowledgeable in their maintenance.
And some mad men cruise the world with no motor at all. Friend of mine did it for 2 years. Sails only. Boat didn't even have an engine!
I do think that buying new things generally is addictive- especially with boats. The more you get, the more you want.
Just go sailing.
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said..
Cant reply to the original thread so i thought id start this one.
Amazing how the threads start and how they end sometimes isnt it. Goes off on some weird tangent and ends up not being about Bukh Sail drives! haha.
Thanks Meg for the compliment. I appreciate that coming from someone with so much first hand experience and appreciate your very genuine posts. Wisdom Vs Knowledge. Wisdom comes about by doing. Knowledge is learned from books, internet, talking etc , but never from doing. I prefer to learn by doing.
ANYWAY. This'll probably annoy some people, but i just dunno about inboards. Im reading some posts lately by some of the fine members here and they seem like a real hassle. My new tophat has just an outboard. There was a guy selling a tophat up north with no complex systems on it whatsover. He successfully circumnavigated around cape horn and across the australian bight and south africa on this tophat. photos to prove it, small dinghy, outboard, surfboards, snow. beautiful.
I dont know what im missing regarding having a sail drive. All i know is - i can fix an outboard and theres not alot that can go wrong with them. Im a big fan of keeping it simple.
I guy in woodford bay just ripped his old engine out and replaced it with some cheap chinese thing. left the engine in the mangroves to rust away into the harbour. Nice. He's selling this boat. I guess with a bigger boat you must use an inboard, but im never going over 30foot.
You are probably right as for under 30ft goes as far as outboard power goes. I had a Yamaha 9.9 High thrust short shaft on my Noelex 30. For a total weight of less than 50 kg and price $3k could replace the outboard regularly. The Noelexes have an outboard well with a fitted hatch so that the motor is quite central in the boat but has a completely smooth bottom when the hatch is installed.
On the 30 foot sportsboat we are reworking we have fitted an outboard powerhead to a saildrive leg with a CNC machined manifold to connect the powerhead to the leg. Probably 50kg weight saving.
My son has simply gone engineless in his H28 so has no worries whatsoever from that regard
the 9.9 high thrust is a great engine, especially the older model which had a different gear ratio and was based on the 15Hp.
The newer just don't have the same grunt as before.
Mines is from 2002 and I'll be stuffed when it finally dies from salt water and minimal maintenance over it's life.
Can we raise a few million $$ between us and put these back into production?
Select to expand quotecrustysailor said..
the 9.9 high thrust is a great engine, especially the older model which had a different gear ratio and was based on the 15Hp.
The newer just don't have the same grunt as before.
Mines is from 2002 and I'll be stuffed when it finally dies from salt water and minimal maintenance over it's life.
Can we raise a few million $$ between us and put these back into production?
Yea I had the 9.9AES. They are a great motor as auxiliary.
Packing the old sail drive tonight its sold boat dollars for some thing else 
At least it will get used and not sit around here
Good to hear HG, sounds like it was a mutually satisfying exchange for you both :).
Select to expand quoteMeg1122 said...
Good to hear HG, sounds like it was a mutually satisfying exchange for you both :).
Sure was both payies got what thru wanted
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said...
Cant reply to the original thread so i thought id start this one.
Amazing how the threads start and how they end sometimes isnt it. Goes off on some weird tangent and ends up not being about Bukh Sail drives! haha.
Thanks Meg for the compliment. I appreciate that coming from someone with so much first hand experience and appreciate your very genuine posts. Wisdom Vs Knowledge. Wisdom comes about by doing. Knowledge is learned from books, internet, talking etc , but never from doing. I prefer to learn by doing.
ANYWAY. This'll probably annoy some people, but i just dunno about inboards. Im reading some posts lately by some of the fine members here and they seem like a real hassle. My new tophat has just an outboard. There was a guy selling a tophat up north with no complex systems on it whatsover. He successfully circumnavigated around cape horn and across the australian bight and south africa on this tophat. photos to prove it, small dinghy, outboard, surfboards, snow. beautiful.
I dont know what im missing regarding having a sail drive. All i know is - i can fix an outboard and theres not alot that can go wrong with them. Im a big fan of keeping it simple.
I guy in woodford bay just ripped his old engine out and replaced it with some cheap chinese thing. left the engine in the mangroves to rust away into the harbour. Nice. He's selling this boat. I guess with a bigger boat you must use an inboard, but im never going over 30foot.
Hi stev
I dont think top hats use sail drives
As a inboard diesel thought they had engine gear box a prop shaft
NSW would know but i thonk thats how there bolted together
I actually dont know what a sail drive is !! Haha. I was thinking a sail drive was just inboard motor..
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said..
I actually dont know what a sail drive is !! Haha. I was thinking a sail drive was just inboard motor..
That was self evident from your original post. What wasn't so evident was whether it was your wisdom or knowledge base doing the posting. 
The smiles do not take away from the apparent intent of this otherwise uncalled for post Frant. A fine line is being walked. Enough is enough. Consider yourself warned.
Regards
Admin
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said..
I actually dont know what a sail drive is !! Haha. I was thinking a sail drive was just inboard motor..
None of us are born with the knowledge, it's a long and endless learning curve sailing, may be why it's rare to grow bored, as it's so diverse. Being able to fix an outboard's a valuable skill to have, just don't own up to being able to fix the head, or sew, definitely do not know how to sew, uhuh, no way, even if you do, you don't 
.
I met a Fife ketch in Darwin without any form of motor onboard, it's the only one I can recall coming across, the skipper was a traditionalist and sailed everywhere. Lyn and Larry Pardey are a cruising couple who sailed for years around the world without a motor, their story is really interesting, worth looking up. Much preferable to sail then motor, although I once met a couple who motored almost everywhere, the exception being when it was perfectly flat, the wife didn't like to sail as when the boat leaned over all her cookbooks and ornaments fell down, can't have that 
!
Select to expand quotefrant said..Sectorsteve said..
I actually dont know what a sail drive is !! Haha. I was thinking a sail drive was just inboard motor..
That was self evident from your original post. What wasn't so evident was whether it was your wisdom or knowledge base doing the posting.
www.seabreeze.com.au/images/forums/icon_smile_big.gifhttps://www.seabreeze.com.au/images/forums/icon_smile_big.gif' />
The smiles do not take away from the apparent intent of this otherwise uncalled for post Frant. A fine line is being walked. Enough is enough. Consider yourself warned.
Regards
Admin
Given the events as they have unfolded I acknowledge that my post has walked the fine line. Thank you to the administration for your understanding. I take on board the warning!
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said..
That couple meg were they American?
Yes American, I'm not sure if they are still cruising about now but they did so for a long time, their sailing miles would accumulate to many circumnavigations. There are books, magazine and internet articles abundant about their adventures and way of life.
Steve, I think you have the perfect combination available on a Top Hat, a Mk1 with a cut-out transom & an outboard. Simply allowing to tilt the outboard up & out of the water.
I have had outboards in the well (of MK III's) & they are a bit of a nuisance to manhandle out of the well & can take up some cockpit area if you have an elaborate slide or pulley system.
As you venture further afield up & down the NSW coast(as you will in the TH ), the danger of fish/crab pots can not be underestimated. I would of ran over crab pots 80% of the times I have gone out sailing coastal, the TH has a forgiving underwater profile plus the ability to untangle the propeller of the OB(if it was in the water at the time) will be very appreciated at the time!
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said..
I actually dont know what a sail drive is !! Haha. I was thinking a sail drive was just inboard motor..
There are two versions of inboard, the shaft drive and the saildrive. The saildrive overcomes some problems with the shaft drive, particularly the fact that the propshaft has to be angled downwards in most shaft drive designs, resulting in loss of forward thrust. The saildrive is also called an inboard-outboard, as it has the leg through the hull that is like an outboard. Places the prop thrust at the best place and angle. However, as we read here, comes with its own set of problems.
