Craftsman Marine Diesel Ordered

Hi everyone,
We've now selected a new engine for Zen Again.  We have ordered a Craftsman CM3.27 (3 cylinder, 27HP) and will keep the existing propellor.

Craftsman Marine is a quite new supplier of marine diesels.  They marinise Mitsubishi industrial engines in the Netherlands.  I've read plenty of positive comments about them and can only hope we'll be equally pleased.  Here's why we chose the Craftsman:

• Fits in our engine compartment (and is smaller overall than existing engine)
• Lighter (113kg compared to 123kg new Yanmar and 138kg existing engine)
• 430mm mount spacing which matches our mounting beds.  It turns out our existing Yanmar has custom mounting brackets which extend their standard 370mm spacing.
• Regular service items (dip-stick, filters, impeller etc) all on starboard and forward sides
• Nice IP67-sealed instrument panel with hour, temperature, oil pressure, voltage and RPM gauges
• Preheater (just in case we ever go anywhere cold!)
• Nice looking engine with hoses NOT painted!

Craftsman Marine CM3.27

We expect to fit non-standard engine mounts since our engine beds are quite high.  We selected PolyFlex mounts which allow a minimum height of 65mm vice the standard mount minimum height of 85mm.

PolyFlex Engine Mount

We also plan to install a flexible coupling to provide a little "elastic" in the drive train.  We've chosen a PolyFlex...

PolyFlex Flexible Coupling

Our existing shaft half-coupling is rusty and its bolt hole pattern doesn't match modern gearbox couplings.  Again PolyFlex offers these, and drilling out to match your shaft diameter is included in the price.  So we'll get one of these...

PolyFlex Half-Coupling

We looked into the possibility of a smaller engine with a new propellor but that proved difficult due to issues matching available gearbox ratios to new propellors, and also a possible clearance problem between the P-bracket and an AutoProp propellor.

It will be interesting to see whether the new engine can drive our 16" Varifold propellor up to the engine's full rated RPM of 3600rpm.  The existing engine can only get to 2500rpm, but we suspect that's because it is producing less than its rated 27HP.

We used Nigel Calder's excellent book "Marine Diesel Engines - Maintenance, Troubleshooting and Repair" to calculate engine and propellor parameters for Zen Again.  Section 9 "Selection and Installation" provides all the necessary information.

For a yacht with the following characteristics:

• 6,800kg (15,000lb) displacement;
• 8.65m (28.4ft) waterline length;
• 3600rpm maximum engine revolutions; and
• 2.72 gearbox ratio

the calculations showed:

• 15HP needed for a "racer", but 30HP recommended for a "cruiser"; 
• Recommended propellor size of 16.5" (ours is 16"); and
• Recommended propellor pitch of 14" (ours is 12").

So, if anything the boat should be slightly "under-propped" rather than "over-propped" with a new 27HP engine.  And so the new engine should work well.  Time will tell!

Inescapable Rebak

Hi everyone,
We're now back in Perth, and Zen Again is once again in a pen at Rebak Resort Marina.  So much for returning our lovely boat to WA this year!

We spent several stormy days at Telaga Marina after deciding it really wasn't wise to risk the passage around Sumatra to Cocos Island.  In the end we decided we had too little faith in our 20+ year old engine.  So back to Rebak we went during a brief break in the weather.

At Telaga Harbour

We're now looking at a range of options to return Zen Again to Fremantle.  Step one however will be to replace our engine.  We came very, very close to doing so in Darwin, and have regretted not doing so ever since.

Zen Again once more at Rebak Resort Marina

We are considering replacing our current 27hp Yanmar with a smaller engine, and not necessarily a Yanmar.  The 27hp easily drives the boat at lower RPM than it should be running at, so we haven't been working the engine as hard as it should be.  Hence the huge carbon build-ups we discovered in Darwin.

We would like to also replace the propellor since we know the current fixed pitch, 2-blade, folding prop is over-pitched (that is, it takes too big a "bite" at the water and the engine can't get up to the RPM it is supposed to be running at).  If we replace the prop the new one will be a Bruntons Autoprop which sets its pitch automagically.  We had one on our previous boat and it was excellent.

Telaga Harbour Marina for Fuel

Hi everyone,
This morning we motor-sailed the 6nm from Rebak Resort Marina to Telaga Harbour Marina, still on the Malaysian island of Langkawi.  In pen A26 at 06 22.00N 99 41.12E.  We were originally booked to stay here for two nights and had planned to depart for the Cocos-Keeling Islands today.

We had a great send-off from Rebak.  Diana from The Doctor, Mike & Jan from Asterie, Frank & Karen from Kokomo V, Barry & Sue from Nefertiti 1, John & Cheryl from Sea Mist, and Steve & Anne from Recluse all came down to wave us off.

Heading out of Rebak Marina
photo by sv The Doctor

Motoring out of Rebak Marina
photo by sv Kokomo V

We flew back to Langkawi from Perth last Sunday.  From Monday to Thursday we worked on the boat, doing lots of pre-departure jobs and replenishing supplies.  On Friday and Saturday we rewarded our hard work with a couple of days at the resort.  The rooms are very nice and well air-conditioned.  On Saturday night we watched the Australian election coverage on BBCworld.

View from our very nice cool room

Company for a walk around the resort - 2m monitor lizard

Our plan had been to sail for Cocos leaving Sumatra to port, and from there to Fremantle.  Eventually however, and at the eleventh hour, we decided not to proceed.  We'll return to Rebak later this week and consider Plan B.