Hi Manni,
I searched on boat point for a Pelican 27 and came up with "Sara Jane" currently located in Middle Harbour. Is this the yacht you bought for $15,000 or less???

Firstly let me congratulate you on buying a yacht. However keep in mind it is said that the two best days of ownership of any yacht are the day you buy it and the day you sell it.

However if you have bought a "right" yacht, the days in between can be quite enjoyable too.

If you have bought "Sara Jane" or another example of the design in similar condition, I believe you have bought a "right" yacht.

Usually when someone buys a yacht it is for pleasureable purposes and therefore is an emotional decision rather than a commercial decision. Under these circumstances it is common for the "hang the expence" attitude to prevail and more money to be spent than is wise.

All is not lost though as it is still possible to have a ton of fun without breaking the bank or the marriage if you have one.

To your specific question, replacement of the Volvo engine (a notorious propagator of nautical nightmares) and sail drive (which can be just as bad), with an outboard engine.

As a short term and economical solution to the problem, this is a good idea. You will need to get one with a long leg though and you may need to mount it midships on this yacht. An 8hp engine should be more than adequate with a short pitch propellor. This is all fine for harbour river and inshore work.

For coastal passages an outboard engine on a yacht is quite undesireable except for the tender.

Before you committ to a course of action, I strongly recommend you investigate the possibility of fitting say, a Kubota engine to your existing sail drive leg. Hunt around the net and you may be surprised with what turns up. Try these guys first http://www.diecon.com.au/index.html and www.marinediesel.com.au/default.asp.

There are a lot of other factors involved but I am tired and going to bed. If you want to ask me further questions, message me. Cheers Cisco

ManniB congratulations on your new toy!

Whilst I'm still relatively new to being an owner of a yacht, I can speak about having an outboard on a stern bracket.

Mine is a 25 ft Top Hat, it has a full keel and does have a well. The 8hp Tohatsu 4 stroke that came with the boat is however bolted on the stern on a lowering bracket.

Good points.
It's cheap to run - about 1 litre per hour if that.
On the bracket it's quiet, much quieter than an outboard in the well or diesel under the floor and very simple to service being a 4 stroke. Plugs and filter, plus a change of oil. No need to mix fuel either.
Bad points.
The dill who chose the motor didn't check to see whether it would fit in the well correctly - it didn't so it's on the transom.
The dill who put it on didn't re-inforce the transom enough so there is a bit of wobbling going on which I will sort out within the next month or so.
The dill who put it on didn't get the long shaft version, because the bracket doesn't allow for the engine to be tilted, just lifted in the vertical position.

All that being said, I've had to motor up the coast for about an hour and the prop didn't break water at all. It does on the odd occasion in the harbour with all the slop under the harbour bridge, but it's only a short blip.

I would have preferred diesel myself, however it wasn't a deal breaker for the boat and we were trying to stay below $12 for a purchase price of a reasonably well looked after craft that we could sail straight away. Also, at this point, I'd have no hesitation going up the coast on longer passages with this set up.

Michael

Hey Manni, I could just very well be one of those "dills" myself in the eyes of another.

s67.photobucket.com/user/Miker_01/library/Dulcamara you'll see what she looks like, and get an idea of what an outboard on the stern looks like.

As with everything, it's got pros and cons.....and looking at Sara Jane it seems like fitting a stern bracket for an outboard may be a little trickier than a Top Hat, there's a lot of clear air between the end of the hull and the water.

One thing I didn't mention, with controls on the outboard being over the back, throttle and gear changes are trickier when manouvering to a jetty, whilst still needing the tiller to steer from the cockpit, but you get used to it and nothing happens quickly.....

Michael.