Boat Upgrading - Suggestions

nivram017 · August 03, 2009, 10:55:22 CET

Currently we have a maltese Luzzu 19 ft in length which we intend to sell and preferrably upgrade to a boat with more speed. At the moment we have put our eyes on a Petecraft - Fast Fisher 22. The main aim is for fishing although we will also use it as a pleasure boat as well. I have some questions which I would greatly appreciate any opinions on them.
1) We work a lot with fishing nets (Parit) or bottom lines. Anyone with this type of boat has any personal experiences i.e is it comfortable for such type of fishing? can a winch be easily fitted?
2) any suggestions for the engines - what is best 2 inboards, outboards or z-drives?
3) to achieve at least 30 knots which are the most economic engines on the market?
4) any ideas of cost for the engines?

Thanks a lot friends

Destination Sea · August 03, 2009, 13:48:00 CET

The fast fisher 22 which i have seen lately are fitted with outboard engines. They range from 200 to 300hp. If you go down to B Bugia you can see some of them.But since your primary aim is for fishing nets etc the outboard may be in the way so an inboard would be better i guess.never fished with these types so i cant tell exact as you know far better what is involved. But you have also to consider the cost weight and space in this regards.Hope this helps.

nivram017 · August 03, 2009, 15:17:15 CET

FIRST OF ALL THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY. Infact that's why i asked for some assistance as i dont know whether such boat is comfortable to use for fishing with nets. It is true that most of them are being fitted with outboards however I think that for the type of fishing I mentioned i.e parit and konz these will be quite obstructive. On the other hand having inboards on such a boat most probably won't leave enogh comfortable space to work. Anyone have photos of the rear space of a Fast Fisher with onboards?

Thanks.

LapsiBoy · August 03, 2009, 15:20:46 CET

For fishing inboards are the number one. for many reasons like the working space at the stern, hydrolic, economy etc.

Shaftbomb · August 03, 2009, 17:28:07 CET

Hello Nivram017. I have a Petecraft 22 with a yanmar inboard. Don't worry about lack of space in that boat because it is very deep. I have a yanmar 350 in it and the engine box is only 8 inches high. Since you will use your boat more for fishing, I would suggest installing an IVECO, STERY or Yanmar not more than 250hp in it. You should reach 27-30kts easily with such engines - shaft driven. I dont see any reason why you should install two engines of the same size because of the cost of fuel and space issues. For safety reasons, you can easily fit an auxiliary engine at the back of the boat, just behind the main engine, using the same rudder of the main engine while having a prop that opens when it rotates and close while idle. Such engine like a Kobuta, Sole or a 27hp yanmar should be buried all underneath and will not occopy precious space at the back of your boat.
The boat is very comfortable, having a very dry and smooth ride. I know people who have installed a winch on it and use it for parit and long lines. I think I have some pictures showing the inside of my boat and if so I will post later on today.
Having said this, I can't wait to sell my engine and power my Petecraft boat with a big powerfull outboard....performance wise there is no comparison between a marine diesel engine and big outboard!
Hope this info helps you Nivram....

chrisxue · August 03, 2009, 19:14:58 CET

do you have a price in mind for that engine?

Shaftbomb · August 03, 2009, 20:02:07 CET

Don't know yet......If I sell I would prefer to sell the whole lot, engine, gearbox, shaft, prop, insomma everything related. Engine still brand new with only 100 hrs on it...will not sell it for cheap considering that it cost Lm11,000 brand new and having a new US 4 blade nibral prop costing Lm600.
Anyway if anyone interested I have two brand new old stock yanmars for sale, one 125hp and another one 27hp.

busumark · August 03, 2009, 20:18:44 CET

@ NIVRAM017 my friend wants to sell his fast fisher 22 it has twin yanmar 140 and fully equipped for fishing including winches radar gps fishfinder. if you want to speak to him phone him 99271426 or PM me. i posted photo in the gallery

nivram017 · August 03, 2009, 20:39:57 CET

Thanks Busumark I have already contacted him yesterday. Unfortunately it does not match exactly my criteria. That's why i was thinking of building a new one! At the moment I think it would be better to have some more power thats why I also asked for any suggestions.

nivram017 · August 03, 2009, 20:43:57 CET

Shaftbomb do you have any idea of how much one of the engines you've mentioned i.e the Yanmar or the Iveco will cost? Thanks.

Shaftbomb · August 03, 2009, 20:51:28 CET

If you are looking at brand new engines plus gearboxes and at 250hp range, keep in mind that you will spend at least LM6500. Yanmars do come in 240hp - excellent engine, great acceleration and throws out plenty of power. Iveco are becoming more and more popular. I know the Gaffer has a steyr, also in that hp range and you can speak to him about it.

skip · August 03, 2009, 20:54:19 CET

Are you looking to acheive a 30 knot cruise speed, or maximum speed?

To me something that not many boat builders or suppliers can provide locally are accurate fuel consumption figures, with an rpm/speed/consumption chart. This to me would be the most critical factor when choosing the boat's powerplant.

With the advent of modern ECU/ECM controlled engines even on the diesels many of these support some kind of interfacing either via a laptop or special digital gauges which can in turn display the boats fuel consumption and more importantly nmpg or nmpl (nautical miles per gallon or nautical miles per litre).

It's the one additional nice to have instrument that I recommend on every boat, the ability to monitor your fuel flow and associated distance per litre burned. I'm not a believer anymore when people say oh run that engine at 3,000rpm it's the sweet point and you won't use alot of fuel as they are usually wrong!

Hook up the right equipment you can immediately see that a small adjustment to the throttle, engine trim or trim tabs can suddenly present you with much more economical figures, whilst also being able to accurately calculate your fuel remaining, fuel used etc. Turn around the corner and meet the wind from a new direction and the gauge will show you a change requiring you to re-trim the boat....but just how many people do that!

My advice is steer clear of Z-Drives if you are going to be using the boat extensively and for long hours, they simply aren't designed for that use and will cost you dearly in maintenance.

It's shafts or outboards and as Lapsi pointed out for the type of fishing you intend to do, perhaps bulky outboards on the back might not be ideal.....although if you did consider them be sure to check out the Suzuki 4 strokes....awesome engines.

nivram017 · August 03, 2009, 21:44:33 CET

Thanks for your advice. I like the idea of having some instrument which can give me some idea of the fuel consumption. Are they expensive to get and are these available locally? Most probably i will look for an inboard. Regarding the speed its obvious that the more I can get the better, however there are both initial and running costs which i have to consider. At the moment the boat we have is equipped with two diesel engines (A volvo penta and a Saab ) which are both quite economical and i dont want to upgrade to the new boat and get a shock with the diesel costs!.

Shaftbomb · August 03, 2009, 21:54:32 CET

Power and speed do come at a cost - FUEL

nivram017 · August 03, 2009, 21:59:03 CET

Shaftbomb is the Lm6500 value you quoted for a single engine or two? Excuse me but i do not have any idea of the expenses involved yet. I am still budgetting and that's why i'm doing all these questions. What type of boat does the Gaffer has?