The first decision: whether or not to do it at all. An engine upgrade in an older boat will cost a substantial portion of the boats value. You will never get all this money back when you sell the boat. You will also spend much more than the cost of the engine. In my case the engine was about $4600.00 and the aditional gear was another $1500.00. I figure that if I had used paid labor, it would have cost at least another $2000.00, since this was not just a drop-in job.

For me, it was worth the cost because I plan to keep the boat, and I value reliability highly. I also find the work interesting. The old engine had become increasingly unreliable and replacement parts were very expensive. The defining moment came when the vibtration damper/shaft coupling fell apart at the wrong moment. A replacement for this non-standard coupling cost $250.00. I don't begrudge the vendor his right to make a profit, but I have a problem paying that much for something that obviously cost only a few dollars to make.

The Second Decision: What engine to buy? I considered many, including Beta, Lombardini, another Farymann, Yanmar and a petrol Vire. I chose the Yanmar 1GM10 for its reputation of reliability, and the availability of parts and service. The 1GM10 is raw water cooled, which is less desirable than fresh water cooled. After looking into it, I learned that most engines that die prematurely do so because of neglect and poor winterizing, and not from internal corrosion. The two cylinder Yanmar was bigger, heavier, more expensive, and more power than I needed. So I decided on the 1GM10.

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