The search begins - Cummins vs. Yanmar

[jcollins]

Anyone that has met me knows that we had two Golden Retrievers. Now it seems the admiral has decided we need three. (gotta love her) Now that we have 3 dogs she has also decided we need a 31. (really gotta love her) Last time we found Afterglow and closed the deal in less than 30 days. This time...not so fast. I'm going to take a year at least to find my "last boat" - really. My Peninsular, to date, has performed very well. The only issue has been the hot starting problem that was resolved easily for less than 100.00. Other issues were just normal wear and tear or owner lack of knowledge.

I have decided I'll stick with the single engine now that I can comfortably move the boat around in close quarters. That is not a problem. So, the burning question of the day is which powerplant? Yanmar 420 or Cummins 450. Or, will the 370 give me what I need?

What are your thoughts?

[Tuxedo]

Personally, I'm a big fan of Cummins. The 450 in Tuxedo was flawless and had good power and ok fuel economy. I think Cummins have a bit more torque than Yanmars. I know there are a lot of Yanmar owners here, and I'm sure they love their engines as well. Yanmars seem to have a reputation of being quieter.

Mainly, I wanted to give a resounding NO to the 370 question. The 31 is a lot of boat, and the huge skeg, much bigger than the 28, takes a lot of effort to push through the water. You need plenty of power.

[jcollins]

Tom,
Tuxedo is a beautiful example of the 31. I like the idea of drop curtains.

Where did she end up?

[RobS]

John, I thought your area was skinny on water? Another foot of draft will not be a problem? As far as the engine, I agree with Tuxedo, that's a lot of boat over the 28:

31'8 x 12'4, 14,000lbs, 300gal of fuel
vs.
28'4 x 10, 8,500lbs., 130 gal of fuel

No comparison. Plus there is a lot more room for "stuff" on the 31.

Stay with the higher HP. As far as Cummins vs. Yanmar I think properly setup & maintained neither will disappoint you. Low hours, ALL required maintenance, etc. that's what you'll want to look for.

I have been on both Cummins and Yanmar boats. The Yanmar is quieter. Since you are basically a cruiser the quietness may be a deciding factor. If you went out with 4 or 5 guys offshore fishing every weekend, racking up hundreds of hours every season, then the Cummins may be preferred. You gotta get out on them both and get a feel for it...

[Tuxedo]

Tom,
Tuxedo is a beautiful example of the 31. I like the idea of drop curtains.

Where did she end up?

Chocowinity, NC. The new owner is a member here but doesn't post much.

I had a transient boater from Chocowinity next to may boat this spring, and he said Tuxedo is being used and enjoyed.

[RobS]

John,
If you find a Long Island based 31 I would gladly be willing to have a first look at her for you, shoot some pictures and let you know if she's worth the trip... I'm sure Matt Hanna would be willing as well. Be glad to help.

[ctlionsden]

John, the 370 performed beautifully on my trip up the Atlantic coast and the 3 ICW legs that I ran. My average cruising speed was around 16 knots at around 2475 to 2550 rpm. I'm certain the 32CBSF weighs somewhat more than the 31, and I never felt a need for more power. I tested WOT— it is 3150 and gave me over 24-25 knots in less than ideal conditions. On the flip side, if you run at displacement speed (6-7Kt) you'll be burning about 1.2–1.5 gph…not bad, if you have time to enjoy the sights.
Another plus—I have found the Cummins people highly accessible, and ready to spend whatever time is needed to discuss any question that came up. I've heard otherwise about Yanmar.
I don't know how Cummins gets the added hp in the 450, but if it is the same basic engine as the 370, then the rule-of-thumb says added hp is likely to be at the cost of some engine life.
Either way, good luck. And, like Rob on L.I., if you need a boat looked at in southern New England, please give me a call.
—Lionel

[jcollins]

John, I thought your area was skinny on water?

Rob,
Yes it is. There are some creeks that we wouldn't be able to get into. Since we moved to the marina I usually have 4 1/2 feet at low tide. Except when the wind blows from the North. I do love to hear that skeg dragging through the muck. 3.2 vs. 3.10. I can handle another 8".

Thanks to everyone for your comments. I think either will work for me. I did read somewhere that the Cummins 370 and 450 are the same engine except for electronics/computer. I don't know about the Yanmar.
We are going to be very picky about everything else.

And, like Rob on L.I., if you need a boat looked at in southern New England, please give me a call.

Thanks for that. When the time comes I will take you up on those offers. Like I said in the orginal post, I am about a year away. I have to sell our land and sell Afterglow first.

[Tuxedo]

I did read somewhere that the Cummins 370 and 450 are the same engine except for electronics/computer.

No

The 370 is the B series, 5.9 liters. The 450 is the C series, 8.3 liters.

Cummins has now made the B series up to 425hp with the QSB model, but to my knowledge, these were not installed in Albins.

Also, in my experience, the 32 moved through the water easier than the 31. I think it has to do with the skeg on the 31 vs the full keel in the 32, or maybe the shape of the bottom. I sold a number of 32s with 315 Cummins and they were, when new and not loaded down with owners junk and tops and enclosures, easily 18k boats. I sold one 31 with a 315 Cummins (a mistake) and it was a 14k boat, it that.

[DougSea]

Good luck in your search John! I'm very jealous!

I torment myself about once a month searching for 31s. And after the NE rendezvous when Ann nicely showed me around the new Hideaweigh I really have the fever!

I'm inclined to look at twins just because my consulting lifestyle means limited time to get places and the extra speed would open up some new spots. But the big singles seem to move along a bit faster than the Beast pushes Sonny III.

Does anyone here know what the bottom configuration is on a 31 with twins? Partial keel? Not that I really need to know since I'll just torture myself more but...

[RobS]

Does anyone here know what the bottom configuration is on a 31 with twins? Partial keel? Not that I really need to know since I'll just torture myself more but...

No skeg or rudder, common twin inboard setup with struts, etc...

[over n under]

I currently own a 31TE,single 450HP Cummins.Boat is loaded A/C,5KW Gen SET all the goodies.Would not go any other way.Remember you are pushing a lot of boat, and not always in the best of conditions.
The 28TE and 31TE are completely different boats.IF you come to LONG ISLAND i would be more than happy to take you out for a ride.

[jointventure]

Being a 31TE owner I can vouch for its' cruisabilty, liveabilty,fishability . The latest issue of Soundings has a 31 '96 listed for $120K at Martin Bird Associates,Annapolis,MD (410-268-1086 877-393-9052).Good luck in your searching.