COLUMN BOATBUILDINGGet Your Motors Runnin’Advance Work on Engine Selection with the OEM pays handsome dividends when your vessel is delivered. Don’t skip this necessary step.By Joe HudspethIt is hard to say why the phenomenon cannot have favorites. Sure, we take note of certain models occurs, but with every new engine that that may have experienced warranty issues and before the arrives in any boat yard comes a sense of con? nes of EPA certi? cation were in place – builders had approval and appreciation. Heads turn options and price, delivery, and support really mattered. and work even stops as the iron horse- Now, the process of engine selection is quite simple, be-power machines make their way onto the cause there are so few options. It used to be that the naval production ? oor. Such admiration is war- architect would evaluate the application and calculate the ranted; after all, the engines are the heart required horsepower. Builders would then ? ip through all and life of the vessel – without them, the the engine selection guides and present their customers cliché becomes true and you are dead in the water. With the with a list of offerings in the suitable power range with the advancement of technology, expectations have grown and we appropriate duty cycle rating.have become desensitized, yielding a hard-to-impress society. Builders and architects prefer to recommend engines with Recently, I was able to get an up close look as to how quality the best power density ratio – or in other words, the most engines are made when I was afforded the opportunity to tour ‘oomph’ for the weight. Customers will have their favorites the Scania engine factory. Just prior to visiting Scania, I also too, either evidenced by the color of engine they prefer, or it is had the privilege of touring the Hamilton Jet factory in Christ- clearly stated by the logo on the baseball cap they are wearing church, New Zealand. I can attest that both these factories are after attending a trade show. Now that the game has changed, impressive at the highest levels and that sophisticated engi- builders are lucky to have even two options to choose from. neering teams, skilled production labor, and stringent quality Some manufacturers have more gaps in their Tier III produc-measures are in place to ensure that the marine industry is get- tion line than others, but virtually all brands have had their ting the best propulsion systems that the regulators will allow. challenges and were forced to change their offerings.B B B U S -SURN ABY URN GLY TEP ISTERThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may have Once upon a time, it used to be that boat builders could had the intent of sparking innovation and moving the in- offer discounts on sistership vessels using pre-existing de-dustry forward towards the production of cleaner burning signs. The discount comes in the form of savings on design engines, but at what expense? The engines that have been and engineering costs. With the triggering of Tier III, engines manufactured as Tier II and Tier III solutions have both been typically grew larger, heavier, and in some cases had varying found to be less fuel ef? cient and more expensive. Could one horsepower offerings than their Tier II predecessors, which have argued that a more ef? cient engine would burn less fuel can necessitate a change in gear box, prop size, and shaft di-and produce fewer emissions, than a cleaner burning engine ameter. What may seem like insigni? cant details can actually that has to consume greater amounts of fuel and gas off a alter the entire weight and balance of the boat, change en-corresponding amount of emissions in the process? Engine gine bed con? gurations, and possibly even tip the scales over manufacturers have been able to meet compliance standards the 2% allowable weight tolerance that the USCG accepts in through in-cylinder technology. In essence, the engine has to accordance with the sistership status guidelines.burn more of the fuel so that less waste (emissions) is pro- The variation of engines from one tier to the next has duced. Herein, lays the problem. In order to burn more of the also erased the advantages of ? eet commonality that came fuel, the engine consumes extra fuel to enhance the combus- with standardized parts, swing units, and crew familiarity. tion process. Tier IV promises to be more of the same, only Builders have also had to modify their construction prac-better, with the added bene? ts of a urea-based SCR system. tices as exhaust ports have changed, mounting feet have been repositioned, and plumbing connections are some-ARROWING THE LAYING IELDN P F times located in awkward locations. It was bene? cial to see When it comes to engine selection, boat builders really ? rsthand the challenges the engine and water jet manu-July 201422 MNMN July14 Layout 18-31.indd 22 MN July14 Layout 18-31.indd 22 6/18/2014 3:35:04 PM6/18/2014 3:35:04 PM