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Narrowboat Engines - Size Engine - 57FT Narrowboat?


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Hello there,

I've heard that Bukh engines are an unusual, but good engine for narrowboat. I'm looking at getting a 57FT NB and want to put a Bukh engine in it. There is the:

 

  • Bukh DV36 RME

Or

  • Bukh DV48 RME

 

Which one would be better suited to a 57 narrowboat?

Cheers, Barry

 

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7 minutes ago, BazzaTheDazza said:

Hello there,

I've heard that Bukh engines are an unusual, but good engine for narrowboat. I'm looking at getting a 57FT NB and want to put a Bukh engine in it. There is the:

 

  • Bukh DV36 RME

Or

  • Bukh DV48 RME

 

Which one would be better suited to a 57 narrowboat?

Cheers, Barry

 

I don't know much, but someone recommended the Bukh to me and said that the DV36 should be enough hp, because the DV48 is a turbocharged version

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Just now, FutureNarrowboater2026 said:

I don't know much, but someone recommended the Bukh to me and said that the DV36 should be enough hp, because the DV48 is a turbocharged version

 

For 57fta DV36 plus competent skipper and correct prop should be enough. After posting the Bukh advice I realised you were going for a 60ft + boat and according to modern practice 35hp may not be enough even though I think it will be. The advice about the 48 is related to the added complexity of the turbo, the need to let it spin down before shutting down, and the fact (without seeing the graphs) it may not be doing much power wise at canal speed.

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1 minute ago, The Welsh Cruiser said:

Just to confuse matters my 35ft boat trundles along sufficiently fast powered by just 12hp. I wouldn't want to take it on a river though. 

I want to take mine along the Soar, Avon & Thames, and a couple of others. @Tony Brooks, if that was the case would you recommend the DV48... I don't mind letting the turbo spin down.

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36 minutes ago, BazzaTheDazza said:

ello there,

I've heard that Bukh engines are an unusual, but good engine for narrowboat. I'm looking at getting a 57FT NB and want to put a Bukh engine in it. There is the:

 

  • Bukh DV36 RME

Or

  • Bukh DV48 RME

Another question that maybe has a lot more 'behind it' than the questioner may be aware.

 

First question : What age of boat is it you are looking at  (will it be less than 25 years old) ?

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I had a 65 foot colecraft with a dv36. Superb engine and way big enough for a little 57 footer unless you want to go white water rafting.

32 minutes ago, The Welsh Cruiser said:

Just to confuse matters my 35ft boat trundles along sufficiently fast powered by just 12hp. I wouldn't want to take it on a river though. 

My first boat was a 56 footer powered by a 9 horse lister. We did ninety percent of the system with it without concern. It was shall we say a little bit of a challenge on the tidal trent at the time. On windy days we couldnt move as it didnt have the power to get off the side ?

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17 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Another question that maybe has a lot more 'behind it' than the questioner may be aware.

 

First question : What age of boat is it you are looking at  (will it be less than 25 years old) ?

The boat was built more than 25 years ago, I'm planning on restoring it. I havn't bought it yet though. I heard that you can just buy a new shell do the interior fitout and fit the engine yourself, and you can use it on the canals, but you can't sell it for 5 years under any circumstances... that's my other option (if its true)

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7 minutes ago, BazzaTheDazza said:

I heard that you can just buy a new shell do the interior fitout and fit the engine yourself, and you can use it on the canals, but you can't sell it for 5 years under any circumstances... that's my other option (if its true)

Yes its true but not quite in the way you suggest.

 

You can build it to the requirements of the Law (Recreational Craft Directive) and sell it when you want, or,

You can build it how you like and then have to wait 5 years before you can sell it so it has chance to prove it is safe by not killing you, then, you can sell it.

 

Next question :

Bukh state their engines are emissions approved to the USA requirements for Lifeboat use, but make no mention of them being CE approved - are they ?

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Yes its true but not quite in the way you suggest.

 

You can build it to the requirements of the Law (Recreational Craft Directive) and sell it when you want, or,

You can build it how you like and then have to wait 5 years before you can sell it so it has chance to prove it is safe by not killing you, then, you can sell it.

In a nutshell.

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1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Yes its true but not quite in the way you suggest.

 

You can build it to the requirements of the Law (Recreational Craft Directive) and sell it when you want, or,

You can build it how you like and then have to wait 5 years before you can sell it so it has chance to prove it is safe by not killing you, then, you can sell it.

Yeah, that's basically what I was saying, but I left out (didn't know) the killing part

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A new shell will be a better investment if you can afford it. An old boat refitted is still an old boat. I suggest you should only refit an old boat if you really can not afford a new shell, plan to cruise and incrementally refit over several years, or the old boat has some historic value.

 

I would not want a boat with a turbocharger, especially a liveaboard. As Nick Norman very clearly explains in another thread, good torque at low speed is required for battery charging/electricity generation. Turbo engines have the wrong characteristic.

 

...................Dave

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18 minutes ago, dmr said:

A new shell will be a better investment if you can afford it. An old boat refitted is still an old boat. I suggest you should only refit an old boat if you really can not afford a new shell, plan to cruise and incrementally refit over several years, or the old boat has some historic value.

 

I would not want a boat with a turbocharger, especially a liveaboard. As Nick Norman very clearly explains in another thread, good torque at low speed is required for battery charging/electricity generation. Turbo engines have the wrong characteristic.

 

...................Dave

Okay, thanks very much

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I dont think I would want a narrowboat with the engine spinning a turbo ether, Come into a Thames lock and say to the lock keeper, I will turn the engine off in a minute, just need to let the turbo spin down, of even an engine reving away fast enough to spin a turbo under my feet all day.
Not sure how it would like sitting for a couple of hours charging the batteries

Edited by ditchcrawler
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1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Yes its true but not quite in the way you suggest.

 

You can build it to the requirements of the Law (Recreational Craft Directive) and sell it when you want, or,

You can build it how you like and then have to wait 5 years before you can sell it so it has chance to prove it is safe by not killing you, then, you can sell it.

 

Next question :

Bukh state their engines are emissions approved to the USA requirements for Lifeboat use, but make no mention of them being CE approved - are they ?

 

No idea but the DV36 smokes a bit!!! at low speed and idle so maybe not.

2 hours ago, BazzaTheDazza said:

@Tony Brooks Okay, would the gearbox help with anything?

 

You get the gearbox you get with a second-hand Bukh. The only difference the gearbox makes (apart from reliability) is the reduction ratio. That, the engine, the height of the stern post and to a lesser degree the characteristics of the boat define the optimum prop size. Its the prop size being matched to the engine  and reduction ration that's important.

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3 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

I dont think I would want a narrowboat with the engine spinning a turbo ether, Come into a Thames lock and say to the lock keeper, I will turn the engine off in a minute, just need to let the turbo spin down, of even an engine reving away fast enough to spin a turbo under my feet all day.
Not sure how it would like sitting for a couple of hours charging the batteries

 

I wouldnt want a turbocharged engine on a narrowboat, mainly because the turbo wouldnt be spinning fast enough to produce more power and torque when it is needed most.

 

I don't think a turbo would get hot enough to warrant running on after it is needed to cool it down, unless you had been using the boat on a river against a strong tide.

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