Engine power?

[Bowie]

Hi everyone, would a Beta 32hp 4 cylinder be over powerd in a 40ft boat for canal use? Only we are looking at a boat with that in and only intend to use the canals not rivers, it sounds quite a powerful engine. Thanks.

[hnb2907]

Hi everyone, would a Beta 32hp 4 cylinder be over powerd in a 40ft boat for canal use? Only we are looking at a boat with that in and only intend to use the canals not rivers, it sounds quite a powerful engine. Thanks.

 

Hi there,

 

I've got a 3cyl beta 28 in our new 46' Piper boat, and that's more than capable on the Canals... It went like stink with very few revs on the deeper/wide Bridgewater, and it's also quite happy on the shallower Maccy. Compared to our previous boat needing lots of revs to achieve about 3mph, it seems far happier.

 

Slightly off topic - The only gripe I have is that when the manufacturers (i.e. Beta) spray-paint the engine, why do they have to do it with all the wiring/piping in place? Obviously it's cheaper/easier to do the whole lot, but coming from a crowd of folk who restore classic cars to an exceptionally high standard, it looks bad now the painted flexible bits are cracking...

 

Hope that helps a little?

 

 

Cheers,

ChrisC.

[DHutch]

Its plenty, possably more than you mihgt choose if it where your own.

- However, i wouldnt let it put you off the boat, if you are happy with the rest of it.

[DHutch]

The only gripe I have is that when the manufacturers (i.e. Beta) spray-paint the engine, why do they have to do it with all the wiring/piping in place?

I think you will find that beta (along with all the other canal enigne companys) are not the enigne manufactours, but merly the marinisers.

- The buy in the base enigine from the manufactor (in this case kubota) in its fully assembled state. And then "marinise" (not marinade) it, inclusing spraying it in there colours

- Therefore, its is a LOT cheaper and easyer to just spray it 'totus-porkus' as one lump and most people dont seam to care.

 

Typical case of badge engineering, just like our car. The Peugoet 806

- Also the, Citroën evasion/synergie, Fiat ulysse, Lancia zeta, and very much the same veichle as the Citroen dispatch, Fiat scudo and Peugeot expert Vans!

 

 

 

Daniel

[Noah]

Hi everyone, would a Beta 32hp 4 cylinder be over powerd in a 40ft boat for canal use? Only we are looking at a boat with that in and only intend to use the canals not rivers, it sounds quite a powerful engine. Thanks.

Hi

 

I've got that same engine (Kubota 1200cc, marinised by BetaMarine) in my 15 yr old, 45ft narrowboat (2' 6" draft). I was initially concerned that it might have been underpowered for river work because many boats of similar size are fitted with the 1500cc version (38hp). However, last April I gave it a thorough thrashing testing on the River Weaver in spate and I'm now satisfied that that the engine is more than adequate. On canals, such as the shallow Macc, it purrs along happily at lower revs. But I'd really love to have a low cc, high torque vintage twin cylinder engine that fires every ten yards!

 

The Kubota engine (before being marinised by BetaMarine) is a common agricultural engine and most parts are available cheaper from agri engineers (such as Shorrocks) than from BetaMarine themselves, who are extortionate.

 

O.T. I'm just about to "marinise" two huge T-bone steaks for an afternoon BBQ!

 

Noah

[Bowie]

Thanks everyone, seems ok then, great site full of the sort of info we need at mo.