The long and short of it
I have conceded defeat in my struggle with the Bukh DV10 LME diesel engine. The long story is told below, but the short story is that I ran out of time and energy. I could add money to the equation; it became a case of throwing good money after bad. Sometimes you just have to walk away.
In my last blog, I thought I had got to the end of the mechanicals and could start on the electricals (I had started to remove the crappy wiring and damaged switches). I was wrong. The engine refused to start. It had started in the workshop, but enough had happened between the workshop and boat to make it not start. Eventually, I found out that the problem was related to an eccentric bolt, which I should not have removed and replaced.
Despite offering money, I could not persuade the workshop mechanics to come to the boat to inspect the engine. They might have spotted something simple (in the end, they did) but it meant another afternoon of borrowing time from my son-in-law and his dad to get the engine out, another trip to the workshop in Loganholme, another wait while they got round to it, another $300 to adjust a bolt, and yet another afternoon of in-laws’ time to get the engine back in again.
Before getting the engine back in, I thought I would be clever by removing the 16kg flywheel to lighten the loads. Because it was so difficult to remove, I made a pulling jig, which damaged the copper winding on the already defunct generator inside the flywheel. Trying to be clever again, I applied some anti-seizing goo to the flywheel taper to make it easier to remove in future, which was a BIG mistake. I found, after the event, that the reason that the flywheel was so difficult to remove is that it relies on the friction between the flywheel and taper to hold it in place.
So, I finally got the engine in, connected the wires to the new starter battery that I had bought for the occasion and fired it up. It actually started … for about 10 seconds, died and refused to re-start.
Examining the video of what should have been a triumphant moment, I saw that the flywheel was slipping on the taper. I found that it had sheared the taper key, scored the taper and, worst of all, a crack appeared in the flywheel on female surface of the taper.
That crack was the end of the engine. There was no way back from this, even if I managed to repair the taper and key. A repair to the taper would have needed complete disassembly of the engine and a return to the beginning, which would not have been worth it.
The engine was dead, the electrical switchgear had been pulled out, my boat was going nowhere. At a rough guess, I reckoned on spending another $15K and every weekend from now to Christmas to get the boat functional. Depending on market conditions and condition, I expected sale price of $20K to $30K for a fully functional boat. Circumstances at home demanded my weekends, work demanded my weeks, and there was no realistic possibility to spend the time needed on repairs. I decided to sell the boat, as is, where is.
I sold it through an agent for a total of $12K. The agent took his cut (I’m not complaining as it was part of the deal), which put about $7600 in my pocket. The loss in value plus the lost costs on the engine rebuild amounted to about $20K. When asked whether I got what I wanted for the boat, I replied that I did, because I got peace of mind at a time when I needed it most.
I should add that I am not optimistic about the used-boat market. With the easing of COVID restrictions, more people are likely to spend their money on travelling than COVID-toys such as boats. Also, the difficulty of disposing of end-of-life boats means that there will be a growing pool of 30 to 40 year old boats with indestructible GRP hulls that are riddled with problems to do with engines, wiring, leaking decks, broken fittings etc. etc. The growth of supply could outpace demand, which means that we are likely to see more hulks rotting on their moorings, and that will reduce the sale-value of the remaining functional and well-kept boats.
The buyer was a boat designer and builder, who had the necessary parts and connections to fix up the boat, especially a functioning, used engine.
Lessons learned
I have learned a lot about diesel engines. The primary lesson, which has been costly, is to beware of rare and exotic engines. My Bukh DV10 LME fell into this category. It is much more difficult that you might imagine to get a mechanic interested in fixing one. Why should they invite trouble to their workshops, when they have a steady stream of the more common brands, such as Volvo, Yanmar, Nanni, Beta?
Getting parts for rare and exotic engines is difficult and expensive. In my case, I had to pay $700 for the gaskets and about the same for a new exhaust elbow, which took weeks to arrive by post from New Zealand.
Also beware of mechanics who do not know about your particular engine, or even about marine engines. I was alarmed at the information I needed to feed to my mechanic, such as the torque settings for the engine block bolts. I did not realise how valuable a detailed manual would become, or how much the mechanic would need to rely on one.
In conclusion
The Cavalier 28 is ideal for day-sails in Moreton Bay and hops up and down the coast for one to four persons on board. It is spacious and races well, especially with a folding propellor. Its racing pedigree was a major consideration for the new owner. Ultimately, though, it was the condition of the boat that finally killed it for me. I got sick of the shoddy workmanship and cowboy maintenance. Every new problem that surfaced added to my wife’s worries, which would have spoiled our enjoyment when, and if, I got the thing sailing again.
I will get back on the water gain, but not with something that has more fixing than sailing.
