Hey,
looking to get a 3500 open soon.
I was obsessed with getting Diesels but , i am now 1999 Tiara Yachts 3500 Open with 454's .
Anyone have any comments on the performance and fuel usage of this combination?
thanks
(09-01-2020, 06:50 PM)getithelp Wrote: Hey,
looking to get a 3500 open soon.
I was obsessed with getting Diesels but , i am now 1999 Tiara Yachts 3500 Open with 454's .
Anyone have any comments on the performance and fuel usage of this combination?
thanks
I have an older 36 Open with Crusader 454's with carbs. She runs 18 knots at 3000 rpms and the sweet spot is between 3200 at 21 knots and 3400 at 24 knots. Gets about .7 nmpg. Never felt like I was under powered and I would think a 99 with electronic fuel injection should do a hair better?
I'm up in the great lakes where we dont have to run far to the fish, but if your in salt and need to make longer runs, I'd be looking for diesel's as well. But if your a coastal cruiser who may occasionally need to run offshore, gassers would probably be fine.
My main reason for diesels is the safety. I had a 36' searay gas powered boat and was always worried about fuel vapors and carbon monoxide.
Diesels, not so much.
I have a 2000 3500 with Cummins and they are so worth the upgrade. I get about 1.2-1.3 mpg and she cruises between 24 and 26 knots easily. You will really feel the difference at the dock with larger more aggressive wheels you can turn it on a dime with no power needed to turn. But, as said above, if you don't need the range for offshore cruising the upgrade is something you have to determine for your own needs. I do all my own maintenance as diesel maintenance can get expensive if you don't figure it our for yourself. I can elaborate more if you want, just let me know.
You really need to determine how much cruising you intend to do with the boat. Myself, asides from local Connecticut trips, one trip to Block from Huntington each year doesn't justify the additional maintenance cost of the diesels. For example, Oil change: Gas: 7 quarts, Diesel: 7 Gallons. Every 500 hours you should do a major service. ($10K+). In addition, if you have an issue, good diesel mechanics are more difficult to find. I'm in the middle of buying a 32 Open with 8.1 Crusaders which is almost the same boat as the 35 Open. I would rather have the 8.1's over the 454's for the additional power. Whatever you decide, get a good survey and best of luck!
The following 1 user Likes dbriceno's post:1 user Likes dbriceno's post Misdirection (09-05-2020)
(09-05-2020, 10:10 AM)dbriceno Wrote: additional maintenance cost of the diesels. For example, Oil change: Gas: 7 quarts, Diesel: 7 Gallons. Every 500 hours you should do a major service. ($10K+).
I dont know about $10k every 500 hours? My cats will need to have the 1,000 hour service which cost about $3k each. In between i change the oil and filters myself. Pretty easy to do with the oil change system that most diesels come with.
Diesel mechanics are pretty common (in FL at least) and usually once you find one you like they are pretty responsive.
Like I said above, I like the diesels for their safety. Turn the key and they start. Never have to worry about vapors and the boat exploding. Watch a few videos on YouTube and it may sway you a bit. I have had a couple of gassers and was always worried about fumes and explosions. I would not let anyone on the boat when i first started them, especially after I fueled up. I would always have to go into the bilge and sniff around for a gas smell and run the blowers for a few minutes before I hit the keys. Even then when I turned that first engine over I would cringe and wait for the explosion.
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