Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:59pm

We are thinking about buying a new narrowboat and different builders seem to have their prefered engine maker. The three I've mentioned in the header seem to be the most common types but are there pros and cons (ie higher revving / noisier / more fuel efficient etc) that make one better than another. I'm inclinded to go with the engine the builder normally uses unless there is a down-side to their choice of engine. Also, for a 57ft boat that will mainly be used on the canals but an occasional trip on a river, is there a recommended HP requirement. Many thanks Brian

Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:01pm

id go for an isuzu 42, very good reliability and easy to work on should the need arise.

Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 5:30pm

AS far as power is concerned I find just over 30hp on 54ft fine, but it is important to get a well matched prop and also to be able to "read" the river and know when its time to make for a safe mooring. Although many hire fleets use Isuzu I have heard from someone who does a lot of breakdowns on private boats that the Isuzu with the separate injector pumps can cause problems with the governor rack sticking, otherwise I think it will be fine. The same person can not speak too highly of the customer service Beta seems to provide, even taking an interest in very old engines. Beta also seem relaxed over the bore glazing issue some engines may suffer. Unfortunately Vetus told me on the phone that you must never run their engines out of gear for long period because it could glaze the bores. Also one of the gearboxes they offer must not be run out of gear for more than 10 minutes. My "top of the list", but only marginally would be the Beta 43. Tony Brooks