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Systems:  Diesel Engine

At the beginning of the project planning stage, I hemmed and hawed about whether it even made sense to install a diesel engine.  In the end, I decided that the diesel was the premium, high-end choice, and proceeded with plans.

After some research into various engine manufacturers and options, I settled on a Vetus Mitsubishi diesel from a company in MA that offered unbeatable pricing.  As the economics of the boat construction were important, I felt that it  behooved me to buy a new diesel for as low a price as possible without sacrificing usability or quality.  Initially, I thought that the Vetus 11 HP engine would be the correct choice for this day boat, but when I inquired I was talked into the larger 16HP version (same block, same dimensions, same weight), mostly for convenience and economics:  the 16 was in stock, and its price was only $200 more than the 11, which would have needed to be ordered and would have cost more than the original published price.  It was a no-brainer to go for the 16, particularly with free shipping.

After ordering the engine in early February 2005, I settled in to wait for its delivery three weeks' hence.  If I'd been in a serious rush, I would have made other arrangements, but it was just as easy to wait for three weeks as not, so I felt that would be fine.

Later, as I began construction of my engine foundations, I removed part of the box and pulled off the plastic for a better look at the engine.  I thought it was a good-looking engine overall, and spent some time going over the locations of various features.

The engine specifications are as follows:

Click here to continue to the engine installation.>