Inboard diesels VS Gas stern drives

[William Thomas]

The good news is that I retired last Jan., so I can finally get my wife to agreed to buying our retirement boat!
I have admired Ranger Tugs and then Cutwater boats for a long time, but could not justify spending the kind of money it would take to buy one for extended cruising in the Great Lakes until now. I do think the CW 28 would be the right boat for cruising and trailering. Best of both worlds!

Now that it is decision time I am thinking deep into the details. I have always had 26/27 ft. cruisers with gas stern drives.............easy to back into those beaches and tie off for a few days. Also great for the times that you need to make yourself as "shallow" as possible in tight spots! The easy availability of gas vs. diesel also enters into it.

I am going to be buying something this fall or winter and want to make the right decision , as probably my last boat.

Anyone care to comment on their jump from Gas stern drives to diesel inboards?
I may be over thinking this thing!!

Thanks for the feedback!

B Thomas
Gold Canyon AZ.

 

[Irish Mist]

Nice thing with diesels is no spark plugs no carberator .. They are pretty simple engines.. But complicated with electronic stuff some what but basically give them clean fuel and change the oil and filters every so often and they keep running.. I won't lie I do miss having twin 350's purring a long with the boat up on plane skimming along at 40mph... Watching the gas gauge make its way to empty 🙂 ..
I have never had a problem finding diesel.. And the range with these guys is great.. Once you drink the koolade you will be hooked 🙂
Bottom line here is its a pretty nice decision you are having to make either way 🙂 There are a lot of great choices out there.. I can only echo what you have already read here many times... You will not find better support anywhere !
Good luck

 

[NorthernFocus]

Switching to inboard from OB or IO definitely requires some mental adjustment. Mechanically simpler than IO. No box to work around in the cockpit nor stuff hanging off the transom to break those monster fish off. And diesel is fundamentally much safer than gasoline.

But with fixed running gear a bit more caution to avoid grounding is a good idea. Not quite as easy to change a wheel if you ding one. And a bit harder to deal with if you wrap a line in the wheel as well.

At the end of the day, it depends on what you're looking for. IMO Ranger tugs have no peer for comfort in 25-27 ft trailerable class boats. That comes at a price. They're not cheap nor simple. Hope you make a choice that works for you for years to come.

 

[William Thomas]

Finally....I made the choice. A new 2017 CW 28 with all the goodies! Excited about taking factory delivery in mid-Nov. ( hope the weather hold out). I was up to the plant a few weeks back and watched them going thru the production process on the 28. Very Impressed.
Will be doing a lot of trailering so the Easy Loader triple was a must. Will be towing with a Dually Diesel Dodge. Should work fine. Just put a class 5 hitch and 20,000 lb. ball on the truck along with airbags , Road master sway Bar and after Market Bilstien shocks.

I remember seeing the CW 28 performance spreadsheet somewhere ,but can't put my hands on it. Anyone have that data?

Looking forward to our first rendezvous to meet some of you!

B. Thomas
Gold Canyon, AZ.