Bummer

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   I just returned from a trip to Hong Kong (where I lived and sailed for nearly 30 years) and Beijing.  Arriving in Hong Kong I pitched up at the bar of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club to catch up with some old sailing friends and informed them that I was now sailing a Laser 28.  In the course of discussion I explained the engine that we had in them and I friend of mine told me that there were 5 such engines sitting in a pile in the yacht club that had been pulled out of lifeboats.  Really?  In the morning I checked with the boat yard manager and he said that two days before he had a truck pick them up and haul them to the dump!  Bad timing I guess.  A couple of days earlier and we would have been in spare parts for a long time to come.  

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frfletch Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 13 May 2008 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 365	Post Options Post Reply Quote frfletch Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Bummer Posted: 29 November 2010 at 12:38pm
	I just returned from a trip to Hong Kong (where I lived and sailed for nearly 30 years) and Beijing. Arriving in Hong Kong I pitched up at the bar of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club to catch up with some old sailing friends and informed them that I was now sailing a Laser 28. In the course of discussion I explained the engine that we had in them and I friend of mine told me that there were 5 such engines sitting in a pile in the yacht club that had been pulled out of lifeboats. Really? In the morning I checked with the boat yard manager and he said that two days before he had a truck pick them up and haul them to the dump! Bad timing I guess. A couple of days earlier and we would have been in spare parts for a long time to come.

Bill Layton Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commodore Joined: 15 September 2002 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 551	Post Options Post Reply Quote Bill Layton Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 29 November 2010 at 12:54pm
	Yes that was the original purpose for the DV8/10 saildrive engine... Lifeboat service. Unfortunately somewhere along the line they stop using them for that purpose (I assume lifeboat manufactures started using other engines) and Bukh's sales depended solely upon pleasurecraft, which of course wasn't enough to maintain production. This pic shows a lifeboat on a ship http://www.hatecke.com/ This pic shows a lifeboat being launched into the water http://www.gepafiberglass.com/ BUKH primer on their engines (some history) http://www.twmarine.co.uk/bukh.htm