Ribcraft 5.85 engine choice - 140 or 150 ?

[woot]

After two years away from RIBs I think it may be time to change back. I have been in discussion with Ribcraft about a 5.85 but could do with some help with the engine choice. I have spent many happy hours searching past threads but would welcome updated thoughts and opinions.
The boat will be based in Pembrokeshire and will be used for a combination of cruising the offshore islands and skiing including mono-skiing. This unfortunate combination of needs means that I would like a boat that can cruise over distance without being too heavy on fuel or stern heavy but is also capable of dragging a salad dodger like me out of the water with a few other salad dodgers watching in the boat.
I have narrowed my choices to a Suzi DF140 or 150 or the Yam F150 with the Suzi's seemingly preferred by Ribcraft due to the fact they can price more competitively.
So in my shoes what would you go for?
The way I see it the 140 sounds like a well proven and good match to the boat but may lack the guts to pull well enough for skiing. The 150 however may have more pull for skiing but be more expensive to run and a tad heavy thereby compromising handling on longer/rougher trips.
I read in one of Ibwet's posts that he burns 1.2ltrs/NM with the 150 Suzi, can anyone give me a comparitive number for the 140 Suzi or the 150 Yam?
I also noticed in one of Ibwets posts that he trialled both a 140 and 150 on a 5.85 before comitting, in case Ibwet doesn't read this does anyone know how he would have achieved this I am assuming it must have been at Ribex or somewhere similar.

[Downhilldai]

I've also been known to dodge the salad, as has roycruse on this forum, but his RC585/140 Soozook manages to pull us out of the water quite easily (not at the same time )
Are you looking to do deep water mono-ski starts?
A way of getting a good compromise for cruising and skiing is to run two different props. The standard 21" (I think?) pitch Soozook prop is great for general use on the 585, but if you're struggling with deep water starts, get another prop with an inch or two less in pitch.
I think the 150 would cost you around £1500 more, but it is a 3 litre lump so will have loads of grunt compared with the 140 (2.1 litre) It will use more fuel though. I think roycruse uses < 1 litre/nm on his set-up. Andrew Edge (The Edges) also has a RC585/140 Sooz. Perhaps he'll respond on fuel consumption.

[IBWET]

Originally Posted by woot

After two years away from RIBs I think it may be time to change back. I have been in discussion with Ribcraft about a 5.85 but could do with some help with the engine choice. I have spent many happy hours searching past threads but would welcome updated thoughts and opinions.
The boat will be based in Pembrokeshire and will be used for a combination of cruising the offshore islands and skiing including mono-skiing. This unfortunate combination of needs means that I would like a boat that can cruise over distance without being too heavy on fuel or stern heavy but is also capable of dragging a salad dodger like me out of the water with a few other salad dodgers watching in the boat.
I have narrowed my choices to a Suzi DF140 or 150 or the Yam F150 with the Suzi's seemingly preferred by Ribcraft due to the fact they can price more competitively.
So in my shoes what would you go for?
The way I see it the 140 sounds like a well proven and good match to the boat but may lack the guts to pull well enough for skiing. The 150 however may have more pull for skiing but be more expensive to run and a tad heavy thereby compromising handling on longer/rougher trips.
I read in one of Ibwet's posts that he burns 1.2ltrs/NM with the 150 Suzi, can anyone give me a comparitive number for the 140 Suzi or the 150 Yam?
I also noticed in one of Ibwets posts that he trialled both a 140 and 150 on a 5.85 before comitting, in case Ibwet doesn't read this does anyone know how he would have achieved this I am assuming it must have been at Ribex or somewhere similar.

Hi Woot,

The consumption has gone down marginally; to less a ltr per Nm , the engine at a set speed and comparing the knots by the ltrs per hour on the computer is the way I have been doing this.

The comparison took place a the Southampton boat show, I felt the 140 (5.85) was very smooth but the 150 had considerably more torque(on a 6.5)
I think you will have to try for yourself, the decision on the engine performance will be easy,however my boat does sit low in the water at he stern. It's fine for me,maybe not for everybody.

Let us know which one you pick.

[Downhilldai]

Go for the 150, then if I see you out on the Haven, we can see how it compares with my 150 Opti on the same size boat
I nearly went for a 150 Soozook myself, but couldn't get one for the right money.

[blufin]

i had no problem with deep water starts behind a 5.8 vipermax with a 140 sooz
atb
gerry

[woot]

Thanks for the replies fella's all good information.
To clarify a few things, I will want the boat to be able to cope with monoskiing deep water starts.
Changing the prop is a good suggestion but the boat will spend much of its life in a marina and I wouldn't fancy changing props hanging off the back on a regular basis (I'm a clumsy s#d and it could get expensive)
After the replies I like the sound of the 140 combo on the basis of all round balance and price/economy BUT i am still worried it won't be man enough for serious skiing. For those of you with experience of using the combo for skiing if you were trying to pull a salad dodger out on one ski:
1 - could it do it?
2 - if it could how many bodies do you think the boat could carry and still manage it (I used to tow my mate out on one ski from my 5m humber with a 60hp yam 4 stroke but he was submerged for quite some time on the way up and I could only do it with just me on the boat, any passengers made it unmanageable).
finally, I haven't ruled out the 150 yet so Ibwet, what do you use your boat for? is it mainly cruising? have you pulled any skiiers/toys? how have you found the combo in differing conditions? .My current boat has a 4.3ltr V6 in a 19ft hull so I know that too much weight on the stern can mean suspect handling in the rougher stuff (but bl##dy good fun when its flat).

Cheers

[Cypman]

Hi

I have the DF140 on the back of my Humber 6.3 but would definately choose the DF150 if I were currently in the market for a new engine. Although the 140 is a fantastic engine, both quiet and economical, its 2.1 litres is working quite hard and it is alleged that it only produces circa 128bhp. Consequently if you can carry the extra weight on the transom go for the 150. Both engines are good no matter which you finally choose

[DJL]

I've got the Yam F150 on a Ribcraft 585. I always go for as much HP as I can, but I can't imagine there’s a huge difference between the 140 and 150 after taking into consideration the extra 25 kg.

Last year I went cruising from Poole to the Plymouth/Salcombe area, spent a week there on the boat and then back to Poole. Averaged 1.12nm per ltr - thats cruising at ~30kts.

Top Speed = 45kts (2 up + 180l of fuel)

Can't fault the engine - no problems, good performance.

[IBWET]

finally, I haven't ruled out the 150 yet so Ibwet, what do you use your boat for? is it mainly cruising? have you pulled any skiiers/toys?
Cheers [/QUOTE]

Proportionally the larger the boat engine combo is, the smaller as percentage the skier becomes. I learned to ski behind a SR4, with a 60hp 2 stroke, so technique needed to be good, we changed props travelling /Skiing as has been suggested already.

I've never tried behind a Suz 140 but even if the 128hp theory is true, I can't see there being any issues (even on a mono) up to 6mtrs.

My boat has pulled a mono skier out with three adults up, obviously slower than just me aboard, but it's only a marginal difference. I've settled on a 25" prop, I've now never feel the need to change it for anything.

We use it mainly for island hoping pub to pub kids, water toys, back up to another boat. Its covered trips of over 200 nm and never missed a beat

There was another 5.85 owner launching in the marina with the 140, we swapped over, the 140 was sweet and smooth but both of us thought the step down in go was marked.

I think the extra torque is allowing me to run the larger prop that levels out the consumption, the only time I use full power occasionally or to show off, as it chine walks.

I've never wanted for more power, that’s worth a lot on it's own. So as far as I'm concerned the only issue is you've got is weight.

[Downhilldai]

Originally Posted by woot

Changing the prop is a good suggestion but the boat will spend much of its life in a marina and I wouldn't fancy changing props hanging off the back on a regular basis (I'm a clumsy s#d and it could get expensive)

You should be able to back the boat up on the inside corner of a pontoon and change the prop sitting on the edge of the pontoon with the skeg between your knees - take care!

Originally Posted by woot

For those of you with experience of using the combo for skiing if you were trying to pull a salad dodger out on one ski:
1 - could it do it?
2 - if it could how many bodies do you think the boat could carry and still manage it

'How long is a piece of string?'
How much salad dodging do you do?
What ski do you use? The older mono-skis with a narrow tail will take a lot longer than the more modern wider skis, which generate a lot more lift.
Technique/experience - an experienced skier will successfully do a deep water start behind a lowish powered boat, whereas a novice may struggle behind a tournament ski boat.
Personally, I think it will do it, quite comfortably, with 2 or 3 medium sized people on board.
Have Ribcraft offered you a test run where you could try a spot of skiing?

Go for the 150