Delta Dash 5.5 Diesel

NJ64 · 18 February 2020, 19:17

I keep seeing a 5.5 m Delta Dash popping up for sale with Mercruiser 1.7 diesel in it... Has anyone got any experience with the Dash as l would be interested to know how it would cope with a diesel lump in the stern?

beamishken · 18 February 2020, 19:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJ64

I keep seeing a 5.5 m Delta Dash popping up for sale with Mercruiser 1.7 diesel in it... Has anyone got any experience with the Dash as l would be interested to know how it would cope with a diesel lump in the stern?

The 1.7 mercruiser engine has an awful reputation for reliability

keef1234 · 18 February 2020, 21:06

If it’s still at the same price it’s wildly expensive for a boat with no engine leg or trailer, as nice looking as it is

beamishken · 18 February 2020, 22:50

If the boat is for sale with no engine and drive you'd be crazy to buy a 1.7 mercruiser to go back in it. A far better option would be to glass the hole up in the transom and fit an outboard to it.
Fwiw I bought my 7.4m delta minus its 240hp Yamaha engine and drive and paid 4k for it because I had an engine and drive for it so maybe gives you something to compare with to get an idea on value of a stripped out hull.
But remember with the 7.4 I had a greater range of engines available as replacements but there are very few options for replacing a 1.7 merc

GuyC · 19 February 2020, 06:23

https://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/...ta-dash/297225

If it is this one, it does seem expensive for a 17 year old boat without an engine or leg.

Whilst I'm a fan of diesel inboards, they are eye wateringly expensive.

Once you've committed to a 'new' engine and leg, you start to do a bit of man maths and suddenly the whole boat minus hull and tubes becomes new.

Be careful.

keef1234 · 19 February 2020, 06:53

🤣I could sell you a 5.5 dash engine trailer full electrics for less

NJ64 · 19 February 2020, 15:19

Thanks for the replies. Agreed, the boat is massively over priced - I was more interested in how successful the diesel would be in such a small Delta hull...

Keef, what a Delta do you have for sale?

craig_c · 19 February 2020, 19:29

We had a dash years ago with a 90 4st Merc. Went well but not really overpowered. Think she did about 30kts max.

I think the 130hp diesel with the weight will be a bit overstressed. At the end of the day its an astra engine. Then you have the added fun of the mercruiser leg....

Also consider the dash is not a big boat, skinny at the front and squat at the back, If your looking for room then this is not going to be a good set up.

If it was the Yamaha 165hp with a 6.5m boat it would be more tempting. Also really depends what you want.

Pottering about at 18kts in calm weather with 2 people should be fine, anything more I would say get another boat

Daibheid · 27 February 2020, 11:15

I run a 6.5m offshore Excalibur with that engine and I recommend you note what Beamishken says! The Delta is laughably priced but at any price I think it would be excessively tail happy.
The Excalibur is very heavily built but mine has doel fins plus three sand bags in the bow to get it trimmed perfectly -partly because I’m usually solo or just two on board. The Mercruiser is a light diesel but still a very heavy lump right up against the transom.
I coxed an early Delta 5.5 and and while it was a great seaboat, it had very low buoyancy at the stern and could swamp at the back with divers kitting up. They like weight carried forward and that one had a board fitted across the front of the console to contain any movable weight forward. Engine was an 85HP 2 stroke and the Dash hull hasn’t changed much since then.
I also saw Ribcraft years back built a prototype 5.5 with what I think had to be a Mercruiser 1.7. They abandoned it. I’d surmise it couldn’t get it’s stern out of the water.
I don’t think anything under 6.5, maybe 6m at a push has enough waterline length to balance a diesel, even the Mercruiser which is probably the lightest one ever.