saildrive330

Anyone have any experience with saildrive330 (which I think uses a Honda or Tohatsu outboard powerhead)? The 330 is claimed at 15hp..

http://www.saildrive.us/index.html
http://www.saildrive280.com/

Thanks

--Steve

I saw these on display at SailExpo down in Oakland CA about 5 years ago.
I seem to recall that the powerhead at that time might have been a Honda. (?)
I see that the powerhead brand is now different.
Interesting trivia, Volvo was using a Honda 10 powerhead in their model S-50 sail drive in 1980 or so.

Personally I remain wary of having any brand of sail drive on my own boat, but having said that they looked to be well designed with no obvious kludges.

All in all, better than having a bracket-mount OB way down over the transom on a typical 25 foot sailboat... but for the expenditure you would want to use your boat a lot for a decade to amortize out the $$, IMHO.
Only other quibble I have is being limited to a 10 amp alternator. Most small diesels in the 10 -15 hp range would have a 35 amp at least, IIRC.
Ah yeah, their claim that 15 hp will power boats as heavy as five tons seems rabidly enthusiastic. More like two tons displacement, would be reasonable. Note that the gear ratio is only 2 to 1.
When I was powering my old 4K disp 26 footer with the HiThrust Yamaha 10, that engine has a 3 to 1 gear.

Loren

I would have a hard time talking myself into buying a sail drive with an engine from a Chinese manufacturer that I had never heard of before. I can only imagine the fun to be had trying to get parts for this machine.

Reading about the company did not instill confidence:

With numerous initial brand name conceptions were denied, when the new brand combination of PARSUN was proposed, all of us seemed to see sun from chaos suddenly. From the original brand, people will be reminded of the power like sun, the uniqueness like sun, toward the sun, for sunshine, navigation in the sun---
The pronunciation and meaning of Parsun in different languages are also full of exciting force


http://www.parsunmarine.com/about%20us.asp

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