Would you buy a Buhk saildrive?

If it was rebuilt in 2005 and has been serviced regularly and starts quick and easy its good to go .
The bukh engine is a sea motor and are design for raw water cooling . There are lots of Bukh's around All Walker H28 built in geelong have bukh DV20's which basically two cylinder version of the Bukh DV 10 .
Three things that come to mind in the Dv 10 with a sail drive I think doesn't not run a conventional alternator I'm unfamiliar with what they have to be honest .
The next would be weight factor there cast iron which is heavier than other designs .But the others need fresh water cooling which is ok.
last would be sail drive systems
From what Ive ready there were problems with sail drives fitted bukh, volvo, just to name a few earlier on some of the designs had cones fitted >V< which would give you forward and reverse gear at some stage of the life they might start to slip
Mines a conventional gearbox
Last year I bought a second hand bukh DV24 with a sail drive fitted to replace my aging DV 20 with a conventional gear box ( 37 years old never been touched) The DV24 with its sail drive had slipping cone in reverse in its sail drive.
That's why the previous owner replace the complete drive train he felt it was so expensive to repair and found a good deal on a new engine saildrive system.( probably thought of the cone design and its possible recurring problems)
After fitted the DV 24 with my dv 20 conventional gear box I was left with the sail drive with slipping cones a marine engine dealer in Canada bought the sail drive and as he already had another old sail drive and made one good sail drive out of the two.
The cones can be be bedded in and can run again that's what the marine engine dealer did in Canada.
Most sail drive are now designed in a different way because of this problem. In saying this is doesn't mean every old sail drive eventual slips but some have perhaps is can comes down to the operator , perhaps using to much RPM going from forward reverse quickly might aggravate into slipping cones I'm not sure
This is only my opinion from what Ive read it doesn't not mean it fact but its not fiction either.
Its my belief that boat makers went with sail drives as it far cheaper and much quicker to fit than the conventional motor gear box drive system.

For a boat manufacturer gluing this system in place after cutting a hole on the hull is quicker and as its all insulated and rubber mounted should end a lot quieter and less vibration though the hull
Below is the unit I bought and as you can see it has its own engine mounting cradle which is glued into a hull when changing from to a different brand means changing the cradle also and installing it into the boat it would be no easy task and very expensive if you didn't DYI
Bukh motors were designed for ships life boats there the only genuine sea motor but there basic there not a vetus ( mitsubishi diesel)nor other land based diesel Nanni nor Beta


As a wise man on here would say B.O.A.T
B= Bring
O= on
A= Another
T= Thousand
I should have taken his advice Aye Cisco

If I had rolls of spare money to replace with a new drive train Id buy a fresh water cooled Yanmar , Nanni or Beta ,but the Bukh Dv 24 was a quick cheap up grade and is still a current engine that Bukh Sell for me


Good luck and fair winds to you

I have the Bukh with a Saildrive you are referring to. Haven't had any issues with ours except recently a fishing line wrapped itself around the shaft and ate out the seal. The Saildrive then filled with salt water. All good after a good flushing with diesel and a few lots of fresh oil.
They are so simple they are pretty bullet proof.
I would however check the state of the oil on the Saildrive dipstick. It should look like honey. If you buy the boat change the oil and replace anode.
Our motor is only 3 years old, it was a fully reconditioned one from Denmark. Don't be put off by the sound of the Bukh, one mechanic thought it had a big end problem but it's the nature of the beast. Check the cooling water flows freely out exhaust and most importantly that the motor starts easily. If it's hard to start there is definitely some type of issue.

Thanks all so far. The second inspection, when rear mounting bracket is re-fitted, will be very interesting. I should be able to start it and make a better assessment. The general condition of the yacht, and the reputation of recent service co. speaks well of care and attention to detail. I will endeavour to get a schematic diagram of the saildrive leg, as I cannot currently envisage the F-N-R arrangement for a vertical shaft set-up.