Cox repowers, Tohatsu's new site & Yanmar spotlights
Hi everyone,
A quick update from the marine side this month.
We’ve got a good mix in this one, including a Cox Marine repower case study from the UK, a recent Yanmar project from Whangarei Marine Services, and a closer look at the Yanmar 6LY400.
There’s also a new Tohatsu NZ website to check out, plus a bit on what we’re doing around AI search and helping more customers find our products and connect with you, our dealers.
As always, if you’ve got a question or want to talk through a job, just give us a call.
Dave Low
General Manager – Power Equipment NZ
Cox Marine: A Smarter Way to Repower
Here’s an interesting repower example from the UK.
Cox Marine and UK distributor Barrus recently looked at repowering a 7.8m commercial RHIB, replacing the existing petrol outboards with the Cox 300hp V8 diesel outboard.
They looked at both twin and single-engine options, and what was interesting was that a single Cox 300 could deliver comparable performance to the previous setup, without needing major changes to the boat.
For commercial operators, that opens up a few possibilities.
Instead of replacing a perfectly good vessel, you can potentially extend its working life, reduce fuel use and move from petrol to diesel. In some real-world applications, Cox has delivered fuel savings of more than 30%.
There are practical benefits as well, especially for fleets already running diesel. One fuel source, longer service intervals and less mucking around with fuel logistics.
Check Out the New Tohatsu Website
As we mentioned in our last newsletter, Tohatsu is now part of the Power Equipment marine line-up - giving our dealer network a petrol outboard offering alongside our existing diesel brands. To support the brand, we’ve now launched the new Tohatsu NZ website, where you can take a look through the range, learn a bit more about the brand and get familiar with what’s available.
Keeping Pace With AI Search
The way customers research and find products is changing quickly, and we want to make sure Power Equipment keeps changing with it. We’ve recently completed an AI Audit of the Power Equipment website, looking at how our products, brands and dealer network are being found through AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. It’s all part of making the website work harder for everyone. The aim is to help more customers find the right product, understand their options and, importantly, connect them with the right dealer when they’re ready to take the next step.
Yanmar Powering Avalanche
A nice recent project from our Whangarei dealer, Whangarei Marine Services, with the repower of Avalanche, an HH50 carbon fibre performance catamaran. The new setup featured twin Yanmar 3JH40 40hp engines with SD60 saildrives, matched with Gori 3-blade propellers. As the team at Whangarei Marine Services puts it:
“When it came time to re-power Avalanche, Yanmar was the obvious choice. The engines are small and efficient, incorporating a modern common rail injection design. The fuel efficiency of these engines at low power settings is really impressive.”
Product Spotlight: Yanmar 6LY400
This month we’re taking a closer look at the Yanmar 6LY400, and there’s a lot to like about this engine.
It delivers 400mhp from a compact, lightweight package, so you get plenty of power without taking up too much room in the engine bay. Power delivery is smooth and responsive, while low noise and vibration help make for a more comfortable day out on the water.
It’s also fuel efficient, easy to service and has the reliability you’d expect from Yanmar. For owners, that adds up to an engine that performs well and is easy to live with.
The 6LY400 is a great fit for planing and semi-displacement boats around 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15m), and is well suited to both new builds and repowers.
Photo credits: Boating New Zealand
6LY Out on the Water
And if you want to see the 6LY doing its thing in a real NZ boat, the latest Boating New Zealand review of the Superior 1050 Sport Sedan is a great read.
Sadira is a Kiwi-built 10.5m launch set up mainly for day boating and game fishing, powered by a single 370hp Yanmar 6LY through a V-drive.
During the review, it reached a top speed of 25.5 knots, while cruising at 19.2 knots at 2380rpm and using 40 litres per hour. The reviewer also commented on how well the boat performed and how quiet it was underway.