Guys, May I humbly say that I believe that I am likely near the top of listees insofar as Diesel engine maintenance & breakdown experience? Somewhere upwards of a million aggregate engine hours run over my 20-year career. Having been in charge of maintaining a fleet of double-ended passenger/car ferries, many of which run year-round despite winter ice, I can share that despite the cleanest fuel, stringent lubeoil sampling, scheduled maintenance by an expert staff of CG-licensed engineers utilizing years of record-keeping history, engines (and reverse gears) will fail unexpectedly. Same thing in other industries. Downtime is expensive, and decades ago, almost everyone abandoned the run-to-destruction theory of maintenance in favor of zero-downtime. Still, Murphy rules -- stuff happens -- things break. It's just that simple. Even FAA-inspected aircraft engines fail. So, you can have the most robust engine available, the most rigorous maintenance, and all the redundant stuff you can conceive of, but when the plant goes down, you're done. At that point, it's nice to have an option while you sort it out. People who have escaped this eventuality are just lucky, and when they have enough time underway the law of averages will catch up with them. I realize that my pony engine, which will push my boat at a little better than 5 knots in flat water, will be of little or no use in certain conditions. But as one who intends to make passages alone (no fleet of lemmings for me), I feel a lot better about having an engine which can at least move me away from a lee shore or keep me head-to-sea while I make repairs. Those sailing in coastal waters can usually get a tow, or be rescued quickly, and may not share my thoughts. John "Seahorse" Reply to: John@Camm.us