Sterling 1700-Powered Skater 388 Slated for Completion Next Week
Sterling 1700 engine.
The second 1,700-hp turbocharged Sterling engine arrived at Douglas Marine/Skater yesterday, according to Skater principal Peter Hledin. The long-awaited engines are being installed in a Skater 388 catamaran that should be completed next week.
“The engines aren’t just a ‘drop-in’ deal,” said Hledin. “We had to change all the mounting rails and motor mount feet, shorten the drivelines and make new hatches. It’s wasn’t an easy switchover.”
Hledin said that Mercury Racing No. 6 drives will be used to help transfer the power to the water. Despite that the engines produce power far above the rated capacity for the drives, he said is not concerned about reliability.
“Power is a relative term,” he explained. “If we were powering a big Apache V-bottom, I’d be concerned. But a 38-foot cat is easy to push. Unless they’ve broken off a skeg, none of our customers have ever broken a No. 6 drive. That unit deserves very high praise.”
Related Stories
First Sterling 1700 Delivered to Skater—Exclusive Engine Photos
Sterling 1700s Getting Dressed for Final Dyno Testing and Shipping
“Happy” Sterling 1700s Headed for Skater 388
Sterling 1700 In Final Stage of Dyno Testing
and then