Sterling Skater Project Update: D’Anniballe Buys Back Turbo Engines
Plans for Sterling Performance to refit a pair of its supercharged 1,500-hp engines with turbocharging systems and install them in its 36-foot Skater project catamaran changed earlier this week when Mike D’Anniballe bought back his original pair of Sterling 1,700-hp turbo engines from their first owner. The buyer of the engines had them installed in his Skater 388 catamaran more than a year ago, but the boat reportedly saw little action after the installation.
This Skater 36, Sterling’s project catamaran, will be home to twin 1,700-hp turbo engines.
“The engines are in my possession now,” said D’Anniballe, the founder and owner of the Milford, Mich., high-performance marine engine company, “The customer’s boat went to Pete (Hledin) at Skater earlier this week. He pulled them out and sent them to me.
“To be quite honest, I don’t know why but the customer wasn’t using the boat,” he added. “But I wanted to see them showcased on the water, so I bought the engines back.”
Once the engines are examined and retested, D’Anniballe will install them in the Skater 36 he purchased in October 2012. (Read the story.) D’Anniballe said he bought back the complete and lightly used first set of turbo engines, rather than going with his original plan of refitting the 557-cubic-inch powerplants that came with the 36-foot catamaran, to save time.
“Plus, now that I have the first set of 1700 turbo engines back I can play with them a little more,” said D’Anniballe.
One of the two original Sterling 1700s bought back by Mike D’Anniballe.
D’Anniballe said that, depending on schedule, a Sterling 1700 turbo engine might be on display in the Skater booth (Read the story) at the 2013 Miami International Boat Show.
As planned, TNT Custom Marine of Miami will install the turbocharged Sterling 1700s in the Skater 36 cat. Estimated retail cost for each engine, not including a drive or exhaust after the turbocharger, is $95,000.
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