Hi Jim, all

I've simply heard about this big difference of our Atlantic tides with
the Pacific. Cannot make informed comment.

Here in South Devon - the "English Channel" side of Devon on the West
Country peninsula - tide ranges are something like 4.3m on "spring"
tides and 1.7m on "neaps (I easily found 4.5m range "spring" and 1.5m
range "neap").
Working on marine tubular piles with a 4+m tide range has its
interesting aspects ;-)


On the original question of engines:
Wikipedia proved very useful
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straight-six_engine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V12_engine
Other Web searches seeking to know the comparative advantages of
I6-vs-V12 produced some more comment, like optimum bore/stroke ratio
being different between the two types, etc.
I don't have the ability to even collate the impressions gained and
summarise.

Just one comment - the inherent excellent balance characteristics of a
six-throw crankshaft means the V12 can have a 60degree angle - not
90degree as needed for most other "V"'s - so the engine can be notably
compact - it's narrower for a "V" than it otherwise would be -
advantageous for a boat where likely can accomodate length no penalty
but width is strongly undesirable.

I do note that the "500HP" (commercial) Caterpillar V12 is offered in
a leisure-craft-only variant giving 1300HP - which surely a 500HP
straight-6 cannot morph to - I assume it sticks at 500HP and that's
it?

Is there the case that Caterpillar saw a vast market for the V12,
across many in-house earthmoving eqt. plus "external" industrial and
marine applications, so took a deep breath and invested the cash
building a high-volume production-line, much flattening the cost
differential between their V12 and and anyone else's I6???


Best wishes,
Rich S.