John Deere

In 25-plus years of marine diesel work out of Seattle, we've seen most owners frame this as repower vs. rebuild. Both are legitimate choices. But three options exist, and one often fits the boat and budget better. This guide is for owners with high-hour or failing diesels who are planning winter work and want to spend the money once.

Every boat is different, so we quote after we've seen the engine room. One example is the F/V Legacy, a Seattle fishing vessel we repowered. You can see the full F/V Legacy repower here.

Your turbo just failed, and now you're looking at two very different bills and no obvious way to know which one is the right call. In 25-plus years of marine diesel work, we've rebuilt turbos that still had plenty of life left, and we've replaced ones that didn't.