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www.marinelink.com MN65Maritime then turned to Laborde Products, Inc., a Louisiana-based distributor of marine and industrialengines, to find a new alternative. ?At first I intended to adapt anoth- er brand engine that was equippedwith electronic injection, but it did- n?t work out,? said Smith. ?At that point, we elected to put in a 16- cylinder Mitsubishi engine, and I?ve been happy ever since.? The Mitsubishi S16R-Y1MPTA is a four-cycle, watercooled diesel engine that weighs 14,685 pounds and offers a total displacement of3,989 cubic inches. It also features a selling point that Smith Maritime absolutely could not pass up: Likeall Mitsubishi marine engines, this model is completely mechanical andEPA compliant. ?Reliability is a huge issue in our business,? said Smith. ?Particularly when you find yourself hundreds or thousands of miles from land at any given moment, you need the confi- dence to know you can service a problem. Engine electronics are per- fectly reliable?right up until they?re not. And if you have to bring in a technician when you?re in the mid- dle of the ocean, you could be in a real pickle. The Mitsubishi spares us any hassle with electronics.? These thoughts on electronic engines come from someone who is no stranger to electronics as a whole. Smith installed his own radar and navigation equipment when he builtthe Elsbeth, and he handled all nec- essary repairs and maintenance as well. His aversion to ?modern? elec- tronics stems purely from his desire to keep his crews safe ? and empowered. ?Our company philosophy is to do all of our own maintenance,? said Smith. MN#11 (50-65):MN 2011 Layouts 10/28/2011 10:39 AM Page 65