I have a good friend with a Cheoy Lee Offshore 31 that had an obscure diesel (SAB or something) that was never reliable. Someone gave him an A4 which he then had rebuilt some years ago. It was very affordable to rebuild then. Now about 10 years later, he still has the A4 and is happy.

Jack is a real sailor though. After putting up with the unreliable diesel, he pulled it out and sailed engineless for several years. He doesn't put a lot of hours on the A4 as a coastal sailor so the fuel usage isn't an issue. Those A4's are a joy to listen to compared to the smaller diesels.