Cat 3126Bs, Volvo 480s or 450 Cummins in a 03 Pursuit 38

I,m pursuing a 38 ft Pursuit ( hey...thats weird ) w/tower as a " newer/smaller" alternative to a 1981 Hatteras 55 SF with 1271s I looked at in St Pete last month. The 55 was beautiful but many warned of the cost to own and recommended the smaller/newer option. I know as well it is smarter for us to go this way and have found two sister boats. One blue hulled boat in Key Largo ( Ocean Reef ) with 1400hr 3126Bs and the other white hulled boat with 1800hr Volvo 480s in Destin. Have had some comments from pros regarding the Cats as not being the most popular engine Cat ever made but in these 38 Pursuits, it seems to be the only engine Cat used. The mechanical Volvo 480s are the Volvo package at the time and a few boats have Cummins power. Cost of ownership is a major concern and have heard of a few engine related "Catastrophes" lately but dont seem to hear much about Volvos or Cummins. One seal failed in a 3126B I just looked at here in S California and required a new/rebuilt head @ $11K ( which was covered by the owners insurance as the Cats were out of warranty ). The other was a 3406E that wasnt running right and ended up having a hole in the block and now needs a complete replacement @ $46,000. I know these are boats but I begin to wonder if Cats are not what I have always felt to be the right choice. I also know certain model engines are better than others and all require proper maintenance and use to live a long life.

Opinions? Should I opt for the Volvos or look at the Cummins powered boats??

No as it was in a boat I looked at when I was in Fla recently. It was a 01 48ft SF with about 1500hrs owned by someone that did not appear to abuse boats but cannot state how the maintenance was handled. Like you said, there is always a story behind the story. Did not hear engines when I looked at the boat which were sick when I saw it obviously. Some engines obviously are better than others and there are some models that are better than others within a manufacturers line up. I have preferred Cats but in the boats we were looking at, the majority had Detroits. I learned to stay clear of 92 series engines which seemed to be a commonly agreed to suggestion. Now with smaller/newer being the new course, it has opened up the newer engines which has now prompted me to ask for suggestions again. I actually am now looking at a 03 Tiara 44 Sovran with C12s @ 600 hrs here in S Cal which we might be able to buy for the mid/upper 200s. My concern with that one is the owner is not a boater at all and wants nothing to do with boats again. Makes me a bit concerned with who is maintaing the boat. Bad maintenance can cause even modern C12s to have issues too so I am really going to have them looked at closely if we pursue the boat.