First trip in the new boat a success

J

jmeirhofer

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Story and photos to come. Had a great time and learned a ton from our captain. Wife enjoyed the boat as much as me. She already has a laundry list of items to make it our own. We did settle on a name finally. Anyway, I will post a full report in a couple of days.
 
Glad to hear things went well I look forward to hearing the full story.
Enjoy you visit and take lots of notes there is a lot to remember.
 
Thanks Dave. I did take alot of notes. And learned a bunch too. I have to put it all together but I have several questions for you know too. We got back to CA today and start our cross country trek in the morning provided we can get through the Donner pass.
 
John any time feel free to ask, call if you like it's not a problem I think I sent you my number if not I will. Once again I'm glad to hear things went well. I looking forward to spring and getting mine ready soon.
 
Congrats and have a safe trip! I hope the storm stays away from you as you travel across the country. Best to you.
 
John- looking forward to the pics and the "rest of the story"!!!
 
You've got plenty of us 440 owners here to ask questions.
 
John,
Glad hear everthing when smoothly.

I am sure you have alot of notes. Below is a short checklist of what I consider the most important items one should know with diesel engines and diesel generators to keep them running.

I cannot stress this enough.
1. Check all fluids and levels before you depart. Ensure all fluids are at the proper recomended level and there is no cross contamination present.
2. Check Belts for the correct tension and cracks.
3. Alway inspect your bilge for any leaks.
4. Check all strainers for debris. This includes opening and closing sea cocks.
5. Warm up your engine to operating temperatures before departing and cooling down prior to turning off your engines.

Reapirs can be expensive, preventative mainetance/inspection are the best cost reduction to repairs. Engine & trans oils, Coolant, & Battery fluids, and Belts should be checked and changed at recommended intervals. This includes all filters and thermostats. Invest in a tool chest, tools, and filter wrenches. Keep them in the Engine room, as the Admiral on board will not like tools in the salon, trust me on this one.

Diesels Need
1. Clean fuel, clean fuel filters
2. Proper air flow and clean air filters.
3. Proper coolant
4. Raw water to cool exhausts (working Impellers)
5. Belt in working condition.
6. Charged batteries

Diesels should have
1. Spare fuel, oil, & air filters
2. Spare Belts
3. Spare Coolant Thermostats
4. Spare Raw Water Impellers
5. Spare gl of Distilled water (Batteries)
6. Spare Oil (Trans and Engine), fuel (carry a yelow 5gl can of diesel), and coolant (either ethylene glycol or propylene glycol).
7. Spare Oil absorbant pads

Remember the most important items to have on board.... Booze and Beer and Ice, because you will have more people to entertain. Have fun and Congrats again to your new purchase.
 
Bob - Oddly enough I had just about everything on your list by the time our Captain showed up. I figured I would eventually need spare belts and filters for everything. Then not knowing the age of the fuel I got three sets of Racors too. Since I no longer have a garage I shipped all of my hand tools to the boat from CA. Spare oil for both motors and trans and absorbant pads and impellers I obtained there at the yard. The Captain asked who gave me the list of stuff to get in advance. All I could say was it seemed like stuff we might need. The only thing I did not have was the yellow jug for diesel.

Every morning before we departed I checked and logged the fluid levels. Inspected belts and made not of anything in the bilges. More points with the Captain.

I have to say much of it I did becuase it seemed like it should be done but in truth most of it was likely something more subconscious that I read on here and tucked away for future use.

Now for the questions, probably Dave will know most of them as we have about the same model:

1. Where is the y discharge valve for the heads. Neither myself or the captian could find it.

2. There are two switches just inside the cabin door. One controls the accent lighting. The other one appears to do nothing. What is it for? Obviousely it is not working just don't know what it is for.

3. I have a stereo on the bridge and one in the cabin. I would like to have just one in the cabine with a remote for it on the bridge and the cockpit speakers connected to it. How difficult is it to access the speaker wiring on the bridge?

4. Who's bright idea was white carpeting in a boat? That was rhetorical. Wife says that will be one of the first things to be changed.

5. Is the refrigerator more efficient on 12v or 120v?

6. Have any of you changed the shaft seal at the transmission? What is the difficulty level, out of water of course? I have a slight leak in the port engine. After 4 days (300miles) is left about a dollar size stain on the pad. I know I will need to change this winter and wondering how big of a job it will be.

That is most of the questions for now. I know I will have more my next time out and more after that.

One other note. When I first went on the boat I started stowing things and then turning things on. At first I could not get the outlets on the port side in the Galley to work. Nor would the electrical for the Tele or Fridge work. I tried the switches. Turned them on and off several times and just could not figure anything out. Finally I gave up and went to do something else. I had stowed some stuff in the little cubby under the guest bed. When I was retrieving it I noticed a GFI in there. Sure enough it was tripped. I reset it and everything started working. I must of hit is with the stuff I was stowing without realizing it was in there. Which brings me to my question, finally. WTH? Why would they put in an electrical outlet there? Especially GFI?

Oh, one other thing I forgot to mention. The fuel fill. I have three. Port and starboard on the stern and one starboard opposite the pump out on the port side. The starboard stern fill has nothing connected to it and the deckplate has been sealed so you can not open it. Any ideas? All I could think of is that the genset might be in the way of using that fill hole.
 
On mine, I have two light switches by the door. One is for the overhead lights, the other for the rope lights.
 
Well I'm not sure how much help I can be until I get on board to double check a few things however. On my boat there are two valves for the waste. This is because there are two holding tanks and only one discharge the valve for the through hole for the macerator is on the bulkhead wall behind the port motor I have never use the pump so I don't know much more about it. There is a second valve to switch which tank you are pulling from for the pump out. This Y valve is in the engine room dead center forward bulkhead. I have found it easiest to remove the ladder it is recessed beneath the floor level near but above the bilge pump.
As for the two switches on the left side as you enter the cabin if I recall one as you said is the accent light over the cabinets and under the galley, I believe the second switch is for lighting under the stairs and over the washing machine.
As for the stereo I only have one set up as you desire although I did replace the stereo and add the remote at the helm the speakers were all wired back to the correct location I have two amps to power all the speakers a total of 8 plus a sub. I have two volume controls/knobs near the stereo to adjust the volume for the cabin and the cockpit I also have a volume control in the master stateroom. It works out well but I'm sure there is room for improvement. Bob has a Stereo maybe even surround sound in the cabin which is also tied to the TV this is nice.
As for the carpet mine was replaced by the dealer just before I bought the boat, it too is a light color but we where the first people to step on it so it is spotless. I have floor covers made to protect all carpeted areas, that snap in and are easy to remove and clean.
The inside and outside fridge are AC/DC but the ice maker I believe is AC only. An AC/DC fridge actually always runs on DC when it is powered by AC it converts it to DC so there is loss in this process however I not sure the concept of your question as to which is more efficient when you run on DC you are draining the batteries when you run on AC you are drawing from either the shore power or genny. So I guess the technical answer is DC is more efficient for the fridge but then you need to recharge the batteries so I tend to run the genny while underway but if I'm on a hook I shut it down and only run it when I either need to charge my batteries or to cool the boat. The ice maker wont make new ice but it will stay cold for hours.
I have never had a trans leak so I have no answer for you about this.

I don't recall the GFI outlet you are referring to I will have to look for it.

BTW do you have an inverter this can help with not having to run the genny while on a hook or underway. Mine will power the ice maker and the outlets in the galley and outside for a blender. I really haven't used it much but I will be experimenting more this season.
 
John did you by any chance log you hours and fuel burn during this trip? I would love to here what you came up with. I have a bunch of none believers doubting me and my math skills. Being you have the same boat with the same motors you would be the closest to me as one gets. I don't know what props you have and I'm sure that might affect speed but I more interested in what RPMs you cruised at and how many gallons you burned per hour on the hour meter. If you can, let me know. If you don't what to post it e-mail would be great.

Thanks
 
Thanks for all the info Dave. It will all come in handy. The second switch by the stairs is an inop then. It also explains why I could not get the lights to turn on by the washer.

No inverter but it will be one of the items added. As well as a bank of batteries for it. I don't have the second water heater so I have plenty of space on that side.

I do have the subwoofer on the port side seat on the bridge. Four speakers in the cabin and two on the arch. I would like them all to be connected to the one unit with a remote on the bridge and in the cockpit. I will likely be using a head unit with Ipod control and a 60gb Ipod with our music on it. Where not really the crank it up type so I will likely pass on the amp.

I will have to look for the valves you mentioned. I did not notice them when we were on the boat, but then again you can only find just so much stuff in your first 4 days.

I did log the fuel and hours but we were in the intercoastal the whole way. See my Manatee comment. Overall though we averaged about 20gal/hr. and 1.4mpg The Captain we had hired thought the fuel gauges were inop the first day. He could not believe that a boat of this size was getting the fuel consumption it was. And my props haven't been tuned either.

Dave - As you know, I shopped specifically for a boat that while mechanically sound, needed minor repairs that I could perform myself. Hopefully I will be able to bother you for some photos of various things when I set to repair them. Things like the carpet and cockpit upholstery was of no concern to me other than a bargaining point as we knew we would want wood floors and new upholstery. Stereo and TVs the same. Electronics...

Any idea how to get that little TV out of the hole in the master stateroom?

Now I just can not wait to make it our own.

I forgot to add that with regards to our fuel log. I can post the specifics when I get unpacked here in a few days. We flew back to Cali from FL and threw what was left in boxes and left for MD. Not quite sure exactly where it is at the moment.
 
TV in the stateroom is screwed in from the bottom through the closet.
 
The TV over the fridge had two screws holding it in but the TV is the stateroom was Velcro I push in and up to free it then it slid right out. I install both new TVs on articulating arms so I can swing them out and use the space behind then as storage.
Average 20 gph is exactly what I figure can you please read this thread and comment, I would love to read the stats on you fuel burn as to average RPMs and average speed. no one believes me maybe they will believe you:) I can't remember who it was that had a similar size boat and the same motors he had the same numbers as well.
Any questions you have feel free to ask anytime I'm happy to help.
http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=145101
 
Hogan the base that the TV sat on is screwed from the bottom but mine was only held by a thick strip of velcro. It took a while to figure this out. White Panasonic with VCR not sure what I did with it must be in the attic.
 
I read that other thread about the fuel consumption.

I think the numbers are pretty much on par for a CAT boat. I have friends with 410 and 450 Sundancers both with 3126 CAT's and fuel flow meters. The 410 averaged about 21 gph at cruise with the 350 hp versions and the 450 burns about 23/24 gallons per hour with the 420 hp. versions. That is both engines at the same time, not separately.

Every way I figure it in the 460 Sundancer I run with 6CTA's the boat is burning about 34-36 gph at cruise. Our harbor is about a 3 minute idle out to the lake and cruise from there.
 
That you why is it no one ever believes me I have no reason to make this up. I know my boat I would venture a guess what Hogan or Starry burn But from the responses I would have to guess a bit more. I didn't know this when I bought the boat it wasn't a factor frankly I expected to burn more. I figured about .75 MPG at best. I met a guy that wintered at SPBM last year he had an ocean 42 SF with the same motors as me he said he got the same burn rate but was a bit faster than me.
 
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