Would you cross the Gulf of Mexico in this?

I'm still working on my shiny Mainship deal that Momma likes, but I ran across this sucker and had to get 'yalls opinion........

Salty !! View Boat Photos - YachtWorld.com

Looks a little crude, and no bow thruster so I'm sure I couldn't drive it, but it's interesting!

That draft could be a little trouble in the ICW however........

I think that boat would take you anywhere in the Gulf you wanted to go. Its steel hull has probably beat down more waves than you'll ever see. It's not my style of boat, but if I were in the market for a trawler that's one I would want to take a peek at. It looks like it's been maintained very well.

Having owned a steel hulled boat, 2 sayings come to mind:

Glass (fiberglass) is fast, but steel is real (when you hit something floating).

If you buy a steel boat, you will chase rust from the day you buy it till the day you sell it.

My other comment would be that there are a lot of places that a 7'8" draft won't let you go. As someone else on a forum put it," We all bump bottom occasionally; some of us just do it farther off shore than others".

Ted

If you cut that top contraption off it would look like mine but with a 4' extra draft. Be a good gulf crosser though.

2500 gallons of fuel with only a range of 2000nm. NOT ME!!!!!!!!!! The main reason I'm going to a trawler is fuel economy.

I don't see any problem with it out in the Gulf, in reasonable weather, but as has been noted the draft will limit you in a lot of places.
I see an M&L sticker on the genset they are in Houma, Louisiana where I keep my boat.

But, would you cross the Pacific in it?

Bill

Kwajdiver said:

But, would you cross the Pacific in it?

Bill

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I wouldn't but the boat probably could with a few bladder tanks or some 55 gallon drums on the back. I might have someone check the stability calculations though. It looks like a lot of weight up top. I couldn't tell from the pictures if it's a conversion or was built to this configuration.

cardude01 said:

I'm still working on my shiny Mainship deal that Momma likes, but I ran across this sucker and had to get 'yalls opinion........

Salty !! View Boat Photos - YachtWorld.com

Looks a little crude, and no bow thruster so I'm sure I couldn't drive it, but it's interesting!

That draft could be a little trouble in the ICW however........

Click to expand...

She's a sturdy looking craft certainly fit for the GOM. When it comes to boat handling, single screw seperates the men from the boys. I ran single screw steel vessels out in the GOM oil patch for years...all powered by the old reliable (but definitely NOT economical) 671 Jimmy diesel. Use spring lines for tight maneuvering...they're the poor man's thrusters.

Plus she has flopper stoppers that look effective (depending on size/design of birds) and well integrated.

8' safe depth requirements would be deal breaker for me though. In fact I quit at 5'. Unless all you are buying it for is big water you're going to deny yourself lots of inshore exploring and storm hideouts.

What Larry said about stability....looks worrisome......I don't understand the small reduction gear and prop. Change that to 3.5 or 4:1 and put a decent 3 blade prop on and range will improve.

What's the single control on the left of the helm for?

FWIW there was a longish thread about this boat and same topic (with live aboard requirement) within the last year. (Sent from phone otherwise I'd find the thread)

Tad Roberts said:

I don't understand the small reduction gear and prop.

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Where does it say anything about the reduction gear?

The over 7' draft kills it for me-- I want to cruise the Bahamas eventually and don't want to have to freak out about every rock I see. Plus it's too utilitarian looking for DW's dockside cocktail parties............

How about this one!



Ballena Bay Yacht Brokers (Alameda, CA)

Two cylinder Gardner diesel-- that should get good GPH-- 28HP????

Don't see the A/C.........lol

[FONT=verdana,helv,arial,san-serif]Controllable pitch propeller system,Hundested VP2, manual. 26" propeller, 3-blade, 2- inch diameter shaft, 12.6 ft. stainless steel shaft. Unit #6024.

Engine details: 4.25 bore, 6.0 inch stroke, 2 cylinders, 14:1 compression, 170 cubic inches, 1100 pounds weight.

Most diesels operate happily at 3hp per cubic inch of displacement ,
so this is going to be a Mighty 28HP.

At only 20,000 lbs displacement , 28 hp is probably what is required for LRC.

I would disagree that a steeper reduction gear and a huge but fixed propeller would have a better fuel burn than the existing CPP.

The CPP can , with an EGT gauge be "dialed in" for best efficiency at the speed , sea conditions , wind load and cruise house power being required any time during the cruise.

Bigger props are almost always better , but 28 hp does not require very much diameter to be thrust efficient, and the CPP can maximise the engine efficiency.

A proper loading from say 14 HP per gallon up to say 16 or even more at LRC engine speeds should be worth a lot in range.

A poorer outfitted ,, production mfg cookie boat with a US 130 hp farm implement engine selection , could use a bigger diameter prop and deeper reduction [/FONT].

Yes, I would cross the gulf in that first trawler, and it would make a great boat for the PNW. Looks to be a converted commercial to pleasure, there are a lot of them in the PNW. Being it has a 671, it probable gets better mileage than reported, and/or you could make it more economical. The Eagle 58 ft, full displacement, 40+ tons, 1200 galls of diesel, power by a DD 671, 165 hp natural, gets about 2 miles per gallon or a range of 2000+.

The second is more of sail boat then motor boat, or motor. Now that is a boat I am/world be interested in. A boat designed/equipped for efficient long range cruising and/or anchoring. If we head south, we would want to equip the Eagle similar to that. It would be an interesting boat for a more in depth discussion.

As for being to utilitarian, once you have had a ugly slow utilitarian pleasure trawler will not want to do back to a production boat. Also its fun/nice to have a custom, different boat as people will notice, ask questions, talk about it and remember it. Unless you want to be one of hundred/thousand other boats.

RickB said:

Where does it say anything about the reduction gear?

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Click on the button that says "Boat details"

FF said:

[FONT=verdana,helv,arial,san-serif]Controllable pitch propeller system,Hundested VP2, manual. 26" propeller, 3-blade, 2- inch diameter shaft, 12.6 ft. stainless steel shaft. Unit #6024.

Engine details: 4.25 bore, 6.0 inch stroke, 2 cylinders, 14:1 compression, 170 cubic inches, 1100 pounds weight.

Most diesels operate happily at 3hp per cubic inch of displacement ,
so this is going to be a Mighty 28HP.

At only 20,000 lbs displacement , 28 hp is probably what is required for LRC.

I would disagree that a steeper reduction gear and a huge but fixed propeller would have a better fuel burn than the existing CPP.

The CPP can , with an EGT gauge be "dialed in" for best efficiency at the speed , sea conditions , wind load and cruise house power being required any time during the cruise.

Bigger props are almost always better , but 28 hp does not require very much diameter to be thrust efficient, and the CPP can maximise the engine efficiency.

A proper loading from say 14 HP per gallon up to say 16 or even more at LRC engine speeds should be worth a lot in range.

A poorer outfitted ,, production mfg cookie boat with a US 130 hp farm implement engine selection , could use a bigger diameter prop and deeper reduction [/FONT].

Click to expand...

Fred,

I was referring to the first boat (link in first post in this thread) with 6-71 power and Capitol 2:1 reduction.....

Cardude

The aloy one is a TRAWLER. It will be cheap to run, and it will fit anywhere in any pocket.
Re-sale value? I don't know in your neighborhood, I would buy it if I was looking for a boat. By the way, both boats in this thread are awesome trawlers. The first one is just too heavy displacement, that’s all.

Portuguese

FF said:
[FONT=verdana,helv,arial,san-serif]"Most diesels operate happily at 3hp per cubic inch of displacement"[/FONT]

WOW !!

sunchaser said:

FF said:
[FONT=verdana,helv,arial,san-serif]"Most diesels operate happily at 3hp per cubic inch of displacement"[/FONT]

WOW !!

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Isn't FF talking about engine, rather than boat, displacement?

OOOPS , the fingers didn't reflect the mind.

3 hp per cubic inch would be fantastic ,
tho the engine might only be 100cc and need 12,000 rpm to make such power.

3 cubic inches per hp seems a comfortable long term diesel operating rating.

The alloy Colvin boat is a dandy but will be slow to sell. There's no place to be outside except the tiny aft deck (with no protection). The only place to sit with a view is one stool in the pilothouse (so a great boat for the singlehander). The oil range is expensive to run but the main engine is not......

That is a fat sailboat. Too bad they don't mention the info in the standing rigging. 28HP in a blow without some storm sails no thanks.

cardude01 said:

The over 7' draft kills it for me-- I want to cruise the Bahamas eventually and don't want to have to freak out about every rock I see. Plus it's too utilitarian looking for DW's dockside cocktail parties............

How about this one!

Ballena Bay Yacht Brokers (Alameda, CA)

Two cylinder Gardner diesel-- that should get good GPH-- 28HP????

Don't see the A/C.........lol

Click to expand...

"The oil range is expensive to run but the main engine is not......"

Kind of depends on what you are pricing.

The range will operate on 1 to 4 gal per day , heating and drying the vessel with NO ELECTRIC.

If one has to make enough electric to heat with electric or simply feed a truck Webasto or Espar ,
and its air fan or toe kick heaters , the range fuel consumption will be minor compared to the service bill, plus fuel .

The total cost over a heating season is the concern , for non dock queens.

FF said:

Kind of depends on what you are pricing.

for non dock queens.

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I put my hand up as a "non dock queen".

It does indeed depend what you are pricing. In the US you have access to cheap oil, here we're looking at a minimum of $1.35 a litre, so on the lowest setting the oil range is $5.00 a day (no cooking). In the southern PNW there are roughly 6 weeks a year when the heat is off.....farther north it's 24/7/365......

But wood is available free on the beach, just go pick it up.

Another problem with the aluminum Colvin boat will be getting any heat in the aft cabin. A duct through the engine room with a computer fan will help, but it will always be chilly. Tri cabin boats don't work that well in some climates.