Sanctuary Cove Boat Show 2013

Another year, another Sanctuary Cove boat show.
This is probably the major boat show on the Australian circuit and always a good day out.
I can most times find something I can't live without.
I haven't missed many (only when I have been at sea) over the last 20 years.
1993 when I started building Tidahapah was my first.

This year a couple of us plane to meet up on Thursday, the 1 st day of the show. Peter B and Paul (Aquabelle) and myself should have a face to face about lunchtime Thursday.
Thursday and Friday are good days to go the weekend is just to busy .
Hopefully it is a good show this year as the last couple have been a bit downsized due to the tight economics.

Cheers
Benn

Hi Benn
I am planning on going on Thursday as well. Would like to join you guys as well if I could. Paul has the same hull but different deck configuration as me, and has given me some good refit tips.
Cheers
Brian

Hi Benn,

I am planning to be there on Thursday as well, where are you guys meeting?

Don (ex mv Kekada)

Sanctuary Cove is such a pleasant sounding name. It evokes thoughts of secluded anchorages and even Jimmy Buffett's "One Particular Harbor".

Jimmy Buffett - One Particular Harbour [HD] - YouTube

Hi Brian
Love the look of your boat and wondering where you bought it from. I'm based in Brisbane and have been looking to upgrade my 42 ft Mckenzie trawler/motor sailer to something like your pilothouse but having trouble finding much to choose from here - even been looking to import as they seem to be more in US, especially around WA. Also going to the Show on Thursday.

Cheers
Garry

Omaroo said:

Hi Brian
Love the look of your boat and wondering where you bought it from. I'm based in Brisbane and have been looking to upgrade my 42 ft Mckenzie trawler/motor sailer to something like your pilothouse but having trouble finding much to choose from here - even been looking to import as they seem to be more in US, especially around WA. Also going to the Show on Thursday.

Cheers
Garry

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Thanks Garry. I can refer you to a great broker that owns one and knows them inside out, and seems to sell a lot of them.

Its an Ocean Alexander 50 Mark 1. I bought it just north of Seattle in the PNW where there are quite a lot about. Yachtworld has a few listings at present. I had a custom hardtop made for solar panels (and shade), and am happy the aesthetics turned out ok. I've now got 1820W of solar, and have removed two generators.

Some, but not mine, have a 5 ft cockpit extension. Very desirable and maybe one day I'll do it. But quotes were over $100,000 for it in the US, including awlgrip for the hull.

There is a 55 ft one advertised at Manly. Unusually it has Detroit 6-71's. Most had either Lehman 120's or V8 Cummins 270's fitted. Both are old engines for which parts can be hard to get or expensive. I followed the example of some others and repowered with John Deere's. Some now have Cummins 6BTA's also
ocean alexander (Power) Pilothouse Boats For Sale

Moonstruck said:

Sanctuary Cove is such a pleasant sounding name. It evokes thoughts of secluded anchorages and even Jimmy Buffett's "One Particular Harbor".

Jimmy Buffett - One Particular Harbour [HD] - YouTube

Click to expand...

Don
Its not a bad spot. Canal development with two 18 hole golf courses on reclaimed land. Dates back to the 80's, and has had some difficult ownership periods. At times the golf course got a bit rough due to lack of funds, not sure what they are like at present. Good little village created there too.

In previous years I have parked adjacent the Riviera and Maritimo factories and caught a shuttle ferry downriver to the boat show. Quite an enjoyable way to do it. The Riviera set-up is pretty impressive even though I'm not a fan of their boats.

Thanks fvery much or the reply and the leads. I'm looking for something from 42 ft to 50ft but no larger. Yes the general Seattle area is where I have been seeing a lot of pilothouse and trawler makes and models. I like the look of a DeFever there at the moment - on Yachtworld - it doesn't have the aft cabin of the Ocean alexander which suits me better as I like the back deck for fishing from. The exposed (well partly enclosed) props from the twin engines is one concern with it though. My main issue is where to start with the whole importing thing. Getting me over there to look at boats is no problem but how did you get yours back? Any advice would be very welcome.
Garry

Omaroo said:

Thanks fvery much or the reply and the leads. I'm looking for something from 42 ft to 50ft but no larger. Yes the general Seattle area is where I have been seeing a lot of pilothouse and trawler makes and models. I like the look of a DeFever there at the moment - on Yachtworld - it doesn't have the aft cabin of the Ocean alexander which suits me better as I like the back deck for fishing from. The exposed (well partly enclosed) props from the twin engines is one concern with it though. My main issue is where to start with the whole importing thing. Getting me over there to look at boats is no problem but how did you get yours back? Any advice would be very welcome.
Garry

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I've only just finished my refit, and the boat is still in the US. I enlarged my fuel tanks, and with the JD's efficiency I have the range at over 7kn to sail her back. But not sure I have the appetite to do it. Plus I would still need to add storm shutters and a bunch of other things to take on that kind of trip.

One of my objectives at Sanctuary Cove is to have an in-depth discussion with a transport brokerage. Last year they gave me an indicative cost of $64k that ballooned out to $100k for a firm quote by the end of the year. In the meantime I had discovered leaking fuel tanks so went onto the hard for new tanks and repower, plus other stuff. That quote was ex: Vancouver or Victoria. Dockwise quoted $54k, but from Costa Rica. Quite a trip to get down there, but could be fun. I might end up doing that.

On arrival here it will be 10% GST plus 5% duty on cost of boat, repairs/additions and transport cost. So, a big chunk of change to get a boat back here from the US quickly.

Guys ,
Looks like there will be a few of us around so being very Australian I reckon the best meeting place is near the bar.
I'll be around that area from about 1200 hrs on. My Mob No is 0428980610.
I'm the fat guy with the white beard.
I am going to make contact with Peter B and Paul about then.
Cheers
Benn

Insequent said:

Hi Benn
I am planning on going on Thursday as well. Would like to join you guys as well if I could. Paul has the same hull but different deck configuration as me, and has given me some good refit tips.
Cheers
Brian

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Hi, Insequent and Navigator. This is one of the pluses of this forum. Linking people up, putting faces to names. More the merrier I say. Like Benn says. Give him or me a call about midday. My m/p is 0411 097 794

Hey, Benn, which bar by the way? Don't forget the pub on the point of the boardwalk is long gone. There are several smaller ones dotted round. What about meet near the food court area, near quay street, as in the diagram of layout below....

http://www.sanctuarycoveboatshow.com.au/files/pdf/2013%20Bump%20In%20Docs/SCIBS2013-Village-Overall-rv08.pdf

Brian, when I bought a maxi trailer yacht over from NZ, I had to pay 20% sales tax. Does the 10% GST + 5% duty replace that now..?

Peter B said:

Brian, when I bought a maxi trailer yacht over from NZ, I had to pay 20% sales tax. Does the 10% GST + 5% duty replace that now..?

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Pete
Yes, AFAIK. And the 5% duty is not levied if the vessel was built in a country that has a free trade agreement with Australia. There are a bunch of those, including USA. But not Taiwan, where my boat was constructed originally.

OK Sounds all right to me.
I'll be down that way about noon.
Cheers

Back from first day at the show.
Excellent to meet and greet with Peter B, Paul, Brian and Don.
The show was a bit disappointing this year especially in the cruising motor vessel department.
No Nordys, Flemmings Seahorses etc., Some GB's but a 52' with a pair of CAT C18s , how far you gonna go before you are screaming for fuel.
Good walk around and some interesting products , shopped for new gear for my mast /paravane fitout and will be back tomorrow.
Peter B came down to Tidahapah on his way home for a look around and a chin wag. An excellent day out and hopefully enjoyed by all even though it was a bit low key.
Brian had photos of his rebuild and boy what a fantastic job he has made of it, well done mate you must be surely pleased.

Cheers
Benn

It was great to catch up and put more faces to names, and to share anecdotes. And yes, I am delighted with my systems refit.

At the John Deere stand I was surprised to be told that the new tier 3 4045's are smoother than the 6 cylinder engines, thanks to wonders of CAD, and two balance shafts. They are also rated up to 225 HP.

But I still would have chosen Tier2 6068's - no aftercooler or high pressure common rail complexity.

The other interesting comment was that the tier 3 engines are not as fuel efficient as the tier 2 engines. So, lower emissions come with a cost in fuel consumption. Although I suspect only high useage such as commercial boats or farmers would do enough hours for it to become significant.

Just some info from the Victron Quattro manual, to expand on comments by Paul at lunch regarding performance above 25 deg, and possible issues with engine room installation.

My Quattro is the 12/3000/120-50/30 model.
Operating temperature range: -20 to +50 deg C.
Cont. output at 25 deg: 3000 VA
Cont. output at 25 deg: 2500 W
Cont. output at 40 deg: 2000 W
Peak power: 6000 W

Paul is right - performance is temperature dependent, and the drop-off is significant. Although the output at 40 deg is still quite respectable.

But the nominal rating is a bit misleading. Its not a 3000 watt unit as I thought. The usual "volts x amps = watts" isn't true when it comes to specifying inverters it seems! I think I'll be OK with my 3000, but had I realized the subtlety in the specs then I might have gone for the 5000.

Brian,
Right on the money , I did the same last night and I will be looking into possibly relocating my inverter charger during this refit and even a possible upgrade from the 24/2000/50-30 to may be a 24/3000/70 with 30 amp switch over.
may be go under the bunk in the fwd cabin.

Had another day at the boat show today buying rag boat stuff for my future rig, winches etc. Had one of my yachty mates with me to speak the lingo with the rigging guys , also spent some time with Rex from Anchor Right as my yachty mate is building a new sailing cat and nearly made the mistake of buying a Rocna, I think we have now put him on the right path and a Sarca ExCel will grace the bow of this new cat.
I also had another look at the lay flat solar panels and once the rig is up and more wheel house deck is freed up a few of these may be up there to boost the power input.

Colder, a little bit rainy and also a bit windy today guys.

Cheers
Benn

Benn

You will still need to keep the inverter close to the battery bank, or you will have to run monster cables to avoid voltage drop. Distance between battery and inverter might be more critical than temp.

Those flexible solar panels are quite expensive per watt aren't they? Fine if zippered on top of a canvas bimini, but if going on deck or cabin top I think the traditional ones are a better option.

The guys at Port Townsend bought a full pallet of panels and distributed between a few clients and some of their own guys. They are high output panels, and it was $350 per 260W panel. The spec said it was marine grade aluminium framing so they should be ok.

Brian,
Yeah thought of that, fwd cabin bunk butts up to the ER bulkhead as does the battery bank in the ER so the cable run is approx. 1/2 mtr.
Flat panels using same cells but different coatings therefore different length of warranty and life span.
Chinese panels sunpower cells 120 watt $539.00
Italian panels sunpower cells 125 watt $949.00
Really worth looking at as I can put them in areas on the wheelhouse top deck where there is light traffic and still leave dedicated walkways.
Cheers
Benn

Yes, Hi guys. Had a great day there Thursday, and really nice to meet you all. In fact, for me that was the best thing of the whole day. I didn't need to buy anything, having just invested in two new Lowrance Depth-sounders, and with no major projects on the boil at present, and as mentioned, the range of boats of interest to us was down somewhat.

I really enjoyed have a good gecko (really good look in Oz-speak for US eyes), at Benn's Tidahapah. A really roomy and practical layout, yet he has been able to change its usability by tweaking places here and there, to better suit changing needs. Something you can't do in a plastic fantastic.
"But this is definitely going to be the last (of three) refits", he says. Yeah...right Benn, we believe you mate.

Really interesting to hear about see the progressive pics of Brian's (Insequent), Ocean Alexander 50 refit, and all the ins and outs of bring a boat that size home from the US to Brisbane.
We also learned more from Paul (Aquabelle), re his trip up from Sydney to Mooloolaba, via the inside of Moreton Bay, and tickled to hear they really enjoyed, as we do, the trip up the Brissie River.
Now, we are all agog to hear what (Navigator) Don comes up with in a new boat, now herself, (his words) has given the nod.

Happy boating or boat hunting guys...

Yes, it was good to put faces to the names. While disappointed at the range on display at SCIBS, the search parameters for our next boat are certainly going to make it an interesting journey for us. The common "suspects" have already been eliminated and I hope to avoid going down the custom route if possible.

Don (ex mv Kekada)

Don
I have had a quick look at your Kekada blog and thus have some idea of what the "common suspects" list would look like. Good luck with the search.

Although I have spent a bundle on my major refit I think its a route worth considering. If one of the suspects is close, and is structurally sound, then a competent yard can get you in a good place a lot faster and a lot cheaper than a custom build. Guys that spend a lot of time repairing stuff that was not well designed bring a lot to the table in terms of how to layout and build/fit systems. Keeping stuff simple, and planning for service access are hallmarks.

Warning slight thread hijack.

My 1800 Watt Xantrex has just died by the look of it, and following on from your discussion on inverters and placement on the boat, any recommendations for an inverter if I don't replace the old Xantrex unit with a new one.

Andy
I think it would be a brave decision to replace with a new Xantrex. I think Victron are great, and a lot of folks regard Mastervolt as being comparable in quality.

During my refit the yard recommended Outback initially. But on further analysis we noted that it couldn't have the input frequency range (for the charger section) I needed for my system which has both 110V and 230V sections. Although, by the time we finalized the design we incorporated a separate 50A charger anyway, Victron Phoenix, that will accept virtually anything.

Andy,
I would definitely recommend the Victron inverter chargers.
I am on my second, thru no fault but upgrading .
Have actually never heard of anyone having a problem with the Victron units.

If you were interested in a 24 V unit I may have a 24V/2000 W/50 A - 30 amp switching relay unit for sale as another upgrade is in the making.

Cheers
benn

Hey, and I've been in the 'hallowed place' and seen it Andy, and can vouch for the fact it looks virtually new.

Thanks for the feedback guys, unfortunately my boat is a 240/12 volt set up, so I guess the 24 volt unit is a no go for me, or am I missing something?

Brian,

the blog is a bit out of date. Our criteria now is for a boat that can handle the canals (sub 3.5m air draft) as well as having trans ocean capabilities, preferably without having to load up on external fuel bladders etc. It would be nice to match what we had in Kekada but I think we will have to make a few compromises ie prefer fibreglass but the Dutch make some great steel boats that seem to meet many of the criteria.

Don (ex mv Kekada)

Don
Have you considered Tad's Passagemaker Lite? His 74 was crafted with canals in mind. Of course it comes with a hefty price tag, but it is a lot of boat. That design emerged during discussions on another forum about canal boats, and in the descrioption you will see some coments about canal usage Passagemaker Lite 74 fast, seaworthy, fuel-efficient long-range passagemaker ~ Power Boat Designs by Tad Roberts

I was looking at tweaking his 56 to fit canals better, and Tad did email me with a preliminary lines plan for 60' x 12' variant of the 56. He said it was fast and easy to tweak - after all it was just slim and lengthen slightly. These dimensions are the limits for the locks in the broad beam canals in England, and I think a 12 ft beam is enough. Mind you, it would definitely need some good stabilisers in the ocean with such a narrow beam. Building in steel in Poland or Turkey would be cost effective, but both the Dutch and the English are pretty slick at building steel barges so some CNC cut plates for a different design would be easy for them as well.

I researched canal boats over a year ago. As I recall they could meet EU RCD Category B (Coastal) if required, but not Category A. I assume you are looking at something other than the traditional barge designs.

One thing to watch in regard to air draft is that clearance is quoted at bridge center. But due to bridge arches, the clearance at the sides of the canals can be less. I've seen some boats with a curved coach roof to match the shape of the bridge arches - looks pretty good. I assume you know about Tom Sommer's guide - a great resource. http://www.eurocanals.com/EuroCanalsGuides/biographyoftomso.html