Chris Craft Constellation 500s

Hi Miss Donna,

Here is a picture of my port shaft log. It uses 1/2" Duramax Ultra-X packing (I think). Does your shaft log look like this?



Pete37

Yes it does Pete, I got that done yesterday. Put in 5 rings, boy the water came gushing in when I removed the old. On to a oil change today while I wait out the weather. We are anxious to get south. Are you already in Florida?

Pete, while I have you here. It looks more and more like my water tank has a leak or two.
I always run out of water when I try to anchor for a couple days and constantly have watering bilge I can't figure out the source of. I believe it is running forward in the stringers. How can I access the info on tank replacement?

Hi Miss Donna,

No, I'm still in Maryland and it's cold (30s), wet and windy.

On your water tank problem. Wow, that's a two men and a boy job. The source of the leaks is crevice corrosion in the bottom of the aluminum tank. The bilge has salt water in it and the tank sits in the bottom of the bilge. Figure at least $1k. Basically you rip up the floor of the office, cut the tank in two and pull the pieces out. Then you have a tank builder weld up two smaller tanks, put them in where the old tank was and replace the floor. The expert on that is Emory Shover of "Southern Charm. He removed his tank and replaced it. He wrote up a detailed description of the job. Give him a post on the Boat US Connie forum and he will get back to you. If you can't get hold of him I have a copy of his paper on water tank replacement.

There's another guy who recently posted that he replaced his water tank with two poly tanks. I'll see if I can find him.

Sorry about the bad news.

Pete37

Ouch, that's what I figured. Just remodeled that room for Donnas office. I like the poly tank. See if you can find that fellow if you would Pete. Thanks and happy Turkey Day.
Emory, you out there dude?

Hi Miss Donna,
Good luck with your water tank replacement and keep us posted. Mine is a 1985 CC500 and may have the same problem soon...

When you have time, can you load some pictures of your renovated den/office? (my wife is interested to see what you did).

Bye
Francois

Does anyone had to replace the hot water heather from their Connie 500?
Based on what I see, no space is available to take the tank out !!

Thanks

Francois, I accept your challenge. I have not posted any photos on this forum or any other. You must have a larger water heater than I. It looks like mine would go out the engine room hatch. After that the next largest opening if it doesn't go through a door is a side window.. I have used the one next to the port door. If need be bigger, you take out tone of the rear windows. Happy Turkey Day.

Testing

Francois, not a clue how to download photos. I removed sofa, installed laminate floor, 2 drawer base cabinets which I cut 4 1/2" of the bottom pieces to make desk height. That's all. Note that you need to buy cabinets that need assembly. They will not fit through door. The same goes for a nice size office chair.
Was able to send a pic of galley redo.

Thanks Miss Donna,
While we were cruising this last weekend near Port-Aransas Texas, I used only one engine for a while (as you did) and enjoyed the money saving !!
- Speed lost was about 1 knots
- Ruder angles stayed at about 15% deg.
- Temp stayed at 181 deg F
- Left the RPM at 1450

Thanks for the info on your cabin renovation. And about my water heather, I was able to fix it by replacing the element and water lead on pipe. This is a 20Gal thank and I don't see how it would come out! (but for now, all is fine).

Here's a picture of us cruising down the channel with all our bikes on the foredeck. Somehow, I need to find a better way to secure them.

Bye
Francois

Al, I see no reason to change engines on any boat unless they are shot. The expense in converting them could never be made up no matter how much fuel you would save. If someone wanted to do this just to sell a boat, they may be better just lowering the price. IMHO
Patrick

Hi Al,
My speed with 2 engines at 1450 RPM was about 10.2 knots, I lost about 1 knot when running on one engine. It is Patrick (Miss Donna) that gave me the idea and it appears to work for me...

Bye
Francois

Francios- Sorry, I forgot a ingredient! What is your reduction gear ratio?

Miss Donna- The whole concept is not to sell a boat rather purchase one that is being allowed to sit because the cost of gas has exceeded the owners desire to run the boat. There are many of these situations even here in Ketchikan. Big gas engines in semi or planning hulls either demand a heavy use or throttle back. Throttling back seems to be a reluctant choice as the boats just sit and sit.
A person of modest wealth, of one I am, looking to upgrade to a larger boat with pleasant accommodation, that the more affluent are able to purchase as gold plated and can afford to run at cruising throttle as and by design. Yet, reality sets in with recognizing the very reason the purchase price is low and why. So, taking your time, watching, advertising, and gathering two small same Marine manufactured engines with 3:1 gears seems a pleasant part of the equation. Some do not think Ebay is a good place to obtain used engines. Buyer beware is in play at any junctor of a purchase. There are several National outlets for used marine diesel engines. The Perkins,Fords,Volvos (Well maybe not Volvo) all NA and slower turning. are available in the $5-$7000.00 range rebuilt. Not uncommon to see a offer of a re power takeout.
Meanwhile, stripping out the gas pots, (Note that I am not advocating for purchase of a boat with LARGE diesel engines. That merits your observation)
Cleaning the engine room, and other household chores throughout the boat as the inventory of engines and accessories required is on going.
When you find the "Perfect Candidate" and make the purchase all you have to do then is;

new clash of the titans clip 2- release the kraken - YouTube

Regards,
Al

Peter, if you need help mailing to connies owners, I'll help you... Just let me know.

Also, I see 3 handles for fuel tank selection under the stairs heading to the master cabin, what does the middle one do?

Rockport

Hi Francois did you make it to Rockport? I am docked at Key Allegro look me up if over this way
gemba

Hi Scottflys2
No, I'm at the corpus Christi Marina.
We went to key allegro a year ago and loved it. Kind of old docks and the restaurant is fabulous.
Have a great time...

Gemba, is Rockport your home port?
If so, it is nice to know that another connie owner is close by

Rockport

Yes been there for about 10 years but live in San Antonio

Interesting, we live in san Antonio as well.. how long have had your beautiful C501?

Just bought ours from Kemah a few months back...

We need " hooch up" one of these days..

Rockport

Yeah like the sound of that lol
Where are you in corpus?
I have to do bottom and new seals in stabilization also adding some under water lights

I'm on F pier in corpus.
Do you know a good mechanics for our engines?

Don't know mech but there is a Detroit engine place in port a

Francois, the middle switch is a crossover switch. Mine has a tag on it. Off is pointing to port, on is pointing aft. Exactly how it works I don't know.

Scotty2, do you know how the middle crossover tanks lever works? (What it does if ON)

Francois, I know there is a few posts on the matter on the Murray constellation forum. Please fill me in if you find it. I suppose I should know what it does. I have started remodeling the galley on a Defever I met along the way.

Miss Donna, regarding your fresh water leak. Sure it`s the tank?
I had fresh water getting into the bilge, eventually I found a loose/displacing water flexible hose connecting to a copper pipe under the ER checker-plate floor, not before I lost a lot of water. Even with the FW pump off it was leaking water.
It would be nice if it is not the tank, it probably is, but check the other possibilities.

Hi Bruce, I can't seem to find any hose leaks and of what I can see of the tank, there is a little seepage. The tank is not accessable at all so it will take a bit more investigating before I remove it. We cannot anchor out for more than two nights due to lack of fw.

Crossover valve

Francois I believe you position the center valve to the tank you want to draw from then shut off the other tank. I am not at the boat hard to remember