Engine hours?

Hello All!
I know everyone is busy with it being the holidays but I really need your help. The wife and I have narrowed are search for our liveaboard boat down to two, getting ready to make offers by this Friday. So here is my dilemma the boat we really love is a 3 owner 1988 Golden Star with extensive upgrades and detailed records, including engine service. Has twin PERKINS 240hp with 3,400 hours. Original engines with no major rebuild at this point, and appears to have been well maintained. Should I be concerned? The other boat is a 93 Carver 440 with Twin Cat 3116TA engines and only 941 hours, and I haven't been able as of yet to verify whether or not it has the SOFT BLOCKS from France! And as a kicker, neither the broker or I could find the engine #s as it appears they were removed, not the cast numbers but the additional sticker/plate #s that are usually there. Seems suspicious to me!


Thanks in advance, Brad & Michelle......................

I just took a look at the Golden Star on YW, and from what I can see, I have to say it looks awfully nice. The fuel tanks appear indeed to be aluminum. It appears that the boat has had extensive renovations done to her which is good. If it looks good-it is good.
Rather pricey for today's market but that's what negotiations are for.

Call CAT customer service and they should be able to tell you where the engine serial number plates are located. Another place to look for the serial numbers is on any paperwork that came with the boat, or call the local CAT dealer where the boat 'lived' and see if they did any work on it. They might have a record.

Also, if I might make a suggestion....slow down. The two boats you're considering are almost polar opposites from each other, which makes me wonder if you have really done your due diligence homework to determine what your needs are in a boat.

You're about to make a large purchase so keep in mind Rule #1 and Rule #2 about boat buying.

Rule #1--the wrong boat, at the best price in the world, is still the wrong boat.

Rule #2--buy your second boat first. In other words, take your time, make sure you buy the RIGHT boat first. If you buy the wrong boat, one that doesn't suit your needs well, you'll end up trading it in a year or two so you can buy the RIGHT boat and that gets very expensive. Hence the advice to buy your second boat first.

Regarding the CAT 3116, we have this engine in our Mainship, 2000 hours with no issues. The soft block problem was a 3126 issue. You can read some good information about the engines in this thread from the Sea Ray board:

Cat 3116 350HP - Good, Yes or No? [Archive] - Club Sea Ray

Thanks for all the info!

GFC, I know the boats are polar opposites! Been looking for over a year and I love the heavier, saltier, displacement boats. However, the wife likes the semi-displacement more modern motor yachts like the Carvers and Silvertons. Asking her to live aboard full time brings me to rule #3;

#3] If the wife aint happy, no one is happy

Anyone else want to chime in on the Cat soft block issue? I thought for sure it was the 3116s and then they replaced it with the 3126.

Swabby said:

The other boat is a 93 Carver 440 with Twin Cat 3116TA engines and only 941 hours,

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Less than 50 hours per year? How about the genset hours?

Unused boats are all too often unmaintained boats. Are maintenance logs available? Have yearly oil changes, servicing and annual inspections been done? If no good records I'd pass on this one.

GFC's comments are really important...buy your second boat first! We looked for over 2 years and it was amazing how our preferred boat changed...from CHB 34's to PT Europa to OA 40's and then to Pilothouse types and ultimately to the KK 42. Even then we became quite careful about what we wanted as we didn't want a major project on our hands. In this market you will loose 20% of the value of you boat immediately you buy it when you factor in brokerage costs etc, so you don't want to be buying another boat 2 years later.

3,400 hours on these engines is nothing if properly maintained. There are some really extensive upgrades on that boat that would cost some major dineros! Having looked at both boats, I prefer the look of the Golden Star. I much prefer the Galley-up design. Neither boat has a great lower helm station.

Jim, Sent from my iPad using Trawler

One thing to keep in mind in an aft cabin design is that everywhere you go you're going up several steps then down several steps then up several steps, etc.

You didn't say how old you are, but if you're getting up there like I am, will you want to be doing all those stairs?

At 900 + hours the soft block issue has been resolved.

Swabby, when we first decided to switch over to powerboats, we bought a Carver 36 aft cabin and loved her. When it was time to upgrade (which we new it would happen soon after purchase), we looked at several boats like you are. The C440 is very nice and my wife liked the modern look. What made us go with an older & bigger boat are a) my wife wanted 3 good size cabins; b) a washer/dryer; and c) ....
In conclusion, I don't regret buying what my wife wanted (refer to your rule #3) since we now cruise more frequently.
Good luck and go with what you wife wants
Francois

Francois said:

In conclusion, I don't regret buying what my wife wanted (refer to your rule #3) since we now cruise more frequently.
Good luck and go with what you wife wants
Francois

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Francois is a wise man. More men have given up cruising because the wife is not happy then for any other reason.

Marty