Evans Head NSW to Port Albert Vic in a 49ft McLaren Timber trawler

Troy
Just checked and info I have is:
6LXB 1500 rpm 127 HP. At 1700 rpm 142 HP. At 1850 rpm 180 HP
6LXCT 1500rpm 150 HP. At 1700 rpm 170 HP.

The 6LXCT could be 240 at 1850 or 1900 rpm. IIRC the guy at Mainline said they are the same as the same HP as the 8LXB.

But running in the 1200-1500 band is the way to go for sure.

good info Insequent

when we came down the coast we ran her about 1250-1300 and went really well we covered the 1800km approx in 100 engine hours over 4 days for under 1000 lts so happy with that.

Running at 1250 RPM and 8 knots I am burning approx. 11/12 lts/hr a lot better than the 17 lts /hr I was burning in the Fiat at the same speed.
Troy here is all the basic Gardner info.

Troy SARCA Excel highly recommended but at least an 8...a 9 would be better. 7 definitely too light for your size/weight

Troy,
I have a #8 on 1/2" chain. #7 would be a bit light.
I have been through a couple of big blows with my #8 and couldn't be more pleased.
This is our big outside insurance.
I have also bought a 2 piece #8 Al anchor as one of my spares , this is stowed in the lazzerette but being light and two pieces very easy to get out assemble and deploy.
Cheers
Benn

Aquabelle,
Thank you for your thoughts on the Sarca Excell Size 8 – 9 think there is good reason for the bigger size. Had any problems holding before?
Troy

Tidahapah,
Benn nice to know you have tested the sarca excel #8. will have to find out what size chain fits my chain gypsy.
What weight are you packed ready to head off for a trip, think Tracey Lea is only about 24-25t even lighter where she is now all dried
out and will also have to decide on all chain rode or rope chain leaning towards all chain.

Troy,
All up fuelled and watered I am about 28 tonne.
Go all chain without a doubt. 3/8" probably ok and I was for about 14 years but then upsized to 1/2" for more security , especially in high tidal areas such as NQ and Kimberleys etc.
Now with the Sarca Excel and 1/2" chain I sleep tight and no worries, just ensure the chain is in the water and not the anchor locker.

Cheers
Benn

Cheers Benn,
Troy

Ahoy there,
Just went over my post and noticed some of the photos are not showing so here are a few from more recent times.

Gees Troy seeing all that timber makes me want to pack my Adze, caulking irons and mallet and come pay you a visit.

Hope all is progressing well with you.
just sitting in Mackay waiting to see what happens with this cyclone.
Tidahapah is tied up like a spiders web.

By the way the boat next door to me is an ex McLaren trawler.
Not a bad conversion but some things not to my liking, front of wheelhouse is a bit sharp\.
Typical McLaren, short focsle but they have raised the wheelhouse deck by about 12 " and the accommodation comes back under the fwd part of the wheelhouse and hence they have quite a large wheelhouse along with a nice large back deck

Cheers
Benn

Ahoy Benn
Don't let fear hold you back mate! will pick you up from the Melbourne airport Ha-ha
Jeff had the Adze out fitting up the grown knee above the prop great bit of workmanship been working on her the last couple of days. found that the fastenings on the bottom two planks up in the bow were shot that's why she had foot long sister ribs (8) put in, for some reason must have been easier to do this instead on putting in new fastenings can't figure it out sometimes, but they will go back in with copper bolts self made, no stainless all thread after refastening, saves doweling up holes. The McLaren moored beside you isn't call Sea Rover by chance owned by Lindsay and Peta Tomlinson. The engine is mounted aft instead of under original wheelhouse has a Gardner too for memory 6LX – 6LXB wouldn't mind some more pictures if you have time Benn, or you could pass on my email address which l can PM you later if you think it will be worth doing wait to here back from you first hope the wind blows itself out and you can get on with cruising on the Tidahapah.
Cheers
Troy

Troy,
She is called Comfort Zone.
Apparently the couple who did the refit over many years came north and then put it on the market.
He was expecting it to take a year or 2 to sell so wasn't worried , thought he would get a bit of cruising in in the meantime.
Any how it had been on the market all of 2 weeks , this guy from Sydney turns up at the marina doing a delivery, liked the look of her and made him an offer, apparently that his wife couldn't refuse. When I spoke to him as he was cleaning out the boat a couple of weeks ago he was not a happy camper.
Yep she has a 6LXB in her and the hull has been completely glassed, something I wouldn't be too pleased about except as a last resort.

Cheers
Benn

Good leg work mate.
The one I was thinking of was also glassed over wonder if it had a name change sea rover was 46' aft mounted Gardner double guest v birth with shower in fo’c’sle master cabin under old wheel house with door on the port side into engine room. and a couple of steps up into coach house from the deck think you accessed main cabin on starboard side staircase just looks very similar don't know the owners have met them briefly few years ago.

Looks Good Mate! ... Keep on her! ...

Troy,
Sounds like she may be the same boat.
I have not been on board except to take down the covers for the new owner due to the possible cyclone.
Focsle has Vberth or double and then master under wheelhouse. There is a stair access mid ships in the wheelhouse that I assume goes down to the master cabin.
I stowed the side covers in the lazzerette which is huge.

Ok back to cyclone watch.

cheers
Benn

Benn,
It got the better of me so I googled the comfort zone and bingo to follow are some before and after shots the one where she is done up is at yaringa boat marina western port bay Vic That's where the Tracey lea is.
Before she Became the comfort Zone.jpg
MV comfort Zone.jpg
Thought you might be interested
Troy

Well there you go , the one and the same.
We may become detectives in our next lives.
Cheers
Benn

Sweeeeet

Troy you on a floater out of Exmouth.?

hi Benn,
No not a floater but a DSV Called sapurakencana Constructor. The old Normand clough where putting in subsea structures and flow lines etc. for the Pyrenees field BHP owned but we are close to the Pyrenees venture though.

Gday Troy,

Mate i just joined this Forum lastnight, I read your thread first as i typed Gardner 6LXB into the search and u came up, We are similar as im doing up an ex trawler to a cruiser.
and we both have McLarens..Well done for your great work on the Tracey Lea..
Do you have a Gardner 6LXB in your boat?
Cheers
Craig

welcome craigstarr,
How is she coming along mate, I have the 6LXCT gardner in Tracey Lea. runs very well, not that she has run for a while she only gets turn by hand at the moment. Send some more pics if ya can mate interested in checking her out.
Troy

Troy
Regarding your Gardner. I too have a 6LXC in my Tradewinds 42. Initially I was told by my surveyor that it was a 6LXB but after a lot of investigation confirmed it was a 6LXC which was the precursor to the turbo version the 6LXCT. So unless yours is turbo'd its a 6LXC (The link below has the history). The problem I had was that most charts listing Gardner engine specs leave off the 6LXC so it was a bit of a hunt. From what I found the specs are:


6LX 10.45 l (637 CID) 150 bhp 485 ft.lb
6LXB 10.45 l (637 CID) 180 bhp 536 ft.lb
6LXC 10.45 l (637 CID) 193 bhp 553 ft.lb
6LXCT 10.45 l (637 CID) 220 bhp 673 ft.lb

8LXB 13.93 l (850 CID) 240 bhp 695 ft.lb
8LXC 13.93 l (850 CID) 255 bhp 722 ft.lb
8LXCT 13.93 l (850 CID) 290 bhp 880 ft.lb

Best of British : Gardner 6LX diesel engine - AROnline

JanisK
thanks for your reply mate yes she is a 6LXCT mate automotive one, turbo hangs down vertically, differently to the marine engine, which hangs horizontally of the rear of the engine send some pictures of your boat love looking a peoples boats
Regards
Troy

Hello all,
Back working on the Tracey Lea last week nearly got the full week down on the boat which has been great head back down Wednesday to do some sanding and bolt removal and replacing them into the main frames and deadwoods which have corroded of the years, these will be replaced with made copper rod bolts and 316 washers and nuts. Will start sanding the bottom side ready for undercoat have started to put water on the inside to swell up the planks from the bottom first to get our caulking gap right then will hook up a sprinkler system later to start swelling outer planks. we have about 2 inch's about 3/4 along the keel and she is loving the water soaking it up. Will take some more pictures of the progress when i get down there but doesn't look to have changed much with the work we are doing at the moment. ok take care all and will keep you posted.
Troy

Hello all
well been doing a bit here and there on the Tracey lea over the last few weeks haven’t got any photos up to date will try over the weekend to get some but what I would like to know is this, back before we started re- ribbing her we removed the engine beds for access we are now getting closer to putting these back in in a week or three but instead of putting back the big timber ones was wondering if I could put, back stainless steel engine supports, the timber ones where 2.5mx200mmx200mm spotted gum with no access underneath the engine and bulge will try to explain my idea the boat has dead woods every 600mm the length of the boat was thinking on fabricating a support to pick up just to engine mounts to leave all the in-between open for access. Running it across the deadwoods and up the sides of the boat picking up ribs and the stringer, was thinking vibration might come into play then would have to look at engine mounts and flexible coupling I would imagine. The prop shaft is about 7 ft. long overall if this helps, running a twin disc Mg 509 3.5:1 ratio the old beds were 200mmx200mm with 12mm black steel flat bar over the top of timber and under the engine mount so basically doing the same without the big timber size under neith. Planks about 30mm and ribs 33mm thick to through bolt to make a good positive fixing point on all 4 mounts. happy to read all ideas on this subject from past experience or knowledge.
Regards Troy

Nor sure what you are talking about when you say dead woods. The dead wood is the top Timber of the keel structure , which is basically the bottom of the bilge. ( this is my take on it)
I like the idea of the engine beds being timber and fastened thru the ribs and planks with bronze bolts and frogs. I feel they absorb a bit more of the vibration and noise.
This is what I have and have then put in s/s trays under the engine and gear box.
Just checking for photos from when I did the engine transplant.
Sorry I don't have any of the gal steel beds that I used over the timber, these had adjustable feet for aligning the engine.
Cheers
Benn

Hi Benn,
yes that's what I call deadwoods as well, trying to fab something that will rest on the back two dead woods and the forward two in E/R and purpose fit the hull heading outwards to pick up gearbox mount and forward engine mounts am I making any sense. the engine beds sat on extra timber on top of the dead woods and through bolted because the e/beds where so high no room under the engine the engine will remain the same height with more room under engine for access.
Troy

Tidahapah said:

I like the idea of the engine beds being timber and fastened thru the ribs and planks with bronze bolts and frogs. I feel they absorb a bit more of the vibration and noise.

Click to expand...

We kept the original timber beds in AXE for those reasons as well as some sentimental ones. Wanted a new and old look. We have left them unpainted too. Mainly because no way in hell would paint stick to it because 50+ years of oil and diesel on them have pickled them lol.

Just added a couple of added metal tiedown bolts and straps to the new ribs.




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