Old fat men and engine rooms

FF said:

>I'd still consider a GB 32 if I could come up with a way around this problem.<

For most folks the only service is changine the oil,& fuel filters , replacing hoses , replacxing rubber sea water impellers.

If this can be done , why contemplate some horror ?

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It's a question of seamanship. Ever see a sea strainer snap off of the thru-hull it was mounted on? I have. Packing nut back off? Yep. Hoses break? Electrical wires smoking due to over heating?
And what did that damn mechanic forget to put back on because he only knew engines and nothing about boats?
And that spare anchor and rode that shifted in a rough seaway and is now wrapped around your shaft coupling?
etc, etc, etc.

capt.George said:

It's a question of seamanship. Ever see a sea strainer snap off of the thru-hull it was mounted on? I have. Packing nut back off? Yep. Hoses break? Electrical wires smoking due to over heating?
And what did that damn mechanic forget to put back on because he only knew engines and nothing about boats?
And that spare anchor and rode that shifted in a rough seaway and is now wrapped around your shaft coupling?
etc, etc, etc.

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Ah yes, that seamanship thing. As they say, the definition of cruising is " fixing your boat in exotic places". Like in a seaway for instance. I figure, if I can avoid having the ER itself be one of those "exotic places", I am just that much further ahead of the lion.

Aboard boat: Keep the Admiral Happy is Good! Keep the ER HAPPY is Great!!

The Perfect Engine Room for old Fat Guys

I realize this is an older thread, but after reading the comments, I felt compelled to post an engine room photo from our Great Harbour N37. A couple of weeks ago there were two mechanics and myself in the engine room working on different projects and one of them laughed and said we should make a YouTube video of three guys in the same engine room.

Having a walk in engine room access was a big deal for me and it has paid dividends many times over. There is six feet of headroom inside the door and about five feet of headroom in the space between the engines. Oil changes and other routine maintenance is a breeze as there is 360 degree access for each engine.

Hi Richard - well you answered my question - there's the sea chest! Cheers.

David

I have found its easiest to live with (MOVE!) items OUT of the engine room.

Our 8D batts are under the salon, a few seconds to check the water level.

The tank selector and bank of Raycor 1000 are also OUT of the engine room .

A rotary oil pump is connected with hyd quick disconnects , so changing the oil is done sitting in the PH.

Only to change a starter was a trip down required.

All that space taken up to look at the engine for 2 min a day seems excessive to me.

We open the hatch after shut down , take a look, and its all secure till the AM.

Island Bound said:

I realize this is an older thread, but after reading the comments, I felt compelled to post an engine room photo from our Great Harbour N37. A couple of weeks ago there were two mechanics and myself in the engine room working on different projects and one of them laughed and said we should make a YouTube video of three guys in the same engine room.

Having a walk in engine room access was a big deal for me and it has paid dividends many times over. There is six feet of headroom inside the door and about five feet of headroom in the space between the engines. Oil changes and other routine maintenance is a breeze as there is 360 degree access for each engine.

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Not a fat dude but the ER is one of the reason the Great Harbour N37 is my dreamboat.

You guys don't get it - just remember to tie a line around your ankle so the mate can haul you out when you get stuck. A winch or a crane helps.

We downsized to our current boat and engine access was a consideration. We cruise in very remote areas and need to be able to DYI repairs. We looked at the NT 32 and the GB 32. Our Eagle 32 engine is accessible even to the old fat guy that has had a hip replaced, knee surgery, and major back surgery.

Not the best shot of our engine room but William has a walk thru door in the vberth that takes you under the wheel house . I have good crawling room on each side of engine stand up room in front . The generator is under the aft deck in the old fish hold with access thru the deck and good crawling room . A bulkhead separates the generator from engine with about 6 ft between .

Boydski said:

Thanks QB!

When we have gatherings on the boat, the men tend to congregate in the engine room for some "unknown" reason....

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LOL wait I gotta wipe the tears from my eyes.

Thank you so very much. Your engine room is truly an inspiration.

Stand up engine rooms

cardude01 said:

What are some other boats with true (or close) stand up engine rooms under 50'?

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Some may get tired of me harping on this but I like the design of the Seapiper 35 with the 48" high engine room below the salon/galley. Just a minor crouch and big enough to store some tools and spare parts. 28" x 38" access hatches midship and stern, (front and rear of engine) Kneel or sit on the bottom hull.

This was our mechanic in Comox BC. Hayden.
He's obviously not fat but I was worried how he'd fit in our small boat engine compartment. No problem. He just wrapped himself around the engine like a cat. He was well over 6 feet tall. He lived aboard his boat in the harbor at anchor.

Island Bound said:

I realize this is an older thread, but after reading the comments, I felt compelled to post an engine room photo from our Great Harbour N37. A couple of weeks ago there were two mechanics and myself in the engine room working on different projects and one of them laughed and said we should make a YouTube video of three guys in the same engine room.

Having a walk in engine room access was a big deal for me and it has paid dividends many times over. There is six feet of headroom inside the door and about five feet of headroom in the space between the engines. Oil changes and other routine maintenance is a breeze as there is 360 degree access for each engine.

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I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really,REALLY hate you.

Headroom?

Tom.B said:

I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really,REALLY hate you.

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Did I forget to mention that we burn just a bit less than two gallons of diesel per hour at cruise?

Island Bound said:

Did I forget to mention that I burn just a bit less than two gallons of diesel per hour at cruise?

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Same here, but are you bragging?

markpierce said:

Same here, but are you bragging?

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Well, if I were bragging, I would point out that Semper Fi has an integral 500 gallon fiberglass fuel tank built into the hull that gives her an easy 1300 mile range with reserves. We traveled from Jacksonville, FL to Kentucky Lake this summer with a bit less (25-30 gallons) than a full tank on departure. We topped off with 243 gallons in Apalachicola, FL and came the rest of the way without adding any additional fuel.

OK, now I'll brag. I have four fuel tanks potentially containing a total of 300+ gallons of fuel good for at at least 1000 miles.

markpierce said:

OK, now I'll brag. I have four fuel tanks potentially containing a total of 300+ gallons of fuel good for at at least 1000 miles.

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I'll call your 300 gallons of fuel and raise you 300 gallons of fresh water and 150 gallons of black water. :lol: By the way, I have been looking at your photos for the last several years and Carquinez Coot is a very nice looking boat.

Island Bound said:

I'll call your 300 gallons of fuel and raise you 300 gallons of fresh water and 150 gallons of black water. :lol: By the way, I have been looking at your photos for the last several years and Carquinez Coot is a very nice looking boat.

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You got me there. Have 200 gallons fresh water and 35 gallons black. Those limitations, however, have yet to be a difficulty.

Thanks!

Are you guys tanked up yet?

manyboats said:

Are you guys tanked up yet?

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Since sailing inland waters, need to fill only two of the four fuel tanks at a time, lasting nearly a year while consuming about 200 gallons.

Wifey B: Well, I can top you guys....we use less than 1 gallon of gas an hour at cruise.

BandB said:

Wifey B: Well, I can top you guys....we use less than 1 gallon of gas an hour at cruise.

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I know people who make more gas than that.

BruceK said:

I know people who make more gas than that.

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Wifey B: You sound like an old fart.

Island Bound said:

Did I forget to mention that we burn just a bit less than two gallons of diesel per hour at cruise?

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Nope. But thanks for that

We burn a bit over 20 gph at 20 knots. We haven't had it long enough to know for sure yet. We'll help you with your lines when you get here.

Our engine room isnt as tiny as a Bayliner 4788 but not as big as a Californian either. We had to compromise on that point. Still, it is not bad at all for this fat old guy to get around in there. Way better than our last boat for sure.

- Approx 9'6" head room (ER floor to salon ceiling) LOL.
- Considerable front, back and side ER working areas.
- Instantly accessible hatch-open and running engine, trans, or gen set viewing if needed during maintenance or otherwise.
- Two 100 gallon tanks (one each side)
- 3 +/- nmpg at 5.5 +/- knts on one engine running... 2 +/- nmpg at 6.5 +/- knts on twins... 1 nmpg at 16 to 17 knts... OMG nmpg at WOT 22 knts.

- Easy for you to do the mileage-math of 180 gals (having 10% reserve) at each of those speeds mentioned above!

- Fresh water total 77 gallons (two tanks).
- BW holding 30 gal tank + one of two heads having an ElectroSan

I have recently inserted my body in my engine "room" for the first time. This effort required re-powering with a smaller engine (although more hp), relocating my battery boxes, and moving the fuel tanks. I can now slither my body into one of two surprisingly comfortable positions on either side to do the required engine work. Luckily the majority of basic maintenance can be done sitting on the cockpit floor at the edge of the hatch.

Access to the rudder shaft and stuffing box requires slipping through a narrow opening under the cockpit seat. Luckily, I am fairly slim and this is possible with minimal lubrication, exhaling completely and turning my head sideways. If I was to bring snack food down there with me, I'd have to fast for a day before being able to exit. I'm sure I'd struggle to get out if someone complemented me while I was in there.

A Great Harbour N37 engine room is what I'd consider a live aboard.

BandB - I think you passed us on the ICW a few weeks ago.
We were burning a bit more fuel than you. Fortunately we carry 1000 gallons of fuel and approx. 300 gallons of fresh water and black water.