Your boating history...

Yea yea.

I remember the FF/TT scandle. I was even a part of it as I recall. I also remember when almost all respectable motorcyclists rode European motorcycles and Asian motorcycles were called rice burners. To me thats not nearly as offensive as TUB. To call someones boat a tub is unquestionably abrasive. Oh yes. I remember calling FFs boat a Sailor Scow and making a small inpromptu case for it so I could throw brown stuff his way. It's goodness or evil would seem to depend on where and with whom it was used. If you go into a tavern full of harley riders you'll find them happily talking about thier hogs. It's crazy. Here we need newbies and hopefully talkers and I don't think calling thier boats tubs is going to win many of them over. But if Baker puts thums dow on it then whats he going to do about it ? Iv'e come to like Fred and his expertise is wonderful. Maybe we could talk Fred into useing the expression " TT " and drop the 3 letter word tub .. and maybe not as Fred is rather set in his ways and has a rether thick skin as well. Maybe we can all just drop it, me first .....

Eric

Eric(sloboat),

Would you want me to edit every single time someone used the term "TT"? That is somewhat of a rhetorical question because I am not going to do it. I just made a statement in my previous post. I made no opinion or judgement. The bottom line is that if people want to use the term then that is up to them. And if it offends you, then that is up to you to take it up with them. I AM NOT GONNA MICROMANAGE(censor) Y'ALL'S BEHAVIOR ON HERE!!!!**That is not what this website is about. But, as always, there should be a level of decency on here and if you feel someone is outside the lines, take it up with them. I do not feel I was outside the lines on my previous post. Just giving the history of the term on this website.

If you have any further problems, feel free to PM me.

Baker


-- Edited by Baker at 16:09, 2008-02-18

I'm glad that the moderator takes a very hands off approach to our antics on here. I agree that if someone wants to call TT's "tubs" then that's their right. However, someone who chooses to offend others has to be aware that somewhere down the line someone will find something to retaliate with. When that happens, then the moderator again has to step back and let it have it's way.

How many times have you seen the first guy get to take his shot and then the moderator shuts down everyone else? Most of us are here because of a certain other list that was notorious for that? The first person badmouths a group and then all replies get censored? As Ron White says, "Happened to me."

Keep up the good work Baker, et. al.

Ken Buck
40' Puget Trawler, Made on a small island nation with 2 boatyards, one of which was famous for 34' CHB's and several other fiberglass reinforced plastic boats of varying quality.

Steve---

The only thing you really need to know about older trawlers of various makes and models that were built in Taiwan in the 60s, 70s, and 80s is that because of the local boatyard practices during that period there can be an inconsistency in the build quality within boats of the same name and model. This has nothing to do with the design of the boat, just some of the manufacturing practices used by some of the yards that completed the boats. I'm sure it's possible to find a "lemon" Mercedes if you look hard enough

But for every condemnation of a particular make or model of trawler made in Taiwan you can probably find a lot more owners that have these boats and are very happy with them.

So I wouldn't rule out any particular make or model of older trawler just because it was made in Taiwan. What it does tell you is to make sure you have high-quality surveys done of both the boat and the powertrain. Make sure the hull surveyor you hire knows what trouble spots to look for-- leaking windows, soft spots in cabin sides, etc. in the type of boat you're having surveyed.

Almost every popular make of trawler has at least one on-line owners group. So if you find particular model that you like and want to learn more about it you could do well to look up the owners groups and ask specific question to people who actually own that particular brand or model. They can tell you what to look for when checking out a particular brand or model.

-- Edited by Marin at 17:59, 2008-02-18

And if you really think about it....if you took all of the Taiwanese trawlers out of the population, what would we be left with(another rhetorical question)? Taiwanese trawlers make a up a tremendous percentage of the trawler population as a whole. And I, for one, would be more than happy to own one and will most likely own one in the very near future. They are a boat. And no boat is perfect. If you are going to buy a boat, you better make sure you do all of the necessary things to ensure the integrity of your purchase.


BACK TO BOATING HISTORY!!!!!

2bucks wrote: *I agree that if someone wants to call TT's "tubs" then that's their right.

Keep up the good work Baker, et. al.

Ken Buck
40' Puget Trawler, Made on a small island nation with 2 boatyards, one of which was famous for 34' CHB's and several other fiberglass reinforced plastic boats of varying quality.

Click to expand...

Thanks Ken and thanks for the back up.* And while there is public access to this site....Nobody has "rights"!!!!

In reality, I go down to my boat.* My guests get on board.* My beautiful fiance climbs aboard.* We untie and back out of the slip...and always...always....always have a wonderful time.* I never dread going to my boat.* I never wonder if we will have a good time on my boat.* I can guaratee a good time on my boat.* And no one on these here internets are gonna spoil my fun regardless of what they call my boat.*

Now C'mon people, back to boats....and boating history in particular.*


-- Edited by Baker at 21:27, 2008-02-18

Well, this is not MY boating history but with respect to Taiwanese Trawlers and offshore vessels in general, when did some of these yards start operations? CHB? Grand Banks? etc. Just curious how long some of these fellers have been around (if this isn't too far off topic-it is boat history after all)

RTF---

For the record, Grand Banks (American Marine) is not nor never has been based in Taiwan. Owned by an American family, their first yard was in Kowloon across from Hong Kong. They got their start building other people's designs on a custom basis.* Then in 1964 they hired Kenneth Smith, a noted marine architect, to design a 36' "trawler" for them on the notion that there was a market for a production boat of this type.* The first boat (wood) was called "Spray," and she was the prototype for the first production boat to carry the Grand Banks name, the GB36.*

The original Kowloon yard is where all their wood boats were made, including all the Grand Banks ("woodie") and Alaskan models. They opened a larger yard in Singapore in the early 1970s and starting in mid-1973 this is where they made all their fiberglass Grand Banks boats (Alaskans were never made in fiberglass). This yard is still in operation, but in the 1990s they opened a second yard across the strait in Malaysia. The Kowloon yard was closed within a few years of the opening of the Singapore yard. Unlike many of the Taiwan yards, American Marine did not farm out any of their boat construction operations to other yard. They built-- and still build-- the entire boat themselves.

Here are shots of "Spray" as she looked when new in 1964, as she looks today owned by a fellow who keeps her on the Great Lakes, and the original yard in Kowloon taken in the later 1960s. The boats on the ways are Grand Banks Motoryachts and Alaskans. The boats in the water are all Grand Banks except for one Alaskan.

Notice that while the cabin configuration of "Spray" is different than what became the classic GB tri-cabin design, the hull is the same as what was used on the production GB36 that was introduced in (I believe) 1966.* The GB36 continued in production until 2000.* The only major configuration change occurred in 1988 when new hull, deck, and cabin molds replaced the original molds Howard Abbey built for American Marine in 1973.* The 1988 molds made the GB36 and GB42 a little bit longer, a little bit wider, and somewhat taller even though the overall design did not change.




-- Edited by Marin at 01:52, 2008-02-19

Thanks Marin, I didn't know the history of GB's. I wasn't suggesting GB WAS built in Taiwan-I didn't know. So GB started in the 50's (thereabouts). Rather than being a Taiwan Tralwer, she falls into the "other" offshore vessel catagory.

RTF---

Here is an excerpt from the Grand Banks website:

"Grand Banks Yachts began its journey in 1956 as American Marine, Ltd. Founder Robert J. Newton and his sons, John and Whit, were running a custom boatyard on Junk Bay in Hong Kong, building heavy sailboats and big motor yachts to designs by the world's top marine architects Sparkman & Stevens, William Garden, Nat Herreshoff, Ray Hunt and others.

"In 1962, they commissioned Kenneth Smith, another well-known marine architect, to design Spray a 36-foot diesel powered cruising boat with humble, workman-like lines. A year later, inspired by Smiths design, the Newtons left custom yacht building to focus on producing the first of a line of boats that would come to be known as Grand Banks. "

You can see I had the years off a bit in my earlier post. To my knowledge American Marine never officially referred to their Grand Banks line as "trawlers.' Instead, they used the phrase "dependable diesel cruisers" in their marketing literature and ads.

In the early 1970s American Marine introduced a line of fiberglass express cruisers or sport fisherman or whatever you want to call them called the Laguna. They were nice boats but the timing was terrible. This was the period of the first "gas crisis" and the*slump in the*market for fast, fuel-guzzling boats killed off the Laguna in pretty short order. Amercan Marine (now called Grand Banks) did not come out with a fast boat again until the currently-produced Eastbay.

Here's a shot of a Laguna I found on on the web.

When I was a young 'un and my folks had the Tollycraft in the late 1960's, GBs were spoken of in almost reverent tones. The fit and finish - and especially the interior woodwork - were so beautiful compared to most of the production boats of the day. These were the all wood boats, and everything felt substantial and strong.

But they were also pretty big money. The rule of thumb for that time was about $1000/foot for a new boat - and I think the 36 was well over $40K.

Plus, you could only do 6 or 7 knots. The 2 gph or so fuel burn was pretty nice, but at $0.39 a gallon for gas, so what?

And I thought I was the only TD Vinnette owner.

As I lay in my bunk in Ketchikan I heard some fisherman talking on the float " look at that, I'll bet thats the one I heard about on the VHF out by Tree point this afternoon. Looks kinda flimsy to me ". I just smiled a bit and promptly went to sleep ... long day. From Ketchikan to Juneau, my next trip, was the best trip of my life. From Ketchikan I went north up Clarance Strait in beautiful calm seas and incredibly clear snowy mountians in the distance. Porpise seem to always be there ripping the surface in their never ending arcs of play on the water. My nav equipment was a hikeing compas and a tourist map of SE Alaska. It's so busy here in the summer many things become unobtainium, like charts. I went around Zambaro Island to the east. There are many islands, reefs and rocks to the west even to be seen on the tourist map. It was a long beautiful run to Wrangell Narrows. It was low tide in the Narrows and many vessels under way in both directions, mostly comercial. I got nervous every time a large vessel bore down on me going this way and that arround all the nav aids. You should see them at night! We had to pass close but being near the comercial vessels almost guaranteed one was in the channel. I started around a marker the wrong way but corrected in time. With the exception of several small places Petersburg is the gem of SE. The sky is rather white with sea gulls in the sky and on the water on the town side of the channel looking to catch a fish, or part of a fish. The range of boats and boaters in Petersburg is stimulating. I once ment a foursom from California ( 2 couples ) living on a 24' sailboat powered by a small Tohatsu OB headed for Icy Straits and having a great time. I've seen Cigarette type boats, antique boats, conversions and all manner of comercial vessels. I don't know how the harbormaster orchestrates the boat circus all summer but he does. I spent 4 days there but Juneau was calling and I was a young man with very regular urges to action so off I went . More wounderful weather and I went around Whitney Is behind Cape Fanshaw where I saw remanants of old fox farms. I entered Stephens Passage ( my favorite large body of water ) It was quiet and peaceful but I heard ... gunshots. How could that be? Hunters shooting seal? But it sounded more like cannons booming. I heard the booming for some time before seeing the huge splashes and the great flukes of the whales making the booming sounds with their tails. Then there was peace, and the wide expance of Stephens Passage ahead. There was much ice. The color blue and white was intense against the darker water and forest. It was evneing and I needed to anchor. I saw a small cove on Harbor Is that promised possible protection from all those cruising ice bergs during the night. One of the only shore ties I've ever done kept me out of trouble that night. A good adventurous image of the large bergs gosting smoothly along at dusk is still with me. The morning was glorious sunshine Alaska style but the first headland to round going north marked by heavy bank of fog. I got under way and went close to shore at the point of land. I went slowly about 2-300' off the beach just barely in view. I put my compas on the cabin top, established a general heading and used 90 degree turns to cross several small inlets. In a moment I was in the middle of a group of whales blasting their breath and spray into the air. My heart stopped and I shut off the engine. Then the huge tails rose and fell slowly and gracefully back into the sea. Some were only a boat length away. probably the whale experience of my life. I waited for a time and continued. Later I saw sea otters and later seals. I knew where I was .. just north of Taku Harbor and Taku Inlet was large enough so I had doubts about my navigation but being a lucky astrological sign I broke out into late afternoon sun. I motored up to Juneau, the city of my birth, and tied up at Aurora Harbor with the memories of a lifetime tied up inside.

Eric Henning
30 Willard
Thorne Bay AK

Nice story, Eric!

I can visualize every detail....

Thank You, Eric.

Your story brought back some nice memories.

OS

Eric: Another reminder of why I love SE so much. Thank You! How old were you on that trip?

Walt

Walt, Cook and Old Salt,

I'm sure pleased you enjoyed my tale of youth and adventure in SE Alaska. It's funny you should ask about my age ( I'm getting old enough so I usually don't like the topic ) but I was 34 then and I'm exactly twice that now. I like to tell the stories, I put some effort into them and I'm pleased myself but I may be shooting myself in the foot. I'd like to see EVERYONE post at least some part of their story, their boating history, so we can experience, with them what we have missed because we can be only one person. together we can be more. The group boating and the family boating that Max Simmons shared with us is a good example for me because I didn't and could'nt experience that except as an outsider looking in. I had a girlfreind whose father had a 36 CC ( beautiful boat ) and I went with them on occasion and was probably closer to true yachting than I'll ever be again. I'd like to see more stories like Max Simmons. The better we get at telling our stories the less likely the average guy will be to belly up to the bar and let fly with their own. I think we should have a " Motley Mug Month " whereas we post a picture of ourselves instead of our boats. I dare you three guys to do that!

Eric

Wow!* Willy!* Wow!

If we put a tuxedo on that guy in the skiff, we could pass him off as the Maitre D' of a fine Seafood Restaurant, anywhere on the Coast!* I thought all the photos from 40 years ago were in Black & White!

I hope the other guys aren't that distinguished looking, or I'm going to be the one responsible for scaring the kids walking past the computer monitors!

I will probably have to spend some time with that photo Chop Shop before I post, if I want to look anywhere as good as you.

OS

Geeze!!!!* What a shock! I had this image of an "OLD Fishboat Guy" and this photo completely blows that away. Hell, you look young and in good shape! How did you ever arrive at "Old Fish Boat Guy?"

Hey guys - you have only seen a picture of the ugly mutt, I've met him in person. Let me tell you it could be considered scary especially when you see him crawling out of the bilges of the "Perkes" in his boat inspecting clothes
Actually, he turned out to be a great guy - Yep he did that !!

John "Penta
Sidney, BC

I suppose I started my boating with my dad when I was real young. He was a keen fisherman so we rented dinghys often and then eventually had our own.
I lived in a flood prone town in Queensland for some years so all we kids had a canoe made out of corregated iron a piece of pine and some tar to seal up the ends and the old nail holes.
When I left school I did my trade as a fitter in the ship yards and then went to sea as a Marine Engineer, now that was a complete life time 38 years at sea plus the 4 years as an apprentice.
Had boats , mainly small fishing boats all this time mostly around 14 to 18 feet.
In 93 decided that the time had come for a decent boat and full fill my dreams.
Was at first going to do a fishing boat conversion as I allways liked the southern cray boats (Tasmania Australia).
In the end decided to build a new boat on an old traditional Queensland prawn (shrimp) trawler design.
Found one of the last plank boat builders left in the state got a great design from another of the legendary old boat builders and we started.
The builder and the designer were good friends so he knew the plans well.
We lofted out the frames and that was the last time we looked at the plans.
I was at sea doing 6 weks on and 6 weeks off so when I was home I was in the yard 7 days a week 10/12 hrs a day.
I rebuilt an old engine for the vessel, made the prop shaft , rudder and shaft,water and fuel tanks virtually all the engineering side was done by me. Installed the gen set , main engine etc. My brother was a lecky so he did all the electrical work.( he had previously done a similar boat for the same builder)
1.5 years later the boat was launched. 6 moinths after that the fitout was completed and off I went.
Have lived on board ever since, still spend a few days a week with the bride as she doesn't like living on the boat in a marina but as soon as we are ready to go cruisin she is on board.
So far it has been on the tropical coast of Queensland inside the Great Barrier Reef .
Now that I am retired we hope to extend this to around the top of Australia and into the Kimberleys of Western Australia. This is a big trip and is still in the planing stage.
We will head north this year but I don't know how far.
The stock market has forced us to do a little work and a house reno to boost the retirement funds.

I still have to do a couple of 2 week fishing/diving trips a year with my old mates, thes guys and myself have been fishing and diving together for 30 years originally on charter boats but now on mine.

Benn

Ben,

It's nice that you call your wife a bride. Most of these guys call thier wives admiral but that remindes me too much of cigars. Sounds like a wonderful boat that would be at home at sea. I hear ya about the funds. My mutual funds aren't doing well but I can't be too far down as it's spring. Well .. I guess it's fall for you eh? I got out on Sea Otter Sound yesterday with the ocean swell under us and not a drop of rain!
As to my dare I guess I'm not required to post my " ugly Mug " as none of the challanged posted thiers. Perhaps thats one of the bennies of the web as one dosn't need to bare oneself in public. Willy was a good sport to be sure but I've got to agree with Old Salt ... We should henceforth call him "" Boater Dude ".

Eric

Well I guess I might as well add my two-bits worth and describe my boating history. While in high school a buddy and I decided to built an 8 foot plywood pram in my parents basement. Used this thing for several years rowing ourselves and fishing all over the upper reaches of Indian Arm off the Vancouver Harbour and my boating career was born.
Shortly after collage I met up with a couple who had a very nice old Marconi rigged ketch and started sailing with them around the lower reaches of the Gulf of Georgia and Gulf Islands. These were great times, girlfriend of the day and a bunch of food and off we all would go - learned all about sailing from this couple, who by the way were Charles and Margo Wood later to become noted for Charles production of Charlies Charts .
Then along came a long time friend who just happened to be the son of Bill Wagner of Wagner Engineering (steering gear) and by then they had a nice Spencer 32 which Paul and I along with girlfriends of the day did a lot of sailing. Wagners up graded to a Spencer 42 and then a Maple Leaf 48 with John tagging along the whole time. Nice trick if you can manage it - lots of boating time with no money spent !
Now we have a few years where boating was the last thing on my mind - women seemed to be the priority and a marriage and kids came along during this time as well. After the two kids were well on their way growing up, good wife found a cute little sailboat in the form of a Catalina 24 that was for sale and looking quite sad - well a winters work and she looked like new and away the family went sailing.
A move to Victoria in the early 80s with a new house and all put an end to the sailboat but there was always the usual dreaming. Then one day my great wife says to me what would you think of getting a bigger boat and us living on it? - got to tell you I thought she had slipped a cog or two!
Well a year later we had a 36 ft ex commercial fish boat (Penta) that I converted to a live aboard boat and four of us, a Black Lab, a cat and a hamster moved aboard and we sold the house, storing all our possessions. We lived on board for two years and then family matters changed and we moved back on shore but I kept up a continual up-grading of the boat. Got to love a wife that comes up with ideas like this !!
We cruised Penta for the next 10 years and then shortly after I retired it was decided that I should do a re-fit and make Penta more of a cruising style rather than a live aboard so 5 years ago we brought her home so she would be right outside my shop to work on. Idea was to take a year and what was saved in moorage would partially pay for the up grades. Penta now has a refastened hull (just over 7500 screws), new decks, bulwarks, cabin tops, an aft cabin extended 2 feet, all new windows and doors and an almost completed whole new interior. Family circumstances are keeping us from re-launching so more work than was planned on has been done however I plan on having her back in the water next summer for certain! Penta is of the classic West Coast gillnetter style, rounded off stern, planked with 1 1/2 inch Red Cedar on 2X3 oak ribs and believe it or not powered by an old Volvo Penta 6 cyl. Diesel. Well, cant spend anymore time here - got to go and make expensive sawdust !! Ive got to say that between Willy and I, I am the old fish boat as both Penta and I are older

I started my boating with a Laser in 1970. Mail ordered along with the thickest wet suit I could find, then launched it in a river North of the 55th parallel, in middle canada, in the first week in May. Dodged the ice flows, and ,like a dummy, intentionally rolled it ! I didn't have gloves so in seconds my hands didn't work but I managed with my elbows. Still have that boat and it still works fine.
After a hiatus of movong to different countries and starting a family, I ended up with a 1/3 share in a catamaran?? on the Gulf of Bone in Indonesia. Made from 2 X 45ft.dugout canoes, and everything else from scrounged industrial scrap. Deck was gap planked so it drained well and the kids would sleep with an eye glued to a gap as we would normally anchor on top of a reef and hang a dive light under the boat for the aquarium show. I really learned about using minimum horsepower with this - the auxiliary was a 45 Evinrude but as a backup we had an 8hp Yamaha long shaft that would push the craft at about 4 knots FOREVER. Accomodations were sparse, consisting of a doghouse which covered 4 single mattresses as a sleep platform. This would accomodate two families or 12 drunks for the "Boy's weekends".
After a spell back in Canada, in 1987*my wife (and I blessed the fact that I could always remind her of this) suggested we pack it in and get a boat and "sail somewhere". With a very steep learning curve, starting essentially from zero base, we went to our local library and got every book we could find on sailing and cruising. Of particular benefit were the disaster and clusterf@#$ books, which we would each read and then discuss how we could have avoided that. If we didn't know - back to the library.
I managed to find a mail order Coastal and Celestial Navigation course, bought a sextant and an artificial horizon for practice, then off to the local hardware store, where they had a sale on 4X 8 utility trailers.
We reduced our possesions to what would fit in a chipboard box that I fitted to the trailer, sold or gave away everything else, pulled the 3 kids out of school, hooked up to the trusty K car, then drove down to Florida 'cos that's where the magazines said there were these boat things for sale.
Luck must sometimes favour the dumb, 'cos we lucked in to a dealer called Joe Doman, who helped me find a suitable boat (a Dufour Sortilege ketch) which had been sitting in a Fort Lauderdale canal , for a couple of years, and had been struck once by lightning. He then kept coming back to check on us in this do-it- yourself yard in Dania, and was always dropping of nautical items that had come loose from some of his boat deals.
From Florida we sailed to the Bahamas, then Cuba, Panama and points west, fetching up finally after a couple of years in central Indonesia.
Time to get gainful employment and try the kids back into formal schooling, so end of boat and take advantage of a job offer with flights paid back in Canada.
From there a couple of old sailboats* ( a Grampian 26 and a Douglas 32) in the North Channel of Lake Huron.
I then made the mistake of reading a Dick Buehler book and got hooked on the Diesel Duck. Retirement was a possibility, so I got in a backhoe and excavated a shipyard in the woods behind the house. Ordered the plans from Dick, took a welding course, and for one of the very few times in my life rethought a plan.
When we sat down and worked out the time* commitment and our knowledge base, it looked like 2 years of bullwork and at the end we'd likely have Northern Ontario's largest and ugliest flower planter.
Started snooping on all the trawler webs, realised that we are very comfortable with simplicity - found a very interesting trawler last year in Toronto, bought it from a great guy (Wallace Gouk -if you ever need a boat surveyor in the Great Lakes area) then the wife and I brought it up through the Trent Severn to beautifull Spragge.
Best resource I've found for the sail to stinkpot transition has been the Marine Diesel forum ($25 a year), as, not having sails scares the poop out of me, and that big old Perkins is a little intimidating. We're off to Lake Superieur as soon as it gets liquid so I'll reactivate an old 9.9 Yamaha so I can use the dinghy as a tug if anything go's wrong with Big Blue (I have a 2HP Honda which I've used to hip tow* my Douglas when it's old Farryman gives up the ghost but it may be too small for this 23000 lb. trawler)
Rambled on enough

No Jon. Not enough at all. It seems ther's nothing you can't do ... all you need to do is think about it .... or she thinks about it and it happens. We have a guy here in Alaska that rode his motorcycle from here ( near Ketchican ) to southern Argentina ..solo. Sometimes I wish I was made of that kind of stuff but I'd probably be off on a trip around the Pacific via Russia and get beheaded in the Philipines by Pirates. Your wife sounds very talented, ambitious, impulsive and adventureous. Perhaps we could get a few paragraphs from her.

Eric Henning
30 Willard
Thorne Bay Ak

I still wanna know what kinda boat you got thar???

Eric,
Unfortunately there's LOTS of things I can't do, but life's really too short to focus on my weaknesses. I've been blessed with a supportive partner and a bunch of dumb luck at the most appropriate times. We can't change any decisions we've made in the past, so all we can do , is give it the best shot for the present, and don't get too concerned for the future 'cos all we've got to control is how we respond to it. I intend to enjoy it, whatever IT ends up being!
Jon

John Baker,
*the boat, Isle of Skye,*is a one off C&C built by Bruckman in Ontario for the Commodore of the Royal Canadian Yacht club in the early '70's. I believe he wanted it as a committee boat and also to tow a fleet of racing dinghies.
She's 37ft. on deck and 36 wl and 11 ft on the beam ( unfortunately all of the line drawings are on board about 800 kms from where we are in Quebec). Fitted with an HT 6354 Perkins, the PO said on a recent trip to the Bahamas, she averaged 1 1/2 gals per hour (not sure if that's USA's or Imperials) at 7.4 K.* Our trip up thru the Trent Severn supports those numbers.
She's got an awesome ComNav autopilot ( which is essential boatgear for us), a Sleipner 24V bow thruster, series/parallelled with a 12V Lofrans windlass which I just had rebuilt.
As Fast Fred has commented, she has a ball burner mounting radar fitted which will be going onto a radar arch as soon as I can figure one out. The PO's comment on the mount, however, made sense - if you need to use the radar,**why would you be operating from the flybridge?. Unfortunately, before I found this site and could look up the back posts, I'd already bought a Webasto heater (she has an engine heater) so I'll have to find a DC to DC to improve the supply voltage.
We haven't had her out in any rough weather but I suspect she'll outlast me.
The PO had a Kipor 2000 generator which crapped out so I'll probably go with a Honda 2000

Jon---

Like many older boats with solid wood masts that made running heavy radar cables a challenge, our 1973 GB also has a flying bridge mounted radar. We never run from the flying bridge at all, but even if we did we wouldn't in weather or visibility conditions that required radar because with the exception of a hand-held C-MapNT chart plotter and a compass, all the rest of our nav equipment is at the lower helm. So the PO's comment about your setup is valid up to a point.

There are actually some advantages to having a lower mounted antenna, particularly if you operate in waters with a lot of prop and rudder-fouling crap in it, as we do here. Particularly crab pot boys, which with their metal fender washers show up very well on radar. We can see them on radar right up to about 50 feet in front of the boat, very handy in the fog.

The power output of a modern recreational boat radar is so weak that about the only way you can really damage yourself is to drive the boat with your head up against the radome whenever it's on. However, better safe than sorry, so the fact the beam probably wouldn't affect you is not reason enough to sit in its path.

I can't tell from your avatar photo if your radome is high enough to let you see behind you. If it is, that's a real advantage and takes some of the pressure off to mount it higher right away. Our mount puts our antenna in a position that that the signal is blocked behind it. We're living with it for right now, but someday we'd like to mount the antenna on the (solid wood) mast.

Very nice looking boat you have there.



-- Edited by Marin at 04:06, 2008-03-22

Marin,
Good points.
I seem to have a reasonable line of sight aft but really need to calibrate it with some definite targets. The radar is an older Anritsu, and I'm going to try to run some side by side comparisons with some of the other boats at the club once the ice is off* and we can get launched.
Jon