Looking into a complete refit on a MANATEE

Hi all,,,,I might redo a neglected Manatee and found a new yanmar diesel
4by2-150hp engine for 12K ,,,,is a 150 hp engine good for the manatte or is a smaller engine better? cpt.craig

Cool!

Probably too big, since my Krogen 42 only uses 135 HP, and they used 120 before that. What is the current engine HP? I'd stick to something close to that.

The first concern is finding an engine that will fit the space and connect to what is presently there. HP is a concern but may not be a driving factor. Can the present engine be rebuild in place/frame?

The Eagle 671, 165 hp engine can be rebuilt in place/frame. The Kohler gen set, Perkins engine, can not but rebuilt in place/frame, but there are engines that can fit the present space and connect to what is there.

So what is wrong with the old engine?

I don't think the engine is so far out of the range. My own Manatee is refitted from the original 90 HP Volvo to a 140 Yanmar. The Yanmar was a very nice fit, a bit lighter in weight, and of course, the parts are a quite a bit cheaper than the Volvo. There have been a few other Manatee owners down here to check that installation. I should add that there is another Manatee in Miami for sale right now with a new 160 HP Volvo, paid (from what I understand) by the insurance company due to water intrusion incident. Some other Manatee owners with Volvos have mentioned that their boats feel a bit over-propped. On the last haul, I checked and learned that I had the same 22 X 13LH prop that comes with the 90 HP Volvo. I can't be sure that the installer may or may not have re-pitched the prop slightly. Also, I haven't checked the ratio on the tranny. On the next haul, I'll likely pull the prop and have it checked and duplicated. Sweet spot seems to be 7.5 knots at 2600. WOT ranges between 9 and 9.5 (@3600) with a pronounced squat. GPH consumption parallels the Volvo also.

Thanks all but,

The broker talked me out of buying the manatee because it has not been out of the water for 20 years,,said the hull will crush if lifted,, scared me off.

restless native said:

The broker talked me out of buying the manatee because it has not been out of the water for 20 years,,said the hull will crush if lifted,, scared me off.

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And the broker told you the hull would crush because of what particular reason other than sitting in the water? Did he know something in particular?

If this link is correct, Manatees apparently were built with a cored hull... maybe the closed-cell foam failed and the hull was wet.
Kadey-Krogen Yachts: History: Kky36

ARoss said:

If this link is correct, Manatees apparently were built with a cored hull... maybe the closed-cell foam failed and the hull was wet.
Kadey-Krogen Yachts: History: Kky36

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I know that....but did the broker know that for sure?

If he did..and doesn't disclose it he could be in for trouble after that big lawsuit against a S. Florida brokerage last year or so...

And if it is known..why broker a boat that may never get sold? Heck...it will pay hell to get it out of the water to repair it if what he says is true...which I doubt.

I am not sure,

The broker did not give me details and was most likely guessing or was concerned that the straps from the lift would crush the soggy hull if in fact the hull was wet. After thinking about it I decided that the boat was too much work and expense for me, the engine was not connected, just sitting in the hull , no shaft or prop. Needed everything so I crossed it off the list. I will buy a Manatee at some point and will look at the one in Green Cove Springs next week. I did see the one in Maryland last month and still thinking about that one.

restless native said:

The broker did not give me details and was most likely guessing or was concerned that the straps from the lift would crush the soggy hull if in fact the hull was wet. After thinking about it I decided that the boat was too much work and expense for me, the engine was not connected, just sitting in the hull , no shaft or prop. Needed everything so I crossed it off the list. I will buy a Manatee at some point and will look at the one in Green Cove Springs next week. I did see the one in Maryland last month and still thinking about that one.

Click to expand...

If there was no shaft,what was keeping it afloat?

Sorry to hear that about the hull condition. I haven't heard of one that bad, if indeed it is true. Still, I'd want to start out with the best hullmI could find. A peal and reglass job could be 25 grand. Could need some time to dry out too. If you go for the one in green cove springs, I still have the matching window curtains that go with the canvas they bought off me about a year and a half ago....no charge.

Your broker is NUTS.

AS the buyer pays for the survey it would have been worth $100 for a short haul to assess the condition of the hull.

Constant immersion does not damage well done GRP ,with or without a core,, so with the broker working against the seller (whats new?) it might have been a great purchase, IF YOU could do the required engine install.

FF

This is the typically what I have seen, read and believe about fiberglass boats...it seems to be the mantra for not only companies specializing in "blister repair" and even the fiberglass storage tank/piping industry...

Blister & Laminate Hydrolysis in Fiberglass Boat Hulls

Here's an excerpt...

Though this all sounds rather like it is taking place on a "micro-chemical" scale, the affects of hydrolysis of the laminate are visibly apparent. It appears to be effecting all conventionally built polyester fiberglass bottoms that are continually immersed. It is our experience that all boats built with conventional polyester resin and gelkote, show signs of hydrolysis deterioration of the outer laminates after 5 to 10 years of immersion. These signs include "sediment piles" where hydrolysis fluid is exiting the hull, increased moisture content in the outer laminates, reduced resin and glass fiber clarity, reduced resin hardness as well as the obvious and well documented blisters. It should be noted that in the last five years, real progress has been made by some manufacturers in addressing the problem. A switch to using vinylester resin for all or a substantial part of the outer layers of the bottom seems to have been one of the most successful methods to date.