1993 GB 49'....thoughts?

[OA486AGC]

For those who are way more knowledgable than I when it comes to GB and the 49', I was hoping for some input.

Looking at a 30 year old model with twin Cat 3208TA's w/ 375hp. Vessel is stabilized, has a hydraulic bow thruster, electric stern thruster, Kubola hydronic diesel heat, Marine A/C, 16kW Onan, 2812 watt Magnum inverter, flybridge enclosure with freezer, and hydraulic davit lift at the stern.

Also, attached a few photos to give a sense of conditions etc. Has been in charter the past 10 years, so my concern are the number of hours on the mains which I am trying to verify as we speak - the fact they haven't shared it yet makes me believe the hours are very high but I could be wrong.

Anyway, for those In the know, what are general thoughts on this GB model and particular layout etc?

 

[Pete Meisinger]

Probably not as high as you might expect. Many charter folks use the boat for a "point A to point B" vacation and relax at new marinas and coves. Plus, given the cost of chartering a boat like that, I'm sure it does not go out every week, lots of down time.

Buy it.

pete

 

[Giggitoni]

The hour meter (port engine) is the bottom left gauge in your second photo; about the 10:00 position of the wheel. Do you have a higher resolution photo that would show the hour reading?

 

[Blissboat]

Vrooman, in my opinion the 49 Classic encapsulates all of the best features of American Marine's line of GB "Classic" boats. She's spacious where the smaller versions may strike some as snug, but her proportions are just as beautifully right as the 36' and 42' classics. Look at that big salon, that ample, comfortable helm station, those two private guest staterooms plus a big master s.r. and a galley that's just right - out of the line of traffic but very accessible.

High hours should not necessarily be a deal killer, as long as the engines have been consistently maintained. There are no obvious signs of neglect in those engine compartment photos. And in fact 10 years of charter service can add up to a bonus, because the worst thing in the world for any boat is to sit around unused. I'm personally averse to the TA version of the Cat 3208s, preferring the 210 hp natural version. My thinking is that 375 hp twins are overkill for a boat that was never meant to plane, whereas twin 210s are enough to be efficient while cruising and make her responsive when maneuvering in close quarters. The 375 hp TAs also have more components to maintain than the naturally aspirated version. But, plenty of others have had good experience with their 3208 TAs, so again - no deal killers there, IMO.

To me, she looks and sounds like a dreamboat. Hope to hear that you decide to go for it. If so, more photos please! Good luck either way.

 

[jungpeter]

Hi Vrooman. Here's my take on the GB49 shown in your original posting. As context, I assisted a good friend in the care and operation of his 1980 GB49 for about 10 years. We operated from Mexico north throughout BC, making a total of three SoCal-to-PNW relocations in that time. His boat had some of the same characteristics of the one you posted, but a different interior layout.
a. I fully agree with others that the GB49 is the pinnacle of the "classic" GB lineup. The hull form is ideal for a long-range coastal cruiser. While a fairly wet boat in a headsea due to it's bluff bow and poor bow flare, the combination of her hard chines, stabilization, and heavy displacement provided for a VERY comfortable ride in almost all conditions. However, we did fit 3/4" acrylic covers over the forward windshield when transiting south to north outside. Not vital, but comforting in big headseas.
b. My friend's GB49 was powered with 275HP turbocharged Lehmans. We never pushed them hard, never ran above hull speed (~8 knots or so), and probably only used about 200 hp total, and never felt the need for additional power. These engines provided GREAT access in the engine room (standing headroom a great plus). However, all the house and starting batteries (FLA 8d's each) were located outboard of the engines, making service and replacement a man killer.
c. I've owned boats with 3208 CATs personally. My take on these engines is they are perfectly serviceable marine engines, with a few caveats. Given their V-design and inherent size, outboard access is horrible. Access to and replacement of water hoses on the outboard side of the engines stinks. Fitting of alternators with greater than ~100 amps is very difficult. The raw water cooling pumps are belt driven, which is inherently poor. In the case of the boat you're looking at, while the 375 CATs are OK, they certainly wouldn't be my choice. And with all things marine, proper attention to service by each previous owner is imperative, and probably overrides most other considerations, including engine hours.
d. Fuel tankage is overkill for coastal use. His carried 1250 gallons, which took years to recycle. Fortunately never had leakage issues, as R&R would require removal of the main engines for any kind of access, as they are buried outboard behind soundproofing. My friend's GB49 had a 250 gallon stainless steel water tank located in the forward cabin that was impossible to R&R without taking a chainsaw to the cabinetry and flooring.
e. The layout of your posting is certainly "different". Two heads in the aft cabin???? And while a down galley does free up significant space in the saloon, it certainly compromises the small stateroom to starboard. And makes the forward head miniscule, with no separate shower. Not my choice to service the four persons in the forward cabins. And by the way, that helm seat in the main saloon is HORRIBLY uncomfortable. Way too upright, with poor legroom. Ditto the fixed sofa in the saloon. OK for sitting at dinner, lousy for "lounging".
f. Finally, hanging a dinghy off the transom extends a 55' LOA to something approaching 65' or so. Makes for expensive and scarce moorage.

Sorry to be so wordy. There's lots to like about a GB49, and lots to dislike about a GB49, including the teak decks and exterior trim. It all boils down to your use case, and your choice. Best of luck in your search(s).

Regards,

Pete

 

[Comodave]

Look up a Utube site C-Shels and watch their video about rebuilding one of their 3208TA engines and some work on the other one. $66K worth of a rebuild. There is another recent thread about 3208TAs here. It all depends on how they have been maintained. Not necessarily knocking those engines, just go in knowing what can happen.

 

[tiltrider1]

An average recreational boat built in 1993 would have between 2,000 and 5,000 hours on it.

General opinion is that a Cat 3208T (375hp) is easily good for 10,000 hours. Most high hour knowledge of the 3208 comes from trUcks, generators or commercial marine use.

Most recreational boat diesel engines die of old age anD neglect, rarely from high hours.

I watched the C-shel video. They generalized the work, briefly mentioning that some work was done on both engines and some of the cost was due to hiring on site management so they could go on an extended vacation. However, I suspect that they replaced or rebuilt not just the block but every accessory and now have the equivalent of new engines.

If this boat had less than 6,000 hours I would not be concerned by the engine hours.

 

[Papas]

Hi Vrooman,

I looked closely at this boat but decided to keep looking. At the time the asking price was 30K more than current. overall the boat was is good condition w/ ~4500 hrs on the engines (which if well maintained, can easily run 20K hrs +), so hrs was not my concern. The boat was originally an EU boat so the electrical was converted to 110. Based on the operation manual provided by the charter service, it seemed to me the electrical systems are a bit suspect (potential leaks and/or poor system design). It seemed the boat experienced abnormally high # of minor issues / glitches during charters.

IMHO, the GB49 is a great boat overall and this specific one is a nice boat overall - I just felt it needed more attention than I was willing to put in (esp. at the higher asking price when I looked at it this past summer). If you pursue, I'd recommend a solid survey of the key systems (esp. a full / detailed electrical review).

 

[psneeld]

3208's had a good run and several variations. When I had mt 3208Ts (320hp) in a sportfish, I sold it with 3700 hrs and the engines (15 yrs old) were still going better than ever 5 years later. At the time (around 2005), 3208s were about the cheapest engine to get rebuilt due to the abundance of parts.

Sure things may have change, but maybe not that much. The good news is certainly just about any diesel mech can work on them.

Any check of online sources and commercial vessel classified publications usually shows an abundance of rebuilt 3208s for pretty low prices.

The higher hp 3208s did get some redesigned parts, but the word on the street the 3208TAs that were in the bigger heavier trawlers were failing frequently due to being pushed to hard for too long.

 

[sunchaser]

Charter boats tend to have more glitches due to a variety of different users. The power systems on this vessel are easily resolvable with a combination of owner awareness and straightforward redos.

Like any vessel, look it over closely and come up with a new owner list of fixes. If you can do it for less than $50K all in adjust your offer accordingly. It is still a sellers market for well kept vessels, some never hitting the listing sheets.

My gripe with some GBs is dock side access. The EU models are fine but the aft cabin designs require some care boarding.