Opinions Silverton 372

[larman]

Hi,

My quest to find a boat is now going on year three. Im currently looking at a 1998 Silverton 372 with twin caterpillar diesels. Here is the dilemma boat partially sank aft cabin minor water damage about 10 inches on doors to head and hanging locker. Upon check of engine room I can clearly see how far the water intruded which was to the bottom of the oil pan on the motors. I am going to have caterpillar do an engine survey on both engines and also a survey of the rest of the boat. What do you guys think?

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

You are going the right direction. But don't be surprised that a lot of the electrical that is located in the bilge or below the flood line will need to be replaced.

 

[larman]

You are going the right direction. But don't be surprised that a lot of the electrical that is located in the bilge or below the flood line will need to be replaced.

Yes it looks like there was not to much wiring where the leak was.. Bilge pump was shot and that’s been replaced.

 

[dirtdoc1]

Hi,

My quest to find a boat is now going on year three. Im currently looking at a 1998 Silverton 372 with twin caterpillar diesels. Here is the dilemma boat partially sank aft cabin minor water damage about 10 inches on doors to head and hanging locker. Upon check of engine room I can clearly see how far the water intruded which was to the bottom of the oil pan on the motors. I am going to have caterpillar do an engine survey on both engines and also a survey of the rest of the boat. What do you guys think?

Stay away from Silverton and especially one that took on water. Even if you get it for free you're going to sink (no pun intended) a tonne of money into a not very well built boat.

What is your boating style? Fish? Cruise? Entertain? Weekend getaways? The way you use a boat is important to the type of boat that you buy. I know. I bought a new Carver C34 only to realize that it was not made to cruise and spend more than a day or two on it. That was a $300k mistake. Nothing worked on it and it was new! Once I learned that trawlers were made for the purpose that I required. I bought a North Pacific. Cruised it for most of 2018 in the PNW. Everything worked and I was able to spend months on it in complete comfort.

Best of luck!

 

[Comodave]

While a Silverton isn’t a Fleming they are not bad boats if it fits your needs. As a coastal cruiser it will be fine. Not my particular style of boat but that is why they make more than one style of boat. Everyone has their own desires. As to the partial sinking, I would start with the engine survey like you stated. Examine all the wiring that is low in the bilge. Keep in mind that you may eventually have to replace some wiring. What caused the sinking? A bad bilge pump was not the original cause of the sinking. Was the original cause of the sinking fixed? Get a good surveyor and watch him as the survey is dine to learn about the boat. Good luck

 

[larman]

Hi,

Original owners got sick and were no longer able to keep an eye on the boat on the dock. Boat was in water and an emergency pull was done due to setting low in slip. Tie lines I suspect are what kept it afloat. Forward deck drain hose was hanging off of the drain behind the sink in the galley, this drain is at bottom of the starboard steps down to the bow. Every time it rained water poured into the bilge causing it to run non stop when it rained, someone removed the shore power cable and the batteries eventually died.

My goal is to travel the loop and the Bahama's hope to find a comfortable boat to do so.

 

[sunchaser]

Which Cat engines? If the owner let her sink at the dock you can bet that other things were let go too including the engines. Lots of well tended vessels for sale to compete with the Silverton if that is your style.

 

[larman]

Which Cat engines? If the owner let her sink at the dock you can bet that other things were let go too including the engines. Lots of well tended vessels for sale to compete with the Silverton if that is your style.

Cat 3116TA. 2100 eng hours. I have not been able to find one for 50k though. Most are 75K +

 

[sunchaser]

Cat 3116TA. 2100 eng hours. I have not been able to find one for 50k though. Most are 75K +

A few random thoughts-

Price out a 3116 engine rebuild. Be very careful with those engines.

The all in, after a year or two, cost of a poorly tended diesel vessel can be staggering. If you want to save money and find a really nice boat, consider a Silverton, Carver, Cruisers, SeaRay etc fresh water gasser in the same size range. The loop and Lakes are loaded with non diesel mid 30' vessels, I had one.

 

[larman]

A few random thoughts-

Price out a 3116 engine rebuild. Be very careful with those engines.

The all in, after a year or two, cost of a poorly tended diesel vessel can be staggering. If you want to save money and find a really nice boat, consider a Silverton, Carver, Cruisers, SeaRay etc fresh water gasser in the same size range. The loop and Lakes are loaded with non diesel mid 30' vessels, I had one.

I would prefer a diesel, but have to admit the pricing of the gassers are enticing. If I decide to go forward with the boat I will have Cat Certified mechanic thoroughly survey the engines at a cost of $750 per engine.

 

[sunchaser]

I would prefer a diesel, but have to admit the pricing of the gassers are enticing. If I decide to go forward with the boat I will have Cat Certified mechanic thoroughly survey the engines at a cost of $750 per engine.

Some more random thoughts

Before you hire Cat tech, maybe do two things. First find out dates and details for previous major (more than an oil change) servicing of of engines.

Second, peruse boat diesel.com archives regarding the 3116s. Spend the 25$ to join. Cheap for what you get.

Have you looked up Pascoe's thoughts on Silverton and engines in question?

 

[larman]

I am a member of boat diesel .com. Unfortunately, I cannot get any maintenance records as the previous owner abandoned the boat at the dock and it was sold at auction to the current owner. I was waiting for warmer weather so I can do a trial run and see how the boat functions for myself, at that point if I decide to go further I will have it surveyed.

 

[JLD]

Respectfully, you sound like a much braver soul than I.

You note that the previous owner abandoned the boat at the dock and it was sold at auction. I'm trying to wrap my head around why someone would just abandon a +/- $70,000 boat, only to have it sold at auction? Do you know why the previous owner abandoned the boat? I would be afraid of pontentially several years of lack of maintenance in this scenario. Or did it maybe go to auction because expensive maintenance was done and the owner couldn't pay the bill?

The current owner then could not keep an eye on the boat and it partially sank at the dock.

I might be able to deal with one of these scenarios, but both of these scenarios together would scare me away.

Jim

 

[larman]

Respectfully, you sound like a much braver soul than I.

You note that the previous owner abandoned the boat at the dock and it was sold at auction. I'm trying to wrap my head around why someone would just abandon a +/- $70,000 boat, only to have it sold at auction? Do you know why the previous owner abandoned the boat? I would be afraid of pontentially several years of lack of maintenance in this scenario. Or did it maybe go to auction because expensive maintenance was done and the owner couldn't pay the bill?

The current owner then could not keep an eye on the boat and it partially sank at the dock.

I might be able to deal with one of these scenarios, but both of these scenarios together would scare me away.

Jim[/QUOTe

I was told they were elderly and they did not pay their dock/storage and they were either ill or had passwd away. Boat sat for a year. I appreciate the feedback.

 

[Marlinmike]

Let me add a little, let's just say it all checks out, everything runs, yea a few things here and there don't work, but overall good. Now at this age and probably lack of servicing you are in for a pretty good going over of those CAT's = coolers, aftercooler, valve adjust, hoses, Gen service and a host of other things, again not uncommon so this is not something to run away from, but parts and service are not cheap and in the end that $50k boat could very well get close to $70K pretty quick.
Just out of curiosity, where is the fuel tank in this boat?

 

[bayview]

Lots of Silvrtons and lots of Cat 3116s are cruising coastal waters happily. The current condition matters more than opinions of the brands

 

[Benthic2]

As time goes on brand matters less and treatment matters more:

 

[Bigal6030]

Silverton’s are solid boats. Hulls are solid no cored hulled on Silvertons. Not sure Dirtdoc1 knows much about Silvertons. Not sure about about how much water the boat took on, but after doing your homework and checking it out with a good surveyor it maybe a good buy. I have owned several Silverton’s always have good luck with them a very solid boat. Not a typical trawler, more of a planning hull. Good luck

 

[R lucky]

Can't comment on the water damage, but I lived aboard a Silverton 322 for six years and it was a great boat. As a former yacht broker, I agree that if you find "deferred maintenance" in one aspect of the boat, you'll likely find it everywhere and that can be very costly. I strongly disagree with sunchaser in post 9 where he advises you to get a "gasser." Yes, a gas powered boat is far cheaper than diesel, but since you actually want to use your boat, the cost of fuel will eat you out of house and home. My Silverton had Mercuiser 350's and when the price of gas went to $5.00 per gallon, the cost of going to Catalina exceeded $500. (We're talking 28 miles.) That's when the For Sale sign went up.

 

[sunchaser]

I strongly disagree with sunchaser in post 9 where he advises you to get a "gasser." up.

Not advice, just posing alternatives.

The OP has a primary concern about Cat 3116s. Unless well taken care of they could be a financial nightmare in a partially sunken and then auctioned boat of any kind. He wants to save up front money. With many 37 Silvertons built with gassers, that savings is realistic.

The gas consumption is up to the skippers hand on the throttle. Been there done that with inboard gassers in this size range. The diesels would add about 1,000 extra pounds and require more maintenance dollars than the gassers.

Today, what engine options are there powering a new 37 foot planing light duty recreational vessel? Few inboard gassers, either outboards or diesels. The jury is split on whether diesels or outboards are the lowest purchase and op cost. The machinery specs and fuel efficiency for the MJM 40 with outboards are pretty interesting.

 

[Codger2]

Tom Fexas, the designer of numerous boats had this to say about Silvertons:

36 Convertible Boat Test Report - PDF

 

[dirtdoc1]

Not advice, just posing alternatives.

The OP has a primary concern about Cat 3116s. Unless well taken care of they could be a financial nightmare in a partially sunken and then auctioned boat of any kind. He wants to save up front money. With many 37 Silvertons built with gassers, that savings is realistic.

The gas consumption is up to the skippers hand on the throttle. Been there done that with inboard gassers in this size range. The diesels would add about 1,000 extra pounds and require more maintenance dollars than the gassers.

Today, what engine options are there powering a new 37 foot planing light duty recreational vessel? Few inboard gassers, either outboards or diesels. The jury is split on whether diesels or outboards are the lowest purchase and op cost. The machinery specs and fuel efficiency for the MJM 40 with outboards are pretty interesting.

I've owned two gas powered planning boats and one diesel trawler. With the huge bill for gas and the danger associated with gas I'll never go back. It would cost me several hundred dollars and at least half of my fuel to have a fun day on the bay. Gas boats are way too expensive. I would imagine a planning boat with diesels may use up a lot of fuel too but gas does not belong on a boat. It's too volatile.

 

[High Wire]

Sunk in salt or fresh water? I would be worried about the steel oil pans condition more than 3116's with 2000 hours unless they were pre-1998 350 hp or more. Engine survey should tell you what work was done.

 

[South of Heaven]

I've owned two gas powered planning boats and one diesel trawler. With the huge bill for gas and the danger associated with gas I'll never go back. It would cost me several hundred dollars and at least half of my fuel to have a fun day on the bay. Gas boats are way too expensive. I would imagine a planning boat with diesels may use up a lot of fuel too but gas does not belong on a boat. It's too volatile.

Can you expound on the dangers? I'm in the process of buying a gas powered boat and this was one of my concerns too. But it's so hard to say that gassers are inherently more dangerous when there are SO MANY OF THEM out there. Do you think twice about driving your car at 50mph and sitting 5-7 feet away from the tank?

 

[sunchaser]

Can you expound on the dangers? I'm in the process of buying a gas powered boat and this was one of my concerns too. But it's so hard to say that gassers are inherently more dangerous when there are SO MANY OF THEM out there. Do you think twice about driving your car at 50mph and sitting 5-7 feet away from the tank?

Good question South. Boat US has many statistics and operational pointers for safe gassers. While you're at it, your insurer will have articles and actuarial boat data. In the recreational 30 to 40 foot range outboards are becoming more common.

I've seen some serious diesel boat fires. No shortage of boat fires unrelated to fuel.

 

[Marlinmike]

I've owned gas and diesel, both have there places and as pointed out the outboard market has exploded (sorry for the pun) and what do they run on, yup GASOLINE. By me many of these large 3,4,5 outboards per boat are running to the canyon and back, and yes 5-7 seas. It's all about maintenance plain and simple.

 

[smitty477]

Can you expound on the dangers? I'm in the process of buying a gas powered boat and this was one of my concerns too. But it's so hard to say that gassers are inherently more dangerous when there are SO MANY OF THEM out there. Do you think twice about driving your car at 50mph and sitting 5-7 feet away from the tank?

My concern was always more about Co - it depends what boat you have and how you use it.

 

[larman]

Well I am sitting and waiting at this point. To cold to have her splashed. We will see where this leads. Survey of engines is key, I have read that a cat certified survey is pretty thorough and hopefully can bring piece of mind. It’s amazing how much amnesia the marina has about the boat and service to it.

 

[dirtdoc1]

Can you expound on the dangers? I'm in the process of buying a gas powered boat and this was one of my concerns too. But it's so hard to say that gassers are inherently more dangerous when there are SO MANY OF THEM out there. Do you think twice about driving your car at 50mph and sitting 5-7 feet away from the tank?

These days gas engines are safe. Although diesel is less volatile and therefore more safe. I loved my two Mercruiser 5.7's in my Carver C34 but they were loud and expensive to run and maintain. It would cost me several hundred $ to spend a day on the bay. Now that I've spent a year with a diesel I'll never go back to gas engines.

When I put my Carver C34 up for sale I priced it low for a quick sale. It sat for over a year. It was loaded with electronics, had a custom hard top and numerous upgrades. The broker said that the boat was getting a lot of interest but the gas engines were the issue. The boat was finally purchased by a first time buyer.

Seriously, unless you're going with outboards get diesel. You'll love the low end torque while docking, less noise and less fuel. The diesel engine(s) will cost more but when it comes time to sell you will be glad you went with diesel. I am!

 

[ssobol]

A lot of people in this thread talk about how much more gas boats cost to operate than diesel ones. However, when comparing the cost of gas vs. diesel boats you need to consider the type of boat and how it is operated. Most gas powered boats (but not all) are meant to go fast and have many hundreds of HP which burns a lot of gas. Most (but not all) diesel boats are trawler types (or sport fishers) and generally operate at a much lower speed and much lower horsepower than a typical gas boat. If you had a gas boat and operate it in the same manner as a diesel trawler I'm pretty sure that the difference in the fuel costs would be much less.

I also see a lot of gas powered express cruisers operating in the worst possible speed range, right on the hump.

Also, depending on where you boat, you may find that getting diesel fuel is a lot more effort than finding gas.