Oceana, Sea Horse, Clipper, Senator 30/31 Etc

[Barking Sands]

With the addition of new member here Cape Fear and his amazing Oceana 30 I thought I would start a thread to act as a sub forum to discuss these little, but capable Trawlers. I believe we have quite a few members now with these boats. If you have one of the above boats (may be additional names) please post a bit about your boat. How long you have had it. Where you are located. On going upgrades. Issues and problems you would like to discuss. And anything else that comes to mind. If you have details or publications that can be used as a resource please post them as well. Hopefully we can gather some details and have some discussion in one place that might be easier to access.

 

[Barking Sands]

1985 Tung Hwa Senator 31 purchased in late 2019 from St Petersburg, FL and moved to Tarpon Springs, FL in early 2020 where she resides today. She has a freshly overhauled Perkins 6.354.4 naturally aspirated 135 HP engine and Transmission with less than 50 hours, new 110 gallon (220 total) aluminum fuel tanks, two 75 gallon stainless water tanks, Dickson hydraulic stern thruster.

We are currently refurbishing the interior and exterior to bring her back up to our standards. I have several videos documenting these upgrades on youtube under the name M/V Intrigue. Last project was redoing the headliner.

The original owner saved every document from the original purchase. Things like original receipt, prop scan, engine documents etc were saved. I will upload these sometime this week.

 

[Cape Fear]

I have an Oceania 30 which I bought in Ontario in 1997. It was a fresh water boat on the Great Lakes and I brought it down the Hudson to NYC and up Long Island sound to Cape Cod, then North to Maine and finally over to Halifax Nova Scotia. These are amazing little sea boats that can take the North Atlantic waters. We have made constant upgrades and changes over the years, but have never regretted buying Cape Fear. It is the perfect size boat to explore the shallow coastal waters that most 40' boats would fear to tread and just as capable 40 miles offshore on route to Newfoundland. She is so maneuverable and easy to handle. I honestly cannot understand why everyone is lusting over large fast trawlers that suck tons of fuel and have complicated computerized engine management systems.



I don't know why boats have grown so large, but Cape Fear has treated me well. We lived on it with our son in 2003 when our house was flattened in a hurricane. The boat lost its bimini; our house ...
That was one of the best years of our lives. We realized then that we didn't miss "stuff". We didn't miss a thing as we had everything we wanted on Cape Fear. It was a cold winter in Halifax but we were cozy. My wife wrote an article for Passage Maker describing the adventure. Today, her only rule is if our company goes sideways, sell the house. Sell the cars. Sell our stuff; but don't sell her boat

 

[Cape Fear]

favourite upgrades?

Some of my favourite upgrades?


I pulled the battery-sucking original fridge and replaced it with a drawer fridge/freezer. I have so much room in there compared to that mini bar fridge. The danfoss compressor is quiet, more efficient and water is not leaking out onto the floor anymore.


Two big bad-arse inflatable bumpers! About $85 Canadian/each. It's the little things!

 

[Barking Sands]

Wow..you have had your boat since 1997. That's amazing. It is also interesting to hear your description of how she handle weather. I'm very happy to hear that from someone who has actually been in some weather. They did pack lots of capability in this little package it would seem. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to having your input and experience for future discussion.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I don't know how I missed this thread. I have a 1981 Tung Hwa 30. First sold in So. California and was used as a dive boat. The lazarette was modified to hold 10 scuba tanks. My prior owner bought it about 1991 and had it trucked to Puget Sound. He also used it for a dive boat. I don't know what kind of diving he did, but it had 350 feet of chain with an additional 165 feet of rode. Crazy. It has circumnavigated Vancouver Island. He modified the upper deck to extend all the way aft. Makes a nice covered area for the cockpit.

The boat appears to have been loved, but like every boat you will find things that the prior owner missed or things that make you scratch your head. It has a 4kw generator that doesn't run and has never been removed (next big project). It has a 520Ah battery bank, so I haven't had any need for a generator. The PO said he considered it "ballast" and didn't remove it when the engine was last out. I don't think the boat needs more ballast.

The selling point for me was that the PO had a bit of bad luck. He was moving the boat to a dock in town where the new Garmin radar and MFD was going to be installed. The oil pressure dropped (don't know why) and the gauges on the upper helm didn't notify him. The 80 hp Lehman seized. The engine was removed and rebuilt (including a new crank that the PO was able to source). $17,000 later, he decided to move to a larger boat. I bought a boat with 82 hours on the engine, new motor mounts, new damper plate, copper-nickel heat exchangers, etc. All of the vintage Lehman worries have been put off.

Many of my projects involved removing things. I reduced the anchor chain to 100 feet and put on 165' of 8 plait. No more anchoring in 100', but also no need to go down and adjust the chain in the locker when retrieving the anchor (with the PO's new Muir windlass). My boat has an actual draft of 4 foot (instead of the sale brochure stated 3.5'). I don't know how much that will change by removing chain and the 300# generator.

I just replaced the original AC/DC fridge with a General Electric DC only fridge. Gained 1 cubic foot, an interior light, glass shelving, and points with the wife. Energy usage dropped from 33Ah per day for the old fridge to 25Ah/day. Also pulled the propane stove and replaced with induction and a pure sine wave inverter. Nothing to light, nothing to blow out, nothing to blow up. The more I use it, the more I like it. Yesterday I was down at the boat and decided I would like a cup of espresso and a sweet. Put the espresso pot on medium setting and the timer on 3 minutes. Off to the bakery (one block away). Returned to a pot of hot espresso on the stove. Plus, more points with the wife.

 

[Cape Fear]

Well, after a catastrophic engine failure on my Perkins engine - the SS shaft of the impeller broke and the alarm failed... long painful story. To comfort me in my sorrow, I enjoyed participating in season 1 and season 2 of "The Pandemic". Can it get any worse?
Luckily I found a brand new Cummins 6cyl that was government surplus. It was a training engine for Fisheries to teach diesel engine mechanics. The engine had 6 hours on it. I had it taken apart and inspected + new gaskets, seals etc.
To prepare for the transplant, I had to cut a hole in the flybridge to get the Perkins out, and reinforce/replace loose stringers. I know it is a lot of work, but the boat is a perfect size and it handles well in a sea. I really can't find a newer boat I would rather have.
So the engine, shaft, transmission, alternator and prop is new. Generator is gone. Spray rails installed... wiring is getting cleaned up even further. I have to be crazy, but it is worth it to me. Looking out on life from inside a boat has to one of the greatest luxuries in life.

 

[Barking Sands]

Well, after a catastrophic engine failure on my Perkins engine - the SS shaft of the impeller broke and the alarm failed... long painful story. To comfort me in my sorrow, I enjoyed participating in season 1 and season 2 of "The Pandemic". Can it get any worse?
Luckily I found a brand new Cummins 6cyl that was government surplus. It was a training engine for Fisheries to teach diesel engine mechanics. The engine had 6 hours on it. I had it taken apart and inspected + new gaskets, seals etc.
To prepare for the transplant, I had to cut a hole in the flybridge to get the Perkins out, and reinforce/replace loose stringers. I know it is a lot of work, but the boat is a perfect size and it handles well in a sea. I really can't find a newer boat I would rather have.
So the engine, shaft, transmission, alternator and prop is new. Generator is gone. Spray rails installed... wiring is getting cleaned up even further. I have to be crazy, but it is worth it to me. Looking out on life from inside a boat has to one of the greatest luxuries in life.

I would love to see pics of that operation. You cant beat the Cummins though. How long till she is back in operation?

 

[Cape Fear]

I would love to see pics of that operation. You cant beat the Cummins though. How long till she is back in operation?

I took advantage of the bare bilge to reinforce the stringers and hull. The new engine has a solid foundation now. I moved the fuel tanks further aft and removed the generator. There is a lot of wiring that I am cleaning up as well. The biggest change was the addition of shelves port and starboard. The water heater, fresh water pump are securely mounted now. I also have 3 Milwaukee bases secured for a oil crate, a 3-drawer unit as well as cases with my electrical crimping tools, sockets, and spares. Everything neat and tidy under bright 12V LED light strips.

 

[Barking Sands]

Looking fantastic! The Cummins really fits well. IS that going to be 210HP? Curious to see what she does with some extra HP.

 

[Cape Fear]

It is a replacement for a Perkins 135HP that always felt out of place. It had a truck wiring harness and a British transmission. I replaced the transmission with a velvet drive and new prop... but it always felt weak. The rebuilt prop this time has quite a bit more pitch. I don't think the previous foundry knew what they were doing and I suffered for that. I will let you know what it is like once the ice leaves the harbour! Best part of winter is that I can work on my boat!

 

[SeaMoose]

Very impressive work. Is that a 6bt?

 

[Cape Fear]

Very impressive work. Is that a 6bt?

Correct. A bit more power than I need, but the engine is easy to work on, get parts, and known for its reliability. It should also still be as frugal on fuel.


I did look at a Beta (I have since found out that that is the engine brand what the new Nordhavn 41 use) but the basic engine cost was just ridiculous.



I hope I made the right choice. I have every confidence I did.

 

[Barking Sands]

Ok I said in the second post I would upload some original documents. That was several months ago. Well I had to dig out a wire diagram and stumbled on the original documents and decided to scan and post them. The original owner saved everything. Here are the most interesting items.

1) the original transaction paperwork. $54,020 in 1985

2) the prop information. This was for the optional 135HP Perkins. Base model had a 90HP Lehman.

3) original sales brochure.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I don't know how long ago this Oceana 30 sold or how long the listing will remain, but I found it interesting. The 360 degree photos are worth looking at for anybody who likes to snoop around (which I do). Snagging the video and saving it here or on YouTube is beyond my computer skills, but it would be nice as a reference for those interested in this thread.

Of note are the (original?) features on this Oceana 30 that mine doesn't have. One is a stainless tubing floor-to-ceiling support right behind the aft dinette seat. Wonder if there was a problem with this boat? The second is apparently an owner added TV cubby that blocks off the rear window. Let's choose, TV at night or safety during the day? Third is a bumped up area behind the forward dinette seat (on the dash). No idea what that is for. Finally, I only have pin rail shelving in my V berth. This 30 has little lockers. Don't know which would hold more junk.

Did I miss the engine room pictures? That would tell me for certain whether $30K was a good deal or just a good start.

https://www.torontoyachtsales.com/boat_listing.php?id=1125

 

[Barking Sands]

Yes the 360 view is really helpful. Hard to say on the 30k value. In todays market it could be much more depending on details. Neat boat.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

Just came across a sister ship anchored at Sidney Spit last weekend. Owner said it was a Chien Hwa 31. I can't find that anywhere on the internet. The boat (out of Anacortes) looked and sounded like it was identical, but I didn't go inside and didn't take a picture.

I did get a picture of a tufted puffin on the way home.

 

[OldDan1943]

When you replaced the cook top with an induction cook top, what did you use for an oven???

 

[Marco Flamingo]

When you replaced the cook top with an induction cook top, what did you use for an oven???

I haven't found a good solution yet. I tried a Coleman stovetop oven, but the induction cook top turns off automatically before it gets hot enough for the Coleman. Tried a cast iron Dutch oven, using an induction hob upside down on top, but only baked bread a couple of times. I'm living without an oven right now and not suffering. The convenience of induction more than makes up for the loss of the oven for us.

 

[OldDan1943]

I haven't found a good solution yet. I tried a Coleman stovetop oven, but the induction cook top turns off automatically before it gets hot enough for the Coleman. Tried a cast iron Dutch oven, using an induction hob upside down on top, but only baked bread a couple of times. I'm living without an oven right now and not suffering. The convenience of induction more than makes up for the loss of the oven for us.

How many amps does your stove top draw? Do you have 2 or 3 burners? Can you use all burns at the same time?

Based on my 'sort of research' the induction, etc oven require a lot of side and top space. Basically, they are designed for counter top use only and we all know galley counter space is at a premium.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I have 2 burners which can both operate at the same time. My only real complaint is that the burners are way too powerful. Each automatically comes on at #5 (medium setting) and the burners "power share," meaning that if one is turned up to #6 the other one goes down to #4. While this might sound bad, I've never needed anything above #5. If I needed to quickly boil 2 gallons of water for spaghetti for 8 people, I suppose I could use the #10 burner setting, but that isn't a realistic possibility on my boat.

#5 boils my espresso maker in about 3 minutes. During that time, the battery monitor fluctuates, jumping up to 60 amps for moments. 3 amps of that is the standby for my inverter and then some of it would be the inefficiency of the inverter. Even at #1 setting (which I use most often), the amperage can fluctuate above 20 amps. Since it is fast, the total amp usage has never been enough to worry about (for me with 260 amp hour available).

My induction stove top is a flush mount, so it didn't really effect counter space. I don't have to cover it (like with propane) in order to use the space.

 

[OldDan1943]

SIGH
Still no cure for the missing oven.

I do not intend to run my stove or oven on the inverter. I really dont have the batteries to support a larger inverter. (4X200AGm and 1800watt inverter)

 

[Marco Flamingo]

I finally cleaned up the area where my propane tank sat. I don't think it was the stock position for these boats, but a prior owner had moved it underneath the ladder on the aft deck. You can still see the rust stain from the propane tank on the teak deck. The installation definitely wasn't ABYC kosher. Technically, the locker drained out on to the back deck and out the scuppers (if propane was water). This install still had openings into the boat slightly higher up in the propane locker. Anyway, all that's gone.

I could see that under the galley sink was a large area that could be used if there was a door under the ladder. I had to reroute the galley water supply and a couple of other things, but that left me with an area large enough to stow 4 big fenders. I lined the area using a "shower pan" waterproofing membrane so what wet fenders couldn't cause a problem. I also fabricated one wall out of peg board so that I can move my "hidden" keys from under a ladder step to inside the new locker. Oh no, now you guys know where the keys are hidden!

Wait till my wife sees that she doesn't have to open the lazarette to get out the fenders.

 

[Barking Sands]

Looks great Marco. I am going to do something similar but put in a recessed pull out shower set up.

 

[JudyP]

Marco…Thats our boat Hestia now in Toronto Ontario.

 

[Adelaide]

1983 Tung Hwa Clipper. We’ve had it since 2011 in the Puget Sound. She has an 80hp Ford Lehman that’s never let me down. We love this old girl!

 

[JudyP]

New Water tank Install on Oceania 30

We love our Trawler Oceania 30. Just replaced a leaking water tank on port side.
[/ATTACH]

 

[JudyP]

and you have a schnauzer as do we...he loves the boat.

 

[Marco Flamingo]

We have a little sister! Interesting features in this Tung Hwa 28 brochure. It looks like there is no helm console (ceiling) extending over the V berth. It is open to the cabin. Head is in the back opposite a tiny galley. The flyer is only 2 pages and both are shown. 65hp (?) 4 cyl Ford diesel looks to be well back in the lazarette, requiring a V drive per this old post. Looks like it would be stern heavy.

 

[Barking Sands]

We love our Trawler Oceania 30. Just replaced a leaking water tank on port side.
[/ATTACH]

Judy...do you remember the tank capacity or have the dimensions by chance. I suspect like most of you I have 2 of those tanks. I think the brochure states they are 75 gallons for each tank. That's quite a bit of water on such a small boat.