36 or 42 GB classic single or twins?

[grandbanksbayfield]

36 With One Engine and Thruster!

We have a 32 with one engine (standard) and a thruster. My wife and I love it and spend up to 40 days on excursions. Were we to upsize we would go to the same arrangement in a 36 -- plenty big for a couple with a little extra room to get away by yourself, still easy to dock, economical, and a total of three fuel filters to change. Whatever you get, it is all about condition of the engine(s) and transmissions(s). Other stuff can be repaired or brought back with wood, saws, paint and elbow grease.

 

[rgano]

I have lived aboard both the GB36 (single 120/BT) and GB42 (twin 120s) and have run both up and down the western half of the Great Loop. Owned the 42 for 29 years. Being an award-winning destroyer shiphandler, I felt the 42 twin was designed just for me, and I single-handed it whenever I felt like it. 42 has doors in the cabin port and stbd. I have seen one 36 with two doors. I was never as comfy running the 36 without a BT and a second hand as I was with the 42. My take is that my shiphandling was handicapped by 50% moving from the 42 to the 36. There was plenty of room to maintain engines in both boats. There was NOT plenty of room for two to live on the 36, and even just moving through the companionways was less comfy being annoyingly narrow.

 

[slowgoesit]

Sounds like a person with slowgoesit's skills wasted a lot of money getting his current boat with a BT !

The boat already HAD a hydraulic BT, as well as a Gardner engine!

The difficulty I have with this boat, is I can't move the stern to port with prop walk as it ALWAYS prop walks to starboard. It has a CPP, so the prop always turns clockwise (viewed from astern) no matter whether it is in fwd or reverse . . . . Frustrating it is . . . .

 

[Eli27]

I have lived aboard both the GB36 (single 120/BT) and GB42 (twin 120s) and have run both up and down the western half of the Great Loop. Owned the 42 for 29 years. Being an award-winning destroyer shiphandler, I felt the 42 twin was designed just for me, and I single-handed it whenever I felt like it. 42 has doors in the cabin port and stbd. I have seen one 36 with two doors. I was never as comfy running the 36 without a BT and a second hand as I was with the 42. My take is that my shiphandling was handicapped by 50% moving from the 42 to the 36. There was plenty of room to maintain engines in both boats. There was NOT plenty of room for two to live on the 36, and even just moving through the companionways was less comfy being annoyingly narrow.

Interesting. Ill be single handed 99% of the time and i would of thought that the 36 would be easier. I greatly appreciate your time writing this.

Eli

 

[ranger58sb]

Interesting. Ill be single handed 99% of the time and i would of thought that the 36 would be easier. I greatly appreciate your time writing this.

Layout -- good visibility from the helm, access to side decks and so forth -- is usually more important than length.

-Chris

 

[psneeld]

What I have seen in singlehandling, is the most important factor is just pure experience. Knowing what to do when with the boat, the lines, and whatever hands (even if only 2 )available from secured at dock to secured at dock.

Secondarily is captain's agility....which does go to boat layout to a degree too....not much agility is needed when things go right, it is when things go wrong that moving quickly becomes a much greater asset. Thus the more experience, the less you need agility. You can also alter some of that with thrusters and other boat mods to a degree too.

So a really good self evaluation before considering a lot of single handling is necessary, and so is day to day evaluation before you cast off evaluating if there are any new limitations.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

I've been on this forum for a number of years. Questions like yours come up quite often and what always surprises me, (read: annoys me) is the fact that many responses do not answer the simple question asked. They often get into hot topic areas (singles vs twins, anchors, brands, etc.)

I generally pride myself on getting right to the point. So here it is:

Get a 36 foot, single engine diesel, double cabin, flybridge. End of discussion.

pete

 

[Old Sea Dog]

I've been on this forum for a number of years. Questions like yours come up quite often and what always surprises me, (read: annoys me) is the fact that many responses do not answer the simple question asked. They often get into hot topic areas (singles vs twins, anchors, brands, etc.)



I generally pride myself on getting right to the point. So here it is:



Get a 36 foot, single engine diesel, double cabin, flybridge. End of discussion.



pete

My Man!!!!!

Sent from my SM-G715U1 using Trawler Forum mobile app

 

[mbdana]

GB 36 Classic

1988 36' GB Classic here, single engine, bow thruster (we installed) This boat is bullet proof. Can work in ER no problem. 1.5 gals an hour at 7.5 knts . No tank problems but being fastidious with them. Plenty of room, great view from above and below too. Very comfortable.
One note, after 1987 models were built 6" wider and 6" longer therefore there is a noticeable difference in aft cabin room.

I would go for the 36', you can't go wrong and if it a good deal with no thruster I know an outfit that installed ours for less than any local boat yards around and completed it in one day. Excellent job and it has been handy in the last five years. (East Coast Bow Thrusters, Joe Molinaro)

Good luck Eli. If you look at a GB in Maine, let me know, I might be able to shed some light on it.
Best regards,
Mike Dana
Third Reef
36' Grand Banks Classic #819
Potts Harbor Maine

 

[Tiffany]

While not owning a GB, but a Danish-built Apollo, I looked at both single and dual-engined Apollo 32s when I was purchasing. The space for dealing with dual Perkins was formidable, while the access to the single T6-354 was far more inviting. Soon after purchase however (and admitting my lower competence as a skipper), the prospect of a bow thruster became readily apparent. In short, best money I've spent of a boat - a 3.5 hp. Lewmar.
The installation I did myself, reducing the boatyard's $12,000 quote to $3,800 all in, including some assistance from an electrical engineer. For the engine i redid the hoses, belts and injectors, impeller and raw water pump internal seals and cam. Once you eliminate the few things that are most likely to cause a 'quit' on a diesel, short of a catastrophic engine failure you'll probably be okay.
My neighbour with a pair of Lehmans was continually having to call out the mechanics as the tight space made regular maintenance daunting.

 

[Circumnavigator]

The single versus twin argument is of long standing here. I'll see if I can summarize fairly, but my choice will be clear.


Single
- Assuming it has a skeg under the prop and rudder, much better protection from logs and other things that will wipe out both sides of a twin. If it doesn't have a skeg, forget it.

- Easier access in engine room -- both sides of the main easily accessible.
- Possibly larger fuel tanks, hence more range. The second engine weighs as much as 200 gallons of fuel.
- Less maintenance, although this is only a few hours a year changing oil and winterizing.
-Somewhat lower fuel consumption. This is less true of modern common rail engines that do much better than fuel injection pump engines at part throttle.


Twins:
- Redundancy, although this is somewhat overrated. The principal reason for an out of the blue diesel failure is bad fuel, so with a typical setup a load of bad fuel without really good filtration will put both engines down.
- Those who like twins would put "easier to dock" here, but I can put both Fintry (150 tons, 79') and Morning Light (20 tons, 42') anywhere I want them and turn them in their own length. Both have bow thrusters and their big props and rudders act as stern thrusters when needed. Parallel parking is no problem.



You will, as noted above, have trouble finding a single screw GB42. I know you said not to make other suggestions, but you might look at the Kadey-Krogen 42s for a single.



There's probably enough room in an engine room with a single to put in a Quick Gyro Stabilizer -- 24" cube, 1,100 pounds for Morning Light -- and a world of difference in both boats.


Jim

 

[rslifkin]

Twins:
- Redundancy, although this is somewhat overrated. The principal reason for an out of the blue diesel failure is bad fuel, so with a typical setup a load of bad fuel without really good filtration will put both engines down.

There is definitely a valid concern about common failures with 2 engines. But at the same time, even if you've got bad fuel in all of the tanks, it's unlikely that both will quit at the same time (unless we're talking fuel bad enough to clog the filters in a couple of minutes).

From my experience, most of the causes of engine shutdowns have been ancillary components on the engines. Things like a fuel pump failure, cooling system problem, transmission issue, etc. Many of those failures don't actually stop the engine but cause you to turn it off to avoid damage or because it's no longer useful for propulsion.

 

[DaleH]

Howdy, 36 CL twin 135s and twin beds.

We completed our LOOP in a larger vessel and I knew I'd be scaling back a bit when finished. Even looked at a couple 36s while on LOOP and have been aboard and operated two 42s. While they may profile look similar - the 42 is a much larger vessel. I only wanted a GB, and I agree there are a couple / few other manufacturers that offer excellent vessels.

For me: I wanted lower windage, lower boarding height, lower freeboard - the 36 works well, the 42 is 'more' everywhere. Both track well, and from my somewhat limited anchor experiences I am pleased the 36 tracks pretty well. ((Comparison to a planning hull high bridge vessel we loop'd on - she was very 'active' at anchor))

I wanted twins. The Lehman 135 Twins fit in the ER, however outboard on either engine is challenging. Best news, they are extremely reliable - reputation as I've only gotten a few hundred hours after possession. The Cummings 5.9 is also a great motor, it is a bit wider so twins would be more constrained. ((I only wanted a naturally aspirated - just didn't want to have additional 'stuff'))

Beds; The aft cabin has twin beds - pullman configuration with the port side 'slider' to reduce 'intrusion' when not in use. We believe we prefer the centerline config - However, we like the additional floor space with the twins. Something to think about. My conversations with a couple other 36 owners provided that 'insight'. A choice perhaps worth considering.

We really like our stall shower.... just saying

We have a '90 (#958) so have the 'widened & lengthened' hull which didn't (from what I have researched) change the cabins - but did add a couple inches to each walkway . . . . and a couple inches to the outboard engine spaces. I doubt that is noticeable - I haven't crawled around in the pre '87 and honestly don't want to.

Tanks; I searched for a Pre-purchase Surveyor with GB experience - reviewed a couple reports and specifically indicated I was concerned with the original steel fuel tanks. Yeah - you already know, survey was "Good to Better Condition, no evidence of concerns" First underway after possession I was changing primary fuel filters every 20 mi (stbd) - I now have shiny new sparkly fuel tanks and am finally over the anx (well kindof). There is NO secret to the achilles heel of GB tanks - the deck fills. If the previous owners have maintained the deck fill fittings - seals around the fittings the decks shouldn't leak / dribble water on top of the tanks. If they leak, the water sits and corrodes and enters the tanks and does the nasty, also rolls off the backside and sitts below bottom on tank where the growing nasty cannot be seen. Problem with scoping original tanks (even with access ports) it the incredible baffles - they are almost impossible to steer a bore / video scope into more than the first one or two sections. (I paid a professional tank cleaning company to evaluate and clean - they did, the two sections they could access). Caveat Emptor However, I really enjoy having coffee in my ER with my shinny new tanks.

Sorry for longish note - if I can answer any other questions please PM me. Always willing to Kibitz Boats

 

[Boomer]

My wife and I have been searching for "our" Grand Banks for over a year. We saw this beautiful 42 classic but were put off by the single engine. It has a bow thruster and an attractive price. It's on the east coast though. Maybe you can work it out.
42 ft 1982 Grand Banks 42 Motoryacht, GRACE
US$89,000
Chesapeake Va

 

[hiker519]

36 or 42 GB Classic

As the owner of a GB 36 Classic Trawler, here's my two cents.

I would love the room a 42 offers, but not sure it is worth it for a single cruiser when compared to the added expense of the 6 additional feet when hauling, slip rental, painting..you get the idea.
As for single vs. twin engines, I have twin Lehmans so docking is easy and power is plentiful for pushing through rough chop. Engine room space for servicing the engines is only for the tiny or the contortionist. A single with bow thruster sounds ideal.
Replaced the tanks and removed the teak decks. If leaking tanks, don't give up on the boat. Certified welders can open tanks and weld in new pieces. Navy and CG do it.
Jay
Signal V
Galesville, MD

 

[Eli27]

My wife and I have been searching for "our" Grand Banks for over a year. We saw this beautiful 42 classic but were put off by the single engine. It has a bow thruster and an attractive price. It's on the east coast though. Maybe you can work it out.
42 ft 1982 Grand Banks 42 Motoryacht, GRACE
US$89,000
Chesapeake Va

I looked at this ad some time ago. I know im going to offend people and be called out but thats ok.

Although i really like this style because of the spacious aft cabin, I dont think for single handing its a great boat. Im gonna get real wordy here so sorry in advance.

First, I dont like the long walk from the bridge to the bow (remember im solo).

Second, (go ahead and laugh at me) due to the single engine, if an emergency came up and i needed to deploy an aft anchor,,, I dont like it. In my head first thing is where am i going to store it (yes dock box i get it) there is something in my head about the height in the aft that doesnt sit well with me. A bit more surface area for wind docking.

Third, I admit 100% that im a newbie to the bigger boats. That being said Im getting myself into this with the mindset of i know what i want to do so what are the dangers? My inexperience of being solo is one.

Ive been on the water plenty. Ive been given the controls plenty. Ive docked all kinds. Single twins I/O and Outboards (but never ran a single with BT). As i say that, there was always another human or 2 or 3 aboard. Most of those time (MOST) somebody was on board with much more knowledge than me.

Knowledge!! Experience!! Id like to think I have a bit of both. Will i be crossing the atlantic? Hell NO! But ive never been on a boat in a with an emergency. That being said, im trying to be as ready as possible if SHTF.

You cant be ready for everything but you can prepare the best you can. And thats my goal!

Safety above everything else. Now, if had a partner,,,, i probably would of bought that same boat and would be on the water at this moment. That boat is a nice boat. 2 people,,,, running it, no problem!

Eli

P.S. this was only a few issues that i see. Im hoping newbies such as myself read this and understand that it can get pretty stupid pretty quick when your out on the water. Nothing beats knowledge and experience. Especially when SHTF and time is of the essence.

I like watching deadliest catch. In one episode Captain Sig of the Northwestern is in a bay and he loses electrical power. He screams to someone (i think his brother) to drop anchor because he lost control. Hence the rear anchor (for me)

 

[Blissboat]

We saw this beautiful 42 classic but were put off by the single engine. It has a bow thruster and an attractive price. It's on the east coast though. Maybe you can work it out.
42 ft 1982 Grand Banks 42 Motoryacht, GRACE
US$89,000
Chesapeake Va

That 42' MY with the single Lehman is an interesting and certainly an unusual GB. Looks to be a pretty decent boat at a good price. Hard to judge how well the deck replacement was executed, but at least that job has been done.

A single 120 hp Lehman is ample for a 36' GB, but with the extra weight, girth and windage of a 42', my instinct would favor having a few more "Mister Eds" hitched up to the propellor shaft. A single 210 hp Caterpillar 3208 would about perfect.

I used to run a 36' GB Europa with a single Cat 3208 NA, and found it a nearly perfect combination. You could practically make that boat stand up and dance gracefully on its hind legs. An added bow thruster made it a complete piece of cake to handle. Still had adequate room to work in the engine compartment.

 

[psneeld]

I have had many single engine emergencies for numerous problems from unknown smoke, fuel leaks with danger of major fire, dampner plate failure, engine stopping from air in fuel, overtemping engine...maybe more but you get the point...just the ones above account for 20-25 times and many were in either bad conditions, crowded waterways or following currents near bridges.

I NEVER deployed a stern anchor and had time to deploy a bow anchor even a few times the windlass was acting up and I had to hand release the anchor. Driving a single engine requires thinking ahead to propulsion issues that may require dropping anchor. Just stay out of those very small, specific times and places as much as possible and bow anchoring is not really out of the question....especially on a GB 42. If coming down from the bridge, just getting to the bow from the stern should only take minimal time in the whole evolution. personally, in those situation, I would just run from the lower station to begin with if getting to the bow was a stretch.

 

[Eli27]

I have had many single engine emergencies for numerous problems from unknown smoke, fuel leaks with danger of major fire, dampner plate failure, engine stopping from air in fuel, overtemping engine...maybe more but you get the point...just the ones above account for 20-25 times and many were in either bad conditions, crowded waterways or following currents near bridges.

I NEVER deployed a stern anchor and had time to deploy a bow anchor even a few times the windlass was acting up and I had to hand release the anchor. Driving a single engine requires thinking ahead to propulsion issues that may require dropping anchor. Just stay out of those very small, specific times and places as much as possible and bow anchoring is not really out of the question....especially on a GB 42. If coming down from the bridge, just getting to the bow from the stern should only take minimal time in the whole evolution. personally, in those situation, I would just run from the lower station to begin with if getting to the bow was a stretch.

Appreciate your time. Honestly im hoping nothing ever happens but as you know,,, they do!!

Again maybe im wrong but ive got this kinda set in my head that i want to able to run aroung the entire boat with barely any obstructions. One of the reasons now why a port door is looking more and more enticing.

Like i said from the start, i have 0 experience in a bad situation. (except that one time,,, during hurricane bob i took the boat out in greenwich bay during the storm and nothing happened other than the ride of my life. little 18ft cuddy with an outboard and i was 13. But thats a story for another time) And yes, i was STUPID. But it was fun at the time.

Another reason for the anchor. During those yrs at 12-13 i remember jumping in a dinghy at the dock to grab some blue crabs. While i was doing my thing a boat was coming to the mooring field (30-35fter?) and i remember watching ( i was no where near in the way) the boat come in and as he was going to approach his ball he needed to head towards the shore and then turn to starboard. While im watching this all unfold in front of me i felt like he needed to start turning to starboard and didnt.

At that exact moment when im thinking when is he gonna turn, the engine quit. The moment that engine quit he was already aft throwing an anchor and slowed the boat down to a stop. He got close to shore but nevertheless he was ok.

I beg you not to think i would 2nd guess you and i am not telling you what you know or dont know. So please all im doing is throwing a thought out there,,,

If you lose propulsion and distance IS a factor (something directly ahead) would you rather drop a bow anchor or a stern anchor?

If im correct, a bow anchor will drop to the bottom catch and start turning the boat to stern with 0 control port or starboard.

An aft anchor will slow the boat down on the line its heading but will travel less due to the tie off at the stern. The actual drop point is the length of the boat.

Now, YES!! We can factor in tide, depth, current, wind and all the other stuff that goes with it. But in my humble opinion its not a bad idea to have a stern anchor(just in case)

Going back to my childhood story. There is no doubt in my mind that if he deployed a bow anchor the boat would of been aground, stern first.

I remember asking him later on what happened to his engine and i remember him answering me "thats why you have an anchor in the front AND the back kid". And me being a 13yr old idiot i was pissed because i thought i asked him about his engine, not the stupid anchor IN THE BACK.

And this is before i took the family boat out by myself in hurricane bob. I obviously wasnt too smart as kid. People would say to me wow that takes balls to go out in that. And im like uuuhhhhh noooooo its called stupidity.

Any way sorry for the long reply. But i cant say this enough, please dont think im second guessing you in anyway shape or form. I know your a wealth of knowledge and experience and im trying my absolute best not be mouthy or condescending in any way. I love learning and i may push people sometimes but its only to figure something out.

Eli

 

[psneeld]

If your stern anchor is as good as your bow anchor (in emergency situations rule out daforth types as hooking is iffy by most accounts) and it has all chain rode (setting at shorter scope) and you can handle it all easily because of launch gear, then sure a stern anchor would be great...be even better if it was self deploying and remote controlled too.

But in most vessels under 42 feet...that is not a typical scenario....whereas most serious cruisers I know have a bruiser anchor on the bow, all chain rode and a windlass to handle it all efficiently.

That is why dropping a bow anchor even with only feet to spare can work...but like I said, planning approaches and tracks is everything when driving a single and watching most boaters is a lesson of what not to do, not of what to do.

 

[Eli27]

If your stern anchor is as good as your bow anchor (in emergency situations rule out daforth types as hooking is iffy by most accounts) and it has all chain rode (setting at shorter scope) and you can handle it all easily because of launch gear, then sure a stern anchor would be great...be even better if it was self deploying and remote controlled too.

But in most vessels under 42 feet...that is not a typical scenario....whereas most serious cruisers I know have a bruiser anchor on the bow, all chain rode and a windlass to handle it all efficiently.

That is why dropping a bow anchor even with only feet to spare can work...but like I said, planning is everything and watching most boaters is a lesson of what not to do, not of what to do.

"Planning is everything" Thats my MO. I appreciate your time sir.

Eli

 

[ranger58sb]

Although i really like this style because of the spacious aft cabin, I dont think for single handing its a great boat. Im gonna get real wordy here so sorry in advance.

First, I dont like the long walk from the bridge to the bow (remember im solo).

Second, (go ahead and laugh at me) due to the single engine, if an emergency came up and i needed to deploy an aft anchor,,, I dont like it.

Hence the rear anchor (for me)

Just to be sure you're aware, many times a bow anchor on a windlass can be deployed from the helm. There's a catch, in that usually you'd have to go forward to release the chain stopper first... but that sometimes doesn't take long, and afterwards you can control the rest of an anchor deployment from elsewhere... either remote switches at the helm(s) or remote fobs on your person.

Which leads to other "remote control" possibilities. Bow thruster remotes, not hugely expensive can be similar: fixed at the helm(s) and/or on your bod. A Yacht Controller (or similar) is a more expensive version that can control thruster(s) and gear(s) from the helm(s) and/or wherever you happen to be standing. (Might well be over your budget; just filling in some info in case you didn't know.) Sort of like a portable auxiliary control station -- perhaps in a more useful location for docking -- another option which you could add to many boats easily enough.

I didn't look at the listing for that particular GB, but assuming a lower helm and side door... the walk from there to the bow is maybe about as short as you're going to find on any boat. Wouldn't surprise me if it's a shorter distance to the bow than to the stern.

A pre-rigged stern anchor, perhaps like a Fortress isn't a horrible idea for potential emergencies... although I see PSN wouldn't be in favor of that style... but anyway when you look at boats in the harbor, you might only see a stern anchor very occasionally. Some might be there but not obvious because of mounting issues (for example, ours would be hidden in our "garage" -- if I get around to completing the rigging -- and dealing with a useful amount of line in there will be an issue). But still rare, I think.

-Chris