And hold your hand over the vent to make sure there is air flow. I have seen more than one owner satisfied he could hear the blowers but never realized the hose had either deteriorated or fell off.
Buying delimma?
- Thread starter toocoys
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Portage_Bay
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2015
- Messages
- 2,457
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Pacific Myst
- Vessel Make
- West Bay 4500
I'll jump in here with regard to gassers vs diesels. I've run both gassers and diesels since I was a young pup. As many here have said be anal about maintenance, materials, systems and procedures. And SNIFF. Do install fume detectors if not already installed but know that your nose is more sensitive than the gizmos. If gassers were a bomb waiting to go off then all the beer fuled ski and wakeboard boats out on a sunny Saturday would be going off like popcorn. I think your point about range is a major part of the decision. If you don't need long range then it's hard to financially justify diesels. I've had a gasser for a while now but am shopping for diesels becuase I'm moving from the occasional short trips to months long, long distance cruising.
Regarding cost of ownership, espeically for short local trips, fuel will be the least of your expenses. Buy the boat you like that will suit your needs. I'll wager that over 10 yrs the Bertram will coast a lot more than the Mainship to own and operate. But she'll have a lot more room as a liveabaord. In my opinion that's the decision, not the type of fuel burned.
Regarding cost of ownership, espeically for short local trips, fuel will be the least of your expenses. Buy the boat you like that will suit your needs. I'll wager that over 10 yrs the Bertram will coast a lot more than the Mainship to own and operate. But she'll have a lot more room as a liveabaord. In my opinion that's the decision, not the type of fuel burned.
janice142
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2011
- Messages
- 1,243
- Location
- USofA
- Vessel Name
- Seaweed
- Vessel Make
- Schucker mini-trawler
Another thing that may seem obvious is to actually LOOK in your bilge before starting your engine. Is there any sheen on the water down there? Take a gander at your engine and you might just recognize something different.
The boat a few down from me was being started. When the hatches were raised we spotted transmission fluid in the bilge. Further investigation found wires that had somehow gotten sucked into the housing at the rear.
It was an expensive repair, however IF the owner had not checked, it could have been far worse. I've see a sailboat that dang near sunk because wires wrapped around his shaft and started to remove same!
That was resolved by an emergency haul-out.
The boat a few down from me was being started. When the hatches were raised we spotted transmission fluid in the bilge. Further investigation found wires that had somehow gotten sucked into the housing at the rear.
It was an expensive repair, however IF the owner had not checked, it could have been far worse. I've see a sailboat that dang near sunk because wires wrapped around his shaft and started to remove same!
That was resolved by an emergency haul-out.
Last edited:
dhays
Guru
- Joined
- May 26, 2015
- Messages
- 9,045
- Location
- United States
- Vessel Name
- Kinship
- Vessel Make
- North Pacific 43
Like my buddy John, I know nothing. However, I’d lean towards the MS. Newer boat. You are on it now and like it. Much cheaper. Being that I do know nothing, I’d have a mechanical survey done (unless I missed that it has already been done?) and ask the mechanic specifically about the fuel system. If there is any doubt about age of hoses and connections, I’d pay a professional to replace them (let them provide the skinny 10 year old).
Bilge blowers work, when they are in good repair. In my limited experience with gas boats, even I, stupid as I am, never had a problem remembering to run the blowers before starting.
Bilge blowers work, when they are in good repair. In my limited experience with gas boats, even I, stupid as I am, never had a problem remembering to run the blowers before starting.
