Name the one thing you dislike about your boat

[BrianG]

Better engine access. Having to move furniture out of the way to have access to the engine hatches is unacceptable.

Longer legs. Star only carries 240 gallons total.



No Bow Thruster


My Solution is this:
Since Star is 38-39 years old and has had 6 owners with varying degrees of skill and ability (I pulled a shoebox full of wire nuts out of her when I got her). My solution is to put Star through a complete overhaul. Fix all the Dock Rash, New Wiring, Plumbing, add propane, New hardwood floors (I HATE carpet), Radar Arch, Hard Aft & flybridge bimini roofs, Bow & Stern Thrusters, New Swim platform (Stainless folding), Dink storage over the Aft Bimini, Solar over the Flybridge, etc, etc, etc. Basically, keep the hull, engines, & genset and redo the rest.

Will you put larger fuel tanks?

 

[BrianG]

Brian, when I said 'bigger boat', I mean 10ft not 2 ft.
I lived alone, I had lots of space for everything.
Then my beautiful sweet 'house mouse' moved on board. The shower got smaller.... women gotta have special products to maintain their smooth skin and hair and and. I gave up 3 of the 4 drawers in the stateroom plus a small cupboard. The small hanging closet? I told her 1/2, she thought I said 3/4s.
Of course, if I did buy a bigger boat, her clothing and beauty supplies would immediate expand to fill all the available space and then some. LOL Maybe I should rename the boat, "No more room". Yen is Vietnamese and I dont think she understands the concept of "no more room". Her sister is a seamstress and keeps sending her more clothes. I asked Yen to please explain to her sister, "no more room". I suspect Yen told her sister, "Send more clothes." Soooo, I complain about the small hanging closet. Gotta love it.

My partner is asian also. She takes to boats. I swear it's genetic. When I got the boat she saw flaws even the surveyor missed. She's also petit and agile. Good boating partner.

 

[markpierce]

Is there one thing you don't like about your boat? One thing I dislike about mine is the gear lever positions are the opposite of every boat I've owned. To Reverse you push the gear lever away from you, to go Forward you pull the gear lever toward you. Makes it difficult to operate the boat intuitively in tight spots. Muscle memory kicks in.

That is how it works on my automobiles.

 

[BrianG]

That is how it works on my automobiles.

I'd be curious to know if this a common configuration on boats. My sample size is small, Ive robably operated less than a dozen different boat in my life. They were all PUSH the control lever for FORWARD and PULL for REVERSE.

 

[Spinner]

No cover over the ladder opening on the boat deck. It’s puzzling why Nordic Tugs didn’t put a cover on this opening....

 

[psneeld]

I'd be curious to know if this a common configuration on boats. My sample size is small, Ive robably operated less than a dozen different boat in my life. They were all PUSH the control lever for FORWARD and PULL for REVERSE.

No not common, often simple to fix.

 

[OldDan1943]

No not common, often simple to fix.

Do you have electronic or cable controls?

 

[psneeld]

Either one.

Cable is changed at the control end....electronic you change the bracket on the tranny if the control head cant be electrically changed.

 

[ranger58sb]

Need a low profile swim ladder that does not play with the stern lines.

The large above deck railings/handles are excellent for exiting the water and boarding a dinghy, but they are a challenge stern-to with stern lines on fixed docks in tidal zones.

Perhaps a pair of more serious cleats on the aft corners of the swim platform... for normal (non-storm) use?

-Chris

 

[psneeld]

Perhaps a pair of more serious cleats on the aft corners of the swim platform... for normal (non-storm) use?

-Chris

Possibly pop ups......

 

[StarChaser]

BrianG,



I'll replace the existing with the same size. the there isn't any extra space where they are. (Outboard of the engines & under the side decks. Absolutely no access to them.) There is room under the aft cabin floor for 2 more tanks of about 55 gal each. I'll hard plumb them from the original tanks to the aft tanks and feed the engines from the aft tanks. All the new tanks will be stainless steel, including the water tanks.

 

[Medic]

It needs stabilizers. I have the room in the laz for a Seakeeper, and it was going to be my winter project by professionals while I have a total shoulder replacement.

When I bought it I was told to really try it first as it was because stabilizers would be so infrequently needed. But the seller was, first, a day cruiser, and I cruise often 24/7 for a few days at a time; and second, cruises in most often calm conditions, while I take whatever is thrown at me as long as it is well within safe parameters.

Alas, with the hysteria surrounding the coronavirus my business was decimated. Will have to wait and see what the spring season brings. Either a Seakeeper or will quite possibly sell the boat.

But, getting back to the point - stabilizers.

 

[OldDan1943]

It needs stabilizers. I have the room in the laz for a Seakeeper, and it was going to be my winter project by professionals while I have a total shoulder replacement.
But, getting back to the point - stabilizers.

Good luck and quick healing with your shoulder replacement. May it be everything you hope for.

Hyd stabilizers are either engine driven or a separate hyd pump. On my N46, I had hyd stabilizers driven off the main engine. The down side, gotta remember to center them before you are backing down and, at anchor the are ineffective to prevent rolling.
As I understand it, Seakeepers are electrically driven. I am guessing, 120vt, I really dont know.

 

[menzies]

You need to have a pure sine wave generator running for the seakeeper.

 

[Conrad]

Two things:
1) Engine access
2) Chine slap

Ditto.

 

[SteveK]

The stairs. Going forward down to V berth, more like a ladder. Best to go down backwards. Down to the aft cabin is 3 large steps 12- 11-12 inch.

 

[Beaverlake]

Like Steve, stairs to lower companionway and like many others service access in the engine room.

 

[Art]

My Wish List:

Design and install twin skinny but very rugged keels with skegs that each extend under one of the twin pops and that have the rudders pinned into berings in each skeg.

I'm sure the twin keels would create more drag and therefore reduce cruising speed, as well as to increase fuel use.

Therefore [to maintain (or even increase) planing cruise speed capability] I'd need to put in new more powerful gassers or rebuild the existing 350 cid's to get more power from them. To get more power and also maintain or improve mpg fuel use... new diesels would be required.

Just dreaming here - Our Tolly's great fun and just fine as is!

 

[BrianG]

Do you have electronic or cable controls?

chain and cable

 

[psneeld]

chain and cable

Is that shift controls or steering or a combo of both?

 

[SteveK]

chain and cable

That be steering, I think the question was for forward/reverse cable or electronic. Those can be swapped.

 

[OldDan1943]

That be steering, I think the question was for forward/reverse cable or electronic. Those can be swapped.

I agree. Check to see if the existing cables can be re-routed.

 

[psneeld]

I agree. Check to see if the existing cables can be re-routed.

The cables DO NOT have to be rerouted normally, they just change position on the control forom above or below the pivot point to the other. The less desirable scenario is just switched direction where attached under the console.

 

[BrianG]

That be steering, I think the question was for forward/reverse cable or electronic. Those can be swapped.

Sorry. Brain fade. Cable. Steering on my mind because I'm installing an autopilot.

 

[Datenight]

The cables DO NOT have to be rerouted normally, they just change position on the control forom above or below the pivot point to the other. The less desirable scenario is just switched direction where attached under the console.

I think Paul is correct. Two boats ago I did some work that involver removing the throttle cable at the lower station. I hooked it up backwards. With the throttle in the usual idle position I started the engine at max throttle. Never pulled the kill cable so quick in my life.


As Paul said it should be as simple as changing the position of the cable.

Rob

 

[South of Heaven]

Im boatless now! So that's my biggest problem. Im looking to get into a 50-60 footer next season.

 

[Ben]

The Volvo engines....never again.

Oh? Do tell. We are searching for our next boat, and any Volvo engine owners I have met have been angry boaters, sober.

 

[HiDHo]

Stereotype not based on fact. I’ve owned and operated two boats with Volvo diesel engines. Both reliable and fuel efficient with normal maintenance.
Looking over the maintenance manuals for both engines indicated well built and engineered engines by a company still in business and providing engines for some of the best built boat manufacturers.

 

[firehoser75]

There are many relatively happy Volvo engine owners, and due to good marketing and pricing, are being used in many new boat models.
However, beg to differ HiDHo, from my personal experience, I would never own another (Volvo). Poor customer support, extreme difficulty accessing parts (even when only 4-5 years old), some mechanics would not work on it, and I also found parts to be expensive compared to other manufacturers. My engine, just after warranty (ended by time (years) not engine hours) experienced a total failure of the lower end due to a connecting rod cap (nut) not having been properly torgued from the factory. This finding was determined by a metallugical engineer who specializes in failure analysis, the insurance adjustor, and the repair mechanic. Each came to the same conclusion independently. Volvo blamed me for any number of things I "could" have done wrong (but in fact did not do) as to being the cause without even taking the time to investigate the issue. However, to be fair, after many hours of back and forth, me presenting several reports and all of the evidence, Volvo finally agree to pay my insurance deductible and let my insurance company pay for the rest.
Just my experience (oh, and by the way, a couple of other local owners of the same engine experienced similar failures). Others may have had different experiences with Volvo.
I would look at engines where parts are available like Ford Leman, Cummins, etc. even Yanmar.

 

[HiDHo]

I think all engine manufacturers have produced lemons, some by turbo charging to sell HP. The six cylinder Cummins engine a great design, but on my Dodge 2500 engine reliability was ruined by exhaust soot collection system that didn’t burn the soot as designed causing the engine to quit and ruining the turbo. The fix was illegal delete of all the EPA attachments or repairs, many many dollars either option. Cat diesels usually great engines but many say avoid the 3116 model, and so it goes.