1977 Marine trader questions

[Propnut]

Hi there,
We’re in New Bern and plan on starting the loop this spring on our trawler. Maybe we should meet sometime before then and chat. Possibly travel together some. I’m a fairly handy on most systems on the boat .

 

[alormaria]

The farthest trip I've been on was a 1500 mile part of the little loop. I went to buy a spare alternator for the trip and the guy running the parts store said not to bother. He could overnight me any part for a Lehman that I could ever need.

I actually needed a number 1 injector line about a mile off the coast of New Jersey. I bought a full set but have only used the number 1 line.

Keep your fuel clean and go. Just go.

 

[Group9]

Any chance you added fuel to both tanks? I have lately kept both tanks near 1/2 and when I add, I do so into one tank and let crossover level off. That pushes fuel from bottom, not newly added. So if one engine was fouled, both would not as you would then isolate the tanks. IMO

It was a rough day and I think it just sloshed up all the crap up from the bottom from the bad fuel. We were running both engines off one tank. If I had been smart, I would hurried to switch the other engine to the other tank. But, I wasn't.

 

[Vandeusen]

Absolutely

Hi there,
We’re in New Bern and plan on starting the loop this spring on our trawler. Maybe we should meet sometime before then and chat. Possibly travel together some. I’m a fairly handy on most systems on the boat .

I would love to

 

[Vandeusen]

Well I picked up the 1977 Marine trader Saturday and took it on a 83 mile journey back to Oriental North Carolina. A couple of times it tried to bog down on me and I just let off on the throttle and then engage the throttle again and she kept going I'm assuming it's dirty filters I am ordering all new filters fuel, oil, water today so that they all can be swapped out as well as putting some diesel treatment inside the tanks to help if there's water issues afterwards. Engine ran around 200° and in the rough sound she was pretty smooth unlike my Silverton where I would have been bouncing around a little.

The only problem I have with the Marine trader is after purchase I discovered it's fiberglass over wood when I was told it was a fiberglass boat. And yes like all old Marine traders, there is plenty of water damage to go around. Also, I didn't think about checking the swim platform and apparently somebody didn't like the previous owner and took all the screws out of it so shortly after being underway I look back to check that the impeller was working good and noticed I no longer owned a swimming platform LOL I was really nervous sleeping in it on the journey back when I saw 3 inch roaches crawling around the thing needless to say as soon as I docked it next to my Silverton I immediately through eight roach bombs throughout the two berths two heads and galley area an hour later the floor was full of dead bugs when I checked the outside storage compartment on the stern I noticed they tried to run to that area so I dropped a couple of bombs in there die suckers die!! I'm awake this morning and I'm about to go with my shop vac and start sucking up some roaches and start the cleaning process of this very very dirty boat

Does this forum have where you can upload pictures for people to see? I haven't found how to do that yet

 

[Vandeusen]

The farthest trip I've been on was a 1500 mile part of the little loop. I went to buy a spare alternator for the trip and the guy running the parts store said not to bother. He could overnight me any part for a Lehman that I could ever need.

I actually needed a number 1 injector line about a mile off the coast of New Jersey. I bought a full set but have only used the number 1 line.

Keep your fuel clean and go. Just go.

Seems like parts for the Ford leaman engine is plentiful and that's good to know

 

[Vandeusen]

I do have a dingy with a two horsepower gas motor and I don't have a problem keeping 5 gallons of gas on board for it as it is mixed gas the trawler holds 100 gallons of diesel 2 50 gallon tanks

A friend told me I had balls for just getting in it and sailing away 83 miles I told him heck you only live once so far I've been lucky mechanically my Silverton which is now for sale and the Marine trader were good buys.

 

[Vandeusen]

The other thing I might mention about this vessel is it contains all of the 100% teak that was in the boat when purchased new including the railings the emblems are still on the boat and I can see being the same size as my Silverton it being a little more roomier inside thus I think I would be a lot more comfortable living aboard the Great loop in the trawler

 

[Vandeusen]

Something else I might consider, since the stove is propane and the trailer wasn't equipped with a generator so I picked up a 4000 Watt propane generator to mount on the little platform on the flybridge so that it's out of the way I may consider figuring out how to possibly make that two horsepower motor into a propane motor for the dinghy so that all the fuel on board is just Diesel and propane I wonder if that's even possible?

 

[grahamdouglass]

You've mentioned a single engine as an area of concern. In the 14 years of owning my boat, a 1980 Marine Trader with a Ford Lehman 2715E, my engine has sputtered only once, it did not stop. The problem might have been air in the fuel system, so I tightened all the connections on my fuel supply. You'll find a copy of a Ford Lehman manual on this website.

You might want to do an electrical survey or audit with a marine electrician, that could be money well spent. And doing the work recommended yourself would be a learning experience. With a copy of Dan Calder and Youtube you could start the long road of Taiwanese boat maintenance. Pacific Yacht Systems has a library of videos on various electrical topics.

 

[Vandeusen]

Thank you, I did order all filters today and my mechanic that went with me when I picked it up to get a quick mechanic view will be coming over this afternoon to check out the boat more thoroughly in the meantime I'm just cleaning all the dead roaches out LOL

 

[High Wire]

I would not even pick up the boat without Seatow or Boat/US unlimited towing insurance. Pay for your first year then re-evaluate for next year. When you think about what you get for less than $200, all of the emergency get-home rigs for that boat don’t make any sense except twins. And it’s too late for that!
BTW no one will like being near you with a 4000 watt generator on your fly bridge! Have mercy for your neighbors.

 

[Vandeusen]

I have both us and have had them for months I was good

 

[Vandeusen]

I would only use generator as a backup as I'm installing solar and wind generator.

 

[Elmo]

Our 1984 MT 34 had a mast. Original was mostly decorative but its intended use was as a steadying sail in cross waves, and to reduce hunting at anchor. Both uses require decent sail and tackle.

We are Great Lakes but still installed a by pass filter, prelude, dual racor primary with spin on secondary fuel filters, and oil change system. Also looked at fuel polishing but didn't think it worth while in our cooler climate. Had a back up electric fuel pump especially handy for bleeding lines in nasty conditions and in case engine pupm failed. Would have loved a day tank installed, that was good advice above. If you notice, there is a common thread to my extra expenses, clean reliable fuel and clean oil.

Had a second mechanical temp gauge installed on engine for engine checks while running and also used a hand parometer. Installed quick change kit on impeller and kept all impeller tools and spares in box beside impeller. Followed all maint. schedule and did proper warm ups and cool downs.

Had a system to Quick launch the 15 hp rib to more or less steer the disabled boat to best safe spot or to where 200 ft rode could reach. Good cell and radio and flares and anchor system... and still worried everytime there was a hick up... if you can't get past the worrying you shouldn't go out. If you don't worry you shouldn't go out.

 

[Vandeusen]

Ty for your advise and input.. we just got done pressure washing it, mechanic already went thru it and gave thumbs up.. there is 2818 hrs on motor.. just now dealing with cosmetics and a couple of leaks..

 

[Vandeusen]

So the Marine Trader came with the Raytheon and although I can see the buttons light up the screen does not nor do I hear the radar moving on the mast like I do my furano.. do you guys think it's worth getting another screen at this point or just do away with it all together?

 

[Vandeusen]

Does anyone know what size sail or what kind I need to put back on the 77 trader 34ft?

 

[catalinajack]

I would love to learn how far people have taken their single engine trawlers out to sea

This one is easy. Wxx3 (screen name), Richard on Dauntless, who used to post frequently on this forum, took his Lehman 135 single-engine Krogen 42 to Europe and back and through the Panama Canal. Last I knew he was in the Pacific Northwest somewhere. Distance traveled in one hop? I don't know, 2,500, 3,000 miles?

 

[Vandeusen]

Nice

 

[ljk]

This gets my cote

For any single engine trawler, the best "get home" solution will be external to your boat, either an assistance towing contract or your own adequately powered dinghy, tied tightly to your hip. If you want 5 knots, that will take the same hp as if your main engine is powering you at 5 knots, so for a 40' trawler, likely a minimum of 25 hp. No sail of the size possible on a trawler will get you that anywhere close to that hp, and a sail on your own mast will not be in the right place on the boat for propulsion. It would need to be much bigger, further forward and much more adjustable. Your hull has the wrong kind of keel for sailing, so there can never be an adequate sail solution.

Simplest solution is the outboard powered dinghy, IMHO

 

[Vandeusen]

I have a dingy and gas motor but I don't think it would be enough to do anything for the trawler as it's only I think a 2.2 horsepower motor but it's enough to get me from mooring ball to the marina or from Anchorage to the parts store LOL

 

[Vandeusen]

Would anyone have any idea where or how to get the steading sail for my trawler?

 

[slowgoesit]

I would love to learn how far people have taken their single engine trawlers out to sea

Original owners of our boat brought her home to Seattle from Philippines by way of the Aleutians on her own bottom. I still have the original charts aboard with their track shown . . . Single engine, but with get home capability through the generator engine running a hydraulic pump to a hydraulic motor, chain drive to main shaft. It's never been needed in 39 years of running . . .

 

[Vandeusen]

Wow very nice

 

[CharlieO.]

Would anyone have any idea where or how to get the steading sail for my trawler?

I found my original steadying sail when I cleaned out the boat after purchase. I emptied all the lockers just to find out what was on the boat. I think mine was in a milk crate with a bunch of other stuff under the fly bridge dash.

I could try to measure it for you if you'd like.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. V. To the best of my memory (poor) the steadying sail on our 1979 MT was 6' (base) X 8' (height). Making it about 24 sq. ft. I flew it a couple of times and it wasn't worth the trouble, IMHO. A curiosity, at best.

 

[Vandeusen]

Ty I wonder if that would be the same measurement for a 77 34 ft Trader

 

[koliver]

I had a ketch rigged sailboat before my present trawler. At least that boat had a bit of sailboat keel, which kept it upright , more or less, when sailing. in 37 ft , it had 100ft or so in the mizzen and 3 or 4 times that in the main, plus headsails, so 550sqft or so all in. That is to drive a 19000 lb boat in a hull designed to optimize its performance at displacement speed.
Just sayin....

 

[Vandeusen]

Can someone help me out with this, the paperwork that I got from my seller and what's registered on the Coast guard website as discroller is Coast guard registered says that my 1977 Marine Trader 34 foot has a 7 ft draft? Can that possibly be right? I understand it's going to have a little keel for the potential of the steeding sale but I was thinking more like three and a half 4 ft at the most can you guys shut some light to this thank you