Grand Banks 46

Good morning! I am considering purchasing a 46 Grand Banks, I currently own a smaller, (not a banks) trawler. The boat has the 375 Cats, hours in the high 3k. Any advice anyone can offer both in attempting to establish value, and specific things I should be on the lookout for in evaluating the boat? I have looked at sale prices online, and there are limited comparables and they seem to be all over the place. Any insights anyone can provide on both the boat and the process would be appreciated.

Thanks!

These are the asking prices for the Grand Bank 46 Classics currently on offer in Yachtworld.

There are a couple of outliers but otherwise there seems to be a pattern: $200k to 300k for the 1990s ones and quite a bit more for the 2000s ones.

Make sure that you have a mechanic that really knows the 3208TAs do an engine survey. That is a lot of hours for a TA version of the 3208. If it were a 3208NA the hours wouldn’t be a concern for me. Depending on how they have been run they may be nearing end of life or they may have been run slowly and have many more hours left on them. Check them closely and good luck!

Thanks for the input everyone, I'm currently running Lehman's, which I've always considered pretty indestructible. Wasn't planning on an upgrade yet, but boat appeared near us and was the three cabin option which we wanted. I viewed the engine hours from the perspective of my Lehman's, but seems like I should do some more research.

Loved the 46, just did Juneau to Ketchikan. I too am looking for a 46 or 47 CL. Different boats of course, with the latter 47 being more of a planing hull. We had the two stateroom galley down version, 2001 model. I found it to be very well built, laid out, high quality interior. Wife loved the galley, especially the commercial style refrigerators and freezer. Seems all boats now are selling near asking, been wondering when that will slow down or are we at a new normal with inflation being what it is. I'm looking at the top of the market, low hours, latter model, but nothing, just nothings out there for sale. Go for it if it checks out, I think you will like it. We were next in from the 64 Out Islander.

floatingmick said:

Thanks for the input everyone, I'm currently running Lehman's, which I've always considered pretty indestructible. Wasn't planning on an upgrade yet, but boat appeared near us and was the three cabin option which we wanted. I viewed the engine hours from the perspective of my Lehman's, but seems like I should do some more research.

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Nothing wrong with 3208s, but the TAs can be run much harder so their life may also be shorter. Not saying that the life will be short, but make sure they check out before buying since you don’t have any way if they were run hard for 3,000 hours or idled for that time.

I’m far less experienced so heavily discount my opinion, but the 3208’s run in a trawler low rpm don’t seem to be a problem. My mechanic has serviced mine (435hp) since new and at 2,400 hours swears by them.

bowball said:

I’m far less experienced so heavily discount my opinion, but the 3208’s run in a trawler low rpm don’t seem to be a problem. My mechanic has serviced mine (435hp) since new and at 2,400 hours swears by them.

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Agree, if they were run like a trawler then they should last almost forever, but if a PO ran the boat like a planing hull then they may not last as long. The problem is you don’t know how they have been run so get a really qualified Cat engine mechanic to check them out.

I'm sure you saw this one, seems to have the type of hours you are considering. And fiberglass decks, that has to be a plus although I love the look and feel of teak.

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1987/grand-banks-46-classic-3875639/

Comodave said:

Agree, if they were run like a trawler then they should last almost forever, but if a PO ran the boat like a planing hull then they may not last as long. The problem is you don’t know how they have been run so get a really qualified Cat engine mechanic to check them out.

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Although, said with some humor, the fuel burn increase when you go beyond trawler speeds on a semi displacement hull makes almost everyone runs these at trawler speeds! Sport fisherman planing boats hurrying to hit spits, yeah I’d be worried about those being run continuously at WOT!

Someone who could fork over the dollars to buy a new GB 46 probably has the money to burn fuel like crazy.

Comodave said:

Someone who could fork over the dollars to buy a new GB 46 probably has the money to burn fuel like crazy.

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No doubt, I’m sure. The Flemings and Grand Banks I’ve noticed here in British Columbia all run trawler speed though too! Maybe east coast out running weather or getting to moorage. Or we are just more irrational or frugal! ��

The great advice above about carefully having the engine checked though clearly is valid and important. I don’t want to minimize that.

If you buy a GB, I’d say you have no interest in going fast. If you did you would buy a planing hull.

hmason said:

If you buy a GB, I’d say you have no interest in going fast. If you did you would buy a planing hull.

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Then why do they put 400HP engines in them?

Comodave said:

Then why do they put 400HP engines in them?

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Fleming, for example, says it is for the optionality of being able to outrun weather or make moorage before dark. Tony Fleming gives an example of where he was cruising at 10kts and the weather service he used said if he increased to 14kts or something like that for 3 hours he would outrun the weather, which he did. And at the same speed the larger and smaller horsepower engines burn about the same.

That’s what I was told.

hmason said:

If you buy a GB, I’d say you have no interest in going fast. If you did you would buy a planing hull.

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Howard, They are planing hulls. All it takes is 40-50 gallons per hour. Never understood why they put Turbo after cooled engines in those boats. I guess post 15 explains it?

I have twin CAT 3116s turbo. 350 hp each. I once went 12 knots to make a bridge opening. I slowed way down afterwards to make up the fuel difference. I once hit 14 kts going through the Race on the Long Island Sound. Wow that was fast! Terrifying!

Adopo said:

I'm sure you saw this one, seems to have the type of hours you are considering. And fiberglass decks, that has to be a plus although I love the look and feel of teak.

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1987/grand-banks-46-classic-3875639/

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That's actually the boat. Good catch.

floatingmick said:

That's actually the boat. Good catch.

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Great! Looks nice, nice to see it in fresh water, would be a bonus if it spent much of it's life there. That is the perfect place to buy boats. short seasons, heated shed kept.

Just an update, have an accepted offer on the boat contingent on marine survey and a certified Cat tech. Excited, but I've seen a decent number of deals fall apart during survey. Cautiously optimistic.

And curious to take the temperature of the group on a survey, what for all of you are the deal destroyers in a marine survey? Obviously major mechanical, major glass issues, etc.

I have twin 3208 TA's in a GB49. Usual cruise speed 9 knots about 1.5 nm/gal. 10 knots is about 1 mile per gallon for both engines. 9 knots is about 1400 rpm and 10 knots is about 1700 rpm. Big difference in engine noise between 1400 and 1700 rpm and also size of bow and stern wave so the 9 knot is the speed of choice. The engines have about 4500 hrs and burn about a quart of oil per 100 engine hours. There seems to be lots of service hour life left. The boat weighs in at 75000 lbs with full fuel and water.

Thanks, I was attempting to lookup where I would be on fuel consumption.

floatingmick said:

And curious to take the temperature of the group on a survey, what for all of you are the deal destroyers in a marine survey? Obviously major mechanical, major glass issues, etc.

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Congrats & good luck! I have no direct experience but I believe those older GB's are like Taiwanese Trawlers in that the steel fuel tanks can rust out from above due to water getting in through the seal between the fuel fill and deck. This was the case on our CHB 41.

It's not a deal killer - we negotiated a repair allowance in our case. I think that's the case with most things if the seller is reasonable.

A friend of mine just bought an Offshore 48 with those engines. I recall him saying that the heat exchangers are a periodic maintenance item and extremely expensive to replace - I'd check around on that if I were in your shoes. I'm also coming from simple Lehman 120's, so nervous about all that complex high-temp pressurization

Congrats, we have a '95 46MY with 3208-435s.
Check to see when the last time the aftercoolers were checked.
Check the water tanks with a scope if you can. As stated the fuel tanks are prone to rusting on top. Besides that just normal teak boat stuff.

stiggy said:

Congrats, we have a '95 46MY with 3208-435s.
Check to see when the last time the aftercoolers were checked.
Check the water tanks with a scope if you can. As stated the fuel tanks are prone to rusting on top. Besides that just normal teak boat stuff.

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Thanks, really keyed in to fuel tanks, always worry about it on my current boat, but didn't really think about water. Also getting a mechanical review by a certified Cat tech

Hey all, thanks for the help to date. Had our survey/mechanical/sea trial a couple of days ago. Have a question I'm hoping a Banks owner can answer. Boat seemed to run well, but two things, one, the idle speed seemed high, at idle the boat really moved, and shifting in and out of gear seemed jerky. Secondly, when they moved to wide open throttle we had a lot of black smoke out of the exhaust, blew black for about ten seconds. I'm wondering if both of these things are typical for this model and should I be concerned?

Again, appreciate all the help to date.

floatingmick said:

Hey all, thanks for the help to date. Had our survey/mechanical/sea trial a couple of days ago. Have a question I'm hoping a Banks owner can answer. Boat seemed to run well, but two things, one, the idle speed seemed high, at idle the boat really moved, and shifting in and out of gear seemed jerky. Secondly, when they moved to wide open throttle we had a lot of black smoke out of the exhaust, blew black for about ten seconds. I'm wondering if both of these things are typical for this model and should I be concerned?

Again, appreciate all the help to date.

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You are not being specific. "Seemed high" What was the idle RPM? A lot of black smoke can be indicative of many things and can also be quite normal under different circumstances. Your first priority should be having a certified CAT tech survey both of theses engines. He or she will give you the correct answers. It will pay off many times over.

Cigatoo said:

You are not being specific. "Seemed high" What was the idle RPM? A lot of black smoke can be indicative of many things and can also be quite normal under different circumstances. Your first priority should be having a certified CAT tech survey both of theses engines. He or she will give you the correct answers. It will pay off many times over.

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Yeah, sorry, I wasn't specific. Idling at about 800. Had a Cat tech there, he didn't seem concerned, I asked, but my experience with diesels was always that black smoke was a bad sign.

floatingmick said:

Yeah, sorry, I wasn't specific. Idling at about 800. Had a Cat tech there, he didn't seem concerned, I asked, but my experience with diesels was always that black smoke was a bad sign.

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You can also get informed views on boatdiesel forums. They have a specific 3208 subforum.

However, as stated above, your engine surveyor should give you the best info.

I’m sure it’s a mechanical transmission too.