Help- Cheoy Lee LR MY 66' 1985

New to the forum and this is my second post. I need any information that can be provided on a Cheoy Lee LR MY 66', 1985 model. We just purchased this boat that has been kept in a warehouse for the past 11 years going thru upgrades. It is a long story. Anyway, I purchased the boat last month which is located in Wilmington NC. There is no paper work on the boat in regards to O&M manuals, drawings, etc. The previous owner passed away, I was hoping I could find some info on the boat in a cubby-hole somewhere, I could not. I did get in touch with Cheoy Lee manufacturing and they were unable to help. It is powered by Detroit 871's. I'm working on installing new generators, electronics etc. Any info from some one that has experience with this model would be greatly appreciated. Even things like fuel consumption, etc.

Thanks David

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. We just sold our CL 46' LRC. Can't help you with any specific information other than they're a well built, stout vessel.

David Hope said:

New to the forum and this is my second post. I need any information that can be provided on a Cheoy Lee LR MY 66', 1985 model. We just purchased this boat that has been kept in a warehouse for the past 11 years going thru upgrades.

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What a wonderful barn find! Hope to see pictures when you get time. Meanwhile, best of luck with your projects. That sounds like a boat well worth the effort.

Oh my. Twin engine twin prop?

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard and congrats on your new boat. Probably your best bet will be to make a list of make and models of any equipment on board and search for owners manuals for those. Make up your own reference library from those. Getting an owner’s manual for that vintage boat is not very likely, but good luck. We need some photos…

David (OP) - welcome out of the lurking shadows. Nice boat -

Yours is similar to several requests - some sort of 'owners manual' or original documentation on an older boat. Unfortunately, for boats older than about 30-years old, builders rarely assembled more than a 'welcome/greeting' package with some basic reference material and manuals from whatever kit was installed for delivery. In the last 25-years, boats have been built using CAD design drawings so documentation is much better, but unfortunately your boat (and it's sisterships) likely precedes this.

Usually the biggest head-scratcher is electrical - understanding what goes where, what voltage, etc. Two suggestions: there were quite a few Cheoy Lee's of this size and vintage built. As you are trying, you may find an owners group. Second suggestion is that if a boat this size is new to you, you may want to hire an older, seasoned captain to accompany you on your first 3-5 day trip. As a past delivery skipper myself, you become accustomed to figuring stuff out. He/she may be able to shorten the learning curve for you.

I guess a third suggestion is to ping the Trawler Forun Bigger Brain when you get stumped. You will have to weed through 3 inconsequential anwers to find the one nugget, but I see a lot of oddball questions answered here.

Good luck - great boat.

Peter

Comodave said:

Welcome aboard and congrats on your new boat. Probably your best bet will be to make a list of make and models of any equipment on board and search for owners manuals for those. Make up your own reference library from those. Getting an owner’s manual for that vintage boat is not very likely, but good luck. We need some photos…

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This is good advice - your survey likely lists all major equipment aboard. As the owner of an older boat with some older equipment, i'll offer a bit more optimism than Comodave in locating manuals. I have mine saved in the cloud for easy access. Also take note of serial numbers on larger items (engine, generator, etc.) as sometimes parts' order varies based on SN.

Peter

I'm going thru and documenting the equipment on board and getting PDF's as best I can. I did a spot check of the electrical and after doing that I decided to take out the existing power distribution systems and update them. I believe in the KISS theory (Keep It Simple Stupid) so the electrical will be a reflection of that. I'm comfortable with the electrical, just not much of a engine mechanic but good at engine maintenance. Previous owners did a lot of work in upgrades. They just had ADD pretty bad and couldn't finish one project before starting another.



Some one asked about the motors: Twin Detroit's 871's

mvweebles said:

This is good advice - your survey likely lists all major equipment aboard. As the owner of an older boat with some older equipment, i'll offer a bit more optimism than Comodave in locating manuals. I have mine saved in the cloud for easy access. Also take note of serial numbers on larger items (engine, generator, etc.) as sometimes parts' order varies based on SN.

Peter

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But Peter, you have to take into account that you are not the normal boat owner. You are exceptional in the care and maintenance you do in regards to your boat.

Hi David, is this the 66' which had a solid pilothouse constructed, replacing the flybridge?

Hi David --

Congratulations! I have been a big fan of the CL lrc's. I have sold maybe 6 of the 66s. If you know the names of the vessel previously or if you know of previous owners' names, I might be able to help you with some historical information or old specs. Please send through pm.

Hi David,
I own a 1991 Cheoy Lee 66' LRC. We have owned the boat for 6 years and of the 6 boats I have owned, it is by far the best built and is our favorite one!
The solid fiberglass hull along with the fiberglass tankage make it a vessel that will last a very long time.
Unfortunately, there is no "owners manual" or anything like that. The boat has manuals for each and every piece of equipment that is on the boat including engines (Cat 3306) and generators.
Feel free to message me and I'll provide my email address so we can communicate.
Best of luck with our build.

Yes, this is the one that had the pilot house enclosed. Smith Creek Shipyard.

That's great. Can't wait to see how she develops

Some picture

Blissboat said:

What a wonderful barn find! Hope to see pictures when you get time. Meanwhile, best of luck with your projects. That sounds like a boat well worth the effort.

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was on yachtworld , I think

long-cours.62 said:

was on yachtworld , I think

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You have a great vessel. Here’s a link to a 54’ Cheoy Lee that has been extensively upgraded, and I’m sure documented. Jim’s Tech Talk videos covering their onboard systems many be useful to you.

https://www.cruisingseaventure.com

The previous names of the boat are 'Septembers Child" and "Adagio" We will be naming her "Grace". As best I can tell she has been kept in the Wilmington, NC area for the last 20+ years.

I once knew of one of those named Resolute. I seriously considered buying her. At haul out for survey, she was lifted wrong and the sling cut through the aft stateroom. I found her in a yard in Fort Lauderdale a year or so thereafter still with that huge rip exposed. I really did like those 66' LRCs.

Mermaid said:

I once knew of one of those named Resolute. I seriously considered buying her. At haul out for survey, she was lifted wrong and the sling cut through the aft stateroom. I found her in a yard in Fort Lauderdale a year or so thereafter still with that huge rip exposed. I really did like those 66' LRCs.

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How and why did that happen?

This is a perfect example of a free or cheap boat being VERY expensive. In this case you reap the benefits of an extensive, costly refit. I suspect that the owner or his family just grew tired of the never ending expense and sold.

I always say that the best used boat bargain is a boat which has undergone an extensive refit about a year prior to the sale. No way will the expense be recouped.

On the other issue, manuals, etc. I agree that you have to build your own, a piece at a time. Slow and frustrating, I know, but how many complete manuals do you suppose there are out there for your boat. Not many. On the other hand, for example, how many people have a book on the Hynautic hydraulic steering system. I imagine lots of them, someone will send you a copy.

pete

Mermaid said:

I once knew of one of those named Resolute. I seriously considered buying her. At haul out for survey, she was lifted wrong and the sling cut through the aft stateroom. I found her in a yard in Fort Lauderdale a year or so thereafter still with that huge rip exposed. I really did like those 66' LRCs.

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I would love to know where this CL is located. If they are parting it out I could use a few factory parts that I can't locate in the pile of stuff taken off of my boat during the retrofit. If not, if anyone knows where I could find parts, in particular I need an air intake vent located on the hull for the engine room. There are 6 and I have 5. There are other items that I need but like I said we are just starting to go thru everything stored.

David Hope said:

I would love to know where this CL is located. If they are parting it out I could use a few factory parts that I can't locate in the pile of stuff taken off of my boat during the retrofit. If not, if anyone knows where I could find parts, in particular I need an air intake vent located on the hull for the engine room. There are 6 and I have 5. There are other items that I need but like I said we are just starting to go thru everything stored.

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I have fabricated similar hard to find parts for my old one-off boat.
If it is metal it can usually be welded up and if plastic it could be
vac-u-formed using one of the existing vents as a form. There is
a choice of thicknesses and plastics available for vac-u-forming.
It yields a smooth finish and makes it easy to form multiple copies.

I was going to suggest using one of the good ones and make a mold out of fiberglass and then layup a new one in the mold.

I only have experience with our CL46 LRC, but she came with the original factory manual from 1979. We're the fourth owners, so I think we're quite lucky in that regard. It's in the form of a 3-ring notebook, and even has copies of the original "blueprints".

Have you perused the Cheoy Lee Owners Association website? https://www.cheoyleeassociation.com/

I found some useful info there, including the orignial brochure for the 46. You may find other 66 owners you can communicate with.

David Hope said:

New to the forum and this is my second post. I need any information that can be provided on a Cheoy Lee LR MY 66', 1985 model. We just purchased this boat that has been kept in a warehouse for the past 11 years going thru upgrades. It is a long story. Anyway, I purchased the boat last month which is located in Wilmington NC. There is no paper work on the boat in regards to O&M manuals, drawings, etc. The previous owner passed away, I was hoping I could find some info on the boat in a cubby-hole somewhere, I could not. I did get in touch with Cheoy Lee manufacturing and they were unable to help. It is powered by Detroit 871's. I'm working on installing new generators, electronics etc. Any info from some one that has experience with this model would be greatly appreciated. Even things like fuel consumption, etc.

Thanks David

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Hello David,
Contact Sam Long at Cape Fear Boat Works in Navassa. He owned a 66' Cheoy Lee for many years and is only a few miles from Wilmington.
Regards, Brian.