Cost Per Trip

Boat2016

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Ok not going to argue. I don’t think anyone pulls sump plugs anymore, it’s just sucked out.

The point was I don’t see how a single 7 year old 450hp engine can possible cost 6 grand to service, but maybe I am in the wrong business :cool:
Get a quote from CAT or Cummins and you will be surprised, especially when cooler service required, there’s plenty of diyers out there who believe a service is an oil and filter change every couple of years, there’s others who use main dealers to do to the service schedule, I’m certainly glad I’m out of it now, it’s not all profit like some may believe, fees from manufacturers etc and training cost’s thousands and needs to be paid for.
 

Portofino

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@ Bouba , have you considered attending some sort of marine diesel course ? Or even u tube vids , subscription to a Diesel engine ( Cummins orientation) forum and such like .

I do mostly my own servicing .This year filters were €100 oil + fuel , oil was €450 of the correct stuff .
Sure I check clips and gaskets .Previously I have done the valve lash per MAN schedule every 400 hrs , and impellers.The one belt .Coolant flush .
I have inlet water pump pressure gauge so I can see if they need replacement.

Certain jobs , big jobs essentially 2 + blokes lifting like coolers I did get professionals in .Changing all the black hoses as well - they know the sizes and how to cut the old hardened off safely = so some stuff imho it’s worth buying in assistance.

Also I thought folks suppose to know and mentally prepare to do a fuel filter change out @ sea ? It’s better you can do them blindfolded in the marina first , and bleed the systems imho .

I set off once on mates / lads trip embarrassingly with the fuel cocks closed .Got about 1/2 mile outside the marina before they conked out one by one .
Bit choppy .But I knew immediately even with a hung over brain 😀, We dropped the anchor and I dived into the ER size 10 ring spanner in hand , keys set to ignition ( open fuel solenoid) and I bleed all the air out after opening up the tank cocks .4 filters in all .Boat rocking about in the swell .10 mins later we were on our way uneventfully .

Another time did a belt change the inner one in a Sod’s law way on a kad 300 at sea = alternator alarm .
Another time caught a rope with the KADs and limped into a anchorage, lifted the legs and ended up snorkelling and removing both props cutting the rope off and then reassembling , thrust washers nuts etc in the reverse order .

Genys are dead simple even easier to service .I have changed the Johnson FB 80 impellers many times with unscheduled drop in water output .No need to run to an engineer. Also done there anodes which is something I suggested you examine on your other thread about the “ rust “ accretion build up in the seacock .I do observe them running sans sound covers now and again in season.You know wife’s nipped into town shopping , no one else about in the marina .Bored me fires up the geny nips down the ER , whips off the sound shield and stares at it ….looking for anything abnormal.

By the time breakfast has arrived it’s all buttoned up and silent .But I know it’s ok .

You need to be able to check this stuff out yourself and cut your reliance on engineers.

Can understand with new for warranty adherence purposes not DIY ing , but once that expires……..?
As I said there is a safety element at sea knowing your way around the engines , belts , fuel filters ,sensors and impellers etc
 

Bouba

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@ Bouba , have you considered attending some sort of marine diesel course ? Or even u tube vids , subscription to a Diesel engine ( Cummins orientation) forum and such like .

I do mostly my own servicing .This year filters were €100 oil + fuel , oil was €450 of the correct stuff .
Sure I check clips and gaskets .Previously I have done the valve lash per MAN schedule every 400 hrs , and impellers.The one belt .Coolant flush .
I have inlet water pump pressure gauge so I can see if they need replacement.

Certain jobs , big jobs essentially 2 + blokes lifting like coolers I did get professionals in .Changing all the black hoses as well - they know the sizes and how to cut the old hardened off safely = so some stuff imho it’s worth buying in assistance.

Also I thought folks suppose to know and mentally prepare to do a fuel filter change out @ sea ? It’s better you can do them blindfolded in the marina first , and bleed the systems imho .

I set off once on mates / lads trip embarrassingly with the fuel cocks closed .Got about 1/2 mile outside the marina before they conked out one by one .
Bit choppy .But I knew immediately even with a hung over brain 😀, We dropped the anchor and I dived into the ER size 10 ring spanner in hand , keys set to ignition ( open fuel solenoid) and I bleed all the air out after opening up the tank cocks .4 filters in all .Boat rocking about in the swell .10 mins later we were on our way uneventfully .

Another time did a belt change the inner one in a Sod’s law way on a kad 300 at sea = alternator alarm .
Another time caught a rope with the KADs and limped into a anchorage, lifted the legs and ended up snorkelling and removing both props cutting the rope off and then reassembling , thrust washers nuts etc in the reverse order .

Genys are dead simple even easier to service .I have changed the Johnson FB 80 impellers many times with unscheduled drop in water output .No need to run to an engineer. Also done there anodes which is something I suggested you examine on your other thread about the “ rust “ accretion build up in the seacock .I do observe them running sans sound covers now and again in season.You know wife’s nipped into town shopping , no one else about in the marina .Bored me fires up the geny nips down the ER , whips off the sound shield and stares at it ….looking for anything abnormal.

By the time breakfast has arrived it’s all buttoned up and silent .But I know it’s ok .

You need to be able to check this stuff out yourself and cut your reliance on engineers.

Can understand with new for warranty adherence purposes not DIY ing , but once that expires……..?
As I said there is a safety element at sea knowing your way around the engines , belts , fuel filters ,sensors and impellers etc
Yes... I did the research, with help from Piers, and was about to sign up when I tore my rotator cuff...couldn’t lift a spanner let alone use one for months...never regained full strength...but the course in Coventry closed down and left only one in Germany...didn’t fancy that...so I never did bother
 

julians

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Have you got a service schedule for each of the oily/mechanical bits on your boat so you can check against that to see that what they say needs doing really does need doing?

It does sound like a lot of money on the face of it for a regular service (ie not trying to fix something that has broken) on a single engine shaft driven boat, but if all the work needs doing then it needs doing. The question is , does it need doing, or is some of it being done unnecessarily?
 

Bouba

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Have you got a service schedule for each of the oily/mechanical bits on your boat so you can check against that to see that what they say needs doing really does need doing?

It does sound like a lot of money on the face of it for a regular service (ie not trying to fix something that has broken) on a single engine shaft driven boat, but if all the work needs doing then it needs doing. The question is , does it need doing, or is some of it being done unnecessarily?
The bill is adjusted according to what is actually done...for example, I have some oil left over from a previous service, if I give him that it will come off the bill...of course things that go down..can also go up😱
 

julians

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I presume it not just an engine and generator service, I presume it also includes things like:-

- antifoul hull
- service other boat systems, like
  1. check /service the rudder/steering
  2. bow thruster check
  3. trim tabs
  4. replace hull anodes
  5. prop shaft check/service
  6. check thru hull fittings etc
  7. fuel system service (filters etc)

Or is it just an engine and generator service and thats the extent of it?
 

Greg2

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Yes.

Not sure if anything under 24m needs adblue, but there are certainly bigger boats which use adblue.
ARAN Marine – Aran-industries

For commercial boats it depends where the boat operates. Our new build at work will have VP D13‘s with Selective Catalytic Reduction and ad blue. When we placed the order the MCA had just decided that all commercial vessels regardless of size that operated in an Environmental Protection Zone, such as the southern N. Sea, had to have this. The rest of the world exempted smaller vessels such as ours (I think under 24m) so we had a real problem inasmuch as engines that met our power requirements just didn’t exist and with major elements of what is a relatively small global market not requiring them not many manufacturers invested in development.
.
 

Bouba

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I presume it not just an engine and generator service, I presume it also includes things like:-

- antifoul hull
- service other boat systems, like
  1. check /service the rudder/steering
  2. bow thruster check
  3. trim tabs
  4. replace hull anodes
  5. prop shaft check/service
  6. check thru hull fittings etc
  7. fuel system service (filters etc)

Or is it just an engine and generator service and thats the extent of it?
Nothing on your list except fuel filter....he’s a Cummins engineer...but I could book a Beneteau engineer...
 
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