Ferreting around in crawl spaces...

[GravyStain]

Same set up as vas inline 6 s without side tanks means space either side outboard where I can sit up to attend to stuff .A Nice space in between, the engines are handed so the dip sticks are opposite.
Theres two hatches in , one with a ladder between the main tanks , under this sits the geny , almost standing room .

I do generally go in most mornings to do a simple eye ball and check on the oil levels , I,am curious of any oil usage, there seems to be none in a typical 80 hr season . Just lift a hatch and climb in from the cockpit.

The previous boat was 3.54 beam and stern drives ( all new to me being an ex yacht guy ) it was very cramped and on one occasion I had to send my son in to change a trim relay .The geny was facing the side so you needed a mirror to service it .

I kinda bit like KAshurst thought “ the next one gotta be better “ so moved ER access and serviceability from a DIY pov up into the must haves mini mental list of the next boat .

This one is 4.2 M beam and the extra 70 cm makes a huge difference.I have to climb over an engine though to access the lateral aspects , batts , charger , water heater , aircon gubbins etc .

I like going in in the morning to check over stuff .

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Rear ladder in between the main tanks with the geny under , ( sorry pics rotated )



Below the hight over the engine , I have to climb over to access that reserve long range tank and charger , the space is large enough for me to sit comfortably, there are some batt boxes there too .
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Shrink the beam 70 cm to 3-54 M and it’s very tight .You can stand on the bottom with a foot either side of the strainers .You can’t get between them or really lay over to reach a turbo , well you can but have to jam in the top of the engine and cockpit sole .Even changing the belts is a challenge.How ever for a proper service you have to remove the cockpit seating / table and lift the soles .
Stud up you are chest deep then .The white thing is the geny silencer .

I wanted and got one with a ladder you could climb in virtually stand up and easily get to any side of a motor .As said that was important in the decision . I can climb in one end walk between the motors and climb out of the other hatch with this .

Looked at a few inc a Magmum 40 something but it had the whole rear area on rams that lifted up and was very low ceiling so I guess you could not do a lot @ sea ?? If necessary?

Nice one Porto, thanks.

 

[GravyStain]

A bigger boat doesn't always mean more space around the engines - something to look out for when considering a boat purchase. For me probably the most important. It was the dominant reason I chose my current boat. Good engine access = proper servicing because it's easy.
As for general checking through the season, it's 10 minutes most times I go out. I just look for any leaks and anything out of place/loose.
At the start of the season I will check the oils and coolants and a few times during the season or if we are going a long way.
Once a year servicing is a longer task - I can do both engines in about 3 - 3 1/2 hours.
Changing batteries I now pay someone to do it.
Stern gear gets a casual look whenever I am in the lazarrete rummaging around for a hose pipe connector or a brush of some sort.
Since buying a Rodman I seem to spend very little time fixing things.

Just to annoy BruceK. Loads of room all around.
Apologies to Seastoke - it needs cleaning.

note the small fuel tank drain sump and valve. Great for keeping an eye on whats happening in the tanks.


And from the other end looking back:

Bloody hell, you could host a wedding in there!

 

[Seastoke]

there is a price for all that room - top speed 24 kns, cruise @ 18kns.

With a fortnight free holiday in Torry you could have a spotless engine room including LED lights fitted , and the port side out side done/

 

[Seastoke]

Talking of crawl spaces. I have two, one per beam. Those are really scary. There is only enough room to edge your way in with skewed shoulders and hips. Easy enough until you have to try and back out. I only had to go in once past the access to plumbing and cable looms in order to reach the top of the fuel tanks. Never again. That panic as you get stuck makes you break sweat!! There must be a better way than crawl spaces. Did they hire kids or something when building the boat?




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Try the stoke diet , shop on mondays , food bank is closed.

 

[Seastoke]

They give you enough space to wedge yourself in over the top of the engines. However once the ribcage has slid over a protrusion, not enough space to slide back out. If you are slighly pear shaped like me, you have a tough time getting that six pack out past the ribcage to pop yourself out. You get one chance!

The coolant reservoir cap is a real killer!!

Who needs a 6 pack , you have a barrel.

 

[BruceK]

Who needs a 6 pack , you have a barrel.

Your labour costs just trippled!

 

[markc]

Mark, is that because your Ferretti has the tanks inboard, ie forward of the lumps? Does it make a decent difference?

EDIT - We've discussed this before Mark, and yes, they're forward of the engines.

Yep, indeed. Here's my lad for scale

 

[BruceK]

Big enough to double as a laundary room. You're really doing a Bouba now.

 

[bowler]

The amount of time spent in the engine room is inversely proportional to the ease of access and nothing to do with age. When access is nigh on impossible without humongeous effort and removal of many heavy bits, hard to get to areas are ignored until they fail. For me to get working access to the back of my engines takes me at least a day dissasembly. Then another day fannying about with a grub screw stuck in the steering belcrank because it's still inaccessible or even 3 days removing one of a pair of ram pins which is via a 8mm hex bolt. Then comes the reassembly and the start of the second engine. Drop a socket and you're stuffed. You get to hear it roll around in the bilges while at anchor until the next time you dis-assemble.

When the kids go, I will happily give up a spare cabin in order to have a walk in engine room. Engines dont degrade, corrode and fall apart then at nearly the same rate. If they do at all. That's my belief anyway.

Dante's inspiration!

Now THAT is a pokey and horrid affair. ?

 

[BruceK]

Now THAT is a pokey and horrid affair. ?

50 bucks your boat went the other way. Big engine room, broom closet cabin.

 

[GravyStain]

Skip to 7 mins 30 seconds...

That's a daft amount of access for a 48 footer unless you start taking up the garage floor!

And bear in mind this is a 2018 boat with loooads more freeboard than a 2000 ish boat.

 

[vas]

nice, and what's exactly the point of this hatch then?
I hope the garage floor is easily lifted/moved

 

[markc]

That is nuts. Thinking of where I moor, it would be really hard to launch the tender to get to the engines whilst in Port. This is a classic example of a boat that the first owner is unlikely to need to handle any self maintenance in the first couple of years, and sod the rest of its life.

 

[vas]

yep, med stern-to mooring you're foobared!

 

[longjohnsilver]

Unfortunately at 6’ 4” I can’t stand upright in my engine room, but I can step in through an access door, anyone up to about 6’ would be fine. Needs a quick tidy before going to sea, too many spare bits of hose, but so often they’ve been useful for something or another.

 

[Bouba]

Yep, indeed. Here's my lad for scale
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You could spend an enjoyable holiday in that engine room ??

 

[kashurst]

too many spare bits of hose, but so often they’ve been useful for something or another.

that's a relief, I thought it was just me.

 

[bowler]

50 bucks your boat went the other way. Big engine room, broom closet cabin.

Perfect configuration for me as I spend most of my time in the 'engine room'! Normally upside down, bent in half backwards with my phone in hand in case I can't get back out...