Hello everyone and another which boat post

[Whopper]

Great you enjoyed the Shannon! Reading back on your posts it sounds like a Sealine 360 or f37 would suit you and could come within budget. Twins would handle very well but would require a little getting used to compared to a rib or the boat you rented.

 

[macca499]

Thanks for the suggestion - the F37 looks luxurious, just wondering how realistic it would be to single hand this for a relative novice and what fuel consumption would be like compared to the likes of an Antares 30 with the single engine? I had been looking at the Prestige 36 and actually saw one in the flesh last week but consensus on the forum seems to be that engine access is undesirable

 

[Whopper]

Thanks for the suggestion - the F37 looks luxurious, just wondering how realistic it would be to single hand this for a relative novice and what fuel consumption would be like compared to the likes of an Antares 30 with the single engine? I had been looking at the Prestige 36 and actually saw one in the flesh last week but consensus on the forum seems to be that engine access is undesirable

I can’t comment on fuel consumption other than it would be more than the Antares 30. My own personal view is that fuel costs are generally small in the scheme of things when it comes to boating. I’d nearly guess most folks spend more on fuel in their cars commuting to boats than they do using them for the amount of hours run! Servicing costs would be higher with a second engine.

Single handed is very much a personal confidence thing. That said, I do single hand regularly. I would guess that the 360/f37 is no harder than an Antares 30. The extra weight may also be an advantage but I’m not sure what the visibility is like for reversing in etc. A proper walk round boat like a Botnia Targa, Sargo etc. would be my choice for predominately single handed use.

 

[ontheplane]

I can’t comment on fuel consumption other than it would be more than the Antares 30. My own personal view is that fuel costs are generally small in the scheme of things when it comes to boating. I’d nearly guess most folks spend more on fuel in their cars commuting to boats than they do using them for the amount of hours run! Servicing costs would be higher with a second engine.

Single handed is very much a personal confidence thing. That said, I do single hand regularly. I would guess that the 360/f37 is no harder than an Antares 30. The extra weight may also be an advantage but I’m not sure what the visibility is like for reversing in etc. A proper walk round boat like a Botnia Targa, Sargo etc. would be my choice for predominately single handed use.

I think you can get reversing cameras off ebay for buttons now - so that's maybe less of an issue?

 

[oldgit]

Thanks for the suggestion - the F37 looks luxurious, just wondering how realistic it would be to single hand this for a relative novice and what fuel consumption would be like compared to the likes of an Antares 30 with the single engine? I had been looking at the Prestige 36 and actually saw one in the flesh last week but consensus on the forum seems to be that engine access is undesirable

Doubt you will find anything on the market today with twin engines which could be described as "with Easy Access" to engines and drive gear, by the average DIY skipper.
Have a similar length boat (38 ft) with twin engines and the log suggests that at mostly displacement speeds and the odd 15 -18 knot whizz the total fuel consumption with both engines is 15 litres per hour.
The boat is usually handled alone by the skipper, except when any "crew" poke their nose in and insist on getting in the way.
The drama of departure and arrival can be managed with a cunning plan designed to reassure any audience that you apparently are in control .

The Plan.
A quick glance at the oily and smelly bits to check nothing has fallen off since your last trip out and that the oil and water is in the engines not the bilge.
Do the engines start ?
Disconnect the shore power.
Switch on everything likely to be wanted en route, plotters, radios, bog, windlass, etc, sometimes even the bowthruster.
OG has a single very lightweight short length of line ( it was Red, now a worrying shade of Pink) permanently fixed to the pontoon which is secured to a middle cleat.
All other ropes 2 x bow, 2 x stern, 2 x springs are let go.
From the lower helm it is easy to lean out the window, , actually fully open and slide out of the way, to release the single line securing the boat. Then majestically and smoothly depart to the admiration of all concerned and general applause.

 

[macca499]

Doubt you will find anything on the market today with twin engines which could be described as "with Easy Access" to engines and drive gear, by the average DIY skipper.
Have a similar length boat (38 ft) with twin engines and the log suggests that at mostly displacement speeds and the odd 15 -18 knot whizz the total fuel consumption with both engines is 15 litres per hour.
The boat is usually handled alone by the skipper, except when any "crew" poke their nose in and insist on getting in the way.
The drama of departure and arrival can be managed with a cunning plan designed to reassure any audience that you apparently are in control .

The Plan.
A quick glance at the oily and smelly bits to check nothing has fallen off since your last trip out and that the oil and water is in the engines not the bilge.
Do the engines start ?
Disconnect the shore power.
Switch on everything likely to be wanted en route, plotters, radios, bog, windlass, etc, sometimes even the bowthruster.
OG has a single very lightweight short length of line ( it was Red, now a worrying shade of Pink) permanently fixed to the pontoon which is secured to a middle cleat.
All other ropes 2 x bow, 2 x stern, 2 x springs are let go.
From the lower helm it is easy to lean out the window, , actually fully open and slide out of the way, to release the single line securing the boat. Then majestically and smoothly depart to the admiration of all concerned and general applause.

Do you mind me asking what boat you have OG? Looking for inspiration. sounds like you have it nailed - I still remember the sheer panic the first time I cast off from the pontoon in my old aquador and the wind took it like a plastic bag but miles better after plenty of practice in the rib and looking forward to getting to grips with a bigger boat

 

[ChromeDome]

... 11m flybridge with single engine, bow & stern thruster.

- I was shocked at the lack of manoeuvrability

I never found maneuverability to be a problem with thrusters both ends..?

Anyhow, you will realize that the number of horses you call to work must be fed. To get a 30' - 35' cruising at 25 knots with ready-to-go GW of 5-7 tons will require a multiplum of whar yove ejoyed on the RIB.

If you get the idea of mixing it with 2025 year old outdrives as describes earlier, you will need quite deep pockets.

Remember to make both budgets: Investment and operation. Be honest when creating the budgets and get all in.

Just saying. it might well be an eye opener.

 

[macca499]

I never found maneuverability to be a problem with thrusters both ends..?

Anyhow, you will realize that the number of horses you call to work must be fed. To get a 30' - 35' cruising at 25 knots with ready-to-go GW of 5-7 tons will require a multiplum of whar yove ejoyed on the RIB.

If you get the idea of mixing it with 2025 year old outdrives as describes earlier, you will need quite deep pockets.

Remember to make both budgets: Investment and operation. Be honest when creating the budgets and get all in.

Just saying. it might well be an eye opener.

The thrusters on the hire boat didn’t really move it much and didn’t seem that powerful to be honest, I assume whatever I buy will have more powerful thrusters fitted. Yes in terms of my cruising speed I think now late teens will be ok, higher cruising speed possible no doubt from the twin engine sports cruiser but the more I read about outdrives coupled with my lack of appetite for lengthy or expensive time out on the hard has me looking at shaft drive boats only for now. My thoughts currently are single shaft such as the mf10/antares 30 or twin shaft such as the prestige 32/36 or maybe corvette 320, all of which will give me a respectable cruise speed but the latter at a much higher fuel cost?

 

[macca499]

Another interesting option I’ve seen advertised is the Starfisher 34, twin d4 on shaft, two bedroom with separate shower, assuming well built but the flybridge is an odd setup and seems to have sat for a long time as a bit obscure

 

[Alicatt]

Having a play with the twin engines on our 37ft new (to us) boat I was surprised at just how fine you could manoeuvre her just using the throttles and no input on the helm, sure a bow thruster may be a help. It is night and day compared with our single engined river boat that I have just now got the hang of. Looking at the berth the owner was taking the boat out of I was not sure that the boat could be put between the piles to get out into the fairway but she pivoted and turned within her own length and out we went, so I had to have a try at that

 

[Alicatt]

The thrusters on the hire boat didn’t really move it much and didn’t seem that powerful to be honest, I assume whatever I buy will have more powerful thrusters fitted. Yes in terms of my cruising speed I think now late teens will be ok, higher cruising speed possible no doubt from the twin engine sports cruiser but the more I read about outdrives coupled with my lack of appetite for lengthy or expensive time out on the hard has me looking at shaft drive boats only for now. My thoughts currently are single shaft such as the mf10/antares 30 or twin shaft such as the prestige 32/36 or maybe corvette 320, all of which will give me a respectable cruise speed but the latter at a much higher fuel cost?

I'm in reality looking at a max of about 14knots, she will go faster but it is an old boat, around 8 to 10knots cruising with about 5l/hour at 8knots, but she is a big old heavy 37ft boat coming in at over 8 tons, with full tanks she came in at 9 tons when she was lifted out, that's 450 litres water and 900litres of diesel in her tanks at the time.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Wow, big tanks for that size boat. My new-to-me P460 has 450 / 1400 respectively and uses more (I expect).

 

[ChromeDome]

Having a play with the twin engines on our 37ft new (to us) boat I was surprised at just how fine you could manoeuvre her just using the throttles and no input on the helm, sure a bow thruster may be a help. It is night and day compared with our single engined river boat that I have just now got the hang of. Looking at the berth the owner was taking the boat out of I was not sure that the boat could be put between the piles to get out into the fairway but she pivoted and turned within her own length and out we went, so I had to have a try at that

I can put mine to bed on throttles alone (assisted on the very last bit by the bow thruster if windy)

 

[Alicatt]

Wow, big tanks for that size boat. My new-to-me P460 has 450 / 1400 respectively and uses more (I expect).

She has 2 fuel tanks, 1 x 450 litre under the starboard aft cabin bed, the port bed is over the 450litre water tank, there is another day tank amidship of 450 litres, the control valves are under the floor in front of the chart table, the return line from the engines goes to the tank of the Webasto diesel heating, and the excess from that then flows back to the midship day tank. she has twin Racor filters for each engine which was one of the improvements the last owner made when he got the engines serviced and overhauled.

She uses around 5liters per hour at 8knots displacement speed, and goes up from there, 10l/h at 10knots on the plane, and at 2600rpm she is using 25l/h

 

[Sticky Fingers]

Having a play with the twin engines on our 37ft new (to us) boat I was surprised at just how fine you could manoeuvre her just using the throttles and no input on the helm, sure a bow thruster may be a help. It is night and day compared with our single engined river boat that I have just now got the hang of. Looking at the berth the owner was taking the boat out of I was not sure that the boat could be put between the piles to get out into the fairway but she pivoted and turned within her own length and out we went, so I had to have a try at that

The wheel plays almost no part in low speed manoeuvres with a twin shaft boat. Maybe useful to tighten a forward turn with a bit of pro-wash over the rudders, but almost useless in reverse.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

She has 2 fuel tanks, 1 x 450 litre under the starboard aft cabin bed, the port bed is over the 450litre water tank, there is another day tank amidship of 450 litres, the control valves are under the floor in front of the chart table, the return line from the engines goes to the tank of the Webasto diesel heating, and the excess from that then flows back to the midship day tank. she has twin Racor filters for each engine which was one of the improvements the last owner made when he got the engines serviced and overhauled.

She uses around 5liters per hour at 8knots displacement speed, and goes up from there, 10l/h at 10knots on the plane, and at 2600rpm she is using 25l/h

I don’t have all the figures for mine yet. 7kts is 13l/hour and 28kts is 170l/hour or 0.75mpg …

 

[harvey38]

When manoeuvring around the marina and harbour, I set the rudders at central and drop it in and out of gear to keep the speed very slow and use throttles to alter coarse. I only use the rudder when above about eight knots.

 

[Alicatt]

Up to now all my boat work has been with a single screw, didn't take too long to get the hang of manoeuvring Casper with the saildrive, but it was a steep learning curve at the start.

The Broom I was using the throttles up to 8kts then swapped over to the rudders, next will be learning how to sync the engines to get rid of the thrum.
At about 1100rpm the turbos come in which coincides with getting above 8knots, above that speed then she is starting to get on the plane.
She is not a fast boat but quite stable and feels good going over her own wake ... the only waves we could find on the test run

Now shopping around for insurance for her, Pants so far has come in the cheapest for full coverage, with the company I am with at the moment, AG, the cheapest for third party only. Going to phone Pants later to see how to reduce the full coverage cost as they included waters we will not be sailing in this year or next... I don't plan on going to Greenland or the North Cape which they included in the coverage.
Pants want lots of photos inside and out, so will be doing that this afternoon when we go and sign the titles over .

 

[macca499]

Hi all just to close this out, my funds came through but somewhere in the interim I became obsessed with sailing, completed a few rya courses and have just gone sale agreed on a nice Bavaria sailing yacht. Just wanted to thank everyone for all the responses and for all the fascinating content which has fuelled my enthusiasm over the last few years, no doubt I’ll be back at some point with a sail to motor post but for now I’ll get my coat

 

[Seastoke]

Thanks for getting back to us , the Iom is what 10hrs away, I imagine you will be doing a lot of solo sailing.