New Princess 286 owner

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davidjwave

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Hello,

Just secured a 89 Princess 286, first boat and very excited.

Thought I'd say hello and thanks as I've been using this forum a lot to help!

Ive not actually seen the boat only virtual viewing so doesn't seem real yet but can't wait to get on the water with her.

Any tips or hints around these boats or just in general much appreciated! We will be on the Thames :-)
 
Did you manage to get a survey before signing, or is this a completely unseen purchase ? Not a criticism, just that we read posts here about the demand for boats outstripping supply and I wondered how much of a sellers' market it is ATM.


Good boats, hope you have lots of fun with her.
 
sarabande said:
Did you manage to get a survey before signing, or is this a completely unseen purchase ? Not a criticism, just that we read posts here about the demand for boats outstripping supply and I wondered how much of a sellers' market it is ATM.


Good boats, hope you have lots of fun with her.
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Thanks :-) it's subject to a survey. Bought on a virtual viewing. Pretty much every boat I've been looking at, bayliners, sealines and searays were being sold within a few days of being listed...
 
A friend had a 286 which was moored next to me.
It is a very spacious boat . The only problem was fuel.
Going fast was fun but particularly expensive and petrol was rarely available at the waterside.
 
davidjwave said:
Hello,

Just secured a 89 Princess 286, first boat and very excited.

Thought I'd say hello and thanks as I've been using this forum a lot to help!

Ive not actually seen the boat only virtual viewing so doesn't seem real yet but can't wait to get on the water with her.

Any tips or hints around these boats or just in general much appreciated! We will be on the Thames :)
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Hope all goes well with the survey. Get a copy of The River Thames Book and I'd also check petrol availability before you finalise the deal - especially in the area of your planned home mooring - as it is becoming more scarce on The Thames.

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Hi David
Welcome to the hole in the water gang! That’s where we put all our spare cash these days :)
Princess build quality is generally excellent so in the main the boat will probably be very good, as long as it’s been looked after in a reasonable way, The Volvo petrolengines I personally don’t have experience of, but from what I have read they are ok, but can break quite easily if ever overheated, so keep those strainers clear at all times! my own boat, a Princess 30 DS was originally petrol engined, they were taken out after one such mishap and replaced with a pair of diesels. That is an expensive job but ultimately considered the better solution. I know many on here would recommend a deisel setup as they are considered safer in terms of fire risk from leaks etc. But as long as you service them and the fuel system religiously I expect they will give good service for many years.
Best regards and happy boating when you get there :)
Gary
 
Thanks Gary, ideally I did want diesel engines but the boat ticked all the other boxes so had to compromise on that. Thanks for the tips! The engines were replaced about 10 years ago and not many hours so hopefully be OK for a bit of time yet!
 
If solely Thames based, it's unlikely to drink that much given the speeds you are likely to achieve.

I would THINK (and someone who knows way more than me will correct me if I'm wrong) that because you have 2 x GXi, then thats is about 2 x 225 HP which is massive overkill for river speeds. You may - and again I may be wrong - have sufficient torque in that set up, to go up 3 or 4 inches in prop and be able to hit more or less river speed at tick over.

Disadvantages would be that controlling speed down lower may be hard, and the boat wouldn't get on the plane with the higher pitched props, but the upside would be fuel economy at tickover would be negligible yet you could still get up to hull speed quite happily, and probably 4 or 5 knots at tickover.....
 
Friends used to have a 286 and it is a great boat.
A note of caution - the petrol engines are raw water cooled so no sealed coolant system. Salt water can cause corrosion with fairly serious consequence. Being on the Thames, so in fresh water, will mitigate against this but something to be aware of if thinking about moving to the coast.
 
ontheplane said:
If solely Thames based, it's unlikely to drink that much given the speeds you are likely to achieve.

I would THINK (and someone who knows way more than me will correct me if I'm wrong) that because you have 2 x GXi, then thats is about 2 x 225 HP which is massive overkill for river speeds. You may - and again I may be wrong - have sufficient torque in that set up, to go up 3 or 4 inches in prop and be able to hit more or less river speed at tick over.

Disadvantages would be that controlling speed down lower may be hard, and the boat wouldn't get on the plane with the higher pitched props, but the upside would be fuel economy at tickover would be negligible yet you could still get up to hull speed quite happily, and probably 4 or 5 knots at tickover.....
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This is great to know, thank you :)
 
Greg2 said:
Friends used to have a 286 and it is a great boat.
A note of caution - the petrol engines are raw water cooled so no sealed coolant system. Salt water can cause corrosion with fairly serious consequence. Being on the Thames, so in fresh water, will mitigate against this but something to be aware of if thinking about moving to the coast.
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It's come from the sea so I'll be sure to see what the survey says!
 
davidjwave said:
It's come from the sea so I'll be sure to see what the survey says!
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I don't want to worry you but both engines went pop at different times and our friends had to put new engines in. A survey is unlikely to identify any such issues - a separate engine survey by a marine engineer might help but still not a guarantee as it isnt possible to see what is going on inside. My advice would be to do due diligence and don’t let understandable excitement about your first boat cloud your judgement.
 
davidjwave said:
This is great to know, thank you :)
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Hi David
This is not the best idea, (sorry for long post but it’s good info) if you run engines too slowly for extended periods you will cause glazing of the cylinder bores, this stops the rings from sealing properly and allows combustion gases to “blow by” the piston rings and do nasty things like contaminate the oil, reduce cylinder compression (degrades combustion eg worsens economy and increases nasty emissions), also this pressurises the crank cases, this can cause oil to be forced out of the filler or other orifice, or in extreme cases even pop out stoppers fitted to the cases. At the same time oil can find its way back up past the rings into the combustion chamber and cause smoking. Granted it takes a little time to glaze, but the only cure for that once it occurs is a total strip down and hone of the cylinder bores. This can cost a lot, so please bear in mind the risks there. To add to the scenario, engines are designed to be most efficient around the cruising speed of the vessel, this is around 70-75% of max revs typically, but does vary. Efficiency is not the same as economy, but efficiency means optimum combustion, optimum operating temp, the least strain in terms of balance across the cylinders and crankshaft, not over or under revving for the load etc.This essentially equates to maximum engine life. Over propping will cause lugging and low frequency vibration, even at tick over speeds, this speeds up wear n tear throughout the drive train, (it’s also uncomfortable for humans) I believe the 286 has out drives? These are your gear boxes and cone clutch etc, they will suffer from over propping. Alway best be on the right prop for the engine/boat combo. Many boaters with twin engined boats will cruise at low speeds on one engine (this also saves approaching 50% of fuel consumption) you can swap from one to the other to equalise running times, and fire up both when you need maximum manoeuvrability. You only really need both engines running when getting up to higher speeds on the plane. I lost one engine to a faulty relay coming back from the Isle of Wight across the Solent on a fairly bumpy day, though I had to drop off the plane from about 12 knots, I could still manage 8 -9 knots on one 160hp engine without stressing that motor, only three or four knots less than on both engines. (My Max speed is 15knots). If any doubts always consult an experienced marine engineer, it’s a complicated equasion to get the right prop size.
best regards
Gary
 
ontheplane said:
Good point.

Trouble is, those motors are only going to be cracked just off tickover anyhow arent they? Will this damage over the years?
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Possibly will still glaze at low revs, petrol engines typically Rev much higher than deisel, so dislike slow running more. All motors vary, but most manufacturers will recommend at least 1.5 times Idle speed if pressed for a figure, most manuals just say avoid slow running for extended periods, that normally means more than 5 minutes in my experience, My VW diesels are 900rpm idle, I try to keep at 1400 or over as a rule, obviously prop size and gear reduction play a part in determining what speed that equates to, on my Princess 30DS 1400 is 4 knots, which I think is the speed limit for many rivers, idle speed gives 3 knots,
if anything under propping could be a better route if never leaving the river. The reality is that all rivers lead to the sea! You’ll get there eventually/one day! :)
Best regards
Gary
 
So as someone not particularly mechanical are you saying that with the right set up I'd be best using one engine for the majority of the time on the river?
 
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