New Princess 286 owner

[EdBence]

I’m in a similar boat to you ! Sale agreed on a 286 saw it come on and offered the next day. I’m not surveying but will sea trial on the 13th of April the one I’m getting has ad41s so I would imagine that yours would be a fair bit quicker than mine! Good luck and exciting times !!

 

[Greg2]

I’m in a similar boat to you ! Sale agreed on a 286 saw it come on and offered the next day. I’m not surveying but will sea trial on the 13th of April the one I’m getting has ad41s so I would imagine that yours would be a fair bit quicker than mine! Good luck and exciting times !!

I don’t think that AD41’s were an option when these boats were new so possibly been re-engined. Our friends old 286 was re-engined by subsequent owners with 41s - made it sit lower in the water at the stern as they are big lumps for that boat.

 

[Ron the boater]

I don’t think that AD41’s were an option when these boats were new so possibly been re-engined. Our friends old 286 was re-engined by subsequent owners with 41s - made it sit lower in the water at the stern as they are big lumps for that boat.

They were offered with the 41’s as an option but as you say do sit lower

 

[QBhoy]

Hi there. Thought I’d chip in with some thoughts, should it help. May be a long one...but hopefully of some use to you, or at least a little reassurance at least. Here goes.
firstly, I am aware of the very boat you are now lucky enough to own (all being well). I saw her for sale after a friend who has a P286 currently, sent me the link. My thoughts were instantly around what a perfect all round set up for that particular boat. To explain;
I’ve been lucky enough to spend most of last year on and around my friends stunning 1990 P286. She was re engined with two monster vortec Holly carbed 5.7 V8s in 2015. To the previous owners expense, thankfully. Producing 600hp between them. Despite still having DP props more suited to the previous original VP 271’s (we presume)...the B3’s props...when we got her running well enough after a long lay up...would see her underpropped and over revving when the throttles where opened up. What we found was almost physics defying performance, even with the under pitched props. For a seriously heavy laid and ridiculous beam, more often found on a 40ft boat (about 12ft wide or perhaps more)...she had a ridiculous turn of pace on her. She easily managed 42/43 mph gps at her top end of the safe rpm limit before pulling back on the throttles for fear of doing damage. That was with fuel and the hoods up and gear etc. She has just went back in the water this weekend. But now fitted with b5 props of more pitch a d better suited. She should be blisteringly quicker again.
But...as you can imagine...she without doubt has a monstrous thirst, should she be pushed up the rpms. Especially as she was and under propped. But although she will never be frugal...with the more suitable props this year, she will definitely be better set up than she was. She will almost certainly motor along at around 6/7 knots when barely above idle. I know she did 7 knots at around 1100 rpm previously with the B3’s. She is a stunning boat and with her hoods off...another level of lovely again.
So getting eventually towards my point...this particular boat I’m familiar with and her huge engines isn’t such a worry..mainly because she is inland on a loch. And the owner 99% of the time prefers to potter along at 6/7 knots at best. Not too terrible on fuel at that. Likely around 12-15 litres an hour of fuel at that, in total.
So when we saw your particular boat for sale and with her twin modern GXi 4.3s and still a healthy 450hp between them both...we thought what a perfect compromise between power and economy, for a petrol set up at least. The only thing I did wonder was if the boat still had the original outdrives and props...it would be unlikely that she would be suitably propped, unless she had the closely powered 5.0 carbs previously?
As for the worry around river speeds and thoughts around causing issues...very unlikely going to be an issue with these engines. They are very clean burning multi point injection engines. The ecu controls the fuelling and only throws in enough fuel to burn as required. So the ideas around “glazing” is a little silly to be honest. Likely silly idea to suggest on any petrol engine to be honest. But especially an engine e like this. As long as the T stats have her up to temp. Should you find her too fiercely pitched for river speeds...drop the pitch of the props and you’ll find her less vicious for slow speed manoeuvres at least.
Anyway. Lovely boat and lovely engines. Just make sure she is pitched properly to suit you. As for the idea that these engines are no good for sea water...total rubbish. This engine in its basic form..has been dealing with seawater for the last 40 years or more and still lots around from that era. Easy to forget that manifolds and risers that can corrode are consumable parts. All the best