proud moment... launch time with some pics

Think you may need to calculate with 10 GPH (ish) at cruise ... (32 - 3400 RPM from recollection ... Presume TMD40A's at 130 Hp each) .... legs trimmed in and with some help from trim-tabs, she should stay on plane until you drop down to about 14-15 knots... With only 20 Gallons, you are light, so should pop up fast .... but I'd be cautious about that if I were you as I cannot recall where fuel pick-up is on the tank .... and the last thing I'd want to do on a first time out would be to get air into the fuel system...

Better to potter around up the loch and enjoy half an hour at slow speed up the way and back bringing the engines up to low operating temp, and inspecting them frequently, then spend an hour or two mucking around manoeuvring before you moor up again ..... that should leave you with a comfortable margin in the tank ...

the intention is just to make sure all is as it should be and then moor her up until next week when the tank gets filled but yes definately dont wish to run the tank dry
 
Productive afternoon overall :)

Had a call from the engineer to say the new starter is fitted, both engines now turn over properly, and start perfectly. Just need to add some diesel.

Our neighbours who own a large farm were happy to sell us a few litres of diesel... 100 of em just to get us about the bay and actually have a bit of a go on her before next week when we are hoping to get a full tank.

Just need some decent weather tomorrow by the looks of it, fingers crossed!
 
Better to potter around up the loch and enjoy half an hour at slow speed up the way and back bringing the engines up to low operating temp, and inspecting them frequently, then spend an hour or two mucking around manoeuvring before you moor up again ..... that should leave you with a comfortable margin in the tank ...


As tempting as it might seem to open her up Symondo, I agree with Alf about letting the engines have a really good run at low operating temperature first because she has been laid up for a while, checking and listening for anything leaking, unusual sounds and feeling pump housings/brass plates for excessive heat.
Leave the engine hatches open when you (other crew?) do finally lift the revs up to cruise, still checking engines as previously, wearing ear muffs of course ;)
 
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What a stressful day!

First off as mentioned above I managed to source about 1/4 tank of diesel to get us underway. While about 40 minutes from the marina, my dad had a call, seemed the company I spoke to about a fuel delivery were ok with our discussions in the end and signed me up (didn't confirm this so was un expected) so we had 500 litres awaiting delivery!

Got to the marina, met the guy and agreed the filling location. Now we had been given the thumbs up from our engineer so... jumped on board and got a move on as the tanker sriver was against the clock for his tacho.

So first trip out involved casting off, navigating the marina and mooring at a larger jetty - no pressure.

All was going well, about to moor up and discovered we had no reverse on either engine! Narrowly avoided a bump with a pontoon and eventually managed to coax her round and eventually tied up for fuelling.

While they were fuelling up, had the engineer down to check the reverse issue, seems the throttle cables needed adjusted, and within 20 minutes all was well with that.

So.... the first trip out began :)

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We decided just to sit in the middle of the loch and just see what happens with the throttles and wheel in relation to manoeuvring.

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Finally a happy motorboat owner

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So we then headed up the loch and tried the throttles with a bit more go once all temps were good and everything was running really smooth

We have a bit of an issue with 1 engine, I'm hoping its a small 1, but i'll put up a fresh post on that.

Headed back to the pontoon to finish up for the day, after a detour to locate our buoy. And after a little manoeuvring 1engine started to cut out as soon as it was put into neutral. So we ended up mooring on 1 engine. Again.

Think I've got the hang of the lasso trick with the ropes over cleats, managed to do it a few times. After a call to the engineer again, turned out the screw which sets the idle speed had been loose, its been reset and tightened up, mow idles perfectly again.

did lunch and then attempted the swinging line, 3 attempts to hook the buoy for a first go, was happy at that!

So she's now ready for tomorrow, when its the old mans birthday and the kids are coming along to see what the fuss has been about

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Blimey symondo, your engineer must be tame! He seems to drop everything whenever you call
 
Blimey symondo, your engineer must be tame! He seems to drop everything whenever you call

Ive been quite demanding of him, after all he's had since last august to give us the thumbs up, so I did expect it to be done before she hit the water.

I knew fine it'd need some fettling once up and running, but I'm thinking he just wants me out of his hair for more than a week as I've been on at him weekly since mid febuary
 
Great update - well done! Onto the fun bit now then... :encouragement:

Upon the date I took on the project lead from my dad I set myself a target of having it in the water for his birthday, which was Saturday.

So we spent Saturday on the boat with the parents, wife and my kids, everyone had a blast and we didn't even go far. Just had a play and a bit of fishing, and plenty of food

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This was a result of some practise of seeing how to manoeuvre by using the depth on the gps like a target with the aim of sitting us on top of the number using the throttles and steering to get there. It was quite telling how difficult it can be to 'stop' such a mass and also what the slightest bit of wind can do!

Now it appears I have hit on another problem... even tnough I managed a day without touching a screw driver or spanner.

1 engine has suddenly stopped charging when running. It was working fine with a good voltage before, so I'm hoping in the efforts of trying to re prime the heater we may have knocked a cable or a fuse has gone.

I'm intending on a trip down Tuesday to get the meter on it and check it out but just to clarify, the large cables that feed the starter from the 1/2/both/off are also the cables that should feed current back to charge the batteries? There are no other cables I can visibly see which would do the job of charging
 
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