Surveyor and marine engineer recomendations

[jon and michie]

Hi - I have finally got a boat and I now need a surveyor and a marine engineer to look over her.
It is a sea ray 315 sundancer with a single Kad 300 engine and is moored at Essex marina on the river crouch.

any help is greatly appreciated
Jon

 

[Whitelighter]

Sent you a text with both. Let me know if you don't get it

 

[jon and michie]

Hi Jez - Yes got the texts will look into getting them
Cheers mate
Jon

 

[jon and michie]

I did ask Dan if he knew of a surveyor and he gave me Steve Moffatt 's details
and I was thinking of using Volspec both seem fairly close about an hours drive away.

I have also found on this forum Darren Phillips marine engineering who is very close by to the boat
If anyone could chime in with their opinions please do - as I want to get these surveys on the go

Jon

 

[Portofino]

Had a boat with 2x Kad 300's for 9 years --so they became my mistresses .
This is a pic from broker s ad

Tappets -look like they have not been done (200 hrs) -paint too new like on the rocker box nuts ,also give away is this there is no gasket for the rocker cover ,they use a gunk sealant that squidges out -I see none = rocker box has not been off

Exhaust Elbow - ( top left of pic ) Agian knots not touched ,therefore original , these are a base metal and corrode inside ,
The spray ring rusts up = overheating issues ,also when off you can see the state of the turbo vanes -thay burn at the tips leaving a gap = poor performance -last 5-7 years ,the turbos life span -some folks fit a stainless steel repair linner to close the gap .Or a couple of grand for new fitted
Looking down you see into the riser ,( wirh the elbow off ) agian VP cast iron/base metal -rusts at the tip -there are repair kits ,a kinda rubber ring you can fit insitu- otherwise engine out + VP parts a grand or so ?

Fuel pipes - cheap alloy they corrode -see bottom od pic one on cylinder 1 - bare metal ,it's not scratched paint it's corrosion - rub down -and waxoil it -but others will "blow" you know sea air + Alluminium -bad combo .

"Black dust disease "-- base metal bare pulleys ( where the belts fit in the grooves ) -rust = become more abrasive = cause belts to produce excess black dust ,even fail -snap .
So learn how to change em -at sea .To help mitigate waxoil the pully V ,s and regularly check tension .You can see the black staining on the supercharger engrained into the paint -they have cleaned the bilge for you .

Strainer -it's above the alternator ,so every time you check it you can shower the alternator with seawater -I,ll let you figure out what effect that has on alternator life .

Water pump -this too gets an external sea water show from the strainer at inspections = corrodes the weak shaft = weakens it = snaps or seawater eventually knackers a bearing seeping in over time !

Supercharger clutch - they burn out ,or can do if you pussey foot about speed wise .
Either go v slow below 1400 rpm ( cut in point ) or v fast over 2600? -( cut out ) it should just be used for a few mins to get the boat up on the plane after 2600 or what ever the turbo takes over .

Air filter -crank breather -enters the box on one side -so gunks up the paper element on one side

I,am not an engineer -just passing on 9 years of living with em .
The actual inside bits , block , crank , pistons , cam,s etc are bombproof ,it's all the bolt on VP bits that fall apart /corrode.

Eyes wide open now

[I have got a German engined boat and none of the above "shot in the foot " engineering applies ]

 

[[2068]]

Wow, how come "none of the above" happened to my KAD32's in 13 years and 950 hours?
(other than a clean out of the exhaust elbows)

 

[Portofino]

Wow, how come "none of the above" happened to my KAD32's in 13 years and 950 hours?
(other than a clean out of the exhaust elbows)

Talking Kad 300 here the run out modal of the early 41's

Ever tried to remove the strainer in kad 300 ? -look at the pic bottom right and erh under it ----- yup alternator

Clue is in "Mistress" for those who did not get it -you will spend time lying on top of a kad300 than your wife

Happy to hear Volvo Paul's take on my post

 

[jon and michie]

Wow - Thank you for the info Portofino - the marine engineer is going to do a condition survey on the engine and leg I am thinking of using Volspec.
I will definitely be bending your ears on this engine if all goes to plan

Jon

 

[baldyash]

Can definitely recommend Darren Phillips.Good guy and has helped me many times07976 756350 is his contact no.

 

[MJGH]

I did ask Dan if he knew of a surveyor and he gave me Steve Moffatt 's details
and I was thinking of using Volspec both seem fairly close about an hours drive away.

I have also found on this forum Darren Phillips marine engineering who is very close by to the boat
If anyone could chime in with their opinions please do - as I want to get these surveys on the go

Jon

Unless things have changed recently Volspec have a base in Essex Marina.

 

[volvopaul]

Wow, how come "none of the above" happened to my KAD32's in 13 years and 950 hours?
(other than a clean out of the exhaust elbows)

Simple answer= you looked after your engines impeccably.

 

[Billy Blue]

Volspec Essex Marina Office
According to the Volspec website under "Latest News" this is now closed.

 

[boatingdave]

I did ask Dan if he knew of a surveyor and he gave me Steve Moffatt 's details
and I was thinking of using Volspec both seem fairly close about an hours drive away.

I have also found on this forum Darren Phillips marine engineering who is very close by to the boat
If anyone could chime in with their opinions please do - as I want to get these surveys on the go

Jon

I've used both. Steve does quite a lot for boats.co.uk but did a reasonable survey (missed some items which we found out later). Volspec are good for the engine side of it, thorough. I had a 'local engineer' very close to the boat (in Essex when I bought my Targa - years ago) that managed to cock up the install of replacement engines in my Targa which started to sink as soon as the engines were fired up once dropped in the water (after delivery on a low loader) so she had to go back on the low loader - the engines failed twice - that was a very frustrating period in my boating life..... I'm not saying that it was (or was not) Darren Phillips Engineering as I genuinely cannot remember what his trading name was other than he was called Darren, he was on the same site and used to get his 'spares' from Coastal Rides (who reclaim most of their 'spares').

 

[jon and michie]

Thank you for the advice boatingdave -- I have got Volsopec to go over the engine and steve to do the survey as I am to complete a week on Friday so fingers crossed all goes well.

I just cant wait to get aboard and have a little sail up the river / chill out on the back deck and enjoy marina life

Thank you for all the replies on this thread

Jon