tests during sea trial

[pappaecho]

I will be conducting a sea trial on a Princess 33, with twin shafts, driven by twin Ford Mermaid 80 bhp diesels.
What tests would the forum members use to check out that the engines are sound?

 

[oldgit]

I will be conducting a sea trial on a Princess 33, with twin shafts, driven by twin Ford Mermaid 80 bhp diesels.
What tests would the forum members use to check out that the engines are sound?

A good hard WOT run over decent distance.Keep an eye on both engine temps when running hard should be roughly both he same(if one is bit slow to heat up it might be calorifier)
Look at oil pressure both when flat out and what happens to oil pressure when you throttle back to slow tick over.
Look down in engine bay after run any water or oil leaks how much oil vapour from crankcase vents.

 

[hlb]

Do the test with the floor lifted, look for vibration or leaks. Some maybe expected with a boat of that age. Run engines seperatly to see if they sound the same.
The overall look at the boat will see how well cared for. Look for records of servicing, most folk dont keep all. But there should be a general feeling.

2x 80 wont be fast, expect about 10-12 Knots. Maybe less.

Other than that, a great boat, well put together. Forget smoke at start up, if it's still there after half an hour on full bore, worry.

 

[oldsaltoz]

Check battery charging systems and all instruments are working, check all pumps, fresh water, shower, bilge, fuel transfer.

Inspect engines before and after trial run, check controls for close manoeuvring with short bursts ahead and and astern.

Set both engines at the same revs and monitor instruments for temperature and oil pressure and charge variations, let go the steering and see if she tracks to one side.

Test the sounder works properly at speed, and check all navigation gear is satisfactory including lights and illumination.

Check safety equipment is working and up to date.

Good luck.

 

[iangrant]

Shaft seals

I will be conducting a sea trial on a Princess 33, with twin shafts, driven by twin Ford Mermaid 80 bhp diesels.
What tests would the forum members use to check out that the engines are sound?

Check the drip/weep/torrent from the shaft seals, check the bilge(s) before and after for oil/coolant/sea water/fresh water... tounge test there I'm afraid.

Rusty engine mounts, in fact any sea water weep/leak around the engines, belts, pipes, exhausts, look to see that shafts run true off the gearboxes you'll see if they don't look right.

check gearbox oil levels and condition it should be golden.

Be suspicious if the engine is warm when you get there!!!

 

[oldgit]

And something else sort of important.The side windows on the P33 are a weak point as well they might after 30 odd years,the canvas slider bits tend to rot and break up resulting in jammed windows and leaks.
The two front bedroom windows do tend to leak due to angle/area of glass and weedy ali frames and bit flexy surrounding glassfibre.
Check inside the little shelves that run fore and aft in front cabin directly under bottom outside corner of windows for discolouration of wood due to water soaking in.
There is a cheap easy fix for this but to do it proper you need new or rebuilt window frames.