The trials and tribulations of a 'new' (old) boat!

No Regrets

No Regrets

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Well, it's knocking a year now since we took the keys for Fifty Shades (1984 Scand 32 Atlantic) and it's been a bittersweet experience so far!

Good points:

Lovely thing to helm, entertain on and sleep on. Exterior really nice and shiny, and lots of space within for a 32'er. Economical on the river, quiet and practical. The boat is really lovely and attracts lots of nice comments...

Not so good points:

Issues so far: Overheat on SB engine, cured by pulling impeller out and refitting!?
Fuel starvation caused by diesel bug. Cured by cleaning inlet pipe and applying Soltron (£50!!)
Engine oil leak on SB engine front crank seal: Engineer instructed, approx £250 to replace front main oil seal.
Possible coolant loss from Port engine, this is a minor weep, which may have been cured by cleaning up radiator cap housing with Dremel. If not, it may be painful!!
Water leak from Port side raw water pump, cured by overhauling pump for £180 (kindly halved by Thames boat Sales as a goodwill gesture)
Various electrical issues, mainly sorted by common sense and a few new switches, also three new leisure batteries, which are considered serviceable items anyway.

The result is, once the coolant loss has been totally eradicated, and the oil seal replaced, we should have a lovely boat in which nearly everything works as intended, not bad for a 1984 boat IMHO. Whilst No Regrets was nearly always impeccable, I suppose this is a much more complex vessel and obviously costs more in terms of upkeep. This takes a little getting used to, but all seems fair enough so far!

The internal 'greenhouse' helm position is far nicer in most weather, but too hot on a really sunny day, so a Fan is on order!!
 
No Regrets said:
Well, it's knocking a year now since we took the keys for Fifty Shades (1984 Scand 32 Atlantic) and it's been a bittersweet experience so far!

Good points:

Lovely thing to helm, entertain on and sleep on. Exterior really nice and shiny, and lots of space within for a 32'er. Economical on the river, quiet and practical. The boat is really lovely and attracts lots of nice comments...

Not so good points:

Issues so far: Overheat on SB engine, cured by pulling impeller out and refitting!?
Fuel starvation caused by diesel bug. Cured by cleaning inlet pipe and applying Soltron (£50!!)
Engine oil leak on SB engine front crank seal: Engineer instructed, approx £250 to replace front main oil seal.
Possible coolant loss from Port engine, this is a minor weep, which may have been cured by cleaning up radiator cap housing with Dremel. If not, it may be painful!!
Water leak from Port side raw water pump, cured by overhauling pump for £180 (kindly halved by Thames boat Sales as a goodwill gesture)
Various electrical issues, mainly sorted by common sense and a few new switches, also three new leisure batteries, which are considered serviceable items anyway.

The result is, once the coolant loss has been totally eradicated, and the oil seal replaced, we should have a lovely boat in which nearly everything works as intended, not bad for a 1984 boat IMHO. Whilst No Regrets was nearly always impeccable, I suppose this is a much more complex vessel and obviously costs more in terms of upkeep. This takes a little getting used to, but all seems fair enough so far!

The internal 'greenhouse' helm position is far nicer in most weather, but too hot on a really sunny day, so a Fan is on order!!
Click to expand...

You're not alone. Twin engines = double the problems and of course the cost. The trouble is in my case it's always the same engine that needs nursing whilst the other one is trouble free.(I'll regret saying that I know!) I won't catalogue the problems but they all revolve around leaks both domestic and cooling. I seem to sort one problem out and then another one then pops up. Anyway to take a positive out of this, as a result of the 'problem child' I have grown to know my engines and systems inside out and in fact do gain pleasure from identifying and sorting the issues out, and consider it all part of boating. However my power plants are a couple of old 1980 Mermaid marinisations which do not have any emission limits or a requirement to be plugged into a laptop thank God. As far as the inside steering position is concerned, I can honestly say I have never used it and long may that continue!!:)
 
Last edited:
welcome to the world of old twin engined cruisers!!

Just to make you feel a bit better, this is just ONE of my incidents (admittedly the worst..) in the eight years I've owned L'Chaim:

Off coast of Margate (Princes Channel I think..) doing 18kts in average seas, big bang, loss of drive from stbd engine, and very very stiff steering. Checked for sinkage and fire, none found so quick call to Dover CG to advise of situation and limp into Ramsgate.

Turns out that the early TAMD61A engine mounts were not up to par, and a recall issued - mine was somehow missed. 20 years later, and three of the four mounts on the stbd engine failed. This led to the engine becoming out of line with the prop shaft, which led to the gearbox couplings failing, which led to the prop shaft disconnecting, which slid back (at 18kts) and hit the rudder. Which bent the rudder stock, which cracked the hull and rudder bearing.

Boat spent three months ashore being ignored by the insurance company appointed engineer, and was consequently put on a lorry and driven back to Windsor, where I spent three more months on the hard putting the boat back together myself (which the insurance company were happy with, as long as it was then inspected and seatrilled by their bloke upon completion).

Repairs included:
Remove and replace all eight engine mountings (two more found failed on port engine) - £250 EACH!!!!!
Remove and replace both exhaust hoses (can't get to engine mounts with them in situ) -£300 each.
Remove and replace rudder - £600
Remove and replace bent prop shaft - £600
Remove and replace rudder bearing £100ish
Grind out and repair GRP damage to hull around rudder stock. Few£ for GRP matt and resin.
Remove and replace gearbox to flexi drive coupling £300
Remove and replace R&D flexi drive (both engines) - £150 each
Remove and replace stbd stern gland cutlass bearing - £can't remember..

Three months hard standing in Ramsgate and three months ashore in Windsor - £can't remember
Lorry journey from Ramsgate to Windsor - £700

And that's just the parts! Luckily my labour is free :)

Then there's the time I spent £4k and a week installing my diesel gennie, only to find it leaked. And then blowing the windings a year later..

Both alternators have been replaced, port starter motor off and rebuilt, diesel heating fixed and finally overhauled (after a minor fire related incident..), massive rewire when I bought the boat, stbd heat exchanger and charge cooler removed and overhauled, port turbo bypass valve repaired, stbd stop solenoid replaced (Flippin FOUR HUNDRED QUID!!!! for a solenoid!!) and a hundred other bits and bobs.

Finally fixed the water level sender last year (having lived with a dead one for seven years) cos you have to remove the entire 500l tank to get to the bl00dy thing!!

Boats... Fun fun fun :)
 
I know this feeling so well. It seems every time I use the boat, which I bought earlier this year, at least two faults appear.
All relatively minor but irritating never the less. Really looking forward to a thorough maintenance going over throughout the winter and a faultless season next year. Yeah right. ;)
 
rosssavage said:
welcome to the world of old twin engined cruisers!!

Just to make you feel a bit better, this is just ONE of my incidents (admittedly the worst..) in the eight years I've owned L'Chaim:

Off coast of Margate (Princes Channel I think..) doing 18kts in average seas, big bang, loss of drive from stbd engine, and very very stiff steering. Checked for sinkage and fire, none found so quick call to Dover CG to advise of situation and limp into Ramsgate.

Turns out that the early TAMD61A engine mounts were not up to par, and a recall issued - mine was somehow missed. 20 years later, and three of the four mounts on the stbd engine failed. This led to the engine becoming out of line with the prop shaft, which led to the gearbox couplings failing, which led to the prop shaft disconnecting, which slid back (at 18kts) and hit the rudder. Which bent the rudder stock, which cracked the hull and rudder bearing.

Boat spent three months ashore being ignored by the insurance company appointed engineer, and was consequently put on a lorry and driven back to Windsor, where I spent three more months on the hard putting the boat back together myself (which the insurance company were happy with, as long as it was then inspected and seatrilled by their bloke upon completion).

Repairs included:
Remove and replace all eight engine mountings (two more found failed on port engine) - £250 EACH!!!!!
Remove and replace both exhaust hoses (can't get to engine mounts with them in situ) -£300 each.
Remove and replace rudder - £600
Remove and replace bent prop shaft - £600
Remove and replace rudder bearing £100ish
Grind out and repair GRP damage to hull around rudder stock. Few£ for GRP matt and resin.
Remove and replace gearbox to flexi drive coupling £300
Remove and replace R&D flexi drive (both engines) - £150 each
Remove and replace stbd stern gland cutlass bearing - £can't remember..

Three months hard standing in Ramsgate and three months ashore in Windsor - £can't remember
Lorry journey from Ramsgate to Windsor - £700

And that's just the parts! Luckily my labour is free :)

Then there's the time I spent £4k and a week installing my diesel gennie, only to find it leaked. And then blowing the windings a year later..

Both alternators have been replaced, port starter motor off and rebuilt, diesel heating fixed and finally overhauled (after a minor fire related incident..), massive rewire when I bought the boat, stbd heat exchanger and charge cooler removed and overhauled, port turbo bypass valve repaired, stbd stop solenoid replaced (Flippin FOUR HUNDRED QUID!!!! for a solenoid!!) and a hundred other bits and bobs.

Finally fixed the water level sender last year (having lived with a dead one for seven years) cos you have to remove the entire 500l tank to get to the bl00dy thing!!

Boats... Fun fun fun :)
Click to expand...

YOU HAVE SCARED THE LIVING HELL OUT OF ME... I am going to trade in for a canoe!
 
hembuck said:
YOU HAVE SCARED THE LIVING HELL OUT OF ME... I am going to trade in for a canoe!
Click to expand...

It's all part of boat ownership and if we're honest, most of us wouldn't want it any other way!

For example, last weekend the kids and dog were at home, my wife and I took the boat to Henley and once moored she Lounged in the sun with a book and I spent an hour or two in the engine room fixing a leaking shaft seal and tracing a bad smell. Idyllic!:cool:
 
Phill said:
It's all part of boat ownership and if we're honest, most of us wouldn't want it any other way!

For example, last weekend the kids and dog were at home, my wife and I took the boat to Henley and once moored she Lounged in the sun with a book and I spent an hour or two in the engine room fixing a leaking shaft seal and tracing a bad smell. Idyllic!:cool:
Click to expand...

Its why I wanted a boat from the age of 7, just to escape the wife I knew I might have one day too... :-)
 
We naively bought our boat when it was five years old believing that at this age it would be trouble free. How wrong could we be.

Now at ten years old we know every nook and cranny inside and out and have spent many an hour tinkering, mending and replacing. Its all part of boat ownership too us and we wouldnt have it any other way.

What does make it all worth while is when you have a fantastic two weeks holiday, with fanatstic weather for the duration and the boat performs faultlessly. Thats when you know it has all been worthwhile and worth the effort. :D

With a boat as old as Fifty Shades you will no doubt be catching up on previous owners "jobs to do" lists as well as your own. Its a risk you take when taking on an older boat, well any boats I suppose, you never know how well it has been maintained in the past.
 
She appears to have been maintained in fairness, but as always, time takes it's toll on those little bits that aren't included in routine servicing!

I reckon boats need owners that 'know' them. A real owner knows when somethings not right usually, perhaps just a smell, a flicker of a gauge or a little rattle/vibration...

as you say, five year old boats still go wrong, so it ain't all bad! At least I spent less :p
 
No Regrets said:
She appears to have been maintained in fairness, but as always, time takes it's toll on those little bits that aren't included in routine servicing!

I reckon boats need owners that 'know' them. A real owner knows when somethings not right usually, perhaps just a smell, a flicker of a gauge or a little rattle/vibration...

as you say, five year old boats still go wrong, so it ain't all bad! At least I spent less :p
Click to expand...

'Triggers Broom' comes to mind.:D
 
No Regrets said:
She appears to have been maintained in fairness, but as always, time takes it's toll on those little bits that aren't included in routine servicing!

I reckon boats need owners that 'know' them. A real owner knows when somethings not right usually, perhaps just a smell, a flicker of a gauge or a little rattle/vibration...

as you say, five year old boats still go wrong, so it ain't all bad! At least I spent less :p
Click to expand...

Without going into figures I doubt it was considerably less :D
 
Under £33k, plus around £1500 for servicing, repairs and anti foul this year.

Now look at the price of ten year old 32' boats of this quality....looks like a large saving to me!!
 
I used to get grumpy about fixing bits but then realised that this WAS boating. I really enjoy cleaning, polishing and fixing now as it is a complete change from my day job. Being an engineering novice, I also enjoy learning something new! Thankfully there are lots of people who are willing to help or offer (useful) advice.

For what we spend on the boat, we could go away a couple of times a year but....

That said, I wish you all problem free trips!
 
My Dad always likened boat ownership to standing under a cold shower tearing up £5 notes. Nothing changes apart from the denomination of the bank note.
 
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