Moving up too a cruiser : Thoughts on leaving in salt water and other issues

[alan ber]

I am not new too boating . Looking too share my thoughts and get feedback from other boaters that experienced what I am considering doing.
My present 1984 walk around , cuddy cabin 21 ft Sea Ray is a good day fishing boat. Limited comforts

Years ago had 26 ft cabin cruiser .

Wife and myself are now retired.
We are considering cruiser again, cabin comforts , sleeping , extended trips

Some of the newer boats we looked at had beautiful cabins, with air and luxury comforts . Of coarse I was resisting at first but the cabins are beautiful and extended stays would be fun.

I just put a deposit on a 2003 Regal with the twin Volvo 6 cylinder engines with Volvo out drives.
450 hours.
New risers, manifolds
Consignment boat owed by a marine mechanic
Dealer is shady , many bad reviews but salesman gave me owners contact info.
After speaking with owner I feel comfortable about boat
28 ft Commnander , with swim over 30 . Comes with trailer.
I have a Ford F 350 too tow. Boat weights around 9 thousand lbs
This boat is set up for fishing at stern plus large swim platform is a great fishing area. Happy wife / Happy life, she has cabin I have fishing without getting fish guts all over the fancy smanchy seats.

I live in Florida and planning on leaving boat in Clearwater 6 months in water 6 months trailer back home too maintain boat. Then at times trailer were ever we want too go
Did not want racking , I know its better for bottom and no worries but wanted too sleep aboard at times meet people at dock . Its a social environment besides boating and fishing
Millions of I.O's left in salt but calling too a few marinas they tell me I don't want too leave boat in wet slip that the salt will eat away lower units .
Bottom of this boat was never painted
So pros and cons on bottom painting job myself. Two coats ? How many gallons would I expect too use based on 30 ft boat
Extra coating of anti fowling paint on gimbel housing and lower units .
Engine is raw water cooled, not heat exchanger .
Will salt eat away wiring ?

Anybody have first hand experience with the boat I am considering, GOOD / BAD
Could this be a mistake this type of boat
What can I expect on fuel consumption . I am no speed demon and always keep my speed around 2500 rpms

Having my share of repairs I am so afraid on twin I;O. engines . Double trouble.
Trailing a 30 ft boat often ?? good bad, hassle at ramp , Low or high tides any effect

Will have boat gone over by inderpendant person but for what I am trying too accomplish I know shafts prop is better just real big boats which I don't want and out of my pricing

In closing if few boaters had experience let me know

thanks guys

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... I gotta believe a 30' boat is over-size, over-width, 'n possibly over-height to be towin' it around,......

Especially a cabin boat,...

 

[smokeonthewater]

I tow my 28' cruiser all the time with my f350.... No issue w that whatsoever EXCEPT as Bondo mentioned it is an oversize load... Over 102" wide.... I have never permitted it and have made half a dozen 1000 mile one way trips BUT I am taking a chance of hefty fines and impoundment each time.

I have purchased two I/O boats from saltwater environments... Both had major corrosion issues....
Yes salt will eat raw cooled engines and drives

There are plenty of inboard boats in the 28' range or even smaller.

I am not a salt water boater BUT if I was I would have inboard and closed cooling, not I/O.

 

[JoLin]

I'm a salt water boater and my boat has dual outdrives, as did my previous one. My boats spend 5-6 months a year wet slipped. Last boat was a 1997 Four Winns with twin Volvos that I ran until a year ago . Original drives 17 years old, no corrosion issues. The current boat is a 1992 with original Merc drives 23 years old, and no corrosion issues. New risers and manifolds is a very good thing- that'll set you up for a few years. If you don't know when the outdrive bellows were last replaced (I mean proof, as in paid receipts), do it now. If those Volvo's are the SX series (I think they are in a 2003), they're practically bulletproof when taken care of. I loved mine in the Four Winns.

No doubt that salt can and does take a toll on various components- that's why you have zincs and change them regularly. If the drives have no corrosion issues now, they won't if you keep up with maintenance. You WILL need to short-haul the boat at least once (twice would probably be better) during your six months in the water to clean growth off the bottom and running gear. Inspect everything under the waterline closely when you do.

You'll find that 2500 rpm's won't keep you on plane. The only complaint I've heard about Regals in that size range was that they skimped on power by not offering V-8's, which would have been a better match. The sweet spot for those 6's in that size boat will be in the 3200-3500 rpm range, where you can expect speed in the low 20's mph and consumption of about 16 gph total, give or take a couple. Both my Four Winns (8500 lbs loaded) and the Carver (9500 lbs. loaded) need to stay above 3000 to keep me on plane. Make sure you do a good sea trial with enough weight on board to mimic what you'll experience when you own it. Both my V-6 equipped boat were/are a little underpowered, but manageable. You'll wish for more power when you have a full load of passengers. For me, that's maybe twice a season. Manage your weight by loading less fuel and fresh water- it helps a little

The only 'con' to bottom painting yourself is the work involved. Painting is painting. If you buy a 'mutl-season' ablative paint, put on 2 coats. For a single season paint, either 1 or 2- your call. You'll need 1/2 - 3/4 of a gallon per coat. One good trick is to paint the bottom a different color from what's on there now. You'll be able to tell where it's wearing away and time for another coat or touch-up. I'm painting mine for the first time since I bought it last spring and putting blue over the current black.

Best of luck!

 

[JoLin]

Just re-read your post, and saw that the bottom has never been painted. Sorry, I've never painted the bottom from scratch. Don't now what you need to do to apply the barrier coats(s) before the antiflouling.

 

[Chris1956]

It would be very smart to apply a barrier coat of paint prior to the antifouling paint. There are different barrier paints, but all are two-part epoxy and are temperature sensitive. Some require 5+ coats, and some require less. Choose the one you want. Block up the boat, and wipe the hull with some solvent as recommended. Tape the waterline and brush and roll on the barrier coat. Note the temperature, and apply the next coat when recommended for that temp. When I did it, it was cold enough (spring in NJ) to roll a coat each morning, and let her cure for 24 hours. So every AM before work, I rolled a coat. I used a 3 coat barrier paint. On the 4th day, I rolled a coat of antifouling paint. After that two more coats of A-F paint. You may use a single color of A-F paint. Barnacles will signal that it is time to repaint long before the under color shows thru.

 

[smokeonthewater]

note that this boat has raw water cooling..... so it's manifolds, risers, blocks, and heads in the salt....

BUT I guess maybe my saltwater I/O's were owned by less maintenance oriented folks... Personally I would still go with inboard but I guess if you really stay on top of things you might be ok....

 

[JoLin]

note that this boat has raw water cooling..... so it's manifolds, risers, blocks, and heads in the salt....

No question that fresh water cooling is preferable, if you can find a boat you like that has it. It simply isn't as common as RW cooling. In general I would also prefer inboards to I/O's. Again, they aren't common in trailerable boats, or new-ish cruisers 30' and under, particularly express cruisers. If the OP's primary goal is to own his next boat for many, many years with the least possible maintenance/repair cost and effort, he's shopping the wrong type of boat.

My .02

 

[agallant80]

If the boat has XDP drives run away from it.

 

[tpenfield]

Was this boat previously used in salt water? If not, then I would go for closed cooling systems - full.

I keep my twin engine boat in salt water, because I don't know any better. So far so good. Lots of anode protection.

For painting . . . Barrier coat, then 2 coats of anti fouling . . . you will run about 2 gallons per coat.

I use ePaint EP2000 . . . Comes in white.

 

[JoLin]

Was this boat previously used in salt water? If not, then I would go for closed cooling systems - full.

Great point- I assumed it was a salt water boat, but maybe not. OP, take note of tpenfield's observation. If the boat has been used in fresh water up until now, this would be the perfect opportunity to add FWC. If it's been a salt water boat, I think you can forget it. At 450 hours it's too late to add it. You'll just have to join the ranks of we who 'don't know any better' . LOL