First big boat-Running on 1 engine?

[Roadgypsy]

Howdy folks, I think I'm buying this on a whim, after reading up on here for the last week,I'm expecting it'll be a full resto. Seller says the stringers are good, would be a nice bonus but not holding my breath. My biggest question in deciding what to do with it is, If it does turn out it's floatable, can you run a twin engine craft with an engine removed on small lakes? Supposed to have twin 305's, but 1 removed. The seller was planning on capping off that outdrive and goin as is, said he's done alot of work (water pump, bellows, rebuilt outdrive) It would be nice to be able to enjoy it while the project was ongoing, assuming that 1 engine can be made VERY reliable, but wondering about control? Probably getting the cart ahead of the horse a bit, but getting antsy while making my weekly run around the plains. If it wouldn't work anyway, then I can plan on stripping it down to the hull whether it strictly needs it or not, and work on small portions as finances allow, be a while before I could repower.

 

[JoLin]

Re: First big boat-Running on 1 engine?

Could you do it? Sure. Why anyone would want to is another question.

It's one thing to run on a single engine temporarily whan one quits, quite another to do it that way as 'SOP'. The boat won't get out of its own way, and the lack of control will take the fun out of it for you, IMO. You'll also put additional strain on the single good engine unless you limit yourself to run at hull speed... 7-8 mph for that boat.

My .02

 

[shrew]

Re: First big boat-Running on 1 engine?

... can you run a twin engine craft with an engine removed on small lakes?

Run around on one engine? Sure, plenty of folks come in on one engine when the other one dies on them. Don't expect to get the boat up on plane. Expect it to handle horribly and dock worse. I'd expect the boat to constantly pull in the direction oppoosite of the side where teh motor is installed. However, run around with one engine completely removed? Aside from dealing with the giant hole in the transom (see below), the boat is going to list badly to one side. At slow speed tabs will not be able to correct for this condition.

...
The seller was planning on capping off that outdrive and goin as is....

Capping it off will be some significant fiberglass work, which will need to be reversed when you're ready to install the engine again. You'd need to cut a new hole for the trasnom assembly again and make everything lines up perfectly. You'd be better off, changing the bellows and reinstalling the outdrive.

All in all, this sounds like a very bad idea to me.

 

[spoilsofwar]

Re: First big boat-Running on 1 engine?

That is a mighty large boat to be doing a resto "as finances allow"... Since you're asking about running on one engine for an extended period of time, I think you're not mentally prepared for "finances to allow" you to get that boat splashed 5 or 10 years from now.

Why not buy something water ready, albeit smaller?

 

[shrew]

Re: First big boat-Running on 1 engine?

I didn't cath the 'as finances allow. Do yourself a favor and walk away (from this boat). This is not the boat for you.

 

[Roadgypsy]

Re: First big boat-Running on 1 engine?

Had that feeling. This is the problem I always have with projects, get excited and wanna play, and corners get cut and things mickey moused. This can't be that kind of project, not like I can just call a tow truck if my duct taped wiring or JB'd fuel tank go kerplunk. Need to go all in or not start if I'm not gonna see it through. Best way to make sure I do would be do the full teardown so that I have to make sure everything is perfect, but on the other hand if it by some miracle is solid, it'd be easier to devote all my attentions to repowering...... will just have to see what it's like once I get there and if I don't follow through there's prolly $800 in parts there. Risking myself ending up on the shoulder of the highway, or my snake escaping his crooked habitat is one thing, not gonna take friends out and risk lives or add a new hazard to the bottom of some lake.

 

[oops!]

Re: First big boat-Running on 1 engine?

All in all, this sounds like a very bad idea to me.

I think you're not mentally prepared for "finances to allow" .

Do yourself a favor and walk away (from this boat). This is not the boat for you.

a smaller project ......."finances allowing" are 50-100 bux a time..... that is do-able

with a project that size.......the "finances allow" are 4-5 k a time......as well as the 50-100.

so finances never allow

 

[Roadgypsy]

Re: First big boat-Running on 1 engine?

I figured on it being a several year project, just have a tendancy to overthink things, and woulda been nice to putter around a couple times before putting her down if i was able to get engine going with a little tinkering. I'm really buying it to sit on it, not many boats like it around Nebraska. I have a project house,truck,bike, a boat just rounds things out lol. Long term I'm planning on being able to stick it in a slip on michigan, and it'll be a few years till I can afford to take a week every month to go out there. Working a few hours at a time on weekends, I'd be suprised if I see the inner hull by years end.

I can always drop another $800 on an aluminum boat with a 25 horse if I want to get out on the water in meantime. Just want something to kill time and an excuse to build my tool collection in the end, moved to a small town last summer and when I get off the road I just sit around 3 days a week. Wrenching on bike and pickup just feels too much like work anymore and I want something I'll take enough pride in to do more than "keep running". After the initial investment it's something I won't be needing to buy parts for to continuously work a few hours a weekend, dissasembly is free=) Nice to know if I did manage to get engine going in first couple weekends I could at least put it in to see how it feels and throw out a line, but that's probably a pipedream.

I dunno that I'd wanna pick up in the middle of someone elses drivetrain work anyway, probably get a pair of crate motors when it's ready or try an outboard conversion. It's not quite the impulse purchase I woulda made a year ago as I took a week here getting an idea of what I'm in for(mostly cause I'd thought it went off market lol) in the end, I"m always going to be wasting money on something, might as well be something I can come away from with some new skills.(and tools!) I do appreciate the concern, and hope to get some advice once it's time to get dirty, but the one piece I for some reason can never take is "DON'T BUY THAT!!" I think somewhere in my brain it translates to "don't try new things".

 

[Roadgypsy]

Re: First big boat-Running on 1 engine?

Well, damn.....maybe I'm growing as a person! I'm actually gonna walk away from it. seeing pics in a thread is one thing, standing on it looking down into the hull is.......anyway, thx for everybody who tried to watch out for me, found something a little more my speed.