Maybe I am asking for a sanity check?

[IRGuy]

A friend who is rather new to boating has been searching for a boat he and his wife can travel in, overnights, weekends and maybe a few extended trips up and down the east coast. He asked me to look over the surveys and other info he had concerning a 12 year old 35’ boat built by a well known company. He had traveled from NC to FL with his wife to see the boat, and they loved it, but he said he was concerned about the engines.

The boat had Cat 3208s.. rated at 435 HP. My first thought was these engines, according to “conventional wisdom” were OK up to maybe 375 HP, but above that were considered over stressed and would possibly suffer premature failure, or at least excessive wear. Black mark #1.

The oil analyses showed one engine had high metals content, (Cu = 121, Fe = 1310, Cr = 28, Al = 195, Pb = 96, Na = 3000, Mo = 45, , Ni = 20, Ca = 2580, Mg = 372, Zn = 811, P = 822 ppm) enough that the Cat lab warned the engine should be “scheduled for inspection” ASAP.
Additionally the lube oil in this engine was fuel diluted over 4%. Black marks #2A and 2B.

The other engine results Cat considered normal.

According to the Cat tech who surveyed the engines the rated speed of these engines is 2,800 RPM. One engine at WOT reached 2,700 RPM. The one I describe above reached 2,585 RPM. The Cat tech stated in his report these engines should reach design RPM (2,800) plus 20 to 30 more, and that both engines were overloaded. Duh. Black mark #3.

The present owner had the boat for 4 years, used it “only a little bit”, and had a part time licensed captain who usually ran the boat for him. As said earler, the boat is 12 years old. Where was the advice from the "licensed captain" regarding the situation with the engines? Duh again.

I have to believe the props and trans were as installed in the factory, and therefore this boat has run with these higher than desireable output engines, overpropped, for 12 years.

But… “The boat looks great!”

I told my friend to RUN, NOT JUST WALK, away from this boat.

I think I did him a favor. But I guess I will never know for sure.

[randall]

you did him a BIG favor. buying a boat is like poker....there is no reason to play a bad hand. except with boats....you cant even bluff.

[Bruce]

licensed captain

That means absolutly nothing in the grand scheme of things.

[Carl]

That means absolutly nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Yeah it does...it means he can RuN the BoaT LikE It'S NoT HiS !!!

The Motors Go, he tells the owner the motors went and moves on...



You did your friend a favor unless he knows going into the boat that he will be doing a "Major" in the short future. If he didn't want your opinion he should not have asked. It is what I would expect from my friend.

If he already bought the boat and asked what you thought of it and knew it was too late to return...I'd opt for the "WoW, nice BOAT, Best of Luck with it...hey maybe take some pitch out of those wheels to get the rpms' into range." and leave it at that.

[Brewster Minton]

You did the right thing. Like UV says" its all in the iron".