Would you do motor 30 miles on a used boat?

[island808]

"hey. hold my beer. This is going to be cool."

[azav8tor]

Heck...I motored my 1998 all the way to Catalina Island and back the first time out. That was 60 miles round trip. Just go for it! The boatus towing did save my bacon when the wind blew me into muck while I was trying to dock. Get it!

[island808]

Went up for a sea trial, was going fine, engine fired right up. (carbed Honda 50)
About 10 min later, poor engine is gasping. Sounded like a fuel problem. Intermittently sputtering. It would run fine, then start missing. Like water or starving carbs. It was missing at all rpms when it was missing. Running smoothly at all Rpm when it was smooth. It stalled as we put it in neutral to put in. It had trouble starting after that. A tech replaced the fuel filter but then when we started it (it started right up), the pee hole was not spitting water.. Pulled the tube on the inside... No water.
They're tearing into it now, going to let me know. Engine is clean And looks well kept (other than the skeg being snapped). No smoke

Also, it has a brand new rack and pinion helm.

It moved super smoothly. Nice. Cept it was set up to run the cable from port side, so the motor turned backwards. It was replaced when it went up for sale and no one ever had it in the water to notice. We all played with it on land and didn't notice it.

No cash has changed hands.. Just some Ernest money contingent on the running gear being ship shape. I'm not getting such a deal that I'm going to bend on the engine condition.

Gave me a chance to go throu it again since the owner brought out the rest of the gear and cleaned out some junk. No surprises. Just good stuff. Lots of extra rigging in the cabin. Some of it is the mast raising system, some is stowed from the weather, some I have no idea what it is. The owner wants to meet up and show us the rigging when/if we take ownership. Lots of other goodies as well. Tons of those cheap orange vests, brand new fire extinguishers. Pulled out the sails and they were clean, pretty and crisp. Good stuff, but bad engine.

I'm not considering the engine a non starter (pun) but they'll have to come up with some good reasons for the failure, then we're gunna run a ton of gas through it before I'm forkin over the cash.

Also, I'm not driving up there again till THEY test it out. No one had ever started the boat in the water much less moved it. Sloppy. But they're being good about the whole thing.

[Crikey]

Why do you think it was being sold so cheap?
If the rest is satisfactory, then discount the value of the motor if it doesn't check out - otherwise, hasta la vista baby!

[island808]

Why do you think it was being sold so cheap?
If the rest is satisfactory, then discount the value of the motor if it doesn't check out - otherwise, hasta la vista baby!

Not that cheap. $12k sans trailer. Another 3700 to buy a new aluminum trailer. Looks about right for its condition, given a strong but used engine and needing full line replacement. A couple other things need attention more than just maintenance. But given a good engine, it seems seaworthy.

I was thinking the same. Engine doesn't work? Find me a used replacement or discount it. Or heck, I guess I'd take a brand new engine too but it's a private seller through a broker, not as easy as used by dealer, not as iffy as by owner. Hope their tecs can work it out. They don't pop up every day within a reasonable distance.

Was planning on inspecting/rebuilding the current engine over winter. But want a couple good months out of it.

[Catigale]

Now you have played to my favourite dead horse to flog....

Remove 50 HP and bring home on trailer for rework this winter.

Mercury 6 HP bolt on motor, 1200 USD.

Mac X hull speed down the Chesapeake for trip to marina, priceless

Enjoy rest of season sailing using 6HP to get out to Bay.

FIx 50 over winter and install next year, sell 6 HP one year old for 700-800 minimum

[island808]

Enjoy rest of season sailing using 6HP to get out to Bay.

FIx 50 over winter and install next year, sell 6 HP one year old for 700-800 minimum

Noted.

I'm going to research the speed a laden macx will make with a 6/10.

50 is heavy and sucks down fuel ( don't let the inboard crowd hear that). Had it up to 18mph yesterday and doesnt seem to be where the Mac wants to live. If I could do 8-10.. Maybe that's the engine I'm interested in.

[Tomfoolery]

I'm going to research the speed a laden macx will make with a 6/10.

Let me help you with that - hull speed, or a bit less, like about 6.4 kts theoretical, just under 5 kts easily. It takes a LOT more hp just to climb over the bow wave on its way to planing speed. You can feel this with the big engine as you advance the throttle and not much happens other than more noise and fuel consumption until you start putting some real power into the prop and it climbs over.

50 is heavy and sucks down fuel ( don't let the inboard crowd hear that). Had it up to 18mph yesterday and doesnt seem to be where the Mac wants to live. If I could do 8-10.. Maybe that's the engine I'm interested in.

A 9.9 hp isn't going to get you anywhere near there. That BF50 is quite fuel efficient at less than hull speeds (though not as efficient as a 9.9, I wouldn't think), and I assume typical when planing compared to other 50 hp OBs, but to go that fast will cost fuel no matter what.

I think you need to think either big enough to plane (50 or more hp), or small enough to be inexpensive and be happy with hull speed or close to it.

[dlandersson]

Something else. My insurance agent told me I'd get a better rate if my engine was 25 hp or less.

Enjoy rest of season sailing using 6HP to get out to Bay.

FIx 50 over winter and install next year, sell 6 HP one year old for 700-800 minimum

Noted.

I'm going to research the speed a laden macx will make with a 6/10.

50 is heavy and sucks down fuel ( don't let the inboard crowd hear that). Had it up to 18mph yesterday and doesnt seem to be where the Mac wants to live. If I could do 8-10.. Maybe that's the engine I'm interested in.

[Baerkanu]

Enjoy rest of season sailing using 6HP to get out to Bay.

FIx 50 over winter and install next year, sell 6 HP one year old for 700-800 minimum

Noted.

I'm going to research the speed a laden macx will make with a 6/10.

50 is heavy and sucks down fuel ( don't let the inboard crowd hear that). Had it up to 18mph yesterday and doesnt seem to be where the Mac wants to live. If I could do 8-10.. Maybe that's the engine I'm interested in.

IMHO, ability to get up to hull speed is only one factor. You've got a boat with a LOT of windage and not much weight, that occasionally needs a goose of plenty of horsepower to swing the bow across the wind. That can be important in an urgent situation. I've got Suzuki 70, and I'd bet that those times when I need to bring the bow across a gusty 20 kt wind, I'm using more than 9.9 hp.

[Tomfoolery]

Might want to ask MacGregorSailors.com member 'ualpow', who has a 30 hp, for an opinion on a mid-sized engine.

Which is broken at the moment, but that doesn't change past performance.

And I'm sure he'll get it set right.

http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... =8&t=22123

I CAN say with first-hand certainty that having more than 9.9 hp is really nice when docking. Powerful short bursts as needed, and reverse actually does something.

[island808]

all good advise thanks.

I suppose I'm losing sight of what got me into the macgregor. the ability to run my novice a$$ away from trouble. 50 hp for bay use does sound reasonable.

[Tomfoolery]

50 hp for bay use does sound reasonable.

It also lets your kid do this:



More hp would let him do it better, as he found out when he tried wakeboarding behind someone's high-hp bow rider recently, with his own wakeboard and tow rope, but hey, at least he wants to go boating with me now, instead of just going below and taking a nap, like he used to when we had a keelboat.

[Catigale]

Yeah but.....

Buying a 9.9 now isn't closing you out of anything...you can repower without paying double installs as needed

[Seapup]

Not that cheap. $12k sans trailer. Another 3700 to buy a new aluminum trailer. Looks about right for its condition, given a strong but used engine and needing full line replacement. A couple other things need attention more than just maintenance. But given a good engine, it seems seaworthy.

Sounds like the carb needs rebuilt from sitting, seems to be fairly common with the honda carbs. They have very tiny ports in the body of the carb itself that can get gummed up very easily.

What part of the bay are you on?

If you decide to walk on the deal PM me, We are at the mouth of the bay, looking at cats and may be selling our 02X.