hailing all 53MY and 58YF owners (and everyone else too) :)

[MarioG]

OK fellas,

I need your help. I'm wondering if anyone has a list of items or a checklist of sorts that I can use. looks like I'm going to see a 1977 58YF "fixer upper" this weekend and I would like to have some sort of a list of specific items like electrical systems, pumps, structure, plumbing, also areas that I should be specifically looking in, at, under, and over.

I know I need detailed surveys of hull and engines but that will come later. I just need some type of guide for all areas so my time isn't wasted.

your experience is worth it's weight in gold.

Mario

[randy]

Service records and reciept for maintanance and repairs are a good start.
Previous surveys if complete help.

[Nonchalant1]

See Genesis "cold start" test for engines and smoke.

Look for soft spots in the deck around the windlass and flybridge decks. If any are found, these are really expensive (or really a PITA) to fix. Water seeps in from bad sealing and destroys the core between the fiberglass sheets. If a foot sinks down some in one spot but not others, that's a soft spot.

Run the genny with at least 4 A/Cs running, or 2 A/Cs and the stove. Do this for half an hour to stress the genny. Both sides of the 110V circuits should be pulling 20 amps or more on the meters in the panel to the left of the lower helm station wheel. See if the genny overheats or stops.

Ask that the heads be pumped out before your sea trial. Flush them all for 5 seconds each and do this 10 times in each head (after 3 flushes in one go the the next so you don't overheat the motors). This should NOT fill up the holding tanks so you get a 3/4 light or overflowing heads or overflowing vent pipes outside. If it does, the pumpout pipes have rotted off in the holding tanks (another PITA to fix).

Check the propshaft packing glands for leaks or running hot. They should stay cool and only drip 2 or 3 times per minute underway. If they drip too much, it's no big deal to fix but if they run warm (lay your hand on the big gland body while running at least 5 minutes at 1800 RPM or more) then the shaft could be scored.

If it has 8V71TIs, the boat should plane. You have to run it up above 2000 RPM for a minute before the bow comes down and the speed picks up. If it won't plane, the engines are not producing the full 435HP or the boat's overloaded, mis-propped, fouled bottom, etc.

When it's hauled, look for blisters on the bottom (almost like popcorn under the bottom paint. Hatteras is famous for these. Expensive to strip, peel and resurface the bottom. Some people just live with them, but mine is clean on the bottom. Blisters affect speed too.

Look for water stains on the interior paneling around and under the portholes. If found, it indicates bad portholes and it's difficult to get rid of these stains.

Look for water stains on the headliners. This can mean water got into the cored deck above too.

Ask if the water gauge, fuel gauge, etc. all work. Does it look like they do?

Check for differences between the flybridge gauges anf lower helm gauges while underway. They should be reasonably close to each other.

Check the oil on the engines dipsticks. Engine oil should be almost black (unless it was just changed) but NEVER have a grey scum on the dipstick (which would indicate water getting into the oil and double digit thousands to overhaul engines).

Check the oil on the marine gear dipsticks. It should be perfect, clear and clean like new, no matter how long it has been in there. It should not be black (engine oil transfer) or red (dumb mistake of putting ATF in a marine gear instead of engine oil).

Look in the bilges. How much oil is there in the engine room bilges? There's a water bilge infront and behind each engine and a separate oil bilge under each engine.

Lift the lower helm station locking tabs and swing the helm station back so you can look at the wiring insiode. Original Hatteras wiring was all neat, marked with numbers and routed along the boards with square corner turns and held by wire clamps. If you see a rat's nest of wires, count on having to sort it out and get if up to safety standards.

Check to see if the Crozier alarm is operable. It's the panel with lights on the lower helm station front underneath the steering wheel. Turn the test switch and the alarm should sound and light glow at all 4 positions. If it has been disconnected, count on a number of the circuits not working. You could test the high water alarms by shorting across the two contact point wires on a black rubber stopper hanging on the side of each forward engine bilge (hard to reach but just stick a screwdriver to touch both and the alarm should sound. You could test the fire alarm by pulling up on the alarm reset switch on the CO2 delivery pipe in the starboard engine room, but be careful, don't go pulling on other fire extinguisher buttons or pulls. If the owner can't show you this test, don't do it. You can test the low oil pressure alarm by turning on the oil pressure alarm before the engines are started (it's a toggle switch on the Crozier alarm panel). The alarm should sound when the engines are off and it should not sound when the engines are running.

Operate the searchlight from the remote on the helm and bridge. They should both work.

Operate the glendinning synchronizer. Watch the tachs to see if it's running OK.

Operate the marine gears from the helm and the bridge. They should work the same and feel the same.

Operate the throttles from the helm and the bridge. They should operate and feel the same.

Oh yeah.........Have fun!

Doug Shuman
1978 53MY

[MikeP]

A lot of great stuff from Doug. The only thing I'd offer for consideration is that a boat this size as a fixer-upper is going to be an absolutely huge project. Have you seriously looked at the time involved in such a project? If you are doing it yourself, it will be years of work; if you are having others do it, it will probably take longer!

If you are thinking about a fixer-upper to save money; it probably won't.

However, if you are doing it because you enjoy doing this sort of thing and are not concerned about the time needed, great!

Good luck!

[REBrueckner]

Nonchalant's list is is very good. Here are three critically important additional checks:
Remove the expansion tank cap on each engine and genny, and stick your finger in the fill hole and rub lightly on the underside of the tank. If your finger comes out with brown oily residue likely there is a problem or has been. If they have transparent overflow tanks, you can see muck inside these without having to remove the cap.

Check the transmission oil for color and smell by removing the dipstick. It should be clear, clean oil and no burned smell.

Bring an infrared thermometer and check every engine component while underway. Compare readings from each engine for variations.

The longer you spend aboard the more you will find about the boat. Try spending an overnight aboard to fuss and poke around at your leisure.
As noted, the time,effort and/or expense is usually enormous so if you go ahead, take your time, make a plan, and spread the work out. Don't make unnecessary changes until you have used the boat and gotten a good feel for what you like and what you'd might want to change.
Good luck, have fun...

[SeaEric]

Is this the same boat that Angela is chasing?

[admiralty58]

So- As a review:

A lot of great stuff from Doug. The only thing I'd offer for consideration is that a boat this size as a fixer-upper is going to be an absolutely huge project. Have you seriously looked at the time involved in such a project? If you are doing it yourself, it will be years of work; if you are having others do it, it will probably take longer!

Whatever the time: Double It

Whatever the money: Triple It

If you are thinking about a fixer-upper to save money; it probably won't.


One last thing-

If you have not done this on smaller boats and worked your way up-

THIS IS PROBABLY A VERY VERY BAD IDEA

However, if you are doing it because you enjoy doing this sort of thing and are not concerned about the time needed, great!

Good Luck

[Angela]

Is this the same boat that Angela is chasing?

Probably. I have a contract on it presently, but the main problem at the moment is that the purported seller is not the owner of record. Expired documentation, no Florida title - could be a mess. Trying to clear that up now.

Ang

[MarioG]

Excellent list, thoughts, and opinions from everyone, thanks. As for the problems associated with a "fixer upper" I agree with them all. this boat I'm going to see needs work but mostly cosmetic according to the agent. I don't mind doing some work to get her back into decent shape but I definitely won't start with a salvage project. If it's to far gone for my abilities so be it, there will be others. I'm not sure which boat Angela is looking at.


Angela, where is the boat located? PM me or e-mail maryai@bellsouth.net

[ThirdHatt]

MarioG,

You must be talking about the one down in CLearwater. It sure does look promising! There is only one other 58YF on the market under $200k (now that BigBill got his) and it is in Gulfport, MS (ad says Biloxi). IMHO, you should look at that one as well, because the pickins' are so slim in this price range for a 58YF. The one in Biloxi supposedly has rebuilt mains and two fairly new gens, but cosmetically it is quite challenged. You certainly want the most boat for the money. The others are right, the fixer-uppers can be EXTREMELY expensive to get right, but in my past experience it is much more important to get a boat that is mechanically sound (mains, gen) than cosmetically. Almost anyone can do paint, varnish, etc if time and care is taken but very few of us are certified diesel mechanics capable of proper complete overhauls on mains ($$$).

The boat in Clearwater has 8V71TI's that are painted RED. This is quite interesting to me as I have only seen this once before in a yacht. It was a family friend's 104' Broward with 12v92TI's that were GIVEN to the owner by his friend, Roger Penske after he complained about the original CATS that were troublesome. Apparently, Roger has all HIS Detriots painted red. Maybe there is some interesting history behind these engines? Either way, we at least know that they have been apart or at least serviced probably not terribly long ago judging by all the new blue silicone hoses, clean airseps, etc. The 6,800 hours figure for the mains is highly suspect unless they added the total time on the mains TOGETHER, or that is total time on the blocks. Maybe it is just a type and it is supposed to be 680hrs. Usually 8V71TI's last betweeen 2000 and 5000hrs, depending on use, care and maintenance. I know of a 53MY with 8V71TI's that somehow recently passed an engine survey with flying colors and it has 4,600 documented hrs. I didn't see anything mentioned in the specs about the gen but if it is the original 15kw Onan, you can bet it needs help at best and replacement at worst. The interior looks pretty good on that boat, with the wood under the portholes looking unstained. Another area known for window leaks is the galley windows, especially the aft ends of them. Look for stains/repairs there. The A/C's on the rack look original, but sometimes the old compressors still run fine.

All-in-all, it looks like one heck of alot of boat for the money! GOOD LUCK and let us know how it looks and checks out in person!