1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 refit

[nor'easter]

Can't imagine how excited you must be to see this come to fruition!

 

[SEVEN]

What a journey and now comes the adventure.

 

[Dan Mapes]

Congrats! Best wishes for an uneventful launch and move to a slip.

 

[Captain Ralph]

OMG, Da Boat is naked.
Quick, put at least a skirt back up.
She has not shown her bottom in years...

Ah, New boat launch coming up..
Ya feel like those fancy yards in Europe??

Since this is a real rebuild, are you getting the title/documentation adjusted to 2023??

 

[q240z]

Thanks guys!

Since this is a real rebuild, are you getting the title/documentation adjusted to 2023??

I checked with the insurance company on that. Turns out they don't care if USCG says the boat was rebuilt enough for the Coasties to consider it new in 2023. They only consider the date the keel was laid, so it's hard to see the value in paying USCG to inspect and adjust the build date.

 

[q240z]

With the boat de-tented, I had two last items on my pre-splash punch list: final test fire of the engines to prove starting reliability, and then install the raw water impellers. I got both of those items done yesterday. So the only thing delaying launch now is the insurance underwriter's approval. Once I get that, I'm off to the boatyard.

I can't figure out how to get video links to work correctly here, but there's a short video at the linked blog article showing both engines lighting off as seen from outside the boat.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Final Engine Test & Impeller Install

Cheers,
Q

Last pre-launch punch list item: impellers

 

[jim rosenthal]

Visited boat, she looks absolutely beautiful. Can't wait to see her in the water.

 

[q240z]

You got to see it in the water, then out of the water, then back in the water, then out of the water again. lol

After some drama with the Travelift, they got the Roamer over to the lift well. The bottom got wet. I discovered a small leak at one of the new Forespar Marelon seacocks. They lifted the boat clear of the water. I fixed the leak. They lowered the boat again. The fix held, but then I heard a drip...drip...drip sound from another seacock. Though the OEM Chris Craft-branded seacock for the original genset was dry and tight when I moved the boat to Deale in 2009, it developed a problem in the interim and has to be replaced.

The boat is sitting in the slings and on blocks in front of the Travelift well. I have a new Forespar seacock on the way.

This has been a disappointing day. That said, the boat did look good sitting in the water.

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Splash Day! (sorta)

Cheers,
Q

 

[Captain Ralph]

Ohh ahh, My heart is beating ...
The tease,, wet,, air,, wet and blocked back up..
This is not safe for the weak of heart spectator.
Got to be a W**&^ on you..
Hang in there kid, she will be underway soon..

 

[q240z]

Captain Ralph, I was joking with Super Mod Jim R, who came out and graciously played videographer, about how my blood pressure was through the roof. And that was before the bottom got wet. Once I saw the leaks, my sense of humor and hosting skills (to the extent I have them) went right out the window.

I've already got a tracking number for the new Forespar seacock to replace the leaky OEM Chris Craft-branded bronze one. It's coming from NY, so shouldn't take that long to get here.

 

[jim rosenthal]

You're doing the right thing. Addressing the leaking seavalves before you leave the slings and the yard is the RIGHT thing to do. Just remember how hard you've worked to get where you are, and that the last 5% of the project usually takes a lot more than 5% of the time.

For those of you who haven't seen Quentin's Roamer, which I think is everyone except me, well, this boat is an absolute showpiece. She is just perfect, not a bad line anywhere. She is just gorgeous.

 

[Dan Mapes]

It certainly is obvious that he has put in the work to make this show so well. Hopefully the bugs shake out early and easily!

 

[SKYCHENEY]

This is normal. There will always be bugs. You will overcome them. I thought I was all ready to go after re-power. It ended up taking another 9 months to get everything right. But it's all worth it in the end.

 

[q240z]

Thanks guys!

It ended up taking another 9 months to get everything right.

What sort of issues did you have to deal with?

 

[Timeless72]

This is normal. There will always be bugs. You will overcome them. I thought I was all ready to go after re-power. It ended up taking another 9 months to get everything right. But it's all worth it in the end.

Same here. We splashed and came right back out. Shaft logs and intakes were leaking. Bonding issues with all the new wiring. We launched three times last summer before getting it right. You'll get there!

 

[jim rosenthal]

Hang in there, Quentin. There IS a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. Honest, there is.

 

[Captain Ralph]

Hang in there, Quentin. There IS a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. Honest, there is.

He just can not let that pot leak.
One more sea-cock and the pot-o-gold will be floating.

 

[q240z]

Thanks guys!

While awaiting a new seacock to replace the one that leaked on Splash Day (sorta), I started digging into what's turned out to be another challenging problem from splash day: my starboard engine won't start!

I'd test fired it without an impeller in the yard a half-dozen times. On splash day, it started and ran great on the second crank. Perfect idle, good pressures, and when the Travelift operator yelled out "GOOD WATER," I knew the raw water was flowing out the exhaust the way it should. And then the engine died, which triggered the low oil pressure alarm. I hit the key, heard the starter try to engage, but it wasn't turning the engine over. Tried it again...and one more time. The engine seemed stuck.

I had a video camera rolling in the ER when I lit off the engine, so you can see exactly what happened. It's at the linked article, along with a video of Splash Day, when they had to use a big forklift to pull the Travelift out of the soft gravel. For some reason, my videos don't display here.

On the engine:
It bars over normally when I put a wrench on the alternator pulley nut, so it's not hydrolocked or catastrophically busted (probably).
Electrical connections are tight.
I checked the aftercooler and muffler--the former is dry inside and the latter has ~3" of water in it, so there's no way raw water got into the engine.
It can't be a fuel problem, because the starter engages but won't roll the engine over.

I'm stumped. Thoughts?

1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 Refit: Splash Day Breakdown

Cheers,
Q

Only 3" of raw water in the muffler

 

[johnjen50]

If you can bar the engine over it seems it would be an issue with the starter binding up or the teeth caught in the flywheel. As long as the engine turns I’d focus on the starter. Is it old, or a brand new part?

 

[johnjen50]

Just reread your post. Check voltage to the starter.