Captain Billy Black and his 50 Hatteras

[Jsherid1]

I randomly found this YouTube video about Captain Billy Black who was the ‘house’ captain for almost 30 years at Walker’s Cay in the Bahamas. One thing that really stood out is that he repowered from the original 8V71’s after 60,000 hours (not a typo) which he estimates as 600,000 nautical miles! He’s owned this Series I since the mid 1970’s. He seems like a real character too.


https://youtu.be/MG9gciJ30hU

 

[oscarvan]

Wow. That's encouraging.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

N's, not turbos

 

[oscarvan]

N's, not turbos

OK, so I get 30,000 ?

 

[SKYCHENEY]

OK, so I get 30,000 ?

Probably not.

 

[Jsherid1]

The reason he repowered was that one engine got water in it during a hurricane. He put in a used set of Cummins 903’s.

 

[whoover]

I will admit I know nothing about fishing but even VT 903's with the PT pumps cranked up would be a poor performer in a 50c with its weight. I guess you work with what you have.

Walt Hoover

 

[JuiceClark]

Awesome.

Sometimes I think I wasted a lot of years.

 

[doc g]

there was a pleasure fishing boat on the west coast that had a 12v71 with over 100K hours on it, key is using it, not letting it sit at the dock.........Pat ...

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Hi Julia. You appear to be a spammer.

 

[rsmith]

I met Billy in 1976 when he and his wife brought the Dutchess back up from Trinidad. We both have used our boats in the charter fishing business and still have them after all these years. Tells you something about how tough these old 50’s were. The reason Billy got so many hours out of those engines was the boat ran every single day. Cold starts and lack of use is much more destructive than use.

 

[rsmith]

Billy Blacks Dutchess

 

[rsmith]

Billy headed out in the first Walkers Cay tournament in 17 years. Walkers owner Carl Allen in the foreground.

 

[rsmith]

Me and cap Bill Stuart Boat show last winter