Maiden Voyage From Hell

[34Hatt]

Well that's a good story and every story can teach us all something. And to think I was pissed because on my last 9 day Vacation my New Fresh water pump died and my 15 hp outboard had a coil take a crap this makes me now!

Rregister it sound like you have the right attitude to fix her up, glad she has a GOOD OWNER now, it is sad what some owners do to a good boat.
Best of Luck
Dan

 

[Freebird]

I must be one of those extremely lucky people. Being a novice boater and not even knowing how to start a diesel when I bought Traveler, I made the 80 mile trip from Panama City to Pensacola through the Gulf without incedent. This was my first big trip in any boat.

I guess I didn't really know what I was getting into and I don't know what I would have done if I had problems like that happen.

Just head North, I guess...

I learned a few lessons on this Forum though. I would never attempt that now. I realize how lucky I was. And if I had known then what I know now about Traveler's issues...

I have always heard that God watches over idiots (not implying you are one). I guess I'm smart enough about boats that God forgot about me! Just kidding, things could have been a lot worse. Can't blame the new boat for running aground or running out of fuel (except for that damn gauge on top of the tank in the bilge which will be replaced with a sending unit and a remote). All in all, I feel pretty lucky, and I think my new boat will be a real joy when I get her back to where she needs to be.

 

[Freebird]

Well all good story and every story can teach us all something. And to think I was pissed because on my last 9 day Vacation my New Fresh water pump died and my 15 hp outboard had a coil take a crap this makes me now!

Rregister it sound like you have the right attitude to fix her up, glad she has a GOOD OWNER now, it is said what some owners do to a good boat.
Best of Luck
Dan

When I saw what the previous owners had done to this boat, I just shook my head in disbelief. Maintenance issues aside, 90% of the beatiful woodwork in this boat has been covered with Wal-Mart wallpaper, white padded vinyl, and the most hideous red velvet trim on the headboard and all wood trim in the master stateroom. I had the opportunity to spend the night aboard her before sea trials the next day. I spent the night peeling back little sections of this crap which revealed the unmolested wood behind. I suppose the bright side to that is the wood had been well protected behind all this covering. The seller didn't know what he had under all that junk until after we consumated our deal. I spent the first day ripping crap out of the boat, filling his garbage cans with "shades of the past". There is still plenty to do yet, but the end result is well worth the effort. Luckily, everything is in good shape topside. I've lined up someone to buff her out, and the bottom is in excellent shape having been painted last year. The seller did have a diver come out and scrape the bottom once a month, and he changed the oil every 100 hours. Outside of that, I can't tell he kept up with anything else. I suppose if you are going to perform one phase of maintenance, oil is the best one to choose.

 

[Pascal]

so, let me get this straight... you take a new to you old boat that had been sitting around for a while on a shakedown cruise at night, in less than familiar waters and somewhat iffy weather conditions, without being sure of how much fuel you have, with no spare filters ? oh boy... I think your wife was nice comparing you to Capt'n Ron, this is more like Caddyshack !

had you checked the oil level in your trannies ? if it drops too low, they might get in reverse but not in forward gear. if level is low, it may take a while for pressure to build up resulting in no or delayed forward. I doubt you can burn the clutches if the shaft spins while being towed. a bearing, maybe but the clutch ???

how old were your charts ? in areas affected by recent hurricane, consulting the latest notice to mariners for missing markers and shoaling is a must.

no oil on the stick but plenty in the sump ? If the dipstick is dry, then you dont' have plenty left in the sump... did you check the oil level after your first run to see how much oil it burns? if you're dumping that much oil in the bilge, it must be easy to find the source...

not sure if it's fair to blame the dock hands for misunderstanding yoru instructions, if that's what the documenting of the accident with management and LE was about, it's the skippers duty to control the boat. I think that wiht a little slack, the bow could have been controled by using the stern line as a spring line and placing the dockside engine in reverse or the off side engine in forward. not ideal, but at least you would have controled the bow. most importantly, the first line you pass ashore shoudl ALWAYS be your spring line . ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS even on 2 engines, even in calm conditions. the springline gives you control of the boat, a bow or stern line can only take control away from you. not the dockhands fault if they were given the wrong line first...

you need to clean up the electrical system, converters or 12v batteries each have their pros and cons. I prefer having a 12v battery to run the electronics and whatever can't be run on 32v... I used to have a battery and charger, now upgraded to a large 12v inverter bank with inverter/charger. that powers my electronics, oil change pump, followmetv and shower sumps. simple. i have a small 12v auxiliary panel in the stbd ER and simple wiring to both helms and the other devices.

the maiden trip on my 53 when i bought it was a 70 miles run from miami to islamorada, daytime, good weather, on a boat that had been succesfully sea trialed and surveyed. I had plenty of tools, spare filters and my very first stop was to top of the tanks. I woudl have never run it outside in the ocean on that first trip or at night. It was followed by a number of short trips to get used to the boat and make sure all the systems were in order.

 

[wshelton]

That has got to be one of the funniest story I've read in some time. All kidding aside welcome to boating.

 

[Gale Force]

Quite a story. Just curious about your buddy. What bit him and is he OK?

 

[Freebird]

so, let me get this straight... you take a new to you old boat that had been sitting around for a while on a shakedown cruise at night, in less than familiar waters and somewhat iffy weather conditions, without being sure of how much fuel you have, with no spare filters ? oh boy... I think your wife was nice comparing you to Capt'n Ron, this is more like Caddyshack !

had you checked the oil level in your trannies ? if it drops too low, they might get in reverse but not in forward gear. if level is low, it may take a while for pressure to build up resulting in no or delayed forward. I doubt you can burn the clutches if the shaft spins while being towed. a bearing, maybe but the clutch ???

how old were your charts ? in areas affected by recent hurricane, consulting the latest notice to mariners for missing markers and shoaling is a must.

no oil on the stick but plenty in the sump ? If the dipstick is dry, then you dont' have plenty left in the sump... did you check the oil level after your first run to see how much oil it burns? if you're dumping that much oil in the bilge, it must be easy to find the source...

not sure if it's fair to blame the dock hands for misunderstanding yoru instructions, if that's what the documenting of the accident with management and LE was about, it's the skippers duty to control the boat. I think that wiht a little slack, the bow could have been controled by using the stern line as a spring line and placing the dockside engine in reverse or the off side engine in forward. not ideal, but at least you would have controled the bow. most importantly, the first line you pass ashore shoudl ALWAYS be your spring line . ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS even on 2 engines, even in calm conditions. the springline gives you control of the boat, a bow or stern line can only take control away from you. not the dockhands fault if they were given the wrong line first...

you need to clean up the electrical system, converters or 12v batteries each have their pros and cons. I prefer having a 12v battery to run the electronics and whatever can't be run on 32v... I used to have a battery and charger, now upgraded to a large 12v inverter bank with inverter/charger. that powers my electronics, oil change pump, followmetv and shower sumps. simple. i have a small 12v auxiliary panel in the stbd ER and simple wiring to both helms and the other devices.

the maiden trip on my 53 when i bought it was a 70 miles run from miami to islamorada, daytime, good weather, on a boat that had been succesfully sea trialed and surveyed. I had plenty of tools, spare filters and my very first stop was to top of the tanks. I woudl have never run it outside in the ocean on that first trip or at night. It was followed by a number of short trips to get used to the boat and make sure all the systems were in order.

Wow, who pissed in your Wheaties! You seem to be a little on the harsh side in passing judgement with no more information than you were given. Could it be that your head is a little too big for your Hatt? Just kidding (sort of). First, to set your mind at ease, we had plenty of daylite when when left and intended to overnight in Sarasota which is where we went aground at around 10PM, barely dark. The weather was not iffy, and was not a factor. The original plan was to top off the tanks at a cut-rate marina on the Anclote River before departing, but they were closed when we headed out around 3:30PM. I was comfortable with the gauge reading based on the seller's assurance of fuel on board to get us to Sarasota. I have spent a lot of time in the Sarasota area, and was comfortable with running at night there. I was relying on my own knowledge of the area along with info from my new Garmin GPS plotter. Unfortunately, these new shoals were not shown. Had the tide not been at its lowest point, we would have never touched bottom. The engines and transmissions had just been serviced, and I checked the levels in both before leaving. As a matter of fact, I found both engines to be overfilled to the tune of one gallon each. I removed this overage which came in handy later. I'm not sure what your definition of "sump" is, but mine is the sealed area of the bilge which keeps any oil leaks from the engines and transmissions out of the area serviced by the bilge pumps. This keeps you from pumping leaked oil into the water. Hence my statement, there was plenty of oil in the sump, but none showing on the stick. As for a "misunderstanding of my instructions" concerning the marina fiasco, no instructions were given to cast off lines. I suppose when this little girl saw my buddy get off the boat, she assumed I was ready to leave and took it upon herself to release the bow line, which since you are obviously such a stickler, was actually attached to the cleat ahead of the center cleat. I was in the rear cockpit of the boat retrieving a line to set up for a spring. In case you forgot, I was operating on only the port engine, and was tied up on the port side headed into the current. The engine wasn't even running at the point she released the line. Were you a teenage dock worker in your younger years? This accident had nothing to do with me giving the dockhand the "wrong" line first. It was the result of improper training for the dockhands, and a case of tying the dock to the boat instead of the boat to the dock. I'm happy for you that your maiden voyage was handled with such forethought and finesse and went so well. Running less than a mile offshore in the Gulf hardly constitutes ocean running in my book. But you and I are obviously not on the same page or even reading from the same book for that matter.

 

[Freebird]

That has got to be one of the funniest story I've read in some time. All kidding aside welcome to boating.

Thanks for the reply. I'll have to admit, after so many things went wrong, it really did become funny. I laughed out loud when I found that battery terminal wrapped in electrical tape that serviced the generator. It had never been crimped! Oh well, what can I say. It'll all work out in the end, and I'll have a good story for my 3 year old when he starts boating.

 

[Freebird]

Quite a story. Just curious about your buddy. What bit him and is he OK?

I haven't had a chance to talk to him in a couple of days, but so far he has avoided hospitilization. I'm not sure if anyone has isolated the type of critter that bit him, but he was doing fine on Monday. Thanks for asking.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

In all the time that I have visited and posted on this forum, I have never seen the participants get "nasty" towards each other. I hope the previous exchange is not a prelude to further degradation.

I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding and I probably shouldn't have even commented, in hindsight.

 

[Freebird]

In all the time that I have visited and posted on this forum, I have never seen the participants get "nasty" towards each other. I hope the previous exchange is not a prelude to further degradation.

I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding and I probably shouldn't have even commented, in hindsight.

SKYCHENEY,

Sorry if I offended you in any way, but I view this forum as a tool to offer helpful insight to those who share a common love for boating in general, and Hatteras yachts in particular. I couldn't let PASCAL'S snyde remarks go without a response.

 

[Norm Mayer]

RREGISTER,
While Pascal's remarks should be heeded as he is definitely a guru when it comes to most anything related to boating, I must say, he must have been having a bad day. He is normally one of the most helpful guys on this site and will help anyone with a problem. He is truly a knowledgeable and standup guy. Even your best friend, wife, etc. is entitled to a bad day!

 

[Freebird]

RREGISTER,
While Pascal's remarks should be heeded as he is definitely a guru when it comes to most anything related to boating, I must say, he must have been having a bad day. He is normally one of the most helpful guys on this site and will help anyone with a problem. He is truly a knowledgeable and standup guy. Even your best friend, wife, etc. is entitled to a bad day!

Hey, everybody's entitled to a bad day. I had mine last week and tried to make the best of it by laughing it off, sharing it with my fellow Hatt owners, and keeping a good attitude. No hard feelings here.

 

[Pascal]

i'm not having a bad day, and I'm sorry if my reply sounded a bit harsh, the first paragraph, the thing about caddyshack, was meant tongue in cheek ...

i just had the feeling that you were taking this a little lightly, which is fine i guess... if anythign i applaud your honesty about this episode...

 

[SKYCHENEY]

SKYCHENEY,

Sorry if I offended you in any way, but I view this forum as a tool to offer helpful insight to those who share a common love for boating in general, and Hatteras yachts in particular. I couldn't let PASCAL'S snyde remarks go without a response.

No offence taken here. I just felt like things were getting a little "tense". It was really none of my business. Like I said, I should have just left it alone. I love all of the great discussion here and I know that all of you with experiences like these can help the rest of us learn more about our boats and the situations that we may find ourselves in someday. Thanks.

 

[Gunsmoke]

After reading this thread, and all the problems you overcame, including man eating flies, I'm wondering how much I REALLY hate golf. Great story, and thanks for sharing. Glad it worked out for you, and I hope your bud's OK.

 

[ADaily3224]

What an outstanding boating story, you should submit it to your favorite boating magazine. I'll be waiting for chapter II. I'm happy to hear you survived, and with a good sense of humor. Best of luck.

Tony D

 

[Paul45c]

What an outstanding boating story, you should submit it to your favorite boating magazine. I'll be waiting for chapter II. I'm happy to hear you survived, and with a good sense of humor. Best of luck.

Tony D

If I might be so bold, the perfect "Chapter II" might be what, if anything, you could possibly have done differently that could have resulted in a happier ending. Several of us have gotten excited about the prospect of taking ownership of a great new (for us) Hatt that we can't wait to bring home. Carl, who's REALLY well known in this forum, had quite a time bringing his new prize home years ago. If that's the case, there are sure to be horror stories no one has had the courage to share.

I guess I have to start by saying I copped out by having the boat delivered rom Miami to Hillsborough Inlet for me. BUT, I gave her a loving washdown shortly thereafter!!!

 

[Freebird]

i'm not having a bad day, and I'm sorry if my reply sounded a bit harsh, the first paragraph, the thing about caddyshack, was meant tongue in cheek ...

i just had the feeling that you were taking this a little lightly, which is fine i guess... if anythign i applaud your honesty about this episode...

Hey Pascal,

I don't want to turn this into a ping-pong match, but I want to take one more shot at you! First, your reference to "Caddyshack" lost me. As best I remember, that movie was about a golf ball eating gopher. I don't remember anything about boats in that movie. What got my goat was your holyer than thou attitude about my maiden voyage, especially your assertion that I was to blame for the marina blunder that cost me a swim platform. You also felt it necessary to question my judgement as to the timing and route of this first trip. Safety is my primary concern whenever I head out. To that end, the first thing I purchased for this boat was an 80lb anchor, 20 feet of chain, and 150 feet of rode to replace the 25lb fluke that I found dangling under the pulpit when I surveyed the boat. Regardless of what happened to the boat, my route would have me less than one mile offshore in no more than 25ft averge depth. Worse case scenario, I drop anchor and holler for help. I freely admitted in my story that trusting a gauge on a new boat and the seller's claim of fuel onboard was a dumb thing to do, as was not having additional filters on board. That was something I had planned to rectify at my first marina stop. Unfortunately, the need arose 30 minutes too early! I'm not much on ego as evidenced by the fact I chose to share this little fiasco with all you good people. Hey, it was dark when I beached my boat, and dark when I got her free, nobody had to know! I could have taken the weenie route and followed the ICW on my first trip out, but that wouldn't have told me what I need to know about this boat. I'll be taking this boat to Tennessee in a couple of weeks which will involve venturing quite a distance offshore. If something is going to screw up, I want it to happen close in. I own a business (www.southernsecuritysafes.com, sorry for that shameless plug) and I work for a living. I don't have two weeks to dilly-dally around on the ICW to see if everything is okay. I had run her hard for four hours straight making laps around Anclote Key when I sea trialed her a couple of days earlier. Other than making the seller a nervous wreck, everything checked out fine. I had spent the morning with his shop-vac drying out the sumps which were full of oil and water. Then I scrubbed them good with bilge cleaner so I could see what I had when the sea trial ended. I had also contacted Dietroit Diesel to get fuel burn figures for the 12-71's. There was a "Boating" test article in the Hatteras archives for a 53ED with 8-92's that I used to make a chart for comparative purposes. Granted this was sort of an apple and orange comparison, but the burn figures were pretty close. I made a chart and recorded speeds in 100rpm increments with my handheld GPS. The boat didn't have one! The lower rpm figures yielded almost identical speeds and fuel burn to those shown on the test article, and the top speed of 21mph was within 3mph of the lighter 53ED. Pretty impressive I thought. Unfortunately, the tabs weren't working, and I couldn't find a happy spot to run between 1700 and 2450, the top end rpm (which is 150 too high, currently adding an inch to the props). I did fix the tabs later and was able to find a comfortable 16-17 mph at 2100, the rpm Detroit told me to cruise with this package. I chose not to have a "professional" survey done on this boat for two reasons. Number one, I'm no novice, and I didn't see any glaring defects in the hull or drivetrain. Second, there was no more negotiation to be had in the price regardless of what a survey revealed. I was into the boat at a price that I would still be ahead of the game even if I had to major both engines and fix a laundry list of little things. The money I was guaranteed to spend on a survey would be better put to use to fix potential problems rather than just to identify them. As I mentioned earlier, this is my first and largest diesel powered boat, but it's not the first or largest diesel boat that I have operated. Having grown up in the Knoxville, TN area, Sea Ray was king. I've owned 10 of them myself, and I was given opportunities to pilot boats that belonged the the CEO of Sea Ray which as you may have guessed were big ole' boats with big ole' engines. Sea Ray kept their factory boats at the same marina where I kept mine, so we got to be pretty good buds. I've owned over 30 boats in my lifetime, and while the majority of my boating has been done on the Tennessee River, I've done my share of boating in Florida. I've lived in Palm Beach Gardens and Venice for about a year, and kept a boat at what was then Gulfwind Marina in Sarasota. Bottom line is, I'll put my boating skills up against anybody's (is that my own horn I hear blowing?). As for me taking all this lightly, safety aside, boating should be taken lightly. It's supposed to be fun, so lighten up dude! In the immortal words of Forrest Gump, "that's all I have to say about that"!

 

[Freebird]

After reading this thread, and all the problems you overcame, including man eating flies, I'm wondering how much I REALLY hate golf. Great story, and thanks for sharing. Glad it worked out for you, and I hope your bud's OK.

Thanks for the reply. Forget golf, stick with boating. My buddy is okay, and I'm looking forward to a less eventful trip back home to Tennessee.