Questions on Mann engines

[chris piazza]

A friend on mine is closing on a new boat next week and has asked the admiral and I to help get the boat north. Currently the boat is in Fort Lauderdale and we will be bringing it up to Lake Huron. The boat has 1100 Mann's with a little over 500 hrs on it. Other than extra impellers, fuel filters any other recommendations to put together a "travel kit"? Engine survey recommended changing all hoses and both heat exchangers, because they are six years old. This is currently being done.
Also he would like to run out to the Bahamas for a few days before we head north, any suggestions to stay or see?

 

[krush]

I think a "travel kit" would include a fat wallet. Or a credit card or two with really high limits.

 

[Fanfare]

Most things seem to break on the first or second day of use. Plus you then find a few things that either don't work or need adjustment. These things are a lot easier to get fixed or find a repairman for in Florida then they are while traveling in strange territory. As well as I know my boat I still spend a couple days checking and testing all systems before setting off for the Bahamas. On new engines I would advise spending a week in the Keys running at varying speeds, each for an hour or more. I started to say Intracoastal, but there is nowhere you can go fast. Best of all, you can get parts for our old boats in Ft. Lauderdale. No SAMS Marine in Duck, NC!

 

[chris piazza]

We are going to be there for a few days before leaving for the Bahamas. This will give us a chance to go over the boat. Also the trip to the Bahamas will be our short shake down cruise to identify any issues. The sea trail lasted almost 6 hrs with the mechanic on board who did not find any issue with the engines or genny. The only reason they are going to change all the engine hoses and both exchangers is his recommendation of being six years old.
Fuel burn during sea trail at 39mph (max) was 140gph! Yikes!

 

[rsmith]

Bimini is only a couple hour run. Not that far and you can say you went to the Bahamas. If there is a problem it's not to far to come back. Don't know what it's like these days. Last time I was there was just before the Complete Angler burnt down. Probably some feminist didn't like the pics of topless women hanging upside down from the fish scale.

 

[Dan Mapes]

I would not run all the way to the Abacos with the boat until I had it for a while. Like a year. You mileage may vary but if it breaks bad, out there, wow, you will be in deep. The customs agents in Marsh have been aggressive and that means you pay duty as well as VAT.
Bimini is not much more than a stop for check in IMHO. Yeah, you can visit the Sapona, and bang around in town on a cart but it gets old fast. The upscale marina at the North End might be ok, but we gave up on it years ago when they had nothing on the menu as available. Perhaps it is doing better I hope so.

If you want to go the the expense of the Bahamas, why not run it around a week or so, anchor out and get to know it before going over. Then, do the Abacos if you have not done them before. Note, it's very close to shut down season over there and things are winding down for the H word.

What scares me about the boat is 6 years and 500 hours means replace the exchangers? Wow.

 

[jim rosenthal]

MANs have a rep for being fussy and expensive to fix. I don't think a few days is enough to really get an idea of how healthy they are, but I don't know how long WOULD be enough. I don't think I'd head offshore quite that quickly. Like he said, if something breaks and you aren't in the USA, you are really up a creek.

 

[chris piazza]

I agree Jim, from everything I have read MANs are very expensive. The 1000hr service recommendation is around 15k for both engines! There wasn't anything wrong with them during the survey it was just recommended by the mechanic to change all the hoses and exchangers as a preventative measure prior to the trip. Besides cost was paid by seller so why not.

 

[saltshaker]

Are the engines 6 years old or are these older engines?

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Since its not your boat or your expense if something goes wrong, I would say go for it. You can't pass up a free trip to the Bahamas! Besides, it sounds like the boat is fairly new and he just had a mechanic check it all out during survey. Things can go wrong anytime, but that is a risk we take. Do your best to prepare and it sounds like that is what you are doing. Have fun!

 

[rsmith]

Hey now this is a historic picture from Hemmingways complete angler hotel but if you missed out on Bimini in the 70'sand 80's this was a daily catch.

 

[Tinman]

The Man 1000hr. service interval was required for the warranty. A waste of money to do the whole service that often. Most don't do it that often after the warranty expires. It would be a good idea to clean the H/E after 6 years. Man's are good engines it just takes more $$$ to keep them running, with fewer dealers. Low hours for 6 years, you might want to make sure your fuel tanks are clean and have plenty of spare fuel filters for the Bahamas. Have fun.

 

[Pascal]

As much as bimini has taken a dive over the last 10 years to the point that it is now barely even worth stopping there on the way to the exumas, it is still probably worth a trip for people who live up north. It s a pretty easy shake down trip as well especially at this time of the year.

When going in bimini watch the depths as despite recent dredging and new buoys, the sand bar on the green side always expands into the channel. Take it slow and read the water if the boat draws over 5'

Dockage options are bimini big game or resort world bimini bay. I prefer big game but if you guys prefere a big resort thing than bimini bay may be better.

The beach on the northern end of the Iskand has been pretty much destroyed by bimini bay especially since they built a huge cruise ship pier for their cattle boat... Going around the northern tip to the NE side there shoudo still be a nice natural long beach.

A visit to the Sapona wreck is a must, just a couple of miles south of bimini. Anchor nearby in 15' of water.

The other must do is honeymoon harbor on the north end of gun cay, about 6 miles south of bimini. Although the beach isn't as nice as it used to be in the past (storms have cut thru) it sis still worth a visit. The stingrays patrolling the beach are very friendly and love coming along rubbing agaisnt your leg. Depending on the size of the boat you can either anchor in honeymoon harbor or if over 50' you are better off going thru the cut at the south end swing north and anchor on the back side of honeymoon 10' Of water or so and plenty of swing room

As to the Mans they are pretty reliable but as other have noted stupidly expensive to maintain. $15k for 1000 service compared to under $5k for 1000hr service on the 1400 cats on the boat I run. Some say the mans use a lot less fuel... Not sure it makes up for the crazy part prices.

 

[chris piazza]

Yes the boat is only six years old, draft a little under 5' overall it's 72' with 18 beam. I agree with you sky, as of tight now the boat is 100%, but as we all know shit happens and something could break 5min into our first ride.
Pascal sounds like you're not a big fan of the Bahamas, kinda making it sound like Detroit! Any other suggestions for a shake down cruise!

 

[dottieshusband]

Impellers on Mann's are not an easy fix. The raw water pump is a unique design and new pumps can run up to 3k. The pumps are fairly notorious for wearing out the housing, so sometimes an impeller change is not enough!

 

[Dan Mapes]

I can guarantee Pascal is a fan of the Bahamas, and so am I, just not Bimini. Bimini is the first land fall you can hit after crossing the stream on the Southern Crossing. To the North you have West End.

The Bahamas shine much, much better in the Abacos and the Exumas.

 

[Tinman]

I should have mentioned earlier, talk to a Man mechanic about spare parts. The older models had a lot of copper washers used on the fuel system and around the engine. I had extra copper washers and a couple of spare injectors. Chances are you have the newer common rail engines which I have no experience with. Agree with the previous post, spare water pump parts, inspect the pumps and make sure the H/E, gear coolers, power steering cooler, generator are cleaned because of the 6 years not the hours. You can also have the coolant tested.

 

[motoryacht lover]

When I bought my Mann powered boat it was far from home. I had the 1000 hr service done right after purchase. Then ran the boat for the weekend before leaving for home. Don't know what year engines but some had aluminum oil coolers fitted next to the cast block and the differing thermal expansion would lead to a usually catastrophic oil leak. I would change those. For whatever reasons the injectors seem to give a little trouble after 3 or 4 years or so. If budget allowed I would do a 1000 hr service after the purchase. It will address a lot of issues before they cause big money.

 

[chris piazza]

The mechanic will still be available when we arrive I plan on speaking with him to put together a spare parts kits as well as recommended tools. I am sure that the engines will be near to 100% as can be. We figure somewhere between 150-200 total run time to get back. Also going to put together a package for the generator. Any recommendation for stop/do ports on the way back?

 

[chris piazza]

Alright an update to my original post. Arrived in Stewart on the 17th of July and had some major engine maintenance to do. Both heat exchangers removed and cleaned, one bundle was able to be repaired, sadly one was not and had to be replaced 18k later and all was good! Left for the Bahamas on the first of August and just got back to Fort Pierce today. Unbelievable how expensive the islands are! .50 a gallon for water, $70 for electric and up to $6 a foot for a slip! Fuel I don't even want to discuss. On the other hand for this Michigan native the Exumas are stunning! Where else can you feed wild pigs, sit on a dock at high tide with a shark and snorkel into caves. Compass cay and Staniel Cay are too of my favorites.
Going to spend tomorrow here to restock and than head to St. Augustine on Tuesday as we start our trip back to Huron. If anybody has any local tips on destinations as we head north that would be great.

Chris