Harley 42'

fredylant- My harley has cat diesels (no genny) and weigh 21,000lb. including trailer. Overall length include platform & trailer 47'. Good luck with shipping.
Trivia-how many nicks, dings, scratches, and CRACKS in a 42' Harley? We are averaging6-8 manhours per day on weekdays and 30+ manhours on saturday & sundays (4 man crew). I am in shop sometimes all hours of nite skimming and prepping for crew next day. It is insane how much time and materials can go into this. I cannot imagine how much a yard would charge for such a job. Hull sides are done with 3 coat awl-grip. Looks awesome. Decks, gunwales, dash, interior, and arch are getting there. Hope to paint in 4-5 days. Then engine room-nothing fancy here but there are a few repairs needed. Gonna drill out all engine mount lag bolt holes, fill with 404 and redrill for new mounts.
Cat engines are complete and look like new! We be getting there-will post photos soon.
Swamp-how gasser install goin? Tom, How merlins going? Steve, congrats on thruster-job well done! Still wanna see more boat house photos, very cool set up.

 

Hello pizza, thank you so much for the details I am still trying to find a good rate for the shipping.

 

Shipping Harley

Hello freddy - here is another link, they can give you a rate in 24hrs from 5 companies. http://www.accordoverseas.com/InternationalShipping/boats-yachts-transport.htm

 

Hi. Have searched trough internet for days now trying to find a set of props for my Sunseeker. Started reading this tread which I found wery intersting. Well spent office hours
You guys know surface drives! Hope that some of you can help me out? Looking for a set of approx. 20x21 props for my trimax surface drives (25-spline). Will be user on Yanmar 440s with 2-step ZF boxes, end ratio 1.18.

All suggestions are much appreciated, please PM me if you have any for sale, know any who has or who can make a set quicly...

 

I would call Ken Martin at pacific surface drives in canada. I have found him o be the most kowledgeable. He does not make the props but can help with specs and direct you to a good prop builder. There are a few other sharp guys in s. florida but I think Ken is the best. good luck.

BTW guys re-furb is going great-boat looks awesome. Man hours and $$ costs are off the charts. I just can't seem to stop. Will post photos soon. Hope to be in water in 2 weeks? Exhuastion is becoming an issue now

 

PIZZACUTTER pix

Can't wait to see your pix I thought your boat look great before. I can only imagine what the after will look like.

 

Henrik - PizzaC is right about Ken and the numbers. ellis Prop in Jacksonville Fla made mine and they do a lot of the larger spline and can make them to your specs. They might also help in determining size.

For the rest of you - I talked to Dick at US-1 Marine about the merlins. Turns out that the sand in the block was common for the previous owner as he liked to beach her - A LOT! He went through about 5 engines - all with less than 500 hours at a time because of the beaching. He was overheating and scoring cylinders. So all this being said - the first motor (port side) is going back together this week and the starboard will come out sometime next week. I did SCORE some luck on the rebuilds. We are going back to stock 450HP - sleeved the cylinders and replacing most internals. The good news is that I will have about $4000 per motor at the most in rebuild cost. Starboard motor next, then service drives and swap out shaft for the 25 spline. ((I will have the smaller shaft assembly for sale shortly if someone needs it)) - then bottom and gauges. I decided to do the thruster, interior, and paint this winter. I am hoping to get her in the water by the 4th holiday but not looking too good - running out of time!

Lee - when you get her done, I'd love to come back up and spend more time with you guys - and this time have some warmer weather. I have a need for some of the orange crush drinks at the marina bar -- and maybe some fishing!!

Does anyone know what happened to the harleypowerboat.com site?

 

I am getting close enough to share a few pics guys. Last few weeks have been full-on tryin to finish. I had a road block cause girlfriend wanted me to go to Coeur d' Alene Idaho. A real nice place-maybe near you Steve? Anyway got back few days ago and picked up engines and installed. Went in perfect, less than 1 hour to install! Need few more hours to wire up and get ready to splash. Caterpillar refurb bill was so low I am almost embarrassed to say. These guys @ T&S Marine are the real deal-I offered "open checkbook"-told them to do whatever they would do if it was their own. Many new parts and an awesome paint job-cannot say enough good about the guys and the CATs. 8 years and no repairs, then a tiny bill for refurbs, I am happy customer. Fuel going in new tanks tomorrow. Will test with floors off then put in upholstry and should be good to go! Rough estimates have over 1,000 manhours-there is not a nick ding or scratch anywhere-including engine room and head. The brushed/rolled awl-grip is just awesome, hard to believe its not sprayed on.
Anybody else boating yet? Tom, come on up any time, give me a few weeks to get straight. Fishng and drinking will be priority for rest of summer-be glad to take you along. Swamp? gassers alive yet? wishin you luck.

 

How many hours you have on the drives now?

 

Rik, I got drives from you 8 years ago and installed with new Cat 3126 @ 420hp and new Twin Disc 5061 @ 1.15 to 1. There is 990 hours on the whole drive train package. Only repairs was a starter solenoid few years ago. The drives were off this winter and got new seals and boots but thats it.
My purchase price for engines, drives, and trannys was about $60,000 and I got about $17,000 for used Cat engines and $6,000 for used drives. I don't understand why more builders don't use a similar drive train package-to me it seems feasible package for 40'+ hi-perf. Maybe builders can do more for less $$ with big OB's? LEE

 

New to the Harley Forum

Hello Harley owners,

My name is Matt and I have been watching the forum for awhile but just now have got around to posting.

I appreciate the time everyone has spent to share Knowledge and experience.

I purchased a 42' Harley from an individual in Pompano Beach in 05. The name of the boat was Family Toy originally based out of Coral Florida. It had a tuna tower, Twin 3208 Cat's, Bronze direct Arneson 8's, (6) fuel tanks, No portholes, 25,000# and a whole Lotta other weirdness. My plan was to use the boat for a short while prior to restoring to get some experience and ideas for the changes to come.

I removed the tower, hauled to Illinois and did some mechanical work required to make her seaworthy (or riverworthy) in my case. One engine needed minor repairs and both drives needed rebuilding etc. Once I hit the water I had trouble getting the boat to plane. After researching I found that the propellers I got with the boat were better suited for a tug boat than an express cruiser and contacted Ken Martin at Pacific Surface Drives. Ken was very knowledgeable and I purchased a set of used Rolla S/S 5 blade propellers 22" x 25". These got me in the ball park and I feel will be perfect if I shed some weight.

I have since moved the boat into the shop and began a complete retro starting at the bow (should have started at the stern.) All has gone well up until the point that I removed the swim platform and began inspecting the transom. The wood used in the transom as well as a foot or so of the main stringers is delaminating and slightly rotten. I have done some minor work in other areas of the boat with kevlar, epoxy and in some cases nitacor substrate but I am afraid to tackle the transom with my level of experience.

The other issue I have is once you remove engines, transmissions & drives it is very tempting to go crazy (er) with the project. You guys know what I'm talking about. My wife has already started a self help group for boat widows. I would have to sleep with one eye open

Has anyone had this problem? Do you know of anyone in the Midwest that has experience with the kevlar/air-ex layup? What materials other than wood are being used for transom reenforcement?

Thanks again for your help and I will post time line pic's soon.

 

It is a reliable package that more builders should incorporate for certain.

 

Pizza Cutter is back

I put in the water last saturday and everything worked great no leaks or adjustments needed (so far). My firiedn Joey is a mechanical genius. We ran 49.7mph on GPS. spent the week painting floors and installing upholstry. Trying to get girlfriend to clean cabin is harder than the re-furb job she wants to redecorate! Looks awesome and ready to go. Gonna leave OC, MD. tomorrow-south to Va. bch and then back up Cheapeake Bay for shake down cruise. I really need some time off.
Matt, welcome! That is quite a beast @ 25,000lb. I noted the extended transom and high water line. Looks to be 8" or more higher than mine. I believe that the transom may have been extended after it left Harley factory. I know of a 42' cc had transom extended in SW Fla. As far as transom repairs I do not think that you need be concerned with Kevlar or Airex. The transoms are usually wood. I think you can repair with West System Epoxy using their 404 filllers and good cloths. Maybe some wood depending on thickness of repair. You got engines in or out?
I may have time to post some photos on her lap top while traveling. Hope everyone is in water enjoying summer!

 

Welcome to board Family toy!

These old boats can be alot of work, but well worth it after you get the big stuff handled. replacing the transom is a lot of work, but not beyond the skill level of most people that are reasonable good with their hands and tools. I tried to replace just the bad portions in the upper transom several years ago, but finally just tore the whole thing out and replaced it. I'm glad I did now.

Glad to hear your boat is back in the water Lee. I think you did a mountain of work in a very short time period. Lake Coeur d' Alene is a beautiful place. It is about a six hour drive from here. I have boated there about 15 years ago, but not with the Harley. Now that I have a decent truck, I might just make it over the mountains soon.

I just installed my starboard engine last month. I have ran it about an hour so far and it is running good. I installed plates in the exhaust for O2 sensors and have purchased a AFR meter. I hopefully can lean it out some to get a little better economy for the long trips I have planned this summer. I am heading to Lake Powell the last week of July with the boat. It will be the first long haul for me. It should take about two days. If everything goes smoothly I will make an honest effort to get her to FL this winter.
Speaking of FL. As I write this I am sitting on the balcony looking over the Atlantic in Marathon fantasizing having the old Harley sitting at the dock. We'll see.
Lets get a update from all the other Harley owners.

Steve
Marathon FL

 

Hello to All,

Welcome Family Toy!

Updates on Never Say Never:

Port motor is going back together next week, Starboard motor is out and disassembly next week. I'm really glad that I took these steps as we found numerous issues with the port motor - so a little caution and preventative goes a long way. Took a little time to get parts - but found some great sources for the future as well.

I did some more research on the previous owner and actually found his best friend who lives in Houston. We talked for a few hours about the boat and everything he did to it. LEE - the guy already had the hull flipped and new bottom, so hopefully no de-lam problems down the road. The guy said he put well over $200K into the boat over the 20 years he owned her and had MANY stories of the adventures they had. I think that we had a lot in common.

Post some pictures after the family reunion next week