pilot boat

Hi all i need some advice because i am planning to buy a used commercial boat:
ex pilot boat from Ireland, designed as heavy weather all year round pilot boat in west ireland, a area which can be very ugly with west storm
size: 51 feet , 14 feet width, 5 feet depth, 32 tons, steel, caterpillar 3406 B reduced to continous 250 HP, 1000 gallons diesel, flopper stopper installed from last owner

Converted already to a simple liveabord with a huge engine room and workshop, a big motorcycle fits inside

I first will use it as liveaboard coastl hopper in europe and the med but i am thinking to go transatlantik with the boat.

consumption i 5 gall at 9.3 knots which is nearlhull speed, so assuming when reducing to s/l 1,2-1,1 ie 7-7,5 knots i can get down to 2 gallons

questions: they used some concrete in the chainlocker and front cabin which i dont like, ofcourse it need internal attention and cleaning etc. I wonder about the range and cramped living down in the boat esp in hot climate, but on the otherhand no windows no problems..... please support me a little bit to find a decision.

I have the troller book, i have beebe and i am a sailor normally. The only thing is that a ex commercial is really simple inside

thanks in advance

 

you can build an opening skylight over the main area with 30 cm, coamings,you can build a hatch foreward, with a fixed safety fire ladder, maybe with portholes or light somehow, have plenty of deck vents, with swan neck or mushroom 40 cm upstands, not in vulnerable places, you can have a huge canvas hatch vent ,you can have hull portholes better if there fixed, if there opening, make sure your crew has a rigorous drill to shut them in bad weather or when under way, or she may fill thru the ports & sink, no joke, it has happened here with 2 deaths on a calm day, when they fell asleep

 

A couple of hatches and a standing sun shade over much of the vessel , and light [paint will have you living in the tropics just fine.

2 gph is perhaps 30 -35 hp ,,7'5K is a lot on that tiny power.

I would jury rig a small tank , or install a Flow meter to be sure of speed/consumption measurements .

FF

 

Agree with FF - 4 knots maybe, if hull is real clean.
Ya dont mention price?!
BR>Jack

 

Hi, all yes big sun shade over the front deck will be done. I like this flat deck for use of normal garden chairs etc at anchor. 2 hatches has been installed but still for galley and head not enough ventilation. Actual owner did not go slow because no long passages he did 3000 miles in 3 years. At the moment i can only guess but have to come down from 5 gall / hr at nearly hullspeed. maybe in the end 3 or 3.5 gal/hr.
price idea 80k usd, built 1983, engine 6000 hrs only and the cat seems to be one of the last good ones

 

what is the troller book, & the beebe

 

These are 2 books for passagemaking in small powerboats. Beebe 's Passagemaking handbook was rewritten by mr leishman from Nordhavn Trawlers. The Troller Yacht is from G. Buehler a designer of the Diesel ducks, cheap long distance steel boats

 

nice looking boat CFR
a few skylights later and that awning someone mentioned
maybe a few folding deck chairs a drink and a girl or two and your in with Flyn
sounds like a nice plan
how many hours on the engines is always a good question

 

Engine 6000 hrs, normally a pilot boat will get 3000 a year in service, so very lightly use. it was used only as heavy whaeter boat whereas for normal condition the used a faster pilot boat with 20 kn.

anybody here who has cat 3406 running and has some longterm experience ?

 

"Hi, all yes big sun shade over the front deck will be done."

On our boat we found a lawn shade 10x10ft, complete with stretchers and legs at the garden store, fit our aft cockpit very well.

No its not "Marine" but its worked for 4 years , is EZ to stow , does not take up space like the baby buggy cockpit covers from the "marine folks",

Best of all at $65. US the cost was about half the sales tax of a "proper marine" sun cover.

Works for me,

FF