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Ocean Alexander 44' CPMY Performance

Discussion in 'Ocean Alexander Yacht' started by flyinmick, Nov 2, 2013.

  1. flyinmick

    flyinmick New Member

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    May 14, 2013
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    Alameda
    Hi.
    Does anyone have good performance numbers for an OA 44' CPMY fitted with Caterpillar 3208s?
    Also, are the owner/operating manuals available online?
    Cheers
  2. seattleneil

    seattleneil New Member

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    Sep 24, 2013
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    I realize your question has been here since May, but...

    I have a 1992 39' OA with twin 250hp Cummins. It's the same boat as the 42 or 44 cockpit models, but doesn't have a cockpit. We cruise at 12knots and burn 12 gph. That seems to be the sweet spot for fuel economy.
  3. flyinmick

    flyinmick New Member

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    Performanse

    Hi,
    Thanks for the information! I am sure that, most likely, ours will be about the same. Fuel consumption will be higher with the 375hp engines. Since twelve knots seems to be the speed other people have suggested. That much power seems to be a bit like overkill. I'm trying to find some sort of power/speed/fuel flow chart, but no luck so far!
    This is our first boat. Don't boats come with owners' manuals?
  4. MBevins

    MBevins Senior Member

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    Windsor On. Canada
    I'm afraid we don't build boats in Detroit :D
  5. flyinmick

    flyinmick New Member

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    Boats from Detroit?

    Well, I don't think they build much of anything in poor old Detroit anymore. So, can someone explain to me how a person such as myself could reliably plan a trip at sea? Wouldn't I have to be able to calculate a range based on a projected cruising speed and known fuel burn?
    How would I learn how the systems on my boat work? How would I know how to service them?
  6. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    You don't calculate based on what the manufacturer's might have projected. You do that based on actual experience. Based on monitoring fuel flow. Actual, real world. Now you use experienced estimates in selecting a boat.

    As to learning the systems, most of the equipment has manuals. But learning how boat systems in total work is a long time thing. There are courses that could help advance that learning. Watch mechanics who work on your boat and learn. If you venture out far take someone who has experience, but in the size and type boat you're looking at I'd expect you'll be inland or ICW.

    There are probably manuals on the engines available and on other equipment but there isn't one that tells you how to work on everything. As to comparing to cars, owner manuals don't tell you that either. Now the manufacturers service manuals and some private label manuals do. But a lot more of any car model sold than of the top boat model. Manuals for 20 year old cars aren't all that easy to gather either.
  7. flyinmick

    flyinmick New Member

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    Hi, Olderboater.
    This is an amazing piece of information. So, what you're telling me is that a boat manufacturer hires a designer to design a boat hull, equip it with a range of different engines and sell that boat for a great deal of money to buyers who will have absolutely no idea how far it will go, how long it will take to get there or how much it will cost to operate. It's all a guessing game until I figure it all out for myself.
    Awesome!!
  8. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    No that is not what I'm telling you. I'm telling you there are estimates available, but that's all they are. At the best they vary based on load and conditions. In actuality they may vary more based on a particular hull or specific pair of engines. It will very based on how well tuned the engine is. Sometimes engines are even detuned initially to increase range and durability. This is no different than estimated car mileage. You can't take the numbers on the sticker and bank on using them and not running out. I'm saying you don't plan a trip at sea based on those estimates. You use actual experience to confirm or change or build more estimates. That was intended as a precautionary warning to you. You will be talking to brokers and sellers and they'll give you numbers. All the number you get will be ballpark. But if you're wanting some guaranteed numbers and one manual that came with the boat that includes every item on the boat including detailed instructions on how you can fix everything, that's just not available. That isn't on a car either. You buy a car and you get an operator's manual. The service manuals generally cover parts of the car but there are no single manuals that cover all components.

    Sorry you take offense at my answer. I'll leave others to answer you now and I will bow out of your threads and questions completely.
  9. flyinmick

    flyinmick New Member

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    Thanks anyway, Olderboater.

    Thanks, Olderboater.
    Your last answer sort of told me what I was expecting. Just as in the aircraft I fly at work, fuel consumption varies with how the aircraft are loaded, how well maintained it is, etc. The list of variables is long BUT at least you get some sort of performance numbers resulting from testing and the designers estimates derived mathematically. These are never 100% accurate but they're pretty good. I doubt that boat builders go into it quite so deeply, but it seemed that surely there must be something. And that was all I was after. A starting point. Some idea better than a just rough guess.
    I understand that radar, chart plotters and other ancillary equipment all comes with its own. A manual to cover every single thing would be ridiculously huge and impractical.
    I never asked for any sort of guaranteed numbers. Sorry you misunderstood my question.
    Cheers!