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New to Forum - Purchasing 1974 60 foot Roamer

Discussion in 'Chris Craft Roamer Yacht' started by Sherrie, Jul 1, 2013.

  1. ddw1668

    ddw1668 Senior Member

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    Location:
    Murrells Inlet, SC

    I think I just found my next wife! If this current fling doesn't work out ( 53 years) I may just give Sherrie a call...............
  2. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    Sherrie....while I commend you greatly, I must make a slight adjustment to the terms, at least in my mind. You will actually have the educational credentials to be a professional diesel mechanic. That doesn't by itself make you one, just takes you a long way toward it. Again though, I think it's great that you're doing that. Then I'd suggest making friends with as many long term professionals as you can and continuing to learn from them.

    You'll find yourself a bit amazed at a couple of things. First, you'll be amazed how much you've learned that some who have called themselves mechanics for years but never had training do not know. Second, you'll realize when talking to true life long professionals how much you still have to learn. But then learning is a life time pursuit. We both have Captain's Licenses, in fact 200 Ton Masters, and we find by having been to school recently we know things that some who have been doing it a long time don't. But then we spend time with a 25 year veteran who is both well trained and experienced and realize how much they've done and how much they know that we don't.

    First time you encounter a Caterpillar issue you can't solve, you'll call the factory and describe it and hopefully get someone who can quickly tell you what to do. His experience will impress you but he will be quite impressed with the intelligence of your question and also that you then understand so well what he's saying. Every mechanic still turns to specialists for help on occasion.

    I can assure you though as a trained diesel mechanic you'll be far far far ahead of us. Frankly, that's not an area where I have a great aptitude nor desire. I wish I did have it as you do. But that makes me all the more impressed by what you're doing. I just love the way you're jumping into it.
  3. leeky

    leeky Senior Member

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    Hey, Sherrie, I hope you haven't let olderboater rain on your parade. The course you're taking should in fact go a long way towards helping you take care of your new home -- that and your great attitude.

    I'm a big fan of your story, and I hope you'll keep posting all of the details of it that you have time for. And who knows, as you course-work progresses, you might be able to give some here an education.:eek:
  4. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    I think I was quite complimentary and I quote:

    You should be both excited and commended.

    It sure in my mind identifies you as one serious about it as opposed to someone who is just buying a boat on a whim.

    Congratulations.

    I commend you greatly

    You'll be amazed how much you've learned that some who have called themselves mechanics for years but never had training do not know

    I can assure you though as a trained diesel mechanic you'll be far far far ahead of us.

    That makes me all the more impressed by what you're doing. I just love the way you're jumping into it.

    I did point out that there would still be more to learn, that she still wouldn't have the knowledge of those who have been at it their entire careers. I don't see that as negative at all. I don't profess to know as much as Captains who have been at it 25 years.
  5. Sherrie

    Sherrie Member

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    Location:
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    Hey Oldboater, I know you were not being negative. I also know that I will be simply a beginner with understanding the workings of engines. I won't ever think I am going to be able to do it as those who have done it for decades as a profession.

    I do want to be able to understand the engines and if I am out in the water and something goes wrong, I won't freak out wondering what is wrong and what to do. I will be able to look at the situation and assess it in a knowledgeable fashion and hopefully be able to fix it.

    I will be taking a Captains course at the same time and studying for that.

    Because of deciding to change my life, I know I need to learn everything I can. Just as when I purchased houses, I learned to do all the electrical, plumbing. I put in my wood floors, redid my bathrooms and tiled, besides taking down walls and sheet rocking. I am a handy person. I love doing things and learning new things.

    My daughter is going to take a Captains license course too. Though she won't be able to test for it, until she is 18. She plans on learning everything she can and she wants to Captain mega yachts when she is old enough. :)

    Leeky, thank you for your comment. I hope to be able to take care of my home and do a good job at it.

    I have gotten a lot of thoughts from my mom and sisters about it. They don't believe I am strong enough to be able to handle the engines because I am only 120 pounds. But I know that there are devices and other ways to accomplish heavy pieces of engines. They had been trying to talk me out of doing the course over the last year, but now they are excited for me as I have my new home and they understand I want to be able to completely understand it and take care of it.

    I am going to give it a try and learn all I can. I am very excited about it all. In the past I learned and changed the alternator and smog pump on my 1988 Mustang GT convertible without any mechanical background. I researched how to do it on the internet and read the steps with the diagrams. It was difficult replacing the smog pump as I was underneath the car and it was in a small space. But I did it and I did it right. The alternator was easy as it was right there on top.

    I really appreciate the support and I hope to meet some forum members on the dock in Knoxville. I hope to be there on Namaste in April/May. I have to now see if I will be able to take time away from school to bring Namaste up. :rolleyes:
  6. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    If you need more might than you have at 120 pounds, then you're doing it the wrong way. That's how people get back injuries. Oh, and I don't know how to do electric, plumbing, wood floors, bathrooms, tile, walls or sheetrock in my house. Good thing I know how to do other things to pay for them. Don't change alternators or smog pumps either. I think you'll love Knoxville and you'll love your boat.
  7. NEO56

    NEO56 Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2014
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    Location:
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    Hi Sherrie,
    I for one am very proud of you, you're undertaking something I wouldn't even consider. The Captains course will benefit you in so many ways...a very good base of "book" knowledge, lower insurance premiums, so on and so forth. And trust me, olderboater was NOT raining on your parade. Believe me I know. At a 120 pounds, you won't have trouble getting outboard of the mains.
    And one word of advice....stay glued to YF, even while your going through your Diesel course...if you come across something you just can't digest, bring it to the Forum, and I promise one of these experts will put it into a context you can understand. I wish you the best of luck in both of your endeavors, I just hope you haven't bitten off more than you can chew. Your going from never have flown a plane to flying an F-16 in a few short months! And please keep us informed of your progress.
  8. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Congratulations. Just make sure to keep your fuel filters clean and also, drain the stern tank last as the boat will handle ill if you drain the stern(COCKPIT) first......usually I'd run one motor off the foward, one off the aft tank. Sometimes I'd pull off the cockpit for an hour or two from one engine at cruise if she was running a little stern heavy. As long as your Detroits have fuel, oil and are running cool, very little will keep them from running once they are. Your biggest obstacles will be finding some parts.....Sam's marine is a great resource and specializes in Hatteras parts. They have a location in Fort Lauderdale,FL and another in NC. Also finding some 32volt parts will be an obstacle also, always keep spares, especially a rule 2000 bilge pump.....
  9. Sherrie

    Sherrie Member

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    Jul 1, 2013
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    Location:
    Knoxville, Tn.
    Thank you!

    Yes I have talked to Steve McPhearson from Sam's Marine for a long time one day. They are awesome over there. I gave him the hull number and asked about different things I needed. He then gave me different people's numbers and information about things he could not provide.

    I already had the forward tank fuel polished/cleaned and will be having the mid and aft tanks cleaned out and the fuel cleaned if possible, otherwise it will have to be dumped when the boat is hauled out. I have read about the 32 volt and have an electrician looking at it. I know that having a boat with 32/12/110 is not an optimal situation. I already had a mechanic completely service her engines and change all the filters along with the oil and impellers. I plan on having impellers on spare at all times besides filters and other spare parts.

    I have already been studying and watched the mechanic in everything he did to see where everything is and how to service the engines. I am going to have the filters re-positioned (oil and transmission) as they are at the aft of the engine and very close to the shaft. I am having the oil filter changed to be in the opened area on the starboard side of the engine and the transmission filter raised up about 6 inches with a metal piece welded and bolted on. I don't know why they put the oil filter just inches from the shaft in the first place.

    Oldboater - I could have hired someone to tile/marble, hardwood floors etc. But to me it was a hobby. It was an artistic/creative outlet. I absolutely loved walking in and seeing beautiful hardwood floors and a marble entrance, besides the marble bathrooms etc. and knowing I did it and it looked great. It was like a canvas to me and I put the art onto it. I put the work in and got to look and enjoy it all the time.

    Hey Neo - I will definitely stay around Yachtforum to learn. This is a place of experts and learning. I have already done many searches on various topics here, including AC reverse units as it seems only one unit works on the boat. I have to have someone go out and look at the units. In fact if there is someone who is very good that is in that business and in the Stuart Florida area, please PM me.

    I really do appreciate all the information people have to share here in helping me. I know I will need a lot more too. I may need a good electrician and so on there, as the person I hired to be in charge and get the people there has not done anything yet and it has been 2 weeks since I left. I want to get a lot done before she gets hauled out at the end of the month.
  10. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    14,432
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    It's quite common to have multiple voltages on yachts. The difference is they stopped using 32 volt systems and building 32 volt yachts around 1987, so parts are getting a bit harder to find. Like a jabsco blower, you have to buy a 12 or 24 volt blower, then buy the 32 volt motor seperately and swap out the motor. Lightbulbs also are getting harder to find.

    You're probably going to want to change all of the fuel tank senders as they get stuck and don't work properly at that age on those boats. Polishing fuel is a mixed bag, if it's REALLY dirty then have it polished. If it's moderate, carry plenty of fuel filters and change for a tank or two then add an additive that cleans it such as Diesel Kleens "clear tank diesel". Maybe run 10 micron racors, you can run 1 engine off the foward tank and 1 off the cockpit if the water tank is full and you don't ride too bow down that way. You should be able to run at cruise for 2 days if you have the 1050 capacity, but I think prior to 1978 the yachtfish had a smaller capacity of 850 gallons instead of 1050. Carry plenty of fuel filters both primary and secondary for your trip. If you have to run 30 micron racors, change the secondaries every 2nd time you change the racors. If you run 10 microns you can usually get away changing the secondaries every 3rd time. If you polish all of the fuel, you should add a biocide to it as polishing it only gets about 95% of the algae out and it grows right back if you don't chew through the fuel right away. I don't know if you need to get into the expense of moving all of the filters around, they've been that way over 30 years and it has worked......oil filters you change once a year usually, taking the wall access off for the port engine really isn't that big of a deal. I think your money might be best spent elsewhere on things that are needed like the a/c's.