Hope for the best

[ctjstr]

well here's to good luck. Headed up for the survey tomorrow on what I hope to be my new boat. Its a 97 Troll. I'll have a few days to wait for the final oil analysis, but should have a pretty good idea after tomorrow.

toni

 

[Comodave]

Good luck.

 

[ctjstr]

well here's where it stands at the moment. Spent the day with the surveyor. Overall the boat is in good condition. A few things you'd expect, or at least look for on a 20 year old boat. If I can get a few adjustments, I'll buy it. My primary concerns going in where structural integrity, i.e. no soft spots or wet areas. Good so far. I was also at least casually curious about blisters, and there were two, both pretty shallow and of no particular concern to me. I was also interested in some mechanical issues, in particular the heat exchanger and oil cooler, and here is where I found a problem. There was very slight seeping at one end cap on the exchanger. I saw no evidence of corrosion and the seepage was very slight. In general, it should be serviced but I'm not concerned at its overall integrity. The oil cooler was another matter. Although I think they are sold as a unit, it appears that it has caps on both ends. The seam on the aft facing cap is bad. There is ample evidence that there is some failure there, with corrosion visible around the seam. I don't think water got in anywhere, but the oil analysis will confirm that. So first of all, can that cooler be rebuilt? My surveyor thought not, but I don't get why there would be caps on each end if it could not be disassembled and repaired. Second, if it can be, would you, or would you insist on replacement. I have some of my own thoughts on it, but I'd be curious about what experienced owners think. Finally, any suggestions about a decent source for these volvo specific parts? It will the seals etc for the exchanger, plus parts for, or a complete oil cooler. thanks in advance for any thoughts.

 

[O C Diver]

If the transmission oil cooler doesn't have an anode (zinc), replace it. Too great a chance of deterioration in the tube bundle (not rebuildable) after that many years. When my boat was surveyed, it was 13 years old with only 900 hours on the engine. The cooler (no anode) was failing (high sodium level in the oil analysis ). The coolers on both of my boats now have anodes, just like the heat exchangers.

Ted

 

[ctjstr]

Update.
Oil analysis for both engine and gear oil came back great. Went through some brief negotiations to get a price reduction to reflect a couple issues found on the survey, and it looks like a done deal. I signed and fedexed back closing docs today and will wire funds tomorrow. Sometime between Christmas and New Year I should be the new owner of Meannder. I'll get it moved down from Anncortes Wa to my Tacoma boathouse hopefully by the 1st.

I'll keep her parked for a bit to do a couple repairs, service everything I can get my hands on, and start the clean up. The biggest issue by far is repairing/replacing the oil cooler. The deal included complete bottom paint and new zincs, so no need to pull her in the near future.

Merry Christmas to me!.

toni

 

[MurrayM]

Have fun with your new toy and enjoy basking in that 'dream fulfilled' glow

 

[South of Heaven]

ct: That's all you found questionable in the survey?? That's great. Looks like you're full steam ahead! I'm jealous of your year round boating weather.....

 

[ctjstr]

ct: That's all you found questionable in the survey?? That's great. Looks like you're full steam ahead! I'm jealous of your year round boating weather.....

nah...there were a few things but that cooler was the biggest of them. THe service records aren't great, so I'll replace all filters, impeller and the belts. I'll toss and replace the transmission cooler, service the main engine heat exchanger and the after cooler. There were a few connections that needed attention and a small drip on the exhaust hose where it meets the connection through the bulkhead. I actually did not see any drip, but there was evidence of it. The horn button only worked intermittently. It is in surprisingly good shape for a 20d year old boat. Anchor winch runs a bit slowly, so I'll disassemble the gypsy and make sure everything is good. I've got one unmarked switch in the main panel, so I need to figure that out.
The other thing that just bugs me is that ridiculous helm seat. That thing is a nightmare. Not sure what I'll do, but I will find something.

I enjoy working on boats and once its in the boathouse, its way easier than if its out in the weather. I'm sure I'll find other things as I go through it, but hopefully nothing else too large.

One other item is figuring out a fan system for the front windows. With all the rain around here, windows can get pretty fogged at times. I had a friend that plumbed a vent from his espar heater so it blew up on the front windows, then circulated it with a fan. Worked pretty well. I'll figure something out.

I've got the names of a few places to order the service parts, but if anyone has any other good suggestions, I'd appreciate it. I"m guessing it will take me a month or more to go through stuff, but should be ready to go by spring.


toni

 

[GFC]

Congrats on a successful survey Toni. Now get busy and get all those things taken care of.


Oh, and please post some photos. We all like to see pics!

 

[ctjstr]

Congrats on a successful survey Toni. Now get busy and get all those things taken care of.


Oh, and please post some photos. We all like to see pics!

I'll get photos next time I'm in Annacortes, which is likely to be late next week sometime after I get word back that everything is closed.
Looking forward to it, although another 20 degrees would make it way more fun.

toni

 

[SoWhat]

If you bought Polar Pup you have a nice boat. Bilge is spotless.
I would replace the oil cooler every 1200 hours (or 5 years). Consequences of failure are expensive.
Oil analysis will be good until suddenly it isn't.

 

[jhance]

nah...there were a few things but that cooler was the biggest of them. THe service records aren't great, so I'll replace all filters, impeller and the belts. I'll toss and replace the transmission cooler, service the main engine heat exchanger and the after cooler. There were a few connections that needed attention and a small drip on the exhaust hose where it meets the connection through the bulkhead. I actually did not see any drip, but there was evidence of it. The horn button only worked intermittently. It is in surprisingly good shape for a 20d year old boat. Anchor winch runs a bit slowly, so I'll disassemble the gypsy and make sure everything is good. I've got one unmarked switch in the main panel, so I need to figure that out.
The other thing that just bugs me is that ridiculous helm seat. That thing is a nightmare. Not sure what I'll do, but I will find something.

I enjoy working on boats and once its in the boathouse, its way easier than if its out in the weather. I'm sure I'll find other things as I go through it, but hopefully nothing else too large.

One other item is figuring out a fan system for the front windows. With all the rain around here, windows can get pretty fogged at times. I had a friend that plumbed a vent from his espar heater so it blew up on the front windows, then circulated it with a fan. Worked pretty well. I'll figure something out.

I've got the names of a few places to order the service parts, but if anyone has any other good suggestions, I'd appreciate it. I"m guessing it will take me a month or more to go through stuff, but should be ready to go by spring.


toni

A few things to note:

1. Even if zincs are new, you will want to inspect them at least twice a year. I found mine were burned through in three months while I kept it at a certain marina.
2. I just went through the process of servicing my windlass. It worked great, but I found the pressure arm and stripper arm were broken. If it's a Maxwell, here are the parts you need to get:
• P90003 – seal kit
• P100085 – stripper arm kit
• P100087 – shaft service kit
• P100019 – pressure arm kit
3. I have dual fans on my interior windows. They work great, but they will still fog up on rainy days when you bring in moisture into the cabin. We found that opening the port side window cleared them right up. Ventilation is the most important thing here.
4. If you are referring to the folding helm seat, I recommend living with it and using it before making your determination. I find it very handy to fold out of the way... it really opens up a lot of usable space when at the dock. Plus it's actually pretty comfortable imo.

 

[ctjstr]

If you bought Polar Pup you have a nice boat. Bilge is spotless.
I would replace the oil cooler every 1200 hours (or 5 years). Consequences of failure are expensive.
Oil analysis will be good until suddenly it isn't.

Don't think she was the Polar Pup. She's been "Meannder" for at least quite a while back. She was berthed up in Deer Harbor by her previous owners. From her looks, it appears she was docked with her port side getting the sun, as it shows quite a bit more sun wear than the port.

I think you're right about the oil cooler. When I get it here, I'll measure and order one. Thanks for the note.

 

[ctjstr]

A few things to note:

1. Even if zincs are new, you will want to inspect them at least twice a year. I found mine were burned through in three months while I kept it at a certain marina.
Absolutely. My marina is relatively "hot". I had my last boat on a 6-8 month schedule for zinks. Fortunately, we have a grid at our disposal, so zink changing is not that big of a deal.

2. I just went through the process of servicing my windlass. It worked great, but I found the pressure arm and stripper arm were broken. If it's a Maxwell, here are the parts you need to get:
• P90003 – seal kit
• P100085 – stripper arm kit
• P100087 – shaft service kit
• P100019 – pressure arm kit

Perfect! Now I just need to confirm the brand of windlass


3. I have dual fans on my interior windows. They work great, but they will still fog up on rainy days when you bring in moisture into the cabin. We found that opening the port side window cleared them right up. Ventilation is the most important thing here.

thanks so much for that suggestion. I've found the biggest problem is after spending the night on the boat, or, as you said, when bringing in a bunch of moisture with wet clothes from outdoors etc.
ONce its cleared, keeping it that way shouldn't be that bad. the window is great.

4. If you are referring to the folding helm seat, I recommend living with it and using it before making your determination. I find it very handy to fold out of the way... it really opens up a lot of usable space when at the dock. Plus it's actually pretty comfortable imo.

You are probably right...but at the moment, it ain't my thing.
I had a comfortable folding wood chair on the last boat that was tall enough and I just really liked it. I found where I bought it, so worse case, I can pick another one up. I'll know by the time I get her back to Tacoma

again, thanks so much for the suggestions.

 

[South of Heaven]

Toni: This is what I did in August after buying my boat. (2000 Camano, 1400 hours).

--3 brand new batteries. I didn't trust the old ones and couldn't even find a proper date on them so I bit the bullet and replaced them all.

-- Entire water pump. I would suggest you replace the entire unit vs just doing the impellor. It's probably never been replaced before. Then you can rebuild the old one and keep it as an emergency spare.

-- Coolant flush and new overflow tank. The coolant was pretty dirty so we flushed and replaced it. I also replaced the overflow tank. It was so grimey and caked up. The tanks are relatively inexpensive. Even after the flush the fluid was still kinda dirty. Next spring I'll be addressing that again.

--My belts were in decent shape. And I have a new one from the P.O for a spare.

-- All the zincs, oil, 3 fuel filters, oil filters were changed by the P.O before I bought the boat.

My survey came back good as well. Or as good as it can on a 17 year old boat. The boat was lightly used and never fished but my biggest concern was that it sat for an entire season before he sold it. I had some sediment in the fuel tanks. This was evident by the Racors, not by the engine dying or anything. My seatrial was good but the surveyor found debris in the filter. So we had the owner pump out both tanks and then filtered any remaining sediment by the filters. I've never had any fuel issues.

My helm seat is a Todd armchair on a big pedestal. I like it. Although I've seen lots of Camano's with the fold away seat. Not a fan of those.

These boats are so simple to maintain! What a great ER layout too. Lots of space to get to the different items. I don't have a generator, so that gives me lots of space near the shaft and fuel fittings etc.

Yes, I agree with the others! We need pics of the boat! I know you must be excited. I was!

 

[ctjstr]

Toni: This is what I did in August after buying my boat. (2000 Camano, 1400 hours).

--3 brand new batteries. I didn't trust the old ones and couldn't even find a proper date on them so I bit the bullet and replaced them all.

Fortunately, all 5 of mine were replaced in 2016, so at least I can avoid that expense for a while.

-- Entire water pump. I would suggest you replace the entire unit vs just doing the impellor. It's probably never been replaced before. Then you can rebuild the old one and keep it as an emergency spare.

That's a good idea, although it will have to move to back of the line, for the time being. My wallet is seizing in my back pocket at the moment.

-- Coolant flush and new overflow tank. The coolant was pretty dirty so we flushed and replaced it. I also replaced the overflow tank. It was so grimey and caked up. The tanks are relatively inexpensive. Even after the flush the fluid was still kinda dirty. Next spring I'll be addressing that again.

I'll take a look at the tank. Since I plan on serving the main cooler, that will be the perfect time.

--My belts were in decent shape. And I have a new one from the P.O for a spare.

-- All the zincs, oil, 3 fuel filters, oil filters were changed by the P.O before I bought the boat.

although the sale included new zincs and paint, the oil is 2 years old, so its at the top of the list.

My survey came back good as well. Or as good as it can on a 17 year old boat. The boat was lightly used and never fished but my biggest concern was that it sat for an entire season before he sold it. I had some sediment in the fuel tanks. This was evident by the Racors, not by the engine dying or anything. My seatrial was good but the surveyor found debris in the filter. So we had the owner pump out both tanks and then filtered any remaining sediment by the filters. I've never had any fuel issues.

I've got the same concerns; idle boat for a time before I purchased. I started making noises about getting the fuel polished as part of the deal, but settled for other concessions instead. THe filters are clean at the moment. I'll see how they are after the 80 miles or so it takes to get back to TAcoma. Something to watch for sure.

My helm seat is a Todd armchair on a big pedestal. I like it. Although I've seen lots of Camano's with the fold away seat. Not a fan of those.

Good suggestion. As was pointed out, I'm going to try the folding seat for a bit, at least til I get home, and then make the decision. Its another one of those wallet things at the moment.

These boats are so simple to maintain! What a great ER layout too. Lots of space to get to the different items. I don't have a generator, so that gives me lots of space near the shaft and fuel fittings etc.

Yes, I agree with the others! We need pics of the boat! I know you must be excited. I was!

I am. Having said that....I can tell you it looks like almost every other troll that has been made. YOu know how it is...takes a bit of time to "make it yours". My old boat had my wife's influence all over it.
Divorced wife and boat, so this one will have my "signature" Maybe I'll park a motorcycle in the salon or something.

Thanks again for the suggestions. I can always use all the help I can get.
I've been on the water in one form or another for over half a century,
but the learning never stops.

 

[jhance]

You are probably right...but at the moment, it ain't my thing.
I had a comfortable folding wood chair on the last boat that was tall enough and I just really liked it. I found where I bought it, so worse case, I can pick another one up. I'll know by the time I get her back to Tacoma

again, thanks so much for the suggestions.

Crazy... I bought a Camano from Tacoma (kept in a boat house... Tacoma Yacht Club) and now it's up at Deer Harbor!

By the way, the slips at Deer Harbor are mostly oriented north-south, so I would be surprised if abnormal UV wear is present on one side or the other from the time here.

 

[jhance]

Toni: This is what I did in August after buying my boat. (2000 Camano, 1400 hours).

--3 brand new batteries. I didn't trust the old ones and couldn't even find a proper date on them so I bit the bullet and replaced them all.

-- Entire water pump. I would suggest you replace the entire unit vs just doing the impellor. It's probably never been replaced before. Then you can rebuild the old one and keep it as an emergency spare.

-- Coolant flush and new overflow tank. The coolant was pretty dirty so we flushed and replaced it. I also replaced the overflow tank. It was so grimey and caked up. The tanks are relatively inexpensive. Even after the flush the fluid was still kinda dirty. Next spring I'll be addressing that again.

--My belts were in decent shape. And I have a new one from the P.O for a spare.

-- All the zincs, oil, 3 fuel filters, oil filters were changed by the P.O before I bought the boat.

My survey came back good as well. Or as good as it can on a 17 year old boat. The boat was lightly used and never fished but my biggest concern was that it sat for an entire season before he sold it. I had some sediment in the fuel tanks. This was evident by the Racors, not by the engine dying or anything. My seatrial was good but the surveyor found debris in the filter. So we had the owner pump out both tanks and then filtered any remaining sediment by the filters. I've never had any fuel issues.

My helm seat is a Todd armchair on a big pedestal. I like it. Although I've seen lots of Camano's with the fold away seat. Not a fan of those.

These boats are so simple to maintain! What a great ER layout too. Lots of space to get to the different items. I don't have a generator, so that gives me lots of space near the shaft and fuel fittings etc.

Yes, I agree with the others! We need pics of the boat! I know you must be excited. I was!

I did all that as well at about 1100 hours. I also had the injectors pulled and serviced. Apparently they were all "failing" so they were all rebuilt. I think "failing" was a strong conclusion as I didn't have any issues, but I guess they were not fully atomizing the fuel. I also had a Walker air-sep filter installed. It rocks.

 

[ctjstr]

as a follow up. THAT SEAT!!! After having it tip over and dump my friend on his keister, I made the decision it had to go. Been looking at all sorts of alternatives. Criteria was it has to be tall, i.e. seat is over 30" off the deck. So, that means it needs a foot rest. Check Also want it to swivel. Check. Also want the seat to slide back and forth. Check again. Plus I didnt' want to spend more than $1,000.00. checkkkk..

So, started the order process at the Seattle Boat show this afternoon. I've got a couple thinks to check and will complete it tomorrow. Deciding on color and whether to upgrade the vinyl....which is a 300 upgrade. Ouch.

I'll take one last trip down to the boat tomorrow to be sure I'm making the right choice, but I think I'm good to go.

toni

To complete the dummy part of my visit to the boat show... Had two things to buy....seat and a new Coastal Explorer. Got home and realized I forgot the coastal explorer. Seriously???

 

[South of Heaven]

as a follow up. THAT SEAT!!! After having it tip over and dump my friend on his keister, I made the decision it had to go. Been looking at all sorts of alternatives. Criteria was it has to be tall, i.e. seat is over 30" off the deck. So, that means it needs a foot rest. Check Also want it to swivel. Check. Also want the seat to slide back and forth. Check again. Plus I didnt' want to spend more than $1,000.00. checkkkk..

So, started the order process at the Seattle Boat show this afternoon. I've got a couple thinks to check and will complete it tomorrow. Deciding on color and whether to upgrade the vinyl....which is a 300 upgrade. Ouch.

I'll take one last trip down to the boat tomorrow to be sure I'm making the right choice, but I think I'm good to go.

toni

To complete the dummy part of my visit to the boat show... Had two things to buy....seat and a new Coastal Explorer. Got home and realized I forgot the coastal explorer. Seriously???

Cool man.