How did your first shakedown/commissioning run go?

[Always Late]

I purchased my current boat in Soddy Daisy, TN. Had to bring it home to Pensacola. I know the river system well so that wasn't a problem. My deckhand (wife) had never done locks before and our dog had never been on more than an overnight trip so I was a little concerned. Turns out she is a natural. Caught on quick! Took 10 days and 850 miles, stayed at marina's all but 2 nights and had a great time. When we arrived at our marina she started crying. I thought oh crap what have we done! I asked her what was wrong, a little scared of the answer, she replied that she was sad that the trip was over. The dog (Chica) loved it to. The boat was well maintained and had zero issues on the way home. Best trip ever!
Gary

 

[backinblue]

Overall it went well. 320 miles over 3 days. Wildly different weather each day, from 5-6’ seas right on the nose and 20 kt wind on the beam to a nasty following sea on day three.
Learned a lot about the boat and my own capabilities on that trip.
We were unable to wait for a weather window because it was Labor Day weekend and had to be. Back at work.

You need to rethink your priorities! lol

 

[backinblue]

I purchased my current boat in Soddy Daisy, TN. Had to bring it home to Pensacola. I know the river system well so that wasn't a problem. My deckhand (wife) had never done locks before and our dog had never been on more than an overnight trip so I was a little concerned. Turns out she is a natural. Caught on quick! Took 10 days and 850 miles, stayed at marina's all but 2 nights and had a great time. When we arrived at our marina she started crying. I thought oh crap what have we done! I asked her what was wrong, a little scared of the answer, she replied that she was sad that the trip was over. The dog (Chica) loved it to. The boat was well maintained and had zero issues on the way home. Best trip ever!
Gary

Sounds like a great trip. What breed of dog? We have a new Jack Russell puppy that will be boating for the first time this summer. Hoping it's not a mistake. Any tips? BTW we named her Molly which translates to "star of the sea". I have my doubts!

 

[Nomad Willy]

Mine went fine.

But I didn’t go to WOT.
A few days to a week later I did run up to full bore .... for about a minute. Then the engine quit.

I post this (looking a bit stupid testing after the fact so to speak) so others will get the Idea and do this test and others to know what you’re getting.

Soon after i sold the engine (Perky 107) and repowered. Looked for better since we were moving to Alaska. Never looked back but I did find out I gave the buyer a good deal as the Perkins was surveyed as a good engine. Interestingly the replacement engine was/is also 107 cu. in. Exact same size engine. Mitubishi S4L2

 

[backinblue]

Mine went fine.

But I didn’t go to WOT.
A few days to a week later I did run up to full bore .... for about a minute. Then the engine quit.

I post this (looking a bit stupid testing after the fact so to speak) so others will get the Idea and do this test and others to know what you’re getting.

Soon after i sold the engine (Perky 107) and repowered. Looked for better since we were moving to Alaska. Never looked back but I did find out I gave the buyer a good deal as the Perkins was surveyed as a good engine. Interestingly the replacement engine was/is also 107 cu. in. Exact same size engine. Mitubishi S4L2

My boat was tested at WOT during the survey sea trial. I also run it up to WOT a few times during the season for a minute or so because that is supposed to be good for it. What caused the engine to quit? I assume it wasn't fatal as you were able to sell it.

 

[Group9]

Funny, but I also needed/used the radar on my last day with pretty thick fog on the Sound. I know I should "practice" more on clear sunny days, but usually don't. Another issue I had in the Hudson river was my batteries weren't charging due to a tripped breaker. I didn't notice it till my GPS shut down from low voltage. Had to break out the paper charts like the good ol' days. Once we anchored for the day I was able to find and fix the problem.

We were literally in sight of the marina, when I yelled out "Hey I got the radar to work "LOL because it had been vexing me the whole darn trip.

 

[Always Late]

Sounds like a great trip. What breed of dog? We have a new Jack Russell puppy that will be boating for the first time this summer. Hoping it's not a mistake. Any tips? BTW we named her Molly which translates to "star of the sea". I have my doubts!

A border collie. Required lots of runs on the marina nights. She did very well. I trained her to do her business on a piece of astro turf while underway.

 

[Lostsailor13]

Rhode island to Gloucester

We left Rhode island at 10 AM later than I wanted,the owner I bought the boat from was 83,and going through everything,he actually made the trip with us,after leaving Rhode island we had about 60 miles to get to Cape cod canal which we had time limits to catch the tide,it was Halloween night and full moon so the tide in the canal was close to 7 knts,we made it through the canal and tied up sandwich marina just as it turned dark,no problems underway,my buddy and I set the mast and boom while under way in buzzards bay,was flat calm,and the amount of bunker was unbelievable,massive bait balls every where,day two we left east side of canal at 8am first time oldtimer let me drive my boat,lol,anyway another 60 miles north in a following sea,was test I was looking for with round stern,and one thing I can say,if you've never been on a boat with round stern in following sea you wont believe the difference,I was pushing her hard outta the gate,first hour making 9knts trying to surf her,and let the sea push but nothing even close,then alarm goes off temp alarm,top off antifreeze them pull her back to 1500 for the rest of trip,pulled into slip.at about 330pm,after talking to previous owner he told me in 40 years that was the longest trip the boat had made,mind you he is 83 with another 50ft steel trawler who was going at it with 2 boats every day of the year,I think he is on here his other rig is called Ruhen

 

[Nomad Willy]

blackinblue wrote;
“My boat was tested at WOT during the survey sea trial. I also run it up to WOT a few times during the season for a minute or so because that is supposed to be good for it. What caused the engine to quit? I assume it wasn't fatal as you were able to sell it.”

I don’t actually remember if the engine surveyor did a WOT test. I remember my own. And yes I do the WOT test “a few times a year” as you do now.
No not fatal at all. Engine started about 3 minutes later. I got the anchor ready to go but came back and tried a start .. it started and ran 2300rpm fine .. as before.
The problem was fuel delivery. Plugged filter or whatever. Don’t remember more. It was in 06.

 

[NCheaven]

Delivery Cruise scare

I bought a Camano 31 from a great couple in Rhode Island. I went over the maintenance record, had the mechanic familiar with the boat check it out, serive the oil and filter, etc. But, 3 days out, and off of Cape May Inlet, the engine struggled. Fortunately, I had the seller on board, as I had asked him if he could work in a 3 day cruise to Cape May, and then swap crew to a friend who lives on the Chesapeake. He quickly noted the fuel pressure gauge, and told me how to switch to a fresh RACOR filter on the dual mount. We replaced the clogged filter once we reached Cape May, and when I reached home port with no further trouble, I asked my mechanic to polish the fuel, and replace both Racors and the secondary filter mounted on the engine.

My mechanic had to run the fuel polisher 3 times with brief runs plowing through the boat's own wake numerous times before the polishing filter ran a a tank full with no debris. Since then I cut my used Racor at season's end most years to see what shows up, and since the thorough polishing, nothing has.

Learning opportunity for me was this: Every new owner of a used boat should have the fuel polished, and all new fuel filters installed. So many boats come on the market because the owner has lost interest, tired of the bills, is past the age where he/she feels comfortable on the boat, etc., and the last few years of ownership have had less and less running time, with consequences to fuel condition.

By the way, I'm still delighted with the Camano 5 years later, and love the TAMD41P-A Volvo engine. I stick with Valve-Tect fuel, use Biobor JF biocide every season, and a fuel enhancer/stabilizer at the end of every season, seeking to reduce the risks of filter clogs. I still rely on cutting open the used primary fuel filter as a test of fuel condition at the end of every season
and have found the 40 or so feet of filter element to look clean as new every time.

 

[twistedtree]

On anything new to you, I think a full service regardless of records is a great idea. It will give you confidence running the boat, and gives a clear and certain baseline for subsequent maintenance. And what better way to get to know your boat?

 

[Cargile]

I think this is my 1st post. Nope it is the 3rd. Anyhow, thanks for letting me aboard. I have been following this site for a year or so. Terrible shakedown. Now I have a "putt putt' compared to most here. Actually it is a 28' trailer trawler with a Ford 302 I/O. Engine would not go above 2500 rpm. Returned to the pier, turned the engine off and it would not start again. Decided it was the 100 gals of 3 year old gas. 2nd time out with new gas and a new electric fuel pump it performed basically the same, terrible. I re-positioned the fuel pump with the same results for a 3rd time. Electric pump output was 3 psi. Holley says I need 5-7 psi for my carb. Have re-installed the original marine mechanical pump and awaiting the 4th shakedown. This is getting pretty close to the definition on "insanity".

 

[PierreR]

By golly, I love these kinds of stories. My newest one is yet to be written. I have yet to get really enthused about the boat that I bought. I am cursed with the ability to fix anything and so bought a boat needing a lot of TLC will little recent usage and a minimum of a 2,300-mile trip to take the boat back home.
My new boat is a 1977 Hatteras 42 LRC with 1,340 hours total since new of which the last 38 years saw only 180 hours of run time. The former owner bought the boat 20 years ago after the boat had sat for 18 years on the hard and put 180 hours on her in the 20 years since. He brought to boat home 230 miles and the boat has not traveled more than 25 miles from the covered slip since. The previous owner was meticulous with records and everything of importance to him works on the boat and some things he could not believe still worked.
I first looked at the boat in late October, had her surveyed and sea trialed twice and completed the purchase three weeks later. At a commute of 2,100 miles round trip to work on the boat, I do not go for just an afternoon. Before the holidays I spend 10 days on the boat and putted around with it twice. I am literally the perfect buyer in the previous owner's mind, and he is the perfect seller in my mind. A match made in heaven. I can keep the boat where it is at in his covered slip at his condo and live and work on it as I please until springtime when I plan to bring the boat back north. No charge for the dock but pay for electricity. He likes to help work on the boat as long as it is not his and he can pick and choose his hours. I am grateful and do not understand it, but I am not arguing. He is a retired tugboat captain and is very willing to share what he thinks should be serviced before the extended trip back home. He is very willing to be on the boat for much of the trip back home as he loves to operate other people's boats with other people's money which is why he sold this boat. I keep waiting for the shoe to drop but I has been the best possible scenario in every case so far.
The engines pur with no smoke and run up to full throttle. Last oil change before last week, 10 years ago, oil looked good. Trans sifts smooth, last oil change? not in the last 20 years. One has hydraulic oil the other engine oil (face palm). Running gear tight on haul out. Rudders tight, added oil to steering reservoir. Rebuilt generator one year ago, not hooked up yet. Last fuel purchase 50 gallons 10 years ago. Has about 370 gallons on board in three out of four tanks. Regular dosages of biocide. Fuel is darker than new, and I can verify some coffee grounds. Previous owner says he has access to a fuel polisher for free and suggests we use it. All electronics work but newest is 20 years old. I have no idea on leaks, I have some soft spots in decks, but the boat has been under cover for the last 18 years. From removing and rebeding some hardware the core is dryer than I would have guessed given the screws were missing. All required safety gear was outdated.
To top it off, the previous owner has cooked breakfast for me every morning and I buy him lunch when we eat lunch out somewhere. Pinch me, I must be in a dream cuz I have no reason to be so lucky.
Looking at beginning the long trip about March 15 to April 1. The Ten Tom River route is 2,300 miles and the ICW East coast route is 3,300 miles. Adding the two routes together equals the complete USA Great Loop route. The cost of the trip will depend on if my wife goes or not. Double the cost if my wife is on board. Right now, I expect double the cost but cruising those routes is what we bought the boat for in the first place.

 

[huruta]

From Gig Harbor, WA to Seattle, WA in our Nordic Tug 32. Went fine! Had to go through the Ballard Locks, which also went fine despite it being pretty busy. Per insurance, had a captain with me, which helped. Sounds like many others have had very eventful first outings. For newbies, there are some that are not notable, rest assured.

 

[slowgoesit]

Our shakedown cruise on our new to us boat was from Port Orchard Washington to Glacier Bay Alaska and back! About 2,900 miles. We had a few small issues, but overall a fantastic trip!

 

[Bonedoc]

Our shakedown cruise on our new to us boat was from Port Orchard Washington to Glacier Bay Alaska and back! About 2,900 miles. We had a few small issues, but overall a fantastic trip!

Wow- what a great start!

 

[Max1]

Our shakedown cruise took place on July 19-22 this year.
We spent all spring working on the boat getting it seaworthy.

We still had lots of projects come July but we decided its been on the hard long enough and we did not want to have it in the boatyard all summer. Who wants to work on a boat in the hottest month's of summer? Besides, the critical parts of the boat were operational.

Launch day came. Tuesday July 19. We were nervous as heck. Did we forget anything? Did we have enough basic supplies? Diesel? Water? Batteries? Food? Drain plug??

The only issue when she finally went into the water was the water was leaking from the water pump. This was temporarily rectified by closing the water pump seacock when the engine was not being run.

Leaving the harbour for the first time was a thrill.
Engine purred like a pussycat as we cruised to our first anchorage in a small cove and spent a few days there finishing up the install of hardware like the mast and solar panels.

Arrived at our home dock on Friday of that week. Docked it for the first time as gentle as can be. Literally crawling speed. That's the way I like it. No thrusters on the boat the way. Just a single screw down the middle. I sweated the idea of docking with this kind of boat but it turns out to be not so hard if you take your time to do the approach right considering wind direction, force, currents, etc.

Electronics ran fine. Solar Fridge worked perfectly. No leaks. And the water pump leak stopped by itself. I guess there must be some sort of felt gasket that just had to swell up over time and seal the pump. The only thing we did not have was adequate mosquito screens on all the windows. We were eaten alive those first few nights. We have since built window screen frames and had them installed on the windows and haven't had mosquito problems since

Cant wait for summer 2023 to get our girl back in the water

 

[KnotYet]

I think this is my 1st post. Nope it is the 3rd. Anyhow, thanks for letting me aboard. I have been following this site for a year or so. Terrible shakedown. Now I have a "putt putt' compared to most here. Actually it is a 28' trailer trawler with a Ford 302 I/O. Engine would not go above 2500 rpm. Returned to the pier, turned the engine off and it would not start again. Decided it was the 100 gals of 3 year old gas. 2nd time out with new gas and a new electric fuel pump it performed basically the same, terrible. I re-positioned the fuel pump with the same results for a 3rd time. Electric pump output was 3 psi. Holley says I need 5-7 psi for my carb. Have re-installed the original marine mechanical pump and awaiting the 4th shakedown. This is getting pretty close to the definition on "insanity".

If this is a new problem and the engine used to reach full rpm then I would look
closely at the prop to be sure it isn't damaged. If this boat is new to you but
propped correctly I would check the standard troubleshooting items.
You seem to have ruled out the carb. How do the plugs look? Is the timing OK?
While the plugs are out do a compression check. How is the ignition system?
If everything is within spec and the prop is correct then it could be the cam.

 

[PierreR]

If this is a new problem and the engine used to reach full rpm then I would look
closely at the prop to be sure it isn't damaged. If this boat is new to you but
propped correctly I would check the standard troubleshooting items.
You seem to have ruled out the carb. How do the plugs look? Is the timing OK?
While the plugs are out do a compression check. How is the ignition system?
If everything is within spec and the prop is correct then it could be the cam.

Or mud daubers and mice.

 

[KnotYet]

Or mud daubers and mice.

Good point. Check the fuel tank vent.

 

[Lostsailor13]

From Rhode Island to Gloucester mass,was 100 miles broke it up into 2 days,day one from Portsmouth Rhode Island through cape cod canal,day two in Gloucester by 3 pm,with no problems at all