New owner for Cheoy Lee 66

[lelievre12]

Just a quick hello from the new owner of the 1987 Cheoy Lee 66, Sorpresa in Alameda, CA. As an Australian owner, she will one day find her way back to Sydney but in the meantime will be cruising the West Coast. Home will be Sausalito.

I did notice quite a long thread on Trawler Forum about this boat and am grateful to those Trawler Forum members who calculated hull speed, HP etc. I liked this boat for its seaworthiness, modest reliable engines and economy. I think the Cheoy is perfect as an LRC with 2700 gallons Fuel, CAT3306 engines and Naiad stabliizers. I think Witholz lines are also very pleasing and a cut above many design of the day.

My decision to buy this particular model was largely influenced by Tony Williams and his 1999 film "Before the Operations Begin" which you can see here :Before the Operations Begin - Television | NZ On Screen Thank you Tony!

Tony's 66 "Bravado" was an earlier model with Detroits. Sorpresa is a later widebody model with Cat's and a 2 stateroom layout.

She is undergoing a refit now to correct her survey findings and will be cruising south (or north?) this Summer.

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who knows this particular boat or wants to chat about LRC cruising in general.

 

[Phil Fill]

Nice boat. I think that is the one I kept telling GG to look at! You snooze you loose.!

I really like your boat! Being we are a live a board dock queen we prefer the wide body. The plans is some day to retire, toss off the lines, and head for Alaska and/or down the coast. My wife about every other month heads south to dry out and the sun. So the changes are we will being heading south, but I would prefer heading north, but my main purpose in live is to keep my wife happy.

The Eagle was a California boat, so if you are planning coming north make sure there are not leaks and the boat has a good heating system. Even during the summer many days you need heat!

 

[River Cruiser]

Worked on many different diesels thru the years & the cat 3306 was one of the best IMHO. Keep the valves adjusted, about 500 hours if I remember right. Dropping a valve was the only problem that seemed to happen & this was only on the turbo charged engines. The NA models seemed to run for ever with a little maintenance. Good luck

 

[Tidahapah]

mate,
Are you planning to bring her home on her own bottom or ship transporter.
How long you going to be cruising in the USA.
Looks like a great vessel and you will have heaps of fun learning all the new systems and handling her.
All the best and keep us informed of your travels and learning experiences.
Cheers
Benn

Woo Ho 1000 posts now back to the Westrac school to continue my CAT diagnostic course.

 

[Andy G]

How could you not buy the Cheoy Lee after that video. Looks like a great boat, good luck.

 

[CPseudonym]

Welcome to the forum and nice boat! There is a contingent local to the San Francisco Bay Area that has set up a social group on the forum at this location.

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/groups/1-san+francisco+bay++california+delta+cruisers.html

Please feel free to join up and if you can make any of our meet ups so much the better! Boat in or drive in at many of them.

 

[Island Sunset]

Best wishes to you. Though not a 66', we really enjoy our Cheoy Lee 46' LRC, built in 1983. Many similarities. Enjoy.

 

[THD]

LeLievre-thanks so much for posting the link to that video. I have just spent the entire evening watching the whole story-I am now trying to figure out how to get my daughter through High School and into college in 18 months rather than the more normal 4 years! Great story and great inspiration.

Also guess that the video should answer Galaxy Girl's questions as to the seaworthiness of the Cheoy Lee 66!

 

[Moonfish]

As the second Cheoy Lee 46 LRC owner here, I concur with Mark. You have a great boat. Enjoy!

And thanks for posting the links to the videos, too. Watched the first two last night. Will watch the rest tonight.

 

[Capt Kangeroo]

Regarding the movie of Tony's travels, Does anyone know what happened to him & why he sold the boat? The movie leaves us with him heading home to sell his house & take off. I wonder if he found the boat not suitable for his needs or changed his mind, if the latter I'm curious why.

 

[lelievre12]

Regarding the movie of Tony's travels, Does anyone know what happened to him & why he sold the boat? The movie leaves us with him heading home to sell his house & take off. I wonder if he found the boat not suitable for his needs or changed his mind, if the latter I'm curious why.

He cruised until around 2005 (6 years) and then sold the boat.

See 'voyages' on his old website -[ Welcome to MV Bravado V.I.P Charters ]-

His daughter Jess, was married in 2010 at Tony's farm in Robertson in the Southern Highlands in NSW. I guess the call of the 'farm' beat the 'call of sea' in the end.

See:

 

[lelievre12]

mate,
Are you planning to bring her home on her own bottom or ship transporter.
How long you going to be cruising in the USA.
Looks like a great vessel and you will have heaps of fun learning all the new systems and handling her.
.

Benn,

This is one 66 that will make the trip on her own bottom once she is shaken down. Most likely timing will be next spring. This Summer will be coastal either in Pacific NW or south to Mexico.

Nice to meet other Aussies online. Oi Oi Oi.

Pete

 

[expat]

I am so jelous, good cruising, hope to see you up this way.

 

[portager]

Congratulations on your purchase! I saw Sorpresa a few years ago and she is a lovely boat. Are you going to cross from San Francisco to Hilo HI? That appears to be the shortest distance at 2019 NM (see page 40 of 62 in http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/distances-ports/distances.pdf. You should be able to make that crossing at ~9.25 knots with 30% reserve in 9 days 8 hours give or take a day or two.

Personally, I would add hand holds in the saloon before making any passages.

 

[gwkiwi]

What a great series of videos I could not stop from clicking the next one in line and I really need to get my bags packed for a drive to CA tomorrow and a flight to NZ on Sunday.
These videos and seeing Wolfgang and Heidi who I have followed on their circumnavigations for along time makes the boating world pretty small but very caring and helpful towards others and I feel blessed to be a part of such a great group.
I cant wait to get back to our boat in MS after a quick trip down under and I hope to see you on the water mate.
You will always be welcome aboard for a cold one if our paths cross.

 

[lelievre12]

Congratulations on your purchase! I saw Sorpresa a few years ago and she is a lovely boat. Are you going to cross from San Francisco to Hilo HI? That appears to be the shortest distance at 2019 NM (see page 40 of 62 in http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/distances-ports/distances.pdf. You should be able to make that crossing at ~9.25 knots with 30% reserve in 9 days 8 hours give or take a day or two.

Personally, I would add hand holds in the saloon before making any passages.

Thanks Portager for the note.

Yes I will add handholds and also tie down the furniture!

Its interesting to note the range projections. I attach the measured range of the current Cheoy Lee Serenity 68 (same hull as the 66) is 3458 miles at 1250 RPM and 7.5 knots. At 1000 RPM and 6.6 knots the range is 5369 miles! (of course in smooth water only).

However the unexpected surprise is that the new Serenity 68 has fancy electronic C7 Caterpillar engines that use 0.420 lb/hp-hr of fuel at 1200 RPM. And the dear old mechanical 3306TA engines in the Cheoy Lee 66 are actually more efficient at 1200 RPM burning 0.401 lb/hp-hr. Hard to believe but there's progress for you.

Finally, the Serenity 68 has 2350 gallons fuel but the 66 has 2700.

Whatever the 'facts' its clear that the 66 will have no problems getting to Hawaii. More efficient engines and more fuel!