single-engined GB 42?

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Blissboat

Blissboat

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In a Boat US review article (revised by the editors in 2012), Jack Horner says: "Although standard equipment on the GB42 has always been and still is a single diesel engine, the majority of original buyers seem to have opted for twin-engine installations."

The article is here: BoatUS - Boat Reviews - Grand Banks 42

Of course the 42 has been out of production for some time, but for the purpose of my question, it doesn't matter. I have never seen nor even heard of a 42' GB with a single. Nor has any yacht broker in my experience claimed to have seen or heard of such a creature. Has anyone on this list?
 
Sure. Seen several of them. But the singles are mostly older models from the 70s along with woodies from the 60s and very early70s (the GB36 and 42 were switched to fiberglass in mid-1973).
 
I've "seen" several on Yachtworld over the years, they pop up from time to time. Rarer still are Grand Banks sedans and motor yachts. I could be wrong but believe the last 42' sedan I saw listed was a single engine.
 
Saw one in Cape May last fall. It had a hydraulic bow thruster. Really cool. He could just lay on it and let it run. No thruster motor overheat concerns.
 
All right, it's good to know they are out there. But , man - I've stared at more adverts for GB 42s than I can shake a stick at, and nary a single among 'em. My strong preference in a cruising boat is for a single, and since I have a bad weakness for the GB 42, it would be a good set-up.

Nice single-engined GB 36s come on the market regularly. The spaces are just a little confined, I feel, whereas a 42 feels just about right.

Now if only there was a teak treatment that would hold up in the sun for five years or more . . .
 
Blissboat said:
All right, it's good to know they are out there. But , man - I've stared at more adverts for GB 42s than I can shake a stick at, and nary a single among 'em. My strong preference in a cruising boat is for a single, and since I have a bad weakness for the GB 42, it would be a good set-up.

Nice single-engined GB 36s come on the market regularly. The spaces are just a little confined, I feel, whereas a 42 feels just about right.

Now if only there was a teak treatment that would hold up in the sun for five years or more . . .
Click to expand...

The "treatments" are the problem. Let your teak decks turn gray, keep them cleaned with Joy liquid detergent, keep up on the seams and plugs and you're good to go for as long as you own the boat. Gray is beautiful!
 
Ray wrote: "The "treatments" are the problem. Let your teak decks turn gray, keep them cleaned with Joy liquid detergent, keep up on the seams and plugs and you're good to go for as long as you own the boat. Gray is beautiful!"

Totally on board with you Ray. Weathered teak is the safest, most secure-feeling deck to have underfoot, and looks great. It's the rest of the exterior teak that American Marine throws at the GBs that deters me - cap rails, hand rails, eyebrows, grab rails, hatch-trim, transoms, name boards - teak, teak, teak. A GB with well-maintained brightwork defines the adjective "Bristol." It sends a signal to everyone who sees it: you're looking at a proper yacht that's under responsible ownership. But Egad, at what cost, in either time or money!

Others have posted on this topic here, including yourself, I think. And over the years, Am. Marine heard the market, and began selectively shedding exterior teak, such as handrails and grab-rails. But even at the end of the Classics' production run, tropical hardwood still defined a GB.

Periodically some new products appear, claiming to liberate us from our sandpaper and varnish brushes. Haven't seen it happen yet, so when considering a GB, my knees start to ache a bit, and my fingertips grow a little numb!
 
Our GB is one of the first batch of fiberglass GBs made. Needless to say, it has a rainforest of old growth teak trim on the exterior. However, my wife and I quite like working on it and maintaining it. The main issue for us is time. Between work and the weather we never have enough time to finish the teak properly. That will be changing in the near future but for the last 17 years it's been quite frustrating.

But the quality of the wood is outstanding and we're looking forward to getting it into proper shape. One thing we found very early on is that in this climate, varnish is a complete waste of time in terms of longevity in the weather. Not long after acquiring the boat we changed to Bristol and the difference interms of longevity in the weather is amazing. We've not bought a can of varnish since (we use a different product inside the boat, too).
 
While I like teak decks and a single engine boat....

I could argue forever (or till we are both frustrated which I sure is sooner than forever) that teak decks aren't the safest and that singles are the best choice for all cruising boats.

Throw in likes and dislikes and there is no real argument....just acknowledging another's opinion.
 
Marin wrote, "in this climate, varnish is a complete waste of time in terms of longevity in the weather." What climate is that, Marin? And by Bristol, do you refer to the Traditional Amber Urethane Coating?

Subtropical Florida is the only climate in which I have experience maintaining varnish. Good varnishing weather can be hard to catch - a day without rain, and preferably less than 90% humidity during the morning or afternoon hours when the Sun isn't directly overhead. And then, once you get three or four good coats layered on, the UV from the Sun goes right to work breaking them down. However, I have not used the Bristol product.
 
The GB42 is underpowered as a single w the FL.

Get a single GB36.
 
There was a 42 Europa with a single 3208, I think, for sale in Tenn earlier this year. Nashville Yachts had it i think.
 
Bristol is very thin, not quite as thin as diesel fuel but close. So it takes a bit of technique to master its application, particularly on vertical or round surfaces that have a vertical component. If one applies it using the same application technique as varnish, it can be frustrating.

On new wood or wood that we've taken down to raw we put a couple of coats of CPES on the wood first and then apply the first coast of Bristol while the second coat of CPES is still tacky.
 
Quite a number of 42s here, never seen one advertised with a single. There is/was a Europa 42 sedan for sale, a very handsome boat.
 
The best GB 42' single I have seen was the one on utube with a Gardner 6LXB transplant.
This would have been an awesome vessel.
I think it was done in Canada.
 
I spent some time hunting 42 singles about 3-4 years ago.

There was a 42 (Banks Strait) with a Gardner 6LXB single for sale privately in Tasmania. The Gardner was factory fitted. William was the 3rd owner, and it had been berthed alongside his previous boat for 13 years before he bought it. He had spent a few years doing refit ready for lots of cruising but then a health issue intervened (stroke) and he had to sell. I almost inspected, but in my opinion he wanted too much money for it at the time and he was not willing to negotiate on price. One unusual thing is that it had a 6 blade prop, probably because diameter is more limited with a single.

At the time there was also a 42 single (Meriwether) for sale in Washington State. It had an old John Deere 6404, and was 1974 year.

I did look at a single in Seattle that had a Cat 3208 in it (Golden Bough), which for some reason was mounted quite high. There was also one with a single 300HP Cat 3116 (Diane) for sale in Portland, OR.

They were about, but not sure if they still are. They are likely to be early 1980's models. It seemed to me that if you only intend running at displacement speeds then a single would be the best option. It also gave more space in what is a pretty cramped ER.
 
Last edited:
Brian,
I'll guess the higher engine mounting was brought about as the result of pulling out a FL w a BW and the gear w the Cat had a lower output shaft. When I was repowering that was a consideration re several engines.

Re the single engine prefered for disp speeds comment for those that prefer twins two smaller (50-60hp) engines would be just as well IMO.
 
Last edited:
If memory serves, when Tony Fleming was at GB he built for himself a 42 motoryacht with single Gardner--120 HP at about 1200 rpm I think...
 
Just visited a beautiful 42' Sedan with a single Cat last weekend in the San Juans. It's a boat to lust over for sure!
 
I don't remember what year she was probably late 80's. Beautiful fiberglass boat loaded with kids out on an adventure! He did say she was one of 11 that were built and no he would not sell it to me.
 
Insequent said:
I spent some time hunting 42 singles about 3-4 years ago.

There was a 42 (Banks Strait) with a Gardner 6LXB single for sale privately in Tasmania. The Gardner was factory fitted. William was the 3rd owner, and it had been berthed alongside his previous boat for 13 years before he bought it. He had spent a few years doing refit ready for lots of cruising but then a health issue intervened (stroke) and he had to sell. I almost inspected, but in my opinion he wanted too much money for it at the time and he was not willing to negotiate on price. One unusual thing is that it had a 6 blade prop, probably because diameter is more limited with a single.

At the time there was also a 42 single (Meriwether) for sale in Washington State. It had an old John Deere 6404, and was 1974 year.

I did look at a single in Seattle that had a Cat 3208 in it (Golden Bough), which for some reason was mounted quite high. There was also one with a single 300HP Cat 3116 (Diane) for sale in Portland, OR.

They were about, but not sure if they still are. They are likely to be early 1980's models. It seemed to me that if you only intend running at displacement speeds then a single would be the best option. It also gave more space in what is a pretty cramped ER.
Click to expand...

All very helpful, Brian - thanks! Were these all or mostly split-cabin classics? Or were these singles dispersed among the Europa-Sedan-MY styles, too? Particularly concur with your final two sentences.
 
Blissboat said:
All very helpful, Brian - thanks! Were these all or mostly split-cabin classics? Or were these singles dispersed among the Europa-Sedan-MY styles, too? Particularly concur with your final two sentences.
Click to expand...

They were all Classics. I wasn't interested in the other configurations at the time, so may not have noted any that were for sale.
 
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