Moving a 46 roamer north - help!

Hi,

If it is a wooden top and you are planning to replace it, a trip to Home Depot to get a chainsaw and a couple of tanks full and you should have it off no worries.

Alternatively leave it on and just start driving the lowest thing you drive under will be the height of the load when you get home.

On a serious note, is this journey going up a river or along the east coast?

I would get a quote to replace the mufflers by other people in addition to the yard it is at. Whether the mufflers are replaced in Mobile or Michigan, they still need to be replaced and the money still needs to be spent. A representative is highly recommended. I would think a captain worth his salt should be able to cut them out, or in pieces with a sawzall and just run wet exhaust hose from the thru-hull to whatever joint or part of the exhaust that is good, enough to make the trip safely. If having the yard replace, I would highly recommend replacing what's there with new mufflers.....especially if the engines are naturals.

I don't know what the flybridge looks like, but two guys should be able to get everything loose and ready to transport in 2-3 days and you will need to rent a small crane to put the flybridge on the front deck most likely. I am not 100% familiar with the boat you are talking about.

I have made the Tn Tom 440 mile trip to Yellow Creek A the Tn River at least 120 times as a tow boat guy. It' a tuff trip with not a lot of places to stop or refuel. 6 lockes after Denopolis, and hope there isn't big rain. Tn River 200 miles to the Oh R. 60 miles to the MS, then UPSTREAM 350 MILES TO ALTON, Il River UPSTEAM TO CHI (13.5 ft low bridge)and around the horn AND AROUND THE HORN to where ever. I have made that trip a dozen times to Lake St Clair. It will be a 26 day trip min if they can make 100 miles a day UPSTREAM which I don't think they can.

They could try to make it up the Tn Tom to Yellow Creek at stop at Lee Spey Marine on the left desending bank. He can Fix anything that is wrong with th boat, and winter there. Or pay about $10 a mile for the Hyd truck and two chase cars.

That's why it is not what you buy as much as where you buy like buying a house in CA as opposed to TN. And buying a fresh water alloy boat as opposed to a salt water alloy boat.

Welcome to to the Catch 21 of boating.

I offer your friend the b est of luck on his adventure...

To get more shipping quotes where companies will bid on your shipment ebay style, Try www.uship.com/shipping/boats/

If coming up by water, the Coast Guard closes the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal for maintenance on the Fish Barrier that keep the Asian Carp from entering Lake Michigan. Hears a link from the Coast Guard to stay on top of what's happening. www.uscg.fishbarrierinfo.com/

Hi,

The link posted above shows this:

Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal vessel restrictions set to begin
Sept. 7, 2010 are canceled

Chicago - The restrictions to vessel traffic on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in the vicinity of the electric fish barrier set to begin on September 7th and run through Sept. 11th have been canceled. We appreciate the public’s understanding of the challenges posed by this dynamic project.

Looks like you won't have any problems with it.

Moving Roamer

If you want the boat moved correctly, Call Alician @ 315 255-2936,
Mention you were refereed by Capt JOE.B, Tell her you would like a back haul
price when they have FL move. Most boats go south in the winter.

GOOD LUCK.. EOM

Re: having captains make the repairs. Most captains can do it, but they get paid by the day not by the hour. DK what you pay captains in your area, but it wouldn't be cost effective at my day rate. Plus it's not their forte so expect them to take longer than the yard would, and maybe not do as clean a job. Every man to his trade. On top of that a couple more delays enroute and an early winter and who knows where the boat will be sitting for the next 6 months. My advice would be either to bite the bullet and truck it or find a decent yard near where she lies and let them do the necessary work to prepare for a cruise north in the spring.
About feeling ripped off, get used to it. Just B reak O ut A nother T housand. Welcome to boating.

46 roamer

I think your clearance measurements are suspect 24 feet seems a little high probably closer to 17or18 ft with radar arch, cheaper in the long run to truck it considering its already Sep 16th! The run to Deluth from Chicago in Oct/Nov is tough enough in a dependable vessel let alone one that is in need of maintenance/overhaul!!! If you do pull the flybridge photograph the wireing terminals strips and label what you can, it will make reassembly much easier

The flybridge has to come off while transporting on a trailer. It's not that difficult to do. Measure it from the hardtop to the ground. That will be about the height of it on a trailer. Then get your quotes to have it transported.

Before you remove the flybridge be sure to run several pieces of tape from the bridge to the roof and then cut them to help you line it back up for reassembly.

After seeing the pictures, that's an easy bridge to take off. It should take 2 guys 2 days to get it loose and ready to come off and a crane to lift it.

100 miles a day isnt unlikely UNTIL the Mississippi where 50-60 is the norm depending on time of year, currents, rainfall etc. My 58 TC Hatteras and I made the Mobile to Chicago trip (home!) in about 15 days in May with the Miss at 20 feet ABOVE FLOOD. Yes, thats correct! There were several layovers for various work and logistics. We left Mobile in January and made it home May 20th. We tried to stay overnight at different marinas every other day, and in between that was camping out.
We stayed in Iuka Ms for 2 months and Seneca, Il for a few weeks to lower the radar arch. Once we got to Lemont Ill, we negotiated the 20 foot clearance (+ or -) with about 8 inches to spare. Pics dont lie! r n

erikgreen, I'm the guy doing the keel up rebuild of a 46' Roamer.

The steel "suitcase" mufflers on these all rot out. If somebody had one with original mufflers that wasn't rotted out yet, they should probably go buy a lottery ticket. Two (or four???) bolts and two steel straps hold each one in place. There's no cabinet removal or other work necessary because the exhaust is schedule 40 aluminum pipe that's welded in from the transom to the aft bulkhead of the engine room. There's a short hose (8~10" long)that connects the pipe where it enters the engine room to the suitcase muffler, and another hose that connects from the muffler to the engine side (lengths vary depending on what power you've got).

I removed my mufflers in about one hour each. They're heavy, but one person with proper safety gear--boots, gloves, etc--can haul 'em out without too much trouble.

As far as replacements, I wouldn't run straight hose because the amount of time and expense to do it right doesn't justify cheaping out. The clowns who quoted $8k must think your buddy is stupid.

You could have somebody fab up a set of steel or stainless replacements that were identical to the originals, but I suspect that would be the more expensive approach. Another option would be to run with off-the-shelf waterlift mufflers. They will quiet down those Detroits very well, which would be a good thing on a long run. You can get them with angle-in, top out configuration for hose sizes up to 10" diameter. Toss in an off-the-shelf fiberglass anti-siphon loop and a 90* bend to point the hose straight at the aluminum exhaust pipe and you're done.

Depending on where your batteries are located, you might need to shift them forward to make space for waterlift mufflers.

5" units, which are too small I'd imagine (but close), are less than $200 each on ebay. Good hose and clamps might add $200 or so to the price of install. Basically, it's a one-day job if you take your time and make everything pretty.

The only other concern that comes to mind is the state of the 15' long aluminum pipes to the transom. On my boat they were pitted through in many places, but that had more to do with Cu from the SeaMaster copper risers attacking the aluminum than anything else. But even if the tubes required replacement, which is unlikely I think, you would only need a welder/fabricator for a day and the tubes are ~$250 each.

None of this is rocket science. Anybody who can work a socket and screwdriver could pull it off with a Walmart "all-in-one" tool kit.

The 871-powered 46' Roamers will do 20kts through the water, but they'll drink their fill of the red stuff at that speed. 100 miles/day is completely doable unless you're in "lock & low bridge hell."