New to Forum - Purchasing 1974 60 foot Roamer

I think I just found my next wife! If this current fling doesn't work out ( 53 years) I may just give Sherrie a call...............

Sherrie....while I commend you greatly, I must make a slight adjustment to the terms, at least in my mind. You will actually have the educational credentials to be a professional diesel mechanic. That doesn't by itself make you one, just takes you a long way toward it. Again though, I think it's great that you're doing that. Then I'd suggest making friends with as many long term professionals as you can and continuing to learn from them.

You'll find yourself a bit amazed at a couple of things. First, you'll be amazed how much you've learned that some who have called themselves mechanics for years but never had training do not know. Second, you'll realize when talking to true life long professionals how much you still have to learn. But then learning is a life time pursuit. We both have Captain's Licenses, in fact 200 Ton Masters, and we find by having been to school recently we know things that some who have been doing it a long time don't. But then we spend time with a 25 year veteran who is both well trained and experienced and realize how much they've done and how much they know that we don't.

First time you encounter a Caterpillar issue you can't solve, you'll call the factory and describe it and hopefully get someone who can quickly tell you what to do. His experience will impress you but he will be quite impressed with the intelligence of your question and also that you then understand so well what he's saying. Every mechanic still turns to specialists for help on occasion.

I can assure you though as a trained diesel mechanic you'll be far far far ahead of us. Frankly, that's not an area where I have a great aptitude nor desire. I wish I did have it as you do. But that makes me all the more impressed by what you're doing. I just love the way you're jumping into it.

Hey, Sherrie, I hope you haven't let olderboater rain on your parade. The course you're taking should in fact go a long way towards helping you take care of your new home -- that and your great attitude.

I'm a big fan of your story, and I hope you'll keep posting all of the details of it that you have time for. And who knows, as you course-work progresses, you might be able to give some here an education.

I think I was quite complimentary and I quote:

You should be both excited and commended.

It sure in my mind identifies you as one serious about it as opposed to someone who is just buying a boat on a whim.

Congratulations.

I commend you greatly

You'll be amazed how much you've learned that some who have called themselves mechanics for years but never had training do not know

I can assure you though as a trained diesel mechanic you'll be far far far ahead of us.

That makes me all the more impressed by what you're doing. I just love the way you're jumping into it.

I did point out that there would still be more to learn, that she still wouldn't have the knowledge of those who have been at it their entire careers. I don't see that as negative at all. I don't profess to know as much as Captains who have been at it 25 years.

If you need more might than you have at 120 pounds, then you're doing it the wrong way. That's how people get back injuries. Oh, and I don't know how to do electric, plumbing, wood floors, bathrooms, tile, walls or sheetrock in my house. Good thing I know how to do other things to pay for them. Don't change alternators or smog pumps either. I think you'll love Knoxville and you'll love your boat.

Hi Sherrie,
I for one am very proud of you, you're undertaking something I wouldn't even consider. The Captains course will benefit you in so many ways...a very good base of "book" knowledge, lower insurance premiums, so on and so forth. And trust me, olderboater was NOT raining on your parade. Believe me I know. At a 120 pounds, you won't have trouble getting outboard of the mains.
And one word of advice....stay glued to YF, even while your going through your Diesel course...if you come across something you just can't digest, bring it to the Forum, and I promise one of these experts will put it into a context you can understand. I wish you the best of luck in both of your endeavors, I just hope you haven't bitten off more than you can chew. Your going from never have flown a plane to flying an F-16 in a few short months! And please keep us informed of your progress.

Congratulations. Just make sure to keep your fuel filters clean and also, drain the stern tank last as the boat will handle ill if you drain the stern(COCKPIT) first......usually I'd run one motor off the foward, one off the aft tank. Sometimes I'd pull off the cockpit for an hour or two from one engine at cruise if she was running a little stern heavy. As long as your Detroits have fuel, oil and are running cool, very little will keep them from running once they are. Your biggest obstacles will be finding some parts.....Sam's marine is a great resource and specializes in Hatteras parts. They have a location in Fort Lauderdale,FL and another in NC. Also finding some 32volt parts will be an obstacle also, always keep spares, especially a rule 2000 bilge pump.....

It's quite common to have multiple voltages on yachts. The difference is they stopped using 32 volt systems and building 32 volt yachts around 1987, so parts are getting a bit harder to find. Like a jabsco blower, you have to buy a 12 or 24 volt blower, then buy the 32 volt motor seperately and swap out the motor. Lightbulbs also are getting harder to find.

You're probably going to want to change all of the fuel tank senders as they get stuck and don't work properly at that age on those boats. Polishing fuel is a mixed bag, if it's REALLY dirty then have it polished. If it's moderate, carry plenty of fuel filters and change for a tank or two then add an additive that cleans it such as Diesel Kleens "clear tank diesel". Maybe run 10 micron racors, you can run 1 engine off the foward tank and 1 off the cockpit if the water tank is full and you don't ride too bow down that way. You should be able to run at cruise for 2 days if you have the 1050 capacity, but I think prior to 1978 the yachtfish had a smaller capacity of 850 gallons instead of 1050. Carry plenty of fuel filters both primary and secondary for your trip. If you have to run 30 micron racors, change the secondaries every 2nd time you change the racors. If you run 10 microns you can usually get away changing the secondaries every 3rd time. If you polish all of the fuel, you should add a biocide to it as polishing it only gets about 95% of the algae out and it grows right back if you don't chew through the fuel right away. I don't know if you need to get into the expense of moving all of the filters around, they've been that way over 30 years and it has worked......oil filters you change once a year usually, taking the wall access off for the port engine really isn't that big of a deal. I think your money might be best spent elsewhere on things that are needed like the a/c's.