Im back

smanni · Post by **smanni** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 12:18 pm

Well guys - Ive been busy, Busy as hell. I havent been around for a while. With the baby this year, work, fishing, home updates, etc. Internet time was reduced . Anyway - with the boat out of the water and winterized - I guess the winter doldrums are kicking in as Im back to online poker and hours of website abuse. Im looking to do a few things this year: 1) I really should replace my generator - I put 7-800 into it every year and I think its time to replace and possibly relocate it. What diesel generator and what size have you guys been using. 2) Mike Lawrence - did you ever get a price on removing your soft top and having a hard top installed instead? Thats top on the list (for now) - but Im also on the verge of replacing my old radar and getting a Garmin to interface with the rest of the network I bought a few years back.

Post by **dougl33** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 12:50 pm

Welcome back Sean. I've been running a Westerbeke 7.6 BTD since I re-powered last year. I like it. Its a 3 cyl, 1800rpm motor. Its very quiet and powers everything on the boat with no issues. I have a sound shield, but even without its pretty quiet. It's a 2003 that I bought used back at the start of 2007. It had a little over 300 hours on it. I'm not sure what its got now, but it has been trouble free in the 2 years I've been running it. All in with the sound shield it was $5500.

smanni · Post by **smanni** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 12:54 pm

Doug, Where did you install it? Same spot in the cockpit - do you do anything to protect it besides the soundshield - Ive been thinking it I use that spot again to save time and $$$, to cover it with a grill cover when Im not running it.

Post by **dougl33** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:14 pm

Sean, I installed it in the same place. I don't fish so the only water it ever sees is fresh.

CB35 · Post by **CB35** » Fri Dec 12, 2008 4:02 pm

Welcome back. I have an old 8KW westerbeke 1984. I pulled it when I bought the boat and rehosed and painted the old ball of rust. Now it looks new. I cover it with a piece of shrink wrap. That keeps it nice and dry. One thing I did was add about 2 inch standoffs off the bottom mounting plate (plywood). I made a plywood and glass layups and attached that to the plywood plate. This got the mounts up out of the sloshing bilge water. The genny now sits just below the hatch. I was looking to replace mine as I thought is was shot (rustball); but I was wrong. I was looking at 5kw for price until I started to add up 1000W flood lights and AC or heat. I found you can never have toooo much light in the Hudson. 5KW is about as small as I would consider; can't see a need for more then 8kw. What has been breaking on yours?

smanni · Post by **smanni** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 5:12 am

Charlie - is your loud. Mine is VERY loud. I have replaced most of the electrical components, circuits, fuel pump, water pump,it seems like every year I only run it for about 25 hrs and spend another 800 in repairs. When I say its loud, I mean very loud - I always wonder if that scares fish away or not. I know everyone says no way - but I always wonder. Right now I need another circulating pump.

CB35 · Post by **CB35** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 6:52 am

No mine is very very quiet with no sound shield. In fact George Dent was very surprised when I lifted the hatch to just check on things. It is a 1984 Westerbeke 8KW with a one of those lift mufflers. All the hatches on the boat have factory installed sound proofing. I did install a new water pump when I went to just replace the impeller. Herman at Ocean power recommended a new style water pump. The old style had carbon seals that he said have realiability problems. He gave a great price so I went with the upgrade. Sounds like most of your troubles have been in the genny end. Don't understand why your would be so loud. Is yours a westerbeke?

smanni · Post by **smanni** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 7:12 am

I'm not sure. Its not the origonal one. It was replaced with a rebuild a few years before I bought the boat. I might try to save money and pull it this spring and work on it - then see if I can get a few more years from it. We'll see. I remember on my survey that the surveyor thought it was Onan, 8kw, 3cyl. Also - my gen hatch is sound insulated but the other 2 are not.

CB35 · Post by **CB35** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 3:12 pm

The original paperwork that came with the boat from Bertram had an 8kw Onan that was crossed out and the westerbeke added. I took that to mean the factory was putting onans in; but the buyer wanted a westerbeke. I don't really know. The westerbeke is very quite; but way heavy comparied to newer units. I did run the boat for two years without the genny and the boat handles just fine. I have been told by folks who know to be very careful if you move the genny into the position of the water tank (35B). The boat gets toooo nose heavy and following sea handling suffers greatly. once I ran the Manasquan Inlet with a big following sea when I had the genny out. I forgot the tabs were all the way down and I plowed a really big hole in the next wave. The boat laid to one side and I had to be quick on the wheel. I dumped the tabs and she straighted out. Could have pulled the throttles; but it's a Bertram. Some of the guys got wide eyed; but I just smiled.

lwrenn · Post by **lwrenn** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 6:52 pm

Way to ride um cowboy! Now just think if you had the bigger engines what you could have done!!! Captain Larry Wren 305-360-4900 www.apirateschoice.com [img]http://www.bertram33.com/photogallery/p ... Choice.jpg[/img]

Post by **Admin** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:08 am

Sean, what poker sites do you play at? I am on FTP and PS.

smanni · Post by **smanni** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:59 pm

PS - Ive done well there in the past - mostly in the big tournies - but recently Ive only played the cash games. How do you like FTP?

Post by **Admin** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 7:07 am

I'd say both are relatively the same as far as experience goes. Much softer players at PS though, and much bigger MTTs there too. I like and play both regularly. On PS my screen name is (go figure) 33Megabites. On FTP, it is drkato. What is yours?

smanni · Post by **smanni** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:57 am

Im Yunk2 on PS and if yo see me you will know it immediately. My seat location icon is the Bertram symbol!

Post by **dougl33** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:38 pm

I hope you guys are better at poker than you are at fantasy football![:D]