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Old 28-05-2006, 07:31   #1
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Question Can I have it all in 28 feet ?

Can I "have it all"?

I'm starting with a 1976 morgan out island 28 for my "pocket cruiser" for Florida and the Bahamas. Coastal cruising only.

Specs:

28' 5" LOA
23' 10" waterline
9' 3" beam
3' 6" draft
6' 2" headroom
8,000 displacement
3,200 ballast
39' 9" height above waterline

Engine: Yanmar 3YM30 29 hp (new)
Fuel: 20 gal (standard)
Water: 70 gal (standard)

Now for the fun part.... extras....

Batteries: 8 trojan 12V 27-AGM 100AH - 66 lbs each = 528 lbs !
AC power: 2000 W inverter for microwave / misc
power input: 100 amp balmar alternator system
Refrigeration: 12V water cooled holding plate system
Freezer: WAECO self contained 50 Qt self contained (danfoss 35)
Watermaker: engine driven 20 gal / hr RO. No water toting unless a must.
Hot Water: 10 gal engine heated hot water heater.
horizon 900 windlass chain / rode for a 25lb and 45lb (storm) CQRs
SSB
Propane 2 burner cooktop only.

The plan is to run the engine 2 - 3 hours daily to recharge the batteries & make water & heat water. The new yanmar engines are very quiet and fuel misers. $7000 for a motor, i'm going to use it! Solar and wind (constant noise) are far to low on the output for my needs. Maybe a Four Winds / KISS for passive charging.

Showering daily (2 people, one my wife), using the microwave (a must for my wife), having ice for boatdrinks, Laptop computer, SSB, Lights, Fans, etc.

I realize this is an ambitious plan, using about 200 ah daily. I can't see why it won't work. I have found the space for all the equipment. The Morgan IO is very roomy. What am I missing? Why can't I "have it all"?

Mike & Mary
Morgan 28 OI "Mary Christmas"
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Old 28-05-2006, 09:11   #2
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No, you cannot have it all ~ but you can happily cruise an O.I. 28 in the Bahamas.
Notwithstanding, Morgan “Out Islands” are generally poorly designed and built, and sail like pigs ~ I think you could be very happy coastal cruising the Bahamas in your O.I. 28. They offer a lot of boat in 28 Ft, and represent good value as long as you don’t over-invest, and maintain your realistically “limited” expectations.
The Morgan Out Island 28 Page has lots of good information: http://www.geocities.com/morgansailor/
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Old 28-05-2006, 11:26   #3
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Mike & Mary.

Maybe you should look into Catalina sailboats. I own a 1973 Catalina 27. And it looks a like a studio apartment inside this thing. Plenty of room for a couple!!!:cubalibre

And they're fairly priced. Which makes them cheaper on the market for used boats. Just look around online or in boat trading papers.
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Old 28-05-2006, 12:13   #4
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There are many good boats out there. I purposely chose the out island due to it's reputation as a floating condo, it's shallow draft, it's full keel, lead encased THICK fiberglass layup. The 28 has a spade rudder so it will be ok in tight spaces. It's negatives are of little importance to the coastal / Bahamas cruiser.

Overall, how does my mechanical / outfitting plan work?

Thanks,
Mike
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Old 29-05-2006, 07:55   #5
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Mike:

Sounds pretty good. Is this a boat you are looking at or one that you would be adding the extras to? I'd be leary of adding all those extras to an Morgan O/I but if it had all that stuff it sure would make a fun little floating condo.
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Old 29-05-2006, 08:27   #6
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what Charlie said ...
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Old 29-05-2006, 11:40   #7
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OutislandMike,
Certainly the OI28 is a suitable boat for the Bahamas. That is the cruising ground they were designed for, no matter what you think of the design.
I assume the cautions you hear about adding all of that equipment to a low price boat reflects the fact that the boat value will not increase because of it and you will not get back any of that investment. That is probably true, but it also probably true for any boat. A well equiped Hinckley in good condition sells for about the same price as a not so well equiped Hinkley in the same condition. Probably a bad example because Hinkleys are almost never less than well equiped, but I think you get my point.
So If you already own the boat and can aford to add all of the equipment you spec'd, go for it - the boat should serve you well. Now if you haven't purchased the boat .... well there are a lot of other options out there you might want to look at. I think that is the gist of a several of the other posts.

John
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Old 29-05-2006, 22:07   #8
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Thanks all... I picked up a sound hull & deck with a yanmar 2GM20F at a very, very good price. A club member wants my used 2 cyl. which will defray the cost of the new 3 cyl. I am able to do 90%+ of the refit DIY. I agree with the cautions on so much money in in an old boat... you still have an old boat. HOWEVER, I have seen so many relatively new boats purchased at a fair price only to see the new owner replace most of the equipment (at great cost) and what wasn't replaced become unreliable or troublesome soon thereafter. MY SOLUTION DUE TO COST & RELIABILITY is use a base boat with a great reputation for what I want to do, then spend good money fitting it out well like I want! This gives me a boat that I know stem to stern with new gear for our comfort & peace of mind. How many boat owners can truely say they know, for example, that if they got knocked down, that the rig would come back up intact? As others on this post have said, it's what one wants / expects. I would add that it's also about what works for the intended use. I appreciate and welcome more comments & suggestions for my "have it all in 28" refit plan.

Thanks, Mike
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Old 30-05-2006, 05:05   #9
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Mike, A couple of thoughts. How long do you plan to be away from a job? If extending the kitty is an issue you might want to reconsider some of your spend. You might be able to spend a long time swinging on the anchor for $10k but that is your choice. Recalculate your energy budget. As for investing in your boat it is true that equipment often does not change the resale value so you may wish to install equipment with an eye to removal before you sell. I did this on a Catalina once and it worked out great. Finally consider whatever you spend as the cost of you trip not as an "investment". I speculate that very few people consistantly make money in the used boat market (except brokers). I'm still trying to understand how buying an older boat and investing $10k is a greater waste of money than buying a newer boat and taking an $10k wear and tear loss in a couple of years of ownership, but boaters at my marina insist that it is so. The math will be different for each deal. Finally give you little 2GM a chance before you change it out.
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Old 30-05-2006, 06:05   #10
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Mike,

I would think twice about a watermaker. Water is available most places in the Bahamas and it would take an awful long time to recoup the cost of the watermaker. Running the engine just for making water and charging is not a good idea. A Honda 2000i for under $900 would be much better. I have a Kiss and would love a couple of 125w panels but went with the Honda for now. An extra water tank would be helpful if you've got a spot for it.
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Old 30-05-2006, 15:18   #11
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Pura Vida & Vasco, The engine changeout & watermaker were the 2 hardest & costliest decisions to make & remake... My 2GM20F is in good condition, but with the demands I may make on the engine, I want a new effecient, quiet and much smoother one. A club member recently repowered with a new 3 cyl yanmar & and it's like it isn't running compared to my 2 cylinder. No exhaust smell or residue. On 28' weight is becoming an issue. extra tankage = extra weight. Watermaker for weight savings & convenience. Toting water or hauling anchor to get water blows, and I can just see my wife wanting to shower & us low on water... you get the picture.. tote or move. You just can't plan well enough. What's it worth to avoid multiple "situations" with your spouse? I will have a honda eu200i on board for backup. Their quiet, but not that quiet. wind & solar, well, I suspect that might be a backup / extra, but I suspect that we will be primary engine & secondary passive, as other posts in other threads have described. Alternators, properly set up, charge batteries faster & more efficiently, considering proper charging practices. Lastly, YEAH, you can cruise a long time on 10K. We want some convenience and comfort that the 10K will help us with. I would much rather spend the 10K on my own comfort in my own boat than giving it to a marina!

The input from everyone is very helpfull as I plan & re-plan the refit. Please look back at my 1st post & advise further.

Thanks, Mike
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Old 31-05-2006, 03:08   #12
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Whenever you depend on a diesel for recharging batteries or running your on-board refrigeration, you have to consider engine related issues. Diesels , Yanmars included, are made to run at speed, under load. When a diesel is used as you intend, cylinder glazing becomes an immediate issue.

There are a couple of well repected diesel guys on this forum that can explain this better than I. In my case, I learned this the hard way.

Rick in Florida
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Old 31-05-2006, 04:12   #13
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Rick,
That is a very valid issue. I was thinking a 20 GPH engine driven watermaker and 100 AH alternator would be a fair load on a 29 HP 3 cylinder. It wouldn't be 3000+ rpm like they like, but around 2000 rpm. Any diesel experts out there?

Thanks, Mike

P.S. Nice cat Rick!
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Old 31-05-2006, 07:50   #14
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Diesel

This topic was discussed earlier. There is yanmarhelp.com Read your manual about running the engine ( idling and or without load ) Some folks seem to have had problems, I have not. You have plenty of reserve power. My 28 foot boat uses 25hp and that is more than enough. From an earlier post I do not agree with the suggestion of a Catalina 27 for your use. If it were a different boat then a Cal 29 might be a good choice. These size boats have much to like, but they do get filled up with gear.
The diesel is a very efficient way of generating power, I would use it. The fact that it has a service life is not something that would prevent me from using it. Like using the brakes in a car, is there a better alternative?
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Old 03-06-2006, 10:04   #15
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New to this forum, this is my first post. Our family did a lot of cruising and living aboard our classic Ted Hood designed sloop with a 4.5 foot draft in and around Punta Gorda, Florida. I have posted this message to this board because I think we had a near perfect boat in terms of sailing ability seaworthiness and beauty. Squalls whip up quite suddenly in these waters and if we ran aground it was nice to be sitting on solid lead keel. Draft was correct for these waters in my humble opinion.
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