50' Bruce Roberts Custom Waverunner Trawler Cruiser

[BillAU]

G'day mates,

I'm enquiring if anyone here has got a 50' Bruce Roberts Custom Waverunner Trawler cruiser, powered with a 140HP John Deere motor? This steel trawler/cruiser is reported to have a Cruising Speed of 7 knots and a Max Speed of 8 knots. I believe it is a 1980 motor. (same year as the trawler)

The trawler carries 750 Galls (US) diesel, which suposedly gives her a cruising range of 3000 nm.@ 7kn.

The Dimensions of the vessel is as follows:
LOA: 50' Beam: 16' Draft: 5'6" Displacement: 40400 lbs.

If anyone knows anything about these vessels or the motor, can you please let me know how long you have had the motor, what boat the motor powers and what you think of the motor in general.

If you have the motor driving a 50' vessel, you live on-board and are set-up for "real" long-range crusing, share your experiences with us.

Cheers,

Bill

[Morgan Paul]

This must be the boat?
1980 Bruce Roberts Custom Waverunner Trawler Used Boat For Sale - Port Credit, Ontario

[BillAU]

Yep! That's her mate but I found her on Yachtworld.com I wonder what the hull and the reast of the steel in her is like.

Bill

[Boracay]

At first I thought the engine would be a John Deere 4045TFM but looking at the photos this would be unlikely. I put a 4045DFM into Boracay a while ago and they're a nice engine, but don't seem to like being overloaded.

I would have thought it was a bit small for a 50' power. 6,000 hours and a 1980 boat makes it an old engine.

I'd suggest that you really need to find out which model engine is in the boat to get an idea about what it's like.

The photos show what looks like exterior carpet. Having a few photos of whats underneath may be a very good idea.

If there are problems a major rebuild that far from home would be a nightmare.

You'd really need to get a good idea about the steelwork before considering a survey. Can you get someone to have a look?

Whenever I look at how much more work there is to go on Boracay I start drooling over Nordhavn 40's. Of course at 400 big ones I'd need to win the lottery. The Kadey Krogens carry a lot of fuel but command similar prices for newish ones. There's also the Cheoy Lee 40 LRC but with twin engines if I want budget daydreaming.

[BillAU]

Originally Posted by Boracay

At first I thought the engine would be a John Deere 4045TFM but looking at the photos this would be unlikely. I put a 4045DFM into Boracay a while ago and they're a nice engine, but don't seem to like being overloaded.

I would have thought it was a bit small for a 50' power. 6,000 hours and a 1980 boat makes it an old engine.

I'd suggest that you really need to find out which model engine is in the boat to get an idea about what it's like.

The photos show what looks like exterior carpet. Having a few photos of whats underneath may be a very good idea.

If there are problems a major rebuild that far from home would be a nightmare.

You'd really need to get a good idea about the steelwork before considering a survey. Can you get someone to have a look?

Whenever I look at how much more work there is to go on Boracay I start drooling over Nordhavn 40's. Of course at 400 big ones I'd need to win the lottery. The Kadey Krogens carry a lot of fuel but command similar prices for newish ones. There's also the Cheoy Lee 40 LRC but with twin engines if I want budget daydreaming.

G'day mates and thanks for your views.
I too feel the engine, 140 HP, is on the small side, I think a 2 - 300 HP would be much better for her and I agree, having pictures of the decks below the carpets would also be helpful.
It looks to me like there "may" be small areas of water damage in the main saloon and in the head...I don't fancy removing all that wood panneling to check it out.

I'm in the same boat as you are Boracay...Big dreams, small pockets , The site I found the 50 footer on also has a 38' Fiberglass Chris-Craft Coho Trawler. I like the look of her too and...she's going for a song
She has two petrol motors, twin Chris-Craft Ford 427's with conventional gears, and she draws only 3' wereas the 50 footer draws 6'.
I feel a boat drawing 3' would be better for my planned cruising area, the Hawksbury River for the wet season, the Whitsundays for the dry.
I also feel a 38' boat would be a better size with just 1 person (myself) aboard most of the time.
If I were to buy her, I would piggy-back her to Australia on a freighter, then in Oz, pull-out the two petrol motors, sell them and drop in two diesels.

One of the members from one of the cruising fourms I visit has a website; On a section of that site, he provides a list of "registered" surveyors, world wide. I believe he is a surveyor himself, Canadian I think, anyway, I would have bet I saved his site to my favourites but, can I find it again? Can I buggery!
He provides a whole heap of real helpful info' for boat buyers, so I'll go searching for his site, I "know" I saved it but...Where

BTW, I enjoyed your "Rust Never Sleeps" site/post

Cheers mates,

Bill
Australia

[gjberta]

Originally Posted by BillAU

G'day mates and thanks for your views.
I too feel the engine, 140 HP, is on the small side, I think

Nothing wrong with HP rating BillAU, being a displacement hull, in actuality you never even come close to using peak HP. With that kind of waterline aboout 80 out of the 140 HP is what you may be employing for the most part - you need to understand displacement to length ratios that govern what hullspeed you can work with. Over-powering the boat may give you one or two extra miles on top with some very bad fuel consumption, lots of noise and vibration and she will squat her stern down into a hole that'll push a mountain of water off the bows.....

I have some intimate knowledge and lots of images from the bilges of this vessel, if you email me I can extrapolate on what I know about her in private.
joeberta@marinesupportonline.com

[Lodesman]

Originally Posted by BillAU

One of the members from one of the cruising fourms I visit has a website; On a section of that site, he provides a list of "registered" surveyors, world wide. I believe he is a surveyor himself, Canadian I think, anyway, I would have bet I saved his site to my favourites but, can I find it again? Can I buggery!
He provides a whole heap of real helpful info' for boat buyers, so I'll go searching for his site, I "know" I saved it but...Where

Would this be it?: Marine Surveyors - Boat, Yacht, Cargo and Insurance Marine Surveys Worldwide

[frost free]

I think the site you're looking for is www.pcmarinesurveys.com
He has lots of good stuff and from the list of boats he has surveyed this may be one of them considering where it is.

[bangkaboat]

Bill,
Though the bow photo is not the greatest, it looks as though there is significant washboard-effect on the hull plates. I'd recommend you ask for some better photos of the hull, from several angles. The last thing you need is a re-plating job! The skeg & rudder will need to be re-done, as well. Best of luck in your search!
Mike

[gjberta]

Look no further:
Marine Surveyors working Ontario waters since 1988