Purchased a 33 Hunter

[charlessargent]

I live in McDonough, Ga. and im in the process of moving my boat to Savannah. I've never sailed but I do have an engine. I operated a 56 ft craft in Vietnam, so I'm not as stupid as Tom Cruses when asked by Robert Duval "have ever driven a race car before ?" "No... But I have watched it on ESPN, they have great coverage."
I would like to have someone to ask questions to help insure a safe venture. My boat has never been in salt water. It's been on a trailer inside for more than seven years. It is a very nice hunter 33.

[Jim Cate]

G'Day Charles, and welcome to CF. There are lots of folks here who will be happy to answer your questions, so fire away. But the more specific they are, and the more background info that you put into them, the better y our chances of getting a useful answer will be.

Cheers,

Jim

[charlessargent]

Thanks jim.
I want to crank engine while on the trailer to check things out. Can I use a water hose in the inlet to supply cooling water. And where would the engine water be contained which is seal in the engine. I better stop here ... I may have already ask a dumb question .

[Jim Cate]

You don't want to just stick a hose into the inlet because pressurizing it may cause issues in a system designed to 'suck'. Better practice is to run the hose into a bucket and have the intake hose from your engine pump sucking out of the bucket.

i'm not quite sure what you mean in the second question. In general, there are two styles of inboard engines; one which simply runs the seawater through the block to remove heat, while the other runs the seawater through a heat exchanger, and the engine has internal coolant which it circulates through the HE to extract the heat. You need to determine which type yours is. If it is the latter type (usually called "fresh water cooling" in yachting speak), there will be some sort of header tank with what looks like a radiator cap from a car. Your engine coolant willl reside there, and should be checked for level and if the boat has been standing a long time, it should be renewed.

Cheers,

Jim

[La Porte Rouge]

If it were me, I would spend the couple hundred bucks it would cost to have a diesel mechanic check it out before trying to crank it. Too many things that could be wrong, and screwing up your engine is an expensive proposition.

[charlessargent]

Thanks ! That's makes good sense. And very useful. I'll get back to u after i run some test. Btw where r u located?

[charlessargent]

As far as the condition of the boat and/or the engine, I know both are sea worthy. I'm buying the boat from the son of the owner who passed before he could set sail. He was one of the most quialified indiveguals I've ever known. And they're family friends. He had the boat ready to go ...
I need to get myself up to speed with everything and step in where he left off.
I want run checks on everything before I pay $300 to put it in the water .
Thanks guys for ur help.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by charlessargent

Thanks jim.
I want to crank engine while on the trailer to check things out. Can I use a water hose in the inlet to supply cooling water. And where would the engine water be contained which is seal in the engine. I better stop here ... I may have already ask a dumb question .

Welcome and congratulations on your new boat.

The many questions you are bound to have have answers. Most of them are available on the internet from reputable sources. One is Maine Sail, who has a great website. a link to his site is included in this post and link. Good luck.

Winterizing an Engine on the Hard (Thanks to Maine Sail) - NEVER connect a hose to your raw water pump inlet - NEVER!!!

Winterizing A Diesel Engine On The Hard - SailboatOwners.com

There is also an active Hunters Owners group at www.sailboatowners.com. There are many answers specific to your boat, although many boats systems, like electrical and plumbing and engines are pretty universal to all boats.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by charlessargent

Thanks ! That's makes good sense. And very useful. I'll get back to u after i run some test. Btw where r u located?

If that question was directed at me, Charles, as it says in my signature line we're currently in Manly Queensland, Australia doing boat chores. Soon to head for New Caledonia... if we ever finish the chores!

Jim

[Capt Sam]

Welcome...I agree with earlier note on Hunter group and getting information. And there are many YouTube videos as well. If you have the engine manual, it should be a good read. I am in Augusta for a while, grew up in Savannah (Isle of Hope on the ICW), what marina are you planning to use?

[hamburking]

What year is your 33? Is it the older model from the 80's, or a newer one from the 90's? If it were newer, I think you would have called it a 33.5, so I'm guessing your boat is from 1985 +/-2 years. Not to worry, thats a good, capable boat. And I'm betting you've got a yanmar 2gmf...a very good engine.

I agree with the bucket method for cooling on the hard...if you don't have water, say goodbye to the pump impeller. Also, if its been sitting for years, you likely want all new fluids...oil, internal coolant, transmission fluid. Unlikely the batteries are any good either...best to top up with distilled water, charge overnight, and check the volts.

This is a good place to ask specific questions. But if you need someone to "check it out"...you should try to find a local experienced sailor who would be willing to see it in person...or pay a mechanic/boat repair guy.

One word of caution tho...sailors and their money are easily separated.
There is tons of free info on youtube, and lots of blogs by people who have done exactly what you have done.

I bet you got a great boat, and you have some great adventures ahead!

[rgscpat]

It might also be money well spent to get an experienced coach on board to give you tips and practice on docking... every boat is a bit different and sailboats under motor power do have their own particular quirks.
Trailering and especially transporting larger sailboats that are at the margin of being readily trailered vs. some owners preferring professional transport, is yet another special area.
If you will be cruising or traversing the intercoastal, that has its own sources of local and general lore.
And, not to worry... you probably won't be able to make any kind of mistake that one of us probably hasn't already.