I'm hoping to buy a boat and I have looked at a couple of 28ft Coles. One is a mutiny which apparently had an overhauled engine refitted about seven years ago but there are no receipts???? It looks clean enough, starts easily and no smoke or complaints when on full throttle, but it doesn't seem to push along as hard as I was expecting? It is an 18hp volvo 2020 with saildrive and folding prop.
Would it go better with a fixed 3 blade prop and how can I confirm it is really a 18hp motor. I was also going to get a survey, any recommendations for someone on Lake Macquarie where the boat is currently moored.
Any help suggestions is appreciated, Thanks
The engine looks clean enough ....detergent is cheap, how are the other areas around the engine. Let your eyes guide you to that which is good maintenance and that which is smoke and mirrors.
Starting and running are all good things, as for not pushing along as hard as you had hoped have a look at how clean the hull is below the waterline.
Replacing a two bladed with a three bladed prob will not necessarily increase your speed as you need to fit the prob that runs in the engines optimal torque range. If you fit too big a prop it will not allow the engine to reach max revs in the required torque band and you may end up going slower.
As for a surveyor try and find one that will tell you the things you NEED to know eg. rudder shaft and bearing condition, through hull fittings, legality and compliance of gas installation if fitted. Or to put it more simply you don't need to pay a surveyor to tell you the flares are out of date or that the gas bottle needs re-certifying, these are all obvious things that you can read as well as him. Get him to concentrate on the things that affect the seaworthiness and integrity of the boat.
Re a boat surveyor on Lake Macquarie, Bob Mitchell is good and used by a lot of yachties on the Lake. We used Rob Landis in Pittwater who was very thorough and he does frequently come to the Lake. When we sold our Nantucket, he did the survey for the purchaser who was happy with him.
The fixed blade will give much more thrust, ahead and astern but will cut half a knot off the sailing speed. Folding props need to be clean. Just one barnacle seems to be enough to tune it into a mix master!
In my personal opinion having a folding prop indicates the previous yacht owner was actually interested in sailing performance and the rest of the boat is likely to be well set up as well.
On my boat I have a three blade controlable pitch prop it's made from plastic. I get 6knt's out of a 9 ton Adams 35. these shots are from my recent shot blast episode at the shipyard in Mackay.
I also have three blade feathering Kiwiprop - same as the photo right? Very pleased with it, cruises at 5 kn pretty happily with a 25 yr old 18hp Volvo in a 5 ton Dunc 34 and sailing performance improved, all round much better performance under motor and sail than old fixed 2 blade, and very well priced. In short would never go back to a fixed prop if you actually want to go sailing.
