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Well, we finally got the big boat in Texas! My wife and I went up to Wisconsin this week, started last Sunday and got back to Houston LMC Marine for the repowering and new electronics installation on Friday afternoon. We had a great trip, saw a lot of beautiful countryside, and learned all about state DOT beauracracies between Wisconsin and Texas!
It only took 2 days driving to get to Delafield WI, a picturesque small town about 15 miles from Pewaukee, where we were picking up the boat. I spent all day Tuesday getting the oversize load permits and routing set up. Since I smoke cigars and WI state law prohibits smoking indoors at hotels, I used the spacious cab on our F-350 as an office, and the hotel fax machine for paper transfers. The WI and IL permits were fairly easy to get and I got them by fax on Tuesday. The MO permit was the next one needed, and it was not so easy. MO DOT requires 1million liability to set up the required account with the state in order to actually get a permit. Had to get proof of insurance and fill out a form from MO DOT and then fax all this stuff to them just to get the account set up. I chose a company in CA called, appropriately, "The Permit Co", to actually deal with routing on the permits, but I had to deal with MO and TX DOT offices myself to establish accounts for the permit service to use in my name. Every state has different regulations for the oversize permits requiring specific information about the tow vehicle and load. Texas requires an account that is established with a $10000 surety bond as well. I started working on permitting the trip through WI, IL, MO, AR, and TX at about 0800 on Tuesday, and by 1630 had done all I could do for the day. I managed to have in hand WI and IL permits and routing, but still needed the rest for the entire trip.
Wednesday we drove over to Pewaukee to pick up the boat after mailing the physical copy of the bond required for the TX permit. While we were there getting the boat secured for transport, tying down all the moving parts, getting all the oversize load signs and flags placed on the truck and boat, picking up all the miscellaneous stuff like fenders, manuals, and storm canvas, the MO permit was faxed to us at the previous owner's home. We now were legal to travel in WI, IL and MO on the route specified on the permits.
After hooking the trailer to the F-350 we were finally ready to start our adventure! I was hoping that the F-350 4X4 we have would be adequate for moving this boat, and I was not disappointed! With all the tongue weight of the trailer on the hitch, the rear of the 14500# rated truck only dropped about 2", making the rig level, not weighted down to the point of having the front end pointed up as in the pictures of the last owner's setup. I am no longer considering a gooseneck trailer to prevent this as a result. The trailer we bought with the boat is a 1992 Karavan with hydraulic surge brakes and will definitely be replaced soon. This trailer is in good shape, but I am concerned with the roller side guides, (they leave black marks), and the hydraulic surge braking system. This was the first time I have ever experienced this type of braking system, and it will be the last! All that thunking at stop/starts was disconcerting, to say the least! The trailer does have a set of keel rollers that are supporting all the weight, but I prefer bunks to having any rollers on a trailer for a Boston Whaler. We will be making a trip to Magnum Trailers here in central TX very soon after the repower to get a new custom trailer built. I phoned in the required axle-to-axle measurements required for the AR permit to the permit service.
After the obligatory "tip of the cap and hearty wave" specified in the owner's manual for the boat, we took off for Texas. (Actually, we didn't do that, I only found that in the Owner' Manual after we stopped for the night in IL, but it makes a good story:) Anyway...
The 2013 Ford F-350 is truly amazing as a tow vehicle. I was astounded at how easy it was to pull this huge boat. The new 6.7 L 400HP / 800 ft lb torque engine didn't seem to realize that it had a load back there! I commented to my wife when asked how it was pulling that it felt like the Outrage 18 behind the F-150! Actually, this rig did not downshift as much as that one does! I kept the speed at 65 MPH and below on most of the trip to avoid tearing anything up on the boat, but this truck would pull at any speed, never dropping more than 2mph in cruise control with this 11000 lb load. I posted a picture of our rig just before we left WI on my personal page.
We stopped in Rochelle IL for the night, and I got my permits for AR and TX faxed to me from the permit service to our hotel. For the first time, I knew we could definitely legally transport the boat all the way to LMC Marine!
We left about 0630 on Thursday and drove all day to some Podunk town in AR that I honestly cannot remember the name of, stayed the night and left again for TX. We ran into the only rain we went through the whole trip in Texarkana AR at the AR/TX state line. It was intense but only lasted for about 30 minutes and did not seem to get the boat or the truck too dirty. We got to LMC Marine about 1430.
We dropped the boat at LMC for repower and discussed with the service manager what we needed to do. My sales rep at LMC thinks we may need to remove the 50HP trolling motor in order to make the dry-stacking at Surfside Marina possible, but I am insisting we get the 300's on the boat and take measurements before deciding to do this. I really want to keep this trolling motor in place, this is a custom mount on a Whaler Drive, and a lot of trouble has been gone to in order to have this feature, and I LIKE it. My sales rep at LMC has a direct line of communication with the owners of the Marina, and she actually keeps at least one boat there herself, so she will keep me informed as to requirements. I am taking all the new electronics down to LMC on Monday for the refit, and I have to get pictures of all the ID/Serial numbers in order to tart the process of registering the boat and motors in TX with the TPWD. I am concerned that the Hull ID number on the transom does not have the "BWC" legible, the printing has long since faded, and this is what started all the trouble I had with TPWD when I got the Outrage 18 registered with them a couple of years ago. If anyone knows where the other hidden hull ID number is located on a Whaler 27 FC, it sure would be appreciated. If I don't know before Monday, I will have to hunt it down, and this boat has a LOT of hiding places! (For those interested in what can happen if you try to register your Whaler WITHOUT the BWC prefix showing on the Hull ID tag, see my post here "TPWD seizes my boat!" )
After the dropping at LMC, my wife and I went to Goode's Seafood Co downtown for some of the best seafood in the world, and then, finally, we got home last night. All in all, we had a good trip, but most of all, the Big addition to our fleet here in TX is finally home!
When you get it rigged, start a thread on "Engines". I'd be curious about the fuel efficiency of the rig. The closest current Whaler is the 28' Conquest which is a 7300#'s vs. 27 FC WD at 5600#.
Will the 300HP's have a fuel management system?
The most efficient engine combo on that boat is the 225HP Verados. The 250HP Verados see pretty significant drop in mpg and in the range in which you can get best mpg.
225HP
1.5 mpg from 26-31 mph with 1.56 at 26 mph the best.
250HP
1.52 at 34 mph with 1.52 at 34 mph the best.
Slower or faster the mpg drops with the 250HP setup.
At 2000# lighter, you would think most efficient for the 27 FC WD would be 400-450HP combo and pushing 2 mpg which would be really good for a big boat like that.
Well, Mr. PDX, I tell you what we can do...you go buy you a 1989 Whaler 27 FC and weigh it. After you recover from the shock of what you will find it to ACTUALLY weigh, go to the trouble of getting it to your home port, and get it registered in your name, post some pics of it on your personal page. I have a set of 200 HP Yamaha's I will then sell to you at a small profit to me. Feel free to prop your boat any way you desire. After you get all this done, post a new thread on 1989 Whaler 27 fuel efficiency vs. power in whatever forum you desire.
Oh, you could opt for the Mercury Verado's that you mention if you prefer, I have plenty of folks who are offering me plenty for the Yammies locally. It really doesn't matter to me.
Remember, there is a big difference between the Mercury Verado's and the Yamaha Offshore 4.2 L's, these are not the same engines.
The 1989 Whaler 27 FC is rated from the factory for 400 hp min and 600 hp max. I have chosen max HP on MY boat, You can put any amount you want on yours. After you get one, of course.
At that point in time I will make a decision on whether I would like to argue with you, or even go into further detail regarding my decision with you. Rest assured, I did my homework before deciding to repower with the 300 yamahas, and if a .04mpg difference in fuel economy between any 2 engines had actually been a factor in my decision to go with the 300's, I would not have been able to afford to own or operate this boat anyway.
I may be a moron in your opinion sir, but I can assure you, after reading your post I feel much better about my decision to repower with modern 4-stroke Yamaha 300 twins.
Regarding the keel rollers on your trailer, that is actually the preferred way to carry a whaler on a trailer, with the weight on the keel rollers and the bunks for lateral support only. Most people set up the bunks so the boat will rock side to side a slight amount, bearing no weight.
I winter in Ft. Myers and summer in St. Joseph, Michigan. It’s now about 12 years since I’ve joined this group. I gave my 1972 whaler to my daughter and sold the 17’. Bought an O’Day 28 sailboat and sailed on Lake Michigan. Yesterday I bought a 2005 130 Sport.
The problem with the trailer is that it uses rollers as opposed to bunks for side support. The boat rests on 3 keel rollers which is not near enough, nor are they evenly distanced to distribute weight appropriately. There is no real support for the Whaler Drive platform. This trailer was obviously adapted for use and not built for this boat.
The second problem with the trailer is the hydraulic surge brakes. These are only quasi-legal on a trailer this size, but they are ridiculous to drive with. The brake system clunks and jerks at each start/stop.
I am posting a picture of the trailer on my personal page to illustrate, gimme a few minutes...
Oh, take a look at my page here wing, I have pictures of my custom trailer for the Outrage 18. I had that one designed to my specs, I certainly hope after looking at that trailer you will have more confidence in my knowledge regarding classic Boston Whaler trailer design.
Silentpardner wrote:
Well, Mr. PDX, I tell you what we can do...you go buy you a 1989 Whaler 27 FC and weigh it.[quote]
Was going by the dry weight on the specs here which says [url]Weight: 5235 lbs. (standard configuration)[/url].
Does it weigh more than that? I'm sure loaded with engines, gear and fuel it weighs more but same is true for the current Whaler Conquest 285 weight of 7300# dry weight, no engines http://www.bostonwhaler.com/Page.aspx...quest.aspx. Whaler says the test weight on the Conquest 285 was 10,683#. What do you think is the loaded weight of the 1989 Whaler 27 F?
[quote]I have a set of 200 HP Yamaha's I will then sell to you at a small profit to me.
So previous owner had 200HP's. Interesting.
At that point in time I will make a decision on whether I would like to argue with you, or even go into further detail regarding my decision with you. Rest assured, I did my homework before deciding to repower with the 300 yamahas, and if a .04mpg difference in fuel economy between any 2 engines had actually been a factor in my decision to go with the 300's, I would not have been able to afford to own or operate this boat anyway. I may be a moron in your opinion sir, but I can assure you, after reading your post I feel much better about my decision to repower with modern 4-stroke Yamaha 300 twins.
Sorry you got upset. Don't see why you did. Curious what the mpg will be with the 300's. Do they come with the Yamaha fuel management system?
I am definitely going to get another custom trailer built for the 27, did you see the pics I have put up recently? That converted 1992 Karavan just doesn't cut it when you look at that quality Magnum pictured above it :)
I don't expect to have to use a trailer for this boat except in the case of hurricane emergency or boat maintenance, I still think I really need a good trailer I can count on. This is a HUGE boat, and I am not a spring chicken anymore, I need the easiest load/unload operation I can get. Who knows? We may even get the urge to go to Alaska or Massachusetts, or some other exotic location and actually need to pull the boat for another long trip. I know that I really can't take all that clunking from those crappy brakes for the duration of another trip, I cringed every time I felt that all the way back. There is just not enough support on the keel and the Whaler Drive in my opinion for the size of this vessel with this current trailer, and from my experience with the makeshift trailer I had under the Outrage that actually did some damage to the boat when loading and unloading in windy conditions, I hope I have learned my lesson. The most critical time I will have to use a trailer for this boat will be in bad conditions pre-hurricane, I won't be able to choose my weather even as much as I can with the Outrage.
I can't believe just how nice the condition of this boat is in. Apparently, freshwater use is a great preservative!
My next big task is getting a generator installed. I really need the air conditioning to be operable in the heat on the Gulf. The added security of having a completely separate source of power to deal with the emergency 12v system failures, if they occur, when we are 50-100 miles offshore is also invaluable in my opinion.
My current plan, subject to change of course, is to get all the motor and electronics work completed, then get the boat to the Surfside Marina at Freeport and into the water for the motor break-in and prop-sizing, the new Garmin Auto-pilot set-up, as well as electronics testing and adjustment as required. After this is completed, I intend on getting the boat and current trailer to Charlie for the new custom trailer design and build. After I get the boat on the new trailer, I hope to have lined up the installation of a new generator somewhere before taking the boat back to Surfside for staging. I'll keep you posted here :)
I agree - the argument regarding rollers verses bunks, is older than dirt. As you said, you won't need the trailer much for the 27', but when you do - you will have a killer Magnum and not that rig that looks like it came out of the movie Alien.
You will be stoked with a new genny on board. A buddy of mine put
an 8kw Onan on his Graddy White in Cabo and loves it. He said they have really cool "above deck" 4kw Onan (Cummins - gas) that would do the job as well.
SilentPard, glad it was a good trip for you and your wife, and i know the feeling. less a few thousand pounds. I picked up my new in to me in Venice Fla 25 CC with Whaler drive and twin 200 HPDI's a while back, and i know how good i felt when i crossed the La stateline back into Texas, and better still when i closed in on Corpus. Mighty long hike, but well worth it. Good luck with your new to you rig!
Thanks Duff!
I appreciate your comments and I remember reading about your journey :)
I am sure that we will be able to meet up somewhere in our future...the TX coast is big, but so are our Whalers:) I plan on fishing out at Stetson Bank pretty regularly, and I have a copy of the now rare book of numbers for the entire TX coast put out by our own state's legendary structure fishing guru. I am sure you probably have heard of Mr. Jacobsen's passing, so there will not be any more books or chips available, but there are some good numbers down there in your area too.
I still have a LOT of work to do getting everything setup and running, but stay tuned! We will be out there ASAP!
Incidentally, I think it was something you wrote that convinced me that I should have enough horsepower on a single engine to plane the boat in a twin engine application...I can't remember the exact posting or subject, but I sure appreciate you planting that seed :)
The article(s) your probably thinking on are the posts i made when i fried one of my 200 HPDI's and i was planning on going to 4 strokes, and the debates on whether i could get on plane with 2 150's vrs the 2 200 2 strokes. Lively conversations, some pro, some con. However, i went with my gut feeling, as weight was definitely an issue for me, with the 2 150 Merc 4 strokes coming in at around 900 lbs, the feedback i got was 1000 lbs for my WD on a 25. The 4 strokes Yams would have put me a ways over, and i wasn't sure i needed the extra horses.
As it turned out, i pulled the trigger on a couple of 2013 150 Merc 4 strokes (not verodo's) and could be happier. No problem coming out of the hole with a single, and WOT is within a whisker of 50 MPH. (which is plenty fast enough for me)
Spent some time with Tom Clark and others talking props, and we decided from the beginning to give the 19 pitch props off my Yams a shot for a measuring stick, and never stopped. Right at 5600 rpms, and runs like a cat with its tail on fire.
Your 300's should do the same for you even with the much heavier weight of your 27, be very surprised if it didn't.
Can't wait to hear about your seatrials, and if your down Corpus way, hollar at me, and we can have a beer and lie about our WOT speed!
Some folks here and elsewhere have asked me some questions outside of thread here about what the interior of the 27 FC looks like, and also about how the trolling motor has been mounted to the Whaler Drive on this boat. I have posted some pictures of both that I took while at LMC delivering the electronics for installation yesterday. As I expected, I have run out of room for pictures on my webpage with the Outrage 18 refit going on there also, and I have sacrificed a few of those to allow posting of these Whaler 27 detail pictures. I don't know how long I will be able to leave these up, as I expect to have a lot of new pictures of both boats soon, so if you are interested or have asked to see these pictures, LOOK ASAP. I have a LOT more pics of details of compartments and current rigging of under - deck components and tanks on the Whaler 27, and as they become necessary to illustrate responses, they will have to go up.
I am limited to 30 pics on the page for BOTH boats, so all pics are up only as long as I don't find a need to post per request or questions. Sorry, but that's the rules of the site.
PDX, that was one of my last two 22,s that i posted, with the E-TEC 225. I haven't updated my profile to the new 25 with WD and the new 4 strokes. i was about to update it when i blew one of the 2 stroke 200 HPDI's, so i shelved it, and haven't got around to it yet. Maybe this weekend i can get some and update my profile.
I did post a link to the 25 right after i got it. Let me see if i can find it, and i'll post it on a fresh thread.
Silentpardner wrote:
As I expected, I have run out of room for pictures on my webpage with the Outrage 18 refit going on there also, and I have sacrificed a few of those to allow posting of these Whaler 27 detail pictures. I don't know how long I will be able to leave these up, as I expect to have a lot of new pictures of both boats soon, so if you are interested or have asked to see these pictures, LOOK ASAP. I have a LOT more pics of details of compartments and current rigging of under - deck components and tanks on the Whaler 27, and as they become necessary to illustrate responses, they will have to go up.
I am limited to 30 pics on the page for BOTH boats, so all pics are up only as long as I don't find a need to post per request or questions. Sorry, but that's the rules of the site.
SP, you should look into using a site like Photobucket to host your photos. You can have folders for different boats with subfloders for say engine refit, generator, etc, and you can plaster as many photos as you want on there. Oh, and the price is right, free.
You can also link to the site from your profile as "Personal Website".
I hate to see people have to delete pictures because years from now someone may ask about a detail and with Photobucket the picture will always be available.
Great looking rig that you recently acquired!! Pictures are fantastic and yea that "kiker" bracket is really nice. The trailer set-up you are correct about the wobble roller system. Might think about retro-fitting the trailer instead of new however,the trailer for your 18 does look great!! Keep posting pictures and commentary.
