Trip from Florida to Texas - Nightmare

[kohna]

Fellas it’s a long story about my trip so grab you a cold drink or a cup of coffee read on and cry with me. Wednesday 10-6 Left Houston on a plane and arrived in Ft. Lauderdale late that evening. I reserved a room at the Ft. Lauderdale Hilton Marina. Nice view and a 160 foot yacht parked behind my room. I had some work biz to catch up on so I worked on that at the hotel until 2:00 am. Thursday 10-7 I called my project manager hoping to go to the home where my boat was docked and run through the boat before my trip and take it out for a test drive. The tides were so high the streets were flooded and he recommended I wait until the tide went down since I was driving a compact rent car. I was able to get to my boat about noon and found out they were still working on it. I got a quick run through on where everything was at and we decided to take it for a spin around 5:00 pm. I went to west Marine to pick up some items for the boat and returned to the boat for a test spin. The seas had been high and were running about 5 to 7 so we just ran it to the inlet and back. She was running fine and got her up to 17 knots with a head current. Took her back to dock fired up the generator and it was not running right. We called a gen mechanic and set up a time for him to come out in the morning. I inspected the batteries and they were about 5 years old so I decided to have them replace there since I could get a good discount through my PM. He let me have them at his cost and got both replaced for about $640.00 with labor. I left there picked up my crew (wife and brother in law) from the airport and went to bed to get some rest since I stayed up so late. Friday 10-8 Everyone was excited about the trip as we looked at the super yachts in the harbor wishing we had one like that to take the trip. We spent most the day getting supplies and loading up the boat while they were putting the finishing touches on the boat. Gen set needed a new carb and had one put on and it seem to run fine. Saturday 10-9 Bad luck sets in My project manager was leaving Saturday to bring a 60 footer from Connecticut down to Florida so he would be out of touch when he was at sea. I felt confident in the boat that it would make the journey so we got o the boat about 5 am to finish loading and take the rent car back. I checked the fluids, sniffed the hatches and fire up the engines to let them warm up. I then fired up my laptop to bring up my ENC's and it crashed on me. I restored windows and lost my charting software among others. I downloaded the chart plotter software again using my blackberry tether and that took forever. About noon I shoved off from Ft. Lauderdale and figured since I had a late start I would run to Stuart FL and spend the night. The sea was running two feet and it looked like it was going to be a sweet ride outside in the Atlantic to Port St. Lucie where I planned to go through the Okeechobee waterway to the Gulf of Mexico. I knew the engines with 760 hours were a little tired so I decided not to wind it up and run it below 13 knots so I set a cruse speed about 12.5 to 13 knots. About 10 miles into the run my starboard engine developed a miss and wasn't burning off all the fuel. I let my had take the wheel and went down an opened the engine hatch to listen to the starboard engine. It was running rough and I heard a ticking coming from the inboard side of the engine. I had been running the generator to check it out and found out it had died too. So I cut the boat back to about 8 knots and backtracked into the Hillsboro inlet to Pompano Beach where I found a marina where I could stay until I found a mechanic. Since I was at about 2/3 full I decided to top off the fuel tank, pump the sanitary tank and fill the freshwater tank for the journey. I did not catch the fuel nozzle in time and overfilled the tank. I know... I'm bad. I was not able to get a hold of my project manager on his cell phone because he must have been out of range on the trip down from Connecticut. I called my broker and he lined up a mechanic to come down to the boat that evening. He took a quick look and said he could send someone to the boat Sunday. Since that would be a double time rate of $170.00/hr I decided to wait until Monday and stay on the boat and enjoy the nice weather. Our spirits were dampened a bit but knew breakdowns could happen but did not expect it so soon. Saturday 10-9 I started to get a scent of gasoline but I was parked near the fuel dock and many boats were filling up that day since the weather was nice and the wind direction was blowing from the pumps toward me. I checked the engine room hatch, generator hatch and did not have an indication of fuel in the bilge. I popped the tank hatch and did get a scent there. Monday 10-10 I was getting stressed thinking about the trip and my problems I only got about 2 to 3 hours of sleep. Monday a generator mechanic arrived and I informed him of my overfilling the tank and ask him to check it out and had him check out the engine. He found no leaks in the fuel lines, vent line or the tank fill line and said I may have had seepage from the gasket on the sending unit when it overfilled. He replaced the coil on the starboard engine and put a new set of plug wires on it and placed a new filter on the generator and did some more work that I ask for. I sent him out for fuel filters so I would have some more for the trip just in case. The engine was running good again except for a ticking which sounded like a sticky lifter or rocker arm. I asked him to remove the valve cover and inspect the rockers. It took him an hour to get the first two bolts off the cover since he had problems getting around the manifold. I told him to put the bolts back and forget it and he zapped me with a $900 + bill. I was not to confident with the mechanic since I had asked him if he was a certified Mercruiser mechanic and he kind of laughed. So I decided to find one the next day with credentials to look at the ticking. I was able to get in touch with my project manager and he sent out his top mechanic which is a boat repair instructor and had been a mechanic in the biz for over 30 years. He just got back in town from Michigan where he was working on another boat and could be out Tuesday. During the night I kept getting smells of gas vapors and was concerned. About 1:00 am I remembered that the fire department will come out and inspect for gas leaks at your home. So I called the local fire department and they were gracious enough to stop by and check it out with their gas sniffer. I decided to wake the misses so she would not be surprised with fireman staring her in the face when she woke up with them there. I guess the fireman had nothing to do that night so eight of them show up and a LT showed up a little latter. They inspected the boat and said there were some fumes but could not find a leak. I ask them if it was safe to sleep on the boat and they said yes just open the windows and enjoy the nice weather. I stayed up all night and ran the blower from time to time during the night to purge the bilge. Tuesday 10-11 Being sleep deprived I went and took a shower hoping it would make me feel better. By that time I was so stressed I was starting to shake so I grabbed a beer and that settled my nerves a bit. My high powered mechanic arrived and had him checkout the engine and he said the lifter it may work itself loose or he can pull the valve cover and inspect the rocker arm. I also had him look for a fuel leak he checked all the lines again and no leaks. He thought the overfilling must had seeped gas from the sending unit and it should be OK. He said he could not inspect the tank without pulling the cockpit deck. He also informed me that the starboard engine is tired and take it easy on her on the trip. With all the inspections I thought that the fuel spill may clear up with evaporation and we would continue our trip in the morning and our spirits started to lift. After the mechanic left my first mate got a call from Houston and his wife had gone to the doctor and was going to be admitted into the hospital that afternoon. Since this was my wife's sister they both needed to go back. I can't handle a boat of that size by myself so that canceled the trip right there. Wednesday 10-12 The next morning we got my brother in law off to return to Houston and my wife decided to stay with me since I was really getting depressed and stressed out. We decided to leave the boat at the marina until my manager could return and run my boat back himself since I my vacation time is running out. He said that it would be two weeks before he take the boat home. Since I had spent a ton of money getting the boat fixed up, money for repairs underway, mechanics and the marina fees were outrageous to keep the boat there even with my BoatUS discount; we decided to rent a car and drive home since the plane tickets were high reserving them at the last minute. I arranged the yacht managing company to look after my boat until my project manager returns on Monday. I tried flushing the gas tank compartment with fresh water to see if I could flush out any spilled gas. I took the hand bilge pump and pumped the water from under the port engine over into the sump where the pump could discharge it out. I smelled the water and felt it. It had an oily touch but did not have a strong gas odor. I put in absorbent towels and left the hatch open on the tank sending unit to vent. My wife proceeded to pack and prep the boat for departure while I got a cab to pick up rent car. By the time we loaded up the car it was 5 pm so we drove to port St. Lucie to get a room. I had not had over 3 to 4 hours of sleep a night since I got to Florida and one night maybe one hour at best. I got a good rest before starting the drive to Houston. Thursday 10-13 During my drive to Biloxi I called the guy that was looking after my boat to check on the gas fumes. He was not able to get back to the marina to latter that day and he would call me if there were any problems. I stopped in Biloxi and spent the night and proceeded on my last leg home Friday morning. Friday 10-14 We got a few hours of sleep and began our drive home. While I was driving, my cell phone lit up from calls from Florida. My heart sunk because I was thinking what if the boat explodes while I’m gone. The marina was calling me and the local yacht manager. The yacht manager said there was about 5 gallons of gas on the side where the stringer runs on the port side by the engine. The marina informed me I had to remove the boat from the marina that it was a hazard. At this point I was about 700 miles away from the boat and didn't know what to do. The yacht manager said there was a dock where it could be towed and the gas be pumped out of the tank on Saturday. Oh boy more money..... now, a new tank plus all the fees and over a grand in fuel needed to be removed. I'm sure I won’t get that back. The boat was towed Friday to some dock and the gas will be removed on Saturday. This ordeal has me so stressed out I about to have a nervous breakdown. My dream voyage has turned into a nightmare. If someone had offered me part of what I have spent to date on the boat I would have taken it and cut my loses there before I left for home. I am now home and still boatless and no telling how much more it will cost to get here home. [:(] Gary Marsh The Kil'N Time [img=left]http://www.aspe-houston.com/Bertram/boat_front.jpg [/img=left]

[Buy2ls]

Calm down, not the end of the world. Don't expect things to go perfectly, because they won't. Just take your time and you will get your boat home. You may consider hiring a captain to bring it home for you if you can't manage yourself. Good Luck! Jeff

[lwrenn]

Man I am sorry about the ordeal you are going through! The bills will keep adding up. Did you buy this boat from a broker and was a survey done? I also don't understand what a tired engine is with 700 hours as that is just past the break in point of 500 hours. Is this your first boat (not trying to be disrespectful)? Have the guy get two five gallon buckets and remove the gas, leave a hatch to the engine room open for venting and the gas will go away.They make chemicals for removing the smell of fuel. Do you think the engine leaked the fuel or is this from the overfill? I just don't understand the project manager, this stuff just doesn't happen. The tank just doesn't fail since you know you overfill it,is there a possibility that the fuel filled this area. But wait the outside compartments do have drainage to the bilge and you should have had gas in the bilge also. I would come back down here to inspect this as you are talking about multi thousands if not twenty thousand dollars plus to have the deck taken out and the fuel tank replaced at boat yard labor rates (not including what else they find wrong or break). You should have some recourse with the seller also. I wish I lived closer as I would at least have a look and give you an honest second opinion. The surveyor or competent mechanic should have found a major fuel leak and a poor running generator. Remember boats are the only industry that accepts failure as the norm. Now for the real question, was the sales price well below the market and sounded to good to be true. If so I feel really bad for you as you got what you paid for. I have my Bertram listed and would sell for 50k with cat diesels and kohler generator but I would jump on it and drive it 500 hundred miles with confidence.![IMG]http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg19 ... ertram.jpg[/IMG]

[kohna]

lwrenn, This is not my first boat. But it is my first boat of this size with inboards. While the boat was being serviced there were no fuel leaks. I suspected the leak was from overfill. I knew that this will be a project boat from the survey and yes I got what I paid for. I'm glad you have your boat up to shape. The last Owner did not keep her up and I am aware of that and am trying to bring her back. So be easy on me I learning the hard way. Gary Marsh The Kil'N Time [img=left]http://www.aspe-houston.com/Bertram/boat_front.jpg [/img=left]

[Rick]

Ditto ! Do not panic. The sender went on my tank when I was filling up once and it spilled A LOT of gas into the bilge. New sender = about $50 and is really easy to replace. The ticking is probably a lifter or rocker arm, so what, you need to have a head rebuilt....happens about 1,000 times a day in America. Your tank is fine, something else is leaking. Sender, fuel line, fuel pump and yes, good chance it's the fuel fill hose. That'll cost about $20 and is another easy replacement. I would set aside 5 days when you can go down there and work on it. Stay in touch, we'll help you through it. Trust your instincts and follow your intuition. It's a great boat but it needs some work. Rick Ticket 85 SF Merc 454 MPI's Falmouth, MA

[buzzk]

There are a lot of stories peolpe could tell you about the problems that happened when they ran their boats home for the first time. You're not alone. I know how you feel I bought a new boat to me home from Newport,RI. Had transmission problems in NJ. When we left NJ we didn't stop until 10PM that night. I wasn't going to spend another night in NJ. Then a shaft problem just before getting home to NC. It all worked out. When I brought my 33 Bertram home from Charleston to NC. I had another shaft problem in Georgetown SC. The people in SC were much nicer to me than they were in NJ. Once you get everything repaired you'll be fine. The problem with break downs away from home ports, you don't know who to use. I also feel like I'm under the gun because of the time frame I have to get the boat home. I had both boats surveyed, including engines. It wasn't the surveyors fault either time. Good luck everything will be fine. Buzz

[kohna]

Rick and buzzk, Thanks for the reassurance I really need it right now. Unfortunately, I can't go back to Florida any time soon to do the work myself. I was hoping to get her home so I could avoid the labor costs and do most the work myself. Now I will take it one step at a time and see what I can do to get her home. Gary Marsh The Kil'N Time [img=left]http://www.aspe-houston.com/Bertram/boat_front.jpg [/img=left]

[mikehedb]

Have you considered having the boat trucked to Texas. Depending on the trailer it can be done without removing the flybridge.

[Brian Davin]

Sorry to hear of your troubles and heart-aches! I'd agree with the trucking suggestion. Problem is you have a tower correct? It could be removed though? I bought my 33' in Jacksonville, FL. I shipped it for $3K to MASS, the trucker met me at the yard, I worked with one yard person (about 1 day) to dismantle all the bridge hook-ups and label(about $1K by the time everything was done including hauling, pulling props & loading onto trailer). They loaded the flybridge onto the gooseneck, removed the props, sat it down nice and low backwards on the trailer and away it went. I flew home and met the boat a few days later in MASS. Then I had the luxury of working on it and getting everything up to snuff in my neck of the woods. Even though the engines only had 500+ hours on them, I figured fuel cost, time (mine & crew), transient costs, potential for breakdown (& then trying to find mechanics along the way), etc., etc., I decided it was a lot cheaper and safer to ship. Two interesting tid-bits on trucking: 1. The trucker told me that most of the highway bridges down South have much higher clearance than up North. Per Mike's comment, perhaps the bridge might not have to come off depending on the route?? Tower would have to come off either way. 2. Trucker suggested we call it a 12' beam instead of 12' 6". This way he would not require an escort vehicle in some/all(?) of the states. Thus reducing expense considerably. Just food for thought.

[lwrenn]

I watch at least once a week as thirty foot or larger boats are loaded on trucks. The new flatbeds have hydraulic jacks so that when the lift lowers the boat it is very secure. The the height is the problem and I thought either 13 or 16 foot was the limit? I also know there are some permits needed in the states the boat will travel through. On the subject of breakage just after the sale when I bought my 33fbc the damping plate between the motor and transmission failed within the first 100 hours of when I bought the boat. No fun to replace jacking the engine up to remove the transmission and replace the plate. Also my friend had just re powered with QSM11's and his transmission failed within a couple of weeks. I give you a lot of credit for taking a unfamiliar boat from Florida to Texas and as strange as it seems it was almost good that the problems happen in an area with lots of marinas.Just think if you were north of Tampa or worse crossing the gulf. I empathise with you as a a little bit of gas in a bilge area filled with leaves or dust will give the smells you were describing. Yes I have had a boat break when away from my home port, had a Crusader eat a valve in the middle of the great lakes once. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK FOR MY HELP IF YOU NEED IT.

[buzzk]

Depending on how certain you are about having workied out all the problems. I beleive I would at least get a quote on trucking the boat to Texas. Once you get it home you could work through the problems and not feel pressured by time constains. You would have time to ask questions and think about the problems before starting the work. Once you get the boat home and work through these problemns. Which a lot of boats have when the previous owner stops using the boat. you'll have a great time with her. Buzz

[kohna]

I actually had my project manager look into trucking the boat. He felt figuring the trucking costs along with tear down and reassembly it would be cheaper to run her on its bottom. I'm sure he didn't factor in underway breakdown costs that could occur. I will again look into the trucking route and use the 12 ft beam theory. Gary Marsh The Kil'N Time [img=left]http://www.aspe-houston.com/Bertram/boat_front.jpg [/img=left]

[h2ojst]

Gary, I'd also like to offer another set of eyes for you. I'm local & have totally rebuilt my boat from top to bottom so I know where every fitting & everything else that breaks is located. If you don't decide to truck her home, let me know & I'll have a look. Joe Tomaini 1988 Sportfish Attitude Adjustment II Fort Lauderdale, FL

[kohna]

Thanks Joe I will keep it in reserve. Right now I,m looking into trucking her home. I'm sure you will be a wealth of advice when dig into the repairs and fixing all the little things that need to be done. Do you know of a good website to get parts for a Bertram that is reasonably priced?

[h2ojst]

Most parts are not Bertram, but many different brands, all of which I have wholesale accounts for & most have websites to view. As for the truly Bertram items, these can usually be purchased from High Tide Marine here in Florida or custom made. Joe Tomaini 1988 Sportfish Attitude Adjustment II Fort Lauderdale, FL