The owners approached me about bringing this 1970 power boat down from Port Townsend to PDX. After seeing the survey I was concerned about weather situations. We had a weather window to get down the coast.
We tried to leave port townsend but only made it to port angeles as the one of the engines was over heating, then the starboard gear box went out.
After having a mechanic fix the boat, we tried again. It was quite calm and we made good time while also having really good fuel economy.
Great delivery, though interrupted by mechanical issues which prompted a delay for further assessment and repairs by a marine mechanic contracted independently by the owner in Port Angeles.
Among the various preparations for the delivery and the general improvement of the vessel, we installed a potable water particulate filter as the water tankage was quite foul. This allowed us to avoid taking on expensive, single-use plastic-bottled drinking water, and provided a basis for the owners to transition to living aboard upon the conclusion of the delivery.
We prepared a rudimentary, but effective diesel tank dipstick from PEX pipe to facilitate fuel economy calculations and planning.
We replaced the port-side flax packing within the propellor shaft packing gland. This was due to noise and heat which we took to indicate poorly lubricated packing material, and perhaps an excessively tightened gland. It appeared the the starboard-side had been serviced by the mechanic who replaced the starboard gearbox, so we decided merely to monitor both sides for excessive water ingress, which never proved problematic, though each side was observed to drip satisfactorily.
The push-button gearbox actuators proved unpredictable, unreliable, and troublesome. We took steps to manually actuate the gearboxes upon direction via mobile phones and noise-cancelling headphones. This proved satisfactory in all circumstances except the most dynamic as when attempting to dock for fuel at West-End in Astoria. This specific attempt was abandoned as ultimately unnecessary to reach our destination, though it’s always preferable to maintain full tanks than allowing free-surface effect to foul tanks as a result of agitation. As with all evolutions onboard during the delivery, we enjoyed redundant contingency plans to safeguard success in dynamic circumstances.
Our coastal passage between Neah Bay and the Columbia River bar was in satisfactory visibility, aided by depth sounder, plotter, AIS transceiver, and radar at all times. On a number of occasions through the night, occasions of slightly reduced shaft RPMs and vibration indicated interaction with what was suspected to be kelp. In each of these events, the interactions resolved themselves. The port engine ran warmer than starboard, creating some steam. We continued to monitor, though the situation proved stable and we remained unconcerned. Later, after arriving in Astoria, we evacuated air within the sea strainer on the port side, but this didn’t appear to have any particular effect. We suspected a number of minor issues combined in a cascade to effect less than optimal cooling on the port engine. We discussed these at length, concluding that the most reasonable fault was within the exhaust elbow(s) and raw water injection occlusion, a typical occurrence, and no great cause for immediate alarm at the present time.
Our navigation throughout the delivery enjoyed more than adequate sea room and depth, while ensuring greatest economy and reasonable haste. Sea and weather conditions remained benign. Though well prepared, we never had to swap Racor filter elements on either mains or generators. Captain and crew freely communicated at all times, and at no time was there any type of concern for any aspect of the delivery, other than reasonable concern for the boat herself. We ultimately left the boat well secured and fendered at her end-tie in Tomahawk Bay Marina on Hayden Island, in N Portland, the delivery having been fulfilled, in every respect, successfully.
We cannot thank Captain Ray and his first mate Dave enough for getting our 1970 Thermodyne Trawler down the coast from Port Townsend Washington to Portland Oregon. We were happy to find a knowledgeable captain willing to deliver our boat down the coast from Port Angeles, WA to Portland. Ray was kind, professional, and personable with a lot of hours piloting all kinds of vessels. He presented us with a clear plan for the boat delivery and provided all needed gear and safety equipment. With any passage, there is always the unknown. Ray and Dave were unfazed by the age of our boat and set to work straight away noting what needed attention to ready for the passage and took care of a few things themselves. The trip took two tries due to a starboard engine transmission failure but between attempts, they were very patient and Ray kindly continued offering guidance until ultimately delivering the boat to Portland. Following the arrival, we were given a full trip report. Ray was very generous with his time and in helping us learn some of the ins and outs of our boat. We were very satisfied with the delivery. Thanks, Ray.