Hello from Cleveland!

[Sua Sponte]

Even though I registered a couple years ago, I am now reading here more and more and decided to start posting.

We have a 1997 freshwater-only 500 Sundancer that we keep at the Cleveland Yachting Club in Rocky River, Ohio. She has the big Cats with upgraded turbos, and the engines had total rebuild$ in 2008 after 700 hours. Runs like a top now and cruises at ~29 knots with 85% load at ~2,050 RPMs and approx 32 GPH/side.

New electronics in '08 upgraded to Furuno 2nd generation (not the 3D, but the version just before). Sirius weather, 72-mile radar, dual-band depthsounder.

Family of four; two kids born 1996 and 1999.

We do most of the major cruises with the CYC and are members at the Crew's Nest at Put-In-Bay.

 

[Quint4]

Welcome fellow Buckeye.

 

[tacconelli7]

Hello from N. Idaho!

Sounds like a dream boat.

 

[DKRanger22]

Welcome aboard! If you're ever out east, you'd be welcome to stop out my way and have a beer.

Best regards!

--Andrew

 

[island trek1]

Welcome. I boat in Port Clinton and am in Put-in-bay alot as well as the other islands. Have a great season.

 

[RollerCoastr]

Welcome! Your boat looks familiar - I'm sure I've seen it at The Bay.

What necessitated full rebuilds of such young engines? I noticed in the other thread that you mentioned that it wasn't due to the expected aftercooler problems...

 

[Sua Sponte]

Welcome! Your boat looks familiar - I'm sure I've seen it at The Bay...

Very likely. We do a couple quiet trips a year as a family and at least one all-boys-stay-out-late-and-be-loud trip per year.

What necessitated full rebuilds of such young engines?

A great question that I posed to Cat many times during the process. Imagine buying a 50 foot boat with impeccable service records and ~700 hours and having the engines start spitting their dipsticks out in the engine room due to crankcase pressure at the end of your first season with it.

Very long story short - glazed cylinders allowing massive blowby. I was eating two gallons of coolant a weekend at the end of the saga.

Photos from the install two years ago. Not a single issue since.

 

[Sua Sponte]

Oil samples attached. Sample A is post-rebuild and B & C are both pre-rebuilds. The sodium levels, especially, tell the story.

Edited to add: got an error message uploading:

OilSamples24OCT08.pdf:
Your file of 994.6 KB bytes exceeds the forum's limit of 19.5 KB for this filetype.

 

[douglee25]

Good pictures! Welcome.

Doug

 

[Tonka Boater]

Welcome aboard!

 

[cyc boater]

Sua Sponte welcome aboard. It's nice to have another CYC member even though I'm now in South Carolina. I sold the 270 Dancer last summer in Cleveland and bought a 210 Sundeck down here for inland lake use. I live on Lake Keowee in the western part of the state. I will miss those trips to PIB! When you mentioned the "all boys drink all night trip", that wouldn't be the "LEWD" would it? (Lake Erie Walleye Derby) well thats what we told the wifes but I never got a line wet, too busy consuming adult beverages and making a nuisance of myself at the Round House.
I hope to be back in Cleveland this summer for Regatta. Can't wait to get back on the island.