Hello everyone, Would like to have any input on Gardner diesel engine. The boat I am looking at has a restored Gardner diesel, vintage 1938. The Gardner diesel has a great reputation but would like to get some input from someone with first hand experience. Thanks
gardner diesel engine
- Thread starter peapod
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Tidahapah
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2007
- Messages
- 1,859
- Location
- Australia
- Vessel Name
- Flora
- Vessel Make
- Timber southern cray boat
OK what model is it a 4 ,5 or 6 LW too early for an LX or LXB but don't be put off by the HP, it may appear low but they are big torquey horses.
They are good for very long hours if looked after due to slow RPM thus piston speed.
Can also carry a pretty big reduction box to get the prop size up and the prop speed down.
Does it have the original manual gear box or upgraded to a hydraulic selector such as Twin Disc or a Borg Warner. The original Gardner boxes with their big hand levers are a strong box once you are used to them.
Benn
They are good for very long hours if looked after due to slow RPM thus piston speed.
Can also carry a pretty big reduction box to get the prop size up and the prop speed down.
Does it have the original manual gear box or upgraded to a hydraulic selector such as Twin Disc or a Borg Warner. The original Gardner boxes with their big hand levers are a strong box once you are used to them.
Benn
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2007
- Messages
- 7,332
- Location
- Texas
- Vessel Name
- Floatsome & Jetsome
- Vessel Make
- Meridian 411
I don't know if that particular engine is supported but I do believe Gardner to be in business....or at least I see their sign(maybe a service center) on the way to work in Pasadena of off of Hwy 225 here in the Houston area. Google it and see what you find!
Thanks for getting back so soon. The engine is a 4LW at 70 h.p. she has Kobelt control and a New Age hydraulic reverse gear. She has a 4 blade 37" bronze propeller. I am not afraid of getting parts because there are companies making everything you need. But I would like your opinion on the gear. Thanks again for both you input. Tom (peapod)
-- Edited by peapod on Tuesday 3rd of August 2010 07:44:09 PM
-- Edited by peapod on Tuesday 3rd of August 2010 07:44:09 PM
Tidahapah
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2007
- Messages
- 1,859
- Location
- Australia
- Vessel Name
- Flora
- Vessel Make
- Timber southern cray boat
Peapod,
What part of the world are you in.
I don't know about the US but here in Aus, the UK and Europe, Hong Kong etc Gardner parts recon, and sometimes new are pretty easy to get.
Not allways cheap , but hey they last forever.
Benn
-- Edited by Tidahapah on Thursday 5th of August 2010 01:45:29 AM
What part of the world are you in.
I don't know about the US but here in Aus, the UK and Europe, Hong Kong etc Gardner parts recon, and sometimes new are pretty easy to get.
Not allways cheap , but hey they last forever.
Benn
-- Edited by Tidahapah on Thursday 5th of August 2010 01:45:29 AM
We are in *Down East Maine U.S. Thanks for your input I have joined a Gardner Diesel forum in the U.K. and like any group that love their stuff they can be a little bias. One of the reason I posted this on Trawler Forum is to get a none bias one. This will be the first time moving up to this size boat a 38 foot displacement trawler. Though not the first time operating this size boat or even larger but they were semi-displacement boats with 5 times the horsepower. Maybe I should have asked what the Forum members thought *of a boat this size (30000 Lbs) with this setup. We will be using the boat here in Maine and would like to travel further north after a few years getting use to her. The owner has stated her cruse speed is 5-6 knots and top speed of 7-7.5. The 7.5 is if you have a good tail wind and the current God is in your favor. I am not worried about the max speed but I am worried about holding my own and making headway against the current if need be. I always try and time thing but as you know that doesn't always work out. Just for info our tide up in the Bay Of Fundy can be over 30 feet so we get some rip roaring current. Thanks ,Peapod
FF
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2007
- Messages
- 22,552
I always try and time thing but as you know that doesn't always work out.
The tides and current are on a fixed sked , Reeds will give all the info so it DOES work out.
The tides and current are on a fixed sked , Reeds will give all the info so it DOES work out.
Nomad Willy
Guru
peapod,I travel on a slow boat in SE Alaska (the one in my avitar) and deal w tides and the resulting currents. I don't need or use waypoints and often I change plans en-route. Getting from one good anchorage to the next GOOD anchorage can be difficult. I almost never get down to less than 4 knots and when I'm down 1.5 knots I know I'll be going 1.5 knots faster as often. I was over 9 knots last week. Helps to have AP when your'e solo.
I'm usually not. I think going slow is more palatable to us older dudes.
Eric Henning
I'm usually not. I think going slow is more palatable to us older dudes.
Eric Henning
FF
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2007
- Messages
- 22,552
"FF I looked into the Reeds for this part of the world and didn't find anything for this part of the world or am I looking at the wrong thing?"
There is one for the East Atlantic made for the Euros , the US version has Maine included.
You have to find the current or tide tables , and then the correction for your location.
There is one for the East Atlantic made for the Euros , the US version has Maine included.
You have to find the current or tide tables , and then the correction for your location.
Thanks for your input on the slow boat and I must agree that my need for speed is gone having *worked on built or ridden a lot of fast things in my life. Got a real kick out of what you said about reaching 9 knots last week. When you go fast all the time most people would not remember that. Isn't slow great it makes us appreciate those little thing. That sure is a great looking little ship you have there we almost bought a Willard a while back but missed it. Thanks, Peapod
While tide and current information is easily obtained from a variety of source, the problem comes when one's route is all over the map, literally. We try to take advantage of current whenever we can (we're an 8-knot boat) but when traveling to a destination in the islands the courses will invariably put you with the current on some legs, across it on others, and against it on the rest. We try to travel when the current will be with us or at least not against us on the majority of our legs but that's the best one can do in this area.
A major advantage to a faster boat, by which I mean 15 knots and more, is that you can pretty much ignore the currents altogether, which is one reason we much prefer a fast boat to a slow one. Unfortunately feeding a fast boat these days is a major financial undertaking which is the only reason we don't have one.
I've not boated in Maine but I've been to the coast a couple of times as well as the Bay of Fundy and Prince Edward Island. Based on my perusal of the charts for these areas, while there are lots of inlets, bays and islands along the Maine coast, things seem to be laid out in a way that is more conducive for taking advantage of the currents. Out here, the islands are just a huge maze with very few straight-line runs between destinations (there are some along the main shipping routes up the coast).
I am not familiar with the various publications covering tides and currents in Maine and the Maritimes but if you are not aware of the information yourself a good bet would be to talk to some of the local lobsterboat skippers. I suspect they have good sources for both tide and current information that would be of benefit to you. That's what I'd do, anyway, were we intending to start boating in that area.
A major advantage to a faster boat, by which I mean 15 knots and more, is that you can pretty much ignore the currents altogether, which is one reason we much prefer a fast boat to a slow one. Unfortunately feeding a fast boat these days is a major financial undertaking which is the only reason we don't have one.
I've not boated in Maine but I've been to the coast a couple of times as well as the Bay of Fundy and Prince Edward Island. Based on my perusal of the charts for these areas, while there are lots of inlets, bays and islands along the Maine coast, things seem to be laid out in a way that is more conducive for taking advantage of the currents. Out here, the islands are just a huge maze with very few straight-line runs between destinations (there are some along the main shipping routes up the coast).
I am not familiar with the various publications covering tides and currents in Maine and the Maritimes but if you are not aware of the information yourself a good bet would be to talk to some of the local lobsterboat skippers. I suspect they have good sources for both tide and current information that would be of benefit to you. That's what I'd do, anyway, were we intending to start boating in that area.
dwhatty
Moderator Emeritus
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2008
- Messages
- 2,846
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- "Emily Anne"
- Vessel Make
- 2001 Island Gypsy 32 Europa (Hull #146)
Me too Walt. Just saw one in Camden last weekend. Took a dinghy ride by her. I hope the paid hand the owners had was able to get my drool off her topsides okay. Buy one for me for Xmas please Walt? (Also saw a Vicem 70 footerish +/-. Very impressive and gorgeous, but that's another kettle of fish altogether0.
JD
Guru
You do not need to spend that kind of money.* All of the Mainship 34t's and the 390's and the 400 are in fact that kind of boat.
These boats range from the low $100 for the 390's to the mid $200 for the 34t's and some of the 400's.
They run at 7 knt's at 3 -4 gal an hour and at 15 -17 at 15 gals an hour.
We are hoping to be a owner of a 34t here in the near future.
*
FF
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2007
- Messages
- 22,552
On the AICW the tides and inlets make prediction a really hard concept.
I have found it is usually a wash.
An hour plugging the tide , pass an inlet and its a kick in the rear.
No "need for speed" (or the 20gph fuel burn) ,
Most folks catch up to the de-fuel crowd at the next bridge , and unless they go Outside, 50 -75 miles per day seems to be the norm,.
Legal and illegal "no wake zones" also add to the big fuel burn big wake folks travel time.
Not much need to slow with most 6K -7K boats.
I have found it is usually a wash.
An hour plugging the tide , pass an inlet and its a kick in the rear.
No "need for speed" (or the 20gph fuel burn) ,
Most folks catch up to the de-fuel crowd at the next bridge , and unless they go Outside, 50 -75 miles per day seems to be the norm,.
Legal and illegal "no wake zones" also add to the big fuel burn big wake folks travel time.
Not much need to slow with most 6K -7K boats.
dwhatty
Moderator Emeritus
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2008
- Messages
- 2,846
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- "Emily Anne"
- Vessel Make
- 2001 Island Gypsy 32 Europa (Hull #146)
David:
I believe you've been a good man all year! Where would you like it delivered?
*
*
Anywhere on the East coast would be fine Walt. Oh, and could you also deliver it with full fuel tanks? Or is that pushing my luck?
*
Thanks for the input and I *agree the local fisherman are a wealth of information and quite a few are friends. Most not all were sold on big engines and the need for speed and bigger and beamer boats. This is not the formula for success with high fuel prices and low lobster prices. I would like to use this boat and not sit at home dreaming about it. To all dreaming about those fast trawlers you can buy one at a fraction of what they should sell for. I have seen some beautiful fast trawlers prices cut 50 to 60% So with this 200+ thousand savings you can buy a lot of fuel even in this day and age. I think I will stick with the slow one. Thanks, Tom
