SEAFARER VIKING 5.5MTR-RANGE

[rough_shag]

I have recently bought a Seafarer Viking 5.5mtr glass boat which I will use mainly for fishing the northern bay area.I have been told that at cruising revs the Johnno 115 v4(carby,vro)will use around 1ltr per nm and more when the weather conditions aren't good.The boat has a 160ltr tank underfloor but I don't want to overfill her and have stale fuel sitting in the tank after a trip.Does anyone have the same or similar size rig/motor who can give me an idea of fuel consumption etc etc.Cheers! Jace.

[blaze]

Hi Jace
IMO you should fill the tank before every trip, cant think of any thing worse than working out you need 100l and finding out 10k from home ya needed 110l.
cheers
blaze

[Smithy]

Keep the tank full and it will also minimise your condensation which if present can lead to water in the carbies if you don't have a good Racor type filter with clear bulb. That combo would be using more like 1km/Nm based on my experience of many hours in a Viking with a 115 Oceanpro. If you are worried about stale fuel use premium for some piece of mind. We just use normal unleaded and go for a couple of months at a time without use and it is fine.

[AaronF]

Fill the tank and do your own experiment. Time your engine hours and what your revs were for a trip and then re-fill the tank and calculate your average usuage. I'd figure around 20-25 litres/hour in that rig at 4000-4300 rpm which should be your optimum cruising speed. Listen to the engine and you'll hear what sounds comfortable for it. This gives you an idea of fuel required, then always calculate that you will need to carry half that again in case you get some crappy weather. 160 Litres is plenty for that boat though in most cases. If you are worried about it then half fill the tank on smaller trips, carry extra fuel in a plastic jerry can and stick it in your car if you don't use it. A jerry can will just about get you home from Moreton most days unless you are completely out of fuel at Bulwer.

[flattymattyb]

Confushus say: "The only time you can have to much fuel is when your on fire" ;D ;D.

Cheers
Matty

[rough_shag]

Thanks for the advice fellas it was well received-actually was chatting to one of the guys at Bribie VMR and he basically said exactly what you boys have advised so much appreciated and thanks to all.Cheers!.Jace.

[rough_shag]

Oh by the way just out of interest Aaron F you were right about the cruising revs,the Johnno 115 ocean runner seems to like sitting dead on 4000 rpm sort of gets quieter and smoother and gains about 500rpm once trimmed.I obviously don't have much(any)experience with boat engines but the Johnson doesn't seem to be the noisy,smelly 2stroke I was warned about when looking for a fishing rig.Jace.

[AaronF]

No they are better than they used to be. Try running synthetic oil in it and you'll have even less smoke and no plug fouling at idle/troll speeds. Suzuki makes a great oil you can burn in any engine (haven't bought it in a few years so check first). Get us a shot of the boat as there are a lot of posts for this vessel of late and it might be nice for those interested to see inside and out. Cheers - Aaron

[rough_shag]

Thanks for the Suzi oil tip Aaron f-next fill I'll give it a whirl.Wanted to throw a pic or two up but my digi cam can only seem to take images of 117kb and up-needs to be 100kb or less apparently and buggered if I know how to resize 'em,anyhow I'll borrow an older cam and get some shots happening.Once again thanks for the tips.Jace.

[rough_shag]

Finally managed to resize some pics-harder than learning to fly the space shuttle!!-so for anyone interested in my expensive lump of fibreglass(which I'm assured will bring much pleasure,mind you they said that about the missus too!!)-here are some shots.PS:I've noticed she doesn't handle very well on land for some reason-maybe it's the 850kg!.Cheers.Jace.

[rough_shag]

Finally managed to resize some pics-harder than learning to fly the space shuttle!!-so for anyone interested in my expensive lump of fibreglass(which I'm assured will bring much pleasure,mind you they said that about the missus too!!)-here are some shots.PS:I've noticed she doesn't handle very well on land for some reason-maybe it's the 850kg!.Cheers.Jace.

[toymod]

Nice rig mate ;)

[rough_shag]

Sorry about the double up-still getting the hang of it-here's another I hope.

[rough_shag]

another pic

[rough_shag]

one more

[rough_shag]

Thanks toymod,now if I can only christen her by catching a FISH!!

[rough_shag]

last one

[HappyG]

Jace, Good Luck with the Seafarer mate, I've got a 95 Ventura 5.5 with the same motor (vro disconnected 250 hrs) and on a good day averages about 1.5 Km to the litre at a cruise speed of 29 knots, that's around 4,300 rpm. The ventura only has about 135 litres, so I often take a spare 20 in a jerry can.
Regards
Scott

[rough_shag]

Thanks Scott,I asked a few blokes about the vro but had a mixed response-some said they'd had no dramas in 500hrs and others had it disconnected.I suppose I'll leave it connected and see if it is reliable or not.Any ideas how to tell whether or not it is working properly when under way?Any warning signs BEFORE the engine dies?.My reasoning tells me that a company like Evinrude/Johnson would make sure of a system which is so important to engine and safety and would make it reliable-but stranger things have happened(FICHT fiasco).Why did you disconnect yours?.Cheers!.Jace.

[HappyG]

Jace, the VRO was disconnected by the previous owner(the brother in law) back when it had a piston blow at 100 hours (not the VRO's fault but the mechanic thought it best to disconnect). On the Ventura there's a yellow label beside the throttle that explains what sounds the warning horn should make if there is a problem with the VRO and oil delivery. If you don't have it i'll check mine tonight and let you know. My only hassle is getting the bloody thing on the trailer, need to align the rollers. Are your rollers all in line when looking at it from the rear?

[rough_shag]

HappyG,yeah mate they seem to be inline pretty straight but at the ramp it can be a challenge if there is a current on the run.I am not game enough to ram(drive) an 850kg boat onto a trailer and I have been told that it does put a strain on the trailer anyway,so I take the slow and easy route.The strakes on the underside of the hull are the main problem when trying to line her up on the rollers but I wouldn't be without them cos they seem to shoot any splash water out away from the boat really well giving a dry ride.Jace.

[billfisher]

I have a similar sized fiberglass boat. I fitted a retiever mate to the trailer and it works wonders. The boat can be on any angle and with wind or cross current and it always goes on dead straight.

[rough_shag]

Hows it going Billfisher,don't laugh mate but what's a retriever? and where can I get one? I actually don't have much trouble getting her on the trailer,occasionally havta try again but anything that helps is a bonus.Jace.

[skippa]

Jace,

Very nice looking rig mate, I'm sure you'll get many hours of fun from her, especially when you blood her with your first fish #;). Good soft riding hulls the Seafarers' too. I've got a 115hp Yammie and I must agree that 4000 rpm seems to be the sweet spot for her too. On ave mine uses about 1 ltre per Mile.

By the looks of the pic you have what's know as a 'drive on' trailer which means it has a open rear end with wobblers down both sides, so a retriever mate wouldn't fit and is unnecessary (IMO). Don't know that I explained that too well tho. :-?

Anywho, enjoy your time on the water ... #;)


Cheers,
Tony # 8-)

[billfisher]

Jace,

The Retriever Mate consists of a couple of spring loaded roller arms which bolt on to the back of your trailer. They are made in different sizes and some of them incorporate a keel roller. Most boating accessory places have them. They are not cheap but they make life easier if you are retrieving single handed or if you have trouble getting the boat on straight.