Riviera 3000 Offshore

[pleasurefish]

Hi all, I am after a bit of advice from someone who has owned or has a good knowledge of Riviera boats. I am currently looking to buy a Riviera 3000 Offshore 2000 to 2002 mdl and just wanted to get to know ppls thoughts and reveiws including engine reliability, fuel economy handling and just anything noteworthy in general...Your thoughts would be much appreciated.

[Smithy]

They can't be too bad as far as Rivs go. One does the Lizard Island Tournament each year (Bite Me). What motors? Cummins would be my choice.

[Noelm]

I guess (and this is my opinion only) a 30' boat is a bit of a funny size (regardless of brand) it is too big to put on a trailer, but too small to be a "serious" coastal sort of cruiser, what I mean is, a trip to another port is kind of OK, but any long distance is out of the question, so the end result is, you have all the problems associated with a moored boat like maintenance and fees, vandalism, and having to cart all your gear to the boat to do anything at all, but no advantages of a BIG moored boat, if you get what I mean. Now to answer your question, I kind of doubt Riniera makes a bad boat, and engine reliability is something that varies from boat to boat and motor brand to motor brand, Smithy is right, Cummins is the pick of them.

[Argle]

I think the 3000 only came with Volvo's? There was an option to get the 285hp ones with electronic controls. I think the later ones came with a targa arch which would be better for mounting gps antennas etc on - nice looking boat though.

Cheers

[business class]

IMHO and i did build rivs for 6 years and i built alot of these models so i know my way around them, those models are more of a bay/luxury cruiser then an Offshore boat for fishing so keep that in mind. If your after a boat for fishing there are alot of great boats for sale that are cheap i would pick before that, but if your after something to keep the wife happy then rivs are great for that as they are finished off pretty good. As for engines i think 90% of the 3000 rivs came out with Volvo penta's 260hp or 285hp from memory, and they are fine. They are still a nice boat so dont get me wrong but if you want a fishing boat there are better out there is what im trying to say. Thats just My honest opinion, but at the end of the day if ur happy thats all that matters.

[pleasurefish]

The idea of the boat is to make the best of both worlds by having the option to cruise around the bay and fishing open water. Mariner cost and vandalism etc is off topic. Twin 200hp Volvos yes! Do Volvos have a good reputation for quality/reliability? Estimated, what is the average cost to service motors of this size? Thanks

[pleasurefish]

business class, can you tell me more about the upgraded 285hp models? I am aware they come with electronic controls but what does this mean? Thanks

[business class]

business class, can you tell me more about the upgraded 285hp models? I am aware they come with electronic controls but what does this mean? Thanks

I cant tell you too much about the 285hp except i know they came out with them as an option, as i wasnt a mechanic there i was building them. Electronic controls is alot smoother as its run bye a fly bye wire which makes the throttles alot smoother when going in and out of gear as you have no friction like the old style.

[Midnight]

The 200hp TAMD41's are a great engine if well looked after. Very easy to work on, and all of the normal service items are easy to get at. Make sure they spin up to a minimum of 3850rpm wide open throttle with the boat full of fuel,water, gear and people. Check that the coolant has been changed every 2 years ( depending on the coolant used, it could be 1 or 5 years), and check the anodes in the oil cooler and heat exchanger. Ask when the intercooler was last serviced also. They get oily on the air side, and corrode on the seawater side if left for years on end with out any love. Check the exhaust elbows for good water flow too, they should never be so hot that you can't put your hand on them, even at wide open throttle.
Look under the raw water pumps for evidence of water leaks, they weep water out of a weep hole when the seals are stuffed. When the seals go, they can leak seawater into the timing case and you will get condensation under the oil filler cap.

They higher HP variants employ a supercharger as well as the turbo. This is designed to make some boost to give additional torque until the turbo spins up. If the supercharger is not cutting in correctly, You will see a lot of black smoke on acceleration until the turbo starts pumping some air through.

It is vitally important that the higher HP models make over the rated 3800rpm fully loaded, with 3900 being even better. They are only a 3.6L engine and you are starting to ask a lot of them at the higher ratings.

If they are over propped (most are), then they will black smoke on acceleration and in the cruise.

As for your original question re the hull. I reckon they are one of the best designed 30 footers around layout wise. Great family boat, and certainly capable of fishing. One negative is that they are quite full in the how, to allow for the island berth in the fo'csle, so they are not the best head sea boat I am told by skippers that have run them. It all depends on what you want from the hull. If you are a mostly fair weather fisherman and don't need to punch through 2m of cr@p regularly, then you will probably find it quite ok. It also depends on what you are used too. If you are coming out of a flat arsed Quinnie for example, then the Riv will ride like a magic carpet.

There are quite a few around for sale, and it is definitely a buyers market, so shop around and buy the cleanest, very well maintained boat you can find.

Good luck with your search.

Cheers,
Myles

[djfish71]

I don't know about the 30 but I can tell you the 27 is very dangerous in a large sea & could be easily capsized by a novice skipper

[pleasurefish]

Midnight, thanks for the detailed reply, very helpful. One more thing, on average, what is the estimated cost of a full service for both motors?

[trueblue]

I don't think that a 30 footer justifies the expense of mooring and all associated costs of a boat that lives in the water - 30 footers seem to sacrifice too much in either their sea keeping or fishability, or alternatively their cabin comforts - just my personal opinion of course, from my own perspective

[Midnight]

Pleasurefish,
No problem re the info, my pleasure.

As to servicing costs, it depends greatly on whether or not you can do it yourself, or need to pay an engineer. Depending on the installation, they are very simple engines to look after.
They hold 11L of engine oil, I used Fuchs in my Volvo which is around 6 bucks a litre in 20L drums, so near enough to 70 bucks for oil per engine. Fuel and lube filters will add another 30 or so. Air filter was $78 I think last time I bought one, and the raw water impeller is about $90 from Volvo, less from Johnson pump. Anodes are not expensive. Belts are about $30 a set from Volvo. I found the Volvo belts the best for longevity.
Coolant isn't cheap, but vitally important to use the correct spec coolant due to the aluminum, brass, steel and stainless steel that all gets involved in the cooling system.

I did have receipts etc for all of my servicing, but I sold the boat. I never really kept track of the costs, as it had to be done, and I was running at 2-300 hours per year and doing my services every 100 hours. At 100hrs, I changed engine oil and filters, fuel filters, belts and air filter. The raw water impeller and anodes I did annually. My boat was kept on a trailer though and fresh water flushed after each trip, so the cooling system was kept clean and the anodes lasted a lot longer than normal.
If the oil cooler, heat exchanger and intercooler have not been regularly pulled apart and serviced, with records of this, then definitely plan on doing it right away, and then every 2 years at least. They are easy enough to do yourself, with a few tips.

If you need to pay someone for the servicing, get a good, knowledgeable Volvo trained mechanic. I can recommend 2 in the Brisbane area.

Re the 30 foot thing, too small to justify mooring etc, I have to disagree. I owned a Bertram 25, which is too big to tow down the road, but HUGE compared to any trailer boat due to the 10 foot beam and deep v, and a big difference in feel and ride due to the weight. Well worth the hassle.
A 28 Bertram is a noticeable step up in size again from my 25, much more than the 3 feet in length and 1 foot in beam would suggest.
I have moved up to a 33 foot boat, and the difference is monumental. Admittedly, my 33 Berty is a big 33, and at 11 tonnes dry weight and deep v hull, it rides like a boat that is much bigger.

There are no legally trailerable boats that will come close to a 30 Riv in usable space and family comfort.

Bear in mind, that other than fuel burn, the operating costs of a 30 footer are not much less than say a 35 footer.

Go for a ride in a Riv 3000 and see what you think, see how the family will all fit sleeping wise etc, and see if the wife smiles when she is on board. Then take it outside for a run on a cruddy day and see how you like it as a fishing boat.

Cheers,
Myles

[trueblue]

I'll clarify re my above post - a 30 footer wouldn't be enough boat for me and my family to personally justify spending the money on mooring it etc.

its plenty enough boat for other people with other circumstances and their different priorities and desires

[Midnight]

I knew what you meant Mick, a Riv 3000 would not be worth the upgrade for you.

When are we going to pick up your 35?