- Jul 10, 2020
- 160
- Boat Info
- 1981 310 Vanguard Express
- Engines
- Twin Mercruiser 6.2 MPI Horizon FWC inboards
I thought I'd introduce myself as I've been lurking here a while and found this a very useful forum. I'm Tim, live on the northern side of Long Island Sound in Westchester County. Earlier in the spring we bought a 1981 310 Vanguard Express, a lovely old boat with a great big 12' beam and a huge comfy cockpit. Just what my wife wanted, mostly because it's basically useless for fishing so I can't take that up as another hobby.
She had new engines in 2004, Mercruiser MX MPI Horizon 620s. She's been decently maintained but suffered from three season's under use when her prior owner got seriously ill.
Right now she's giving us a great summer so far with lots of swimming and parties for our family and friends. There's a few issues - a truly awful smell from the sump under the cabin steps which occasionally has water in it from... somewhere; WOT RPM on both engines is lower than it should be; the Vacuuflush head leaks vacuum from the bottom of the tank; the deck hatches are, believe it or not, original and are on their last legs; the canvas is rapidly disintegrating; and the cabin port lights leak in heavy rain.
Here she is plodding along in displacement mode, in convoy with my friend's antique wooden ketch on the sound. I think she's got great lines, a really attractive boat. Not a bulbous high-freeboard cork like her modern equivalents.
Once she's up on blocks in the fall, we'll go over her thoroughly and make a plan for a worthy restoration - if we don't find any fatal issues. For now, hull, decks, and transom are sound, motors are good, she's getting used again.
She had new engines in 2004, Mercruiser MX MPI Horizon 620s. She's been decently maintained but suffered from three season's under use when her prior owner got seriously ill.
Right now she's giving us a great summer so far with lots of swimming and parties for our family and friends. There's a few issues - a truly awful smell from the sump under the cabin steps which occasionally has water in it from... somewhere; WOT RPM on both engines is lower than it should be; the Vacuuflush head leaks vacuum from the bottom of the tank; the deck hatches are, believe it or not, original and are on their last legs; the canvas is rapidly disintegrating; and the cabin port lights leak in heavy rain.
Here she is plodding along in displacement mode, in convoy with my friend's antique wooden ketch on the sound. I think she's got great lines, a really attractive boat. Not a bulbous high-freeboard cork like her modern equivalents.
Once she's up on blocks in the fall, we'll go over her thoroughly and make a plan for a worthy restoration - if we don't find any fatal issues. For now, hull, decks, and transom are sound, motors are good, she's getting used again.
