Sea Ray SSS 1993 63 ft

Jaws said:
I am referring to the boat you mentioned but I would have to check on the surface drive configuration. I thought they were straight shots but I will ask.
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Miss Jaqueline has a window in the transom for the crew's quarters option, so unless being hull #1 has given her unique features, it's safe to assume that she's a Super Sun Sport: straight shafts and traditional props. Not all SSS's have that option but the arnesons in the Sundancer put the engines further aft and preclude it.

I'm with Carv on the mooring idea. I think it's too much boat with too many systems to be disconnected like that. I know of a yachts that use inverters and massive battery banks to avoid full-time use of the generator, but I wouldn't go that way if it's avoidable.
 
Thanks for the info on the waxxing, did not know that! How often do you usually apply the wax? I have looked into moorings and there are a few that are certified for this size of boat... Not that many but there are some... Also looked in to wind generators looks like there are a few out there that could power the boats systems esp if you got two. Wold have to be detachable as would not be good going at 32 knots with them... The idea is to slowly circumnaviagte Australia and I dont want to have to worry about marinas all the way, would like to be able to drop achor in a small cover somewhere power down the engines and enjoy..hopefully the wind generators are a viable option. I know you said WOW as in this guy knows nothing, but i really am doing my homework and trying to learn everthing i need before i get her, i will not be reckless about this but yes for right now i am not that knowledgable about all of this, thats why i am here asking questions :). Anyone have any idea what kind of range you would get out of the 800 gallon tanks and the twin diesel MTUS 1100 Hp say going at cruising speed 28 knts in good weather? Just an approximation? Any other maintenance tips like how often do you get the bottom scraped, service the engines etc.. I know sizes f boats vary drastically from small pleasure crafts to giant ships, when a weather advisory is given for say small craft is this boat still in that category? Does that pertain to anything under a large ship? What would this vessel be classified as ?
 
rszarka said:
I am a first time yacht owner! I grew up on boats, small boats speed boats. Not sure what you mean by how much wax that much plastic will need lol What do you actually wax on the boat? Since I am just learning and she does not arrive in Australia until July anyone got any hints tips on what i should expect in the upkeep of such a boat . Way to start aye hope i didnt get in over my head here.dunno if its gutsy or stupid! I am taking captaining and navigation classes now, learning how to use all the equipment, radar, sonar radios etc What else do i need to learn and research so i am ready to handle something like this when she gets here? Luckily my cousin is a professional captain so will be able to help a bit.. Dunno if im nuts or not starting off with a 63 ft yacht maybe i should of gotten a 25 ft cruiser first! Honestly i have been just a little freaked out as I know there is a lot more to owning something like this than just fun! She is in immaculate condition barely used and everything came up green on the survey.
Any advice from all of you sea ray lovers and owners would be great!! I will be living on her in Sydney Harbor not sure yet if i will be going with a marina or a swing mooring. If i do go with the swing mooring is running the generator or engines the only way you have power overnight or do the batteries onboard operate basic things such as lights flushing vacuflush toilets etc? Is there some sort of wind system you can buy that would generate enough electricity to run the ship over night or is that just not feasible? What i am getting at here is there some way to have power if you are not hooked up to a shore source without running the engine or generator? Maybe solar panels that charge banks of batteries..something? Thanks to all fro the info and the well wishes so far in this thread!

Thanks all
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Please tell me this is real . . .

Some of your questions about owning, operation, and maintenance lead me to believe you are in for a HUGE surprise. Sorry for my statement but your thought of swinging around in a SSS63 with solar panels or wind generators surprises me.

What a spectacular boat. Wow! Can we get some pictures when you get r home?
 
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I want to change my answer from "advising against mooring" to GET A DOCK!

Mooring, Pro:
- cheaper than a dock

Mooring, Con:
- no shorepower to run: Air-conditioning, ice-maker, fridge, freezer, battery charger
- no fresh water for washdowns
- no security
- no-one around to hear alarms, pumps etc.
- without reliable pwr for refer, you'll have to bring all your provisions everytime via tender

I'm sure there's more, but the "pro" column takes another hit once you start investing in batteries, inverters, solar panels, windmills, watermaker... and even after all that, you STILL won't have the luxuries of marina life - even the simple ones like keeping food cold.
 
Yeah i see your point on the solar panels lol Pretty dumb question as that just does not make sense.... I will be in Florida next week and will go and take a bunch of pictures to post. I am just glad my cousin is a captain and will be able to help me with everything :) Well that is why I am here so i dont get any huge surprises and can learn about everything in advance. yes i bought the boat first and am asking questions later as it was always a dream to own a yacht. I have till July to learn and prepare and will not take her out until i know what I am doing!
 
Thanks for the mooring advice :) So really there is no viable alternate power source that would be able to run all the systems of this yacht. Makes sense to put her in a marina until i head out in that case. How about a tesla generator lol just kidding :)
 
Park a Tesla Roadster next to your well instead. :)

I have a neighbor with a 630DA - he has a Testarossa convertible to keep her company.
 
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You'll want to get that beast waxed up and shinning nice and then either do that twice a year spring and fall or for you down under fall then spring.
I would think also on the small island that is your 63'er, you'd have a generator to give you the power you need or at least periodically run to recharge the batteries.
 
RollerCoastr said:
I want to change my answer from "advising against mooring" to GET A DOCK!

Mooring, Pro:
- cheaper than a dock

Mooring, Con:
- no shorepower to run: Air-conditioning, ice-maker, fridge, freezer, battery charger
- no fresh water for washdowns
- no security
- no-one around to hear alarms, pumps etc.
- without reliable pwr for refer, you'll have to bring all your provisions everytime via tender

I'm sure there's more, but the "pro" column takes another hit once you start investing in batteries, inverters, solar panels, windmills, watermaker... and even after all that, you STILL won't have the luxuries of marina life - even the simple ones like keeping food cold.
Click to expand...

Not to mention walking on board your boat!
 
To answer your question about the range... Typically, a boat of your size and weight will get about .4 miles to the gallon at best... So your range will be between 260-280 NM at optimal cruise speed. You don't have use of all 800 gallons. If you go slow as in under 10-12 NM/h you can go much farther...
 
If you are unsure about keeping your new boat in a marina, you might want to watch this video.

[video=youtube;8h-wR0oTgoQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h-wR0oTgoQ[/video]
 
I have been thinking about your question of mooring vs. dockage.

Keep in mind that your new boat is very electricity dependent. You have systems that need 240v AC like Air Conditioning and the cook top. You also have 120v AC appliances and systems along with both 12 and 24 volt DC systems. The generator will run all the AC systems while you are away from the dock and will power the charge/converters for DC systems.

Using the DC systems while at anchor is no problem for as long as you have battery capacity. At some point you will have to recharge batteries by starting the generator or the main engines or connect to shore power. The equipment list for your boat does not show an inverter, but you could certainly add an inverter and battery bank to provide AC power to some systems while at anchor (without the need to run the generator constantly). By some systems I mean the 110v refrigerator/freezer and maybe the microwave and a tv or two, but probably not the cook top or the Air Conditioning/heat. It is certainly not unreasonable to contemplate several or even many nights at anchor, running the generator for enough hours to recharge the batteries, but for a permanent live aboard, most people would opt to be at a dock, rather than have to deal with all that.

My boat is set up this way, but with 2x8D batteries powering the inverter, I can only run about 10-12 hours before running the generator for at least 4 hours to recharge. Adding more batteries would give me more time, but would also take longer to charge or a bigger charger). If you are going to be away from the boat for long periods of time you may find that the perfect combination of battery capacity (and its inherent weight) with charging time is difficult to achieve. I do not leave my boat while the generator is running. Others do, so you will have to make your own decision about this.

Of course there are plenty of boats out there that sit unattended on moorings for long periods of time. You could adapt the existing systems to be more like them. For example, installing holding plate type refrigeration instead of the Sub Zero.

One of the big issues that you are going to have to address immediately is if you are going to keep the US based AC electrical system of 120/240 volt 60 cycle or are you going to convert all the equipment over to a 240 volt 50 cycle system compatible with Australian power? Some of your 240 volt pumps and appliances may be OK at 50 cycles, but TVs, microwaves, etc. will not. If you opt to stay with the US system, you probably want to purchase and install any new gear while the boat is in FL. Remember that all your electrical outlets will be 110v, so you can’t just go to your local home goods store and buy a toaster – you will have to source one in the USA.

If you leave the US system you may also need some conversion equipment so that you can plug into the dock in Australia and still run the US equipment. I have no information about what this would entail, nor do I have any knowledge of what it would take to convert the whole vessel to 240V 50 cycle power.

The TV sets are going to raise some conversion issues as well, both in terms of electrical power and signal compatibility (PAL vs. NTSC).
 
Sea Gull said:
I have been thinking about your question of mooring vs. dockage.

Keep in mind that your new boat is very electricity dependent. You have systems that need 240v AC like Air Conditioning and the cook top. You also have 120v AC appliances and systems along with both 12 and 24 volt DC systems. The generator will run all the AC systems while you are away from the dock and will power the charge/converters for DC systems.

Using the DC systems while at anchor is no problem for as long as you have battery capacity. At some point you will have to recharge batteries by starting the generator or the main engines or connect to shore power. The equipment list for your boat does not show an inverter, but you could certainly add an inverter and battery bank to provide AC power to some systems while at anchor (without the need to run the generator constantly). By some systems I mean the 110v refrigerator/freezer and maybe the microwave and a tv or two, but probably not the cook top or the Air Conditioning/heat. It is certainly not unreasonable to contemplate several or even many nights at anchor, running the generator for enough hours to recharge the batteries, but for a permanent live aboard, most people would opt to be at a dock, rather than have to deal with all that.

My boat is set up this way, but with 2x8D batteries powering the inverter, I can only run about 10-12 hours before running the generator for at least 4 hours to recharge. Adding more batteries would give me more time, but would also take longer to charge or a bigger charger). If you are going to be away from the boat for long periods of time you may find that the perfect combination of battery capacity (and its inherent weight) with charging time is difficult to achieve. I do not leave my boat while the generator is running. Others do, so you will have to make your own decision about this.

Of course there are plenty of boats out there that sit unattended on moorings for long periods of time. You could adapt the existing systems to be more like them. For example, installing holding plate type refrigeration instead of the Sub Zero.

One of the big issues that you are going to have to address immediately is if you are going to keep the US based AC electrical system of 120/240 volt 60 cycle or are you going to convert all the equipment over to a 240 volt 50 cycle system compatible with Australian power? Some of your 240 volt pumps and appliances may be OK at 50 cycles, but TVs, microwaves, etc. will not. If you opt to stay with the US system, you probably want to purchase and install any new gear while the boat is in FL. Remember that all your electrical outlets will be 110v, so you can’t just go to your local home goods store and buy a toaster – you will have to source one in the USA.

If you leave the US system you may also need some conversion equipment so that you can plug into the dock in Australia and still run the US equipment. I have no information about what this would entail, nor do I have any knowledge of what it would take to convert the whole vessel to 240V 50 cycle power.

The TV sets are going to raise some conversion issues as well, both in terms of electrical power and signal compatibility (PAL vs. NTSC).
Click to expand...

Sea Gull,
Good catch about voltage and cycle difference. My country has 240v 50 hertz electricity configuration and when we buy US originated (110v 60 hz)boats add transformator to the boat's current power setup for benefiting the 220 volt shore power enables boat's 110.
I have a friend bought 2003 410 DA from USA and ofcourse 110 volt powered. He add transformator and changed the AC outlets for using 220volt appliances, also he bought tv and microwave powered 220 volt.
More electrically/technically inclined members would explain better than me.
Best regards.
Melida
 
Hi

Thanks to all so much for the advice and info!!

The post on electrical power was very helpful!! Luckily this yacht already has been outfitted with the capability to hookup to either the Usa or the Australian system. Guess the previous owner wanted to be able to go to different countries with her. I will handle the plug and tv issues when she gets here.
I have found a type of wind generator that looks especially promising, they claim it is perfect for liveaboard yachts. http://www.conergy.com.au/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-478/ . I was thinking of two of these installed for a windy day :)

She also has a desalination plant onboard. Does anyone know do these units create potable water?

Thank you to the poster who gave me a good idea of the range to expect.

Again many thanks to everyone taking the time to contribute and helping me with your knowledge!!
 
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Adding some pictures as requested a friend of mine just sent me...
2299650_9.jpg1899457_4.jpg1899457_5.jpgDSCN0448-1.jpgDSCN0434.jpg1899457_2.jpgDSCN0478.jpg
Will post more when i get to Florida...
 
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Great pics...thanks and enjoy it.
 
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