R25 engine choices

Island Ranger · Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:36 pm Post subject:

Don't know about the rest of Alaska, but you can easily do the Inside Passge from Seattle with the 75 gallon tank - depending on how you cruise. I won't list each stop (unless you want them), but we covered the follwoing distances between fuel stops:
129 miles
83 miles
75 miles
96 miles
97 miles
71 miles
80 miles
119 miles
187 miles (crusing at 6.5 knots, included Tracy Arm)
71 miles
128 miles
78 miles
80 miles
97 miles
114 miles
93 miles
78 miles
72 miles
94 miles
84 miles
Total fuel 873 gals, total distance ~ 2200 miles

Mac & Linda on Island Ranger

Old Dog · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:20 am Post subject:

Thanks Mac. I'm sure I contributed to the concern previously but I wouldn't hesitate to make the trip with the R-25. When we did it a few years ago with a slightly larger boat, fuel was not a problem although it looks we did like you did - we refueled at every opportunity. We had 150 gallons of capacity in a boat that burned about twice as much fuel and ran on the top half of the tank almost always.

Some more information like yours and we'll be able to make a good estimate of fuel consumption.

The numbers are interesting.

Island Ranger · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 11:43 am Post subject:

Just had the engine serviced (350 hours) and Jerry adjusted the idle down to 600-650 rpm. I think it has been idling up around 800. Could be it is a little too slow - it rattles things about. But it sure does make a difference! I think there is a chance it will troll slow enough now - maybe not for pinks, but probably OK for Kings and for sure silvers. I'll try this afternoon....

Mac

thataway · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:30 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the numbers--I would be interested in your stops. Sounds like you cut it really close. 75 gallons at 2.5 miles a gallon (which your mileage figures to be) is 187.5 miles--I understand that you dropped the speed down to get better mileage.

What would concern me is the head winds, head seas and adverse currents. I prefer to have at least a 15% margin. The three trips we made to Alaska, we had 300 gallons in a vessel which made 6.5 miles a gallon...Thus we were not dependant on finding diesel at each stop.

Island Ranger · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 10:37 pm Post subject:

Well...we tried trolling today and....

The good news -our crab traps had a good harvest - I'm boiling up the 8 crabs we collected today. And...with the idle down at 600 - 650, we can troll at 2.5 kts or so.... it sure is thumpy though. The speed was perfect for silvers - maybe a little quick for kings and way to fast for pinks. A trailing bucket worked pretty good...but we didn't catch any fish (except one shaker).

Mac

thataway · Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 11:19 pm Post subject:

If you really want to troll for long times with these engines, I would suggest a trolling valve, if they are available for this transmission.

Island Ranger · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:41 am Post subject:

I already checked with Ranger Jeff - and no - the trolling valve isn't available. I'm probably going to go with a small kicker mounted on the swim step, but can't find a motor mount that will fit and not interfere with the dinghy when it is mounted on the weaver davits I already installed. I mounted the dinghy up tight so there is no gap between the swim step and the dinghy, so I would need to cut away the swim step to use the motor mounts (they all have a lip that hangs over the swim step) I've found so far and I just hate to cut things!

Mac

thataway · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 2:18 am Post subject:

Somewhere I saw a swim step with a quick release mount. Not sure how it would fit on the Ranger 25--I'll see if I can remember/find where it was.
Basically involved with thru bolts and captive nuts on the underside of the swim platform. You would have to bolt it and off, but that is fairly quick with a socket set. Probably can be done with two captive bolts, and two removiable bolts.

I am not too surprised that there is no trolling valve. We had to bump the tranny in and out of gear on the Cal 46--a real pain!--finally ended up rolling out a little genoa just enough to give steerage way, but it limited the course one could take!

Agree that the outboard is the next best thing--sea anchors/drogues are too much of a hassel when trolling and offer some danger of fouling the gear in the prop.

rogerbum · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 7:41 am Post subject:

There are a couple of other possible options to slow the speed for trolling. The cheapest option (which I see a lot of out here in the Puget sound) is to simply tie a 5 gallon bucket off of each midship cleat. It's a little redneck, but it does work. Similarly one can do the same with a drift sock or small sea anchor. I'd find any of the above to be a bit of a PITA but it does work.

What I'd suggest is trying to find a way to adapt a trolling plate to the transom. Most of these are designed to be bolted onto an outboard, but maybe you could find one that could somehow be adapted to work. Without a clear picture in my head of how far back the prop is from the end of the transom, it's hard to say if this would work.

Island Ranger · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 11:28 am Post subject:

Thanks for the ideas. I'd love to find the removable / quick release mounting bracket. That would be perfect. I've searched - and searched....

I tried dragging buckets - too big a pain - in the way.

I had a trolling brake on an earlier boat so I am familiar with 'em. The prop is pretty deep and the rudder is behind it, I can't picture how it would work.

Thanks again. I might try utilizing a spacer under the bracket I found so that it is sits higher and then I wouldn't have to hang it over the step. But I still like the removable idea the best!

Mac

rogerbum · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 5:46 pm Post subject:

Mac,

Here's another idea - don't know if it would work but might be worth a try....

The swim platform on the ranger is slotted. I wonder if you could fashion a couple of sturdy boards with a wide section and handle at the top but just small enough to drop into the slots from above. Kind of like dagger boards but since they would be perpendicular to the direction of travel, they would just add drag. If it works, you could even adjust the drag by putting a few holes in the boards that would allow you to raise or lower them to predefined stops - e.g. a couple of cotter pins or dowels could be inserted to adjust the height.

Island Ranger · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 9:16 pm Post subject:

Humm...great minds.....

I already tried it with boards, and bent a pole in the process when I was trying to get the boards back out while still underway. Sure is a lot of force on 'em!

I tried it when the idle was high, and the boards were not quite big enough to have enough effect. They would probably work better now that the idle is turned down.... but at this point, I think I really don't want to run the Yanmar at such a slow idle - it thumps and rattles everything. I'm leaning towards a kicker - probably only 6hp so I can lift it easily.

Mac

TimOb · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:36 pm Post subject:

Mac,
What about mounting a little bigger engine off the platform. I'm thinking a 10 or 15hp. That way, you'd have a decent backup that should be ok for trolling. This is what I'm pondering. Need to figure out how to do fuel lines if using a remote tank though.

Tim

Island Ranger · Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:01 pm Post subject:

Yep...one thing led to another to another....

I decided to go with a kicker - just happened to have a Honda 9.9 in the barn, so I bought the outrageously expensive ($350) swim step motor mount and tried my kickers. The 9.9 is great for trolling - quiet yet powerful enough to push. it's probably overkill - an 8 hp might be OK (and lighter). Our little Honda 2.0 makes a racket, but does push Island Ranger at ~2 kts. Humm.....

Only problem with the kicker mount - it is too low in the water when motoring with the diesel. OK at idle, and OK when planing, but not anywhere in between. So I have to lift it up to the railing - but at 108 pounds, I can't do it unless I back up to a dock to have a place to stand. Even then it is tough..... so....

I ordered the Garhauer lift - it is on its way.

Still working on steering the boat when using the Honda 9.9. The ship's rudder doesn't do it - probably moving too slow and not having the prop push the water against the rudder makes it ineffective to steer with the 9.9. So I ordered an extension tiller to try. It is just delightful to sit on the stern seat and steer - you can see ahead throught the front windows and you can respond immediately when a fish is on. I am trying to talk myself into the TR-1 Gold, but at $2400 - ouch!

Oh...we did catch two coho yesterday....

Mac