4 Attempts to Cross the GULF STREAM (150 NM) with a BOAT ENGINE FAILURE - EP95

[@andystratts1]

So glad to hear from you guys again. So sorry to hear about that engine rebuild but those engines have treated you both faithfully for thousands of miles. You two have inspired Kim and I and many east coast Tollycraft owners to buy in and live our best lives. I cannot express enough how thankful I am for stumbling across you two years ago on this site and now living our dream on the same boat! God bless and safe travels. Hope you visited Butchart Gardens while in Victoria. We loved that whole area. It's Tolly country!

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thanks my friend. Yes, thousands of miles (probably close to 13000 NM), and almost 1800 hours since we bought her. Yes, we've seen a ton of Tollys here in BC. A handful or more in every marina.

[@ronmiller5452]

Make sure you ck eng field changes The 3208s have some infield changes Had to pull my stbd eng and redo the upgrades on the 435hp

[@perryconnor697]

Bahamas is beautiful in the summer. Less wind,waves,and warmer. I know everyone has there ways, but I have lived in Florida all my life. Cheers and good luck on all your adventures.

[@SearchingforCShels]

We've been in the Bahamas as late as July. Loved it. Definitely less of those clocking northerlies, but the thunderstorms can be pretty bad.

[@whitestarhorros3374]

Just found your channel, awesome videos 🙂. My wife and I were just on the island from October to November and purchased our 41 ft. Tri-cabin Tollycraft. It is currently on the hard for the winter and awaits a major transformation as we turn her into a complete off-grid solar powered Tollycraft. With all the yachting community inspirations we are now ready for our own experiences. Coming in summer of 2023 Hope to see you on the waters. 🙂

[@SearchingforCShels]

Awesome, welcome to the channel! All the best in your adventures. Keep us posted.

[@khoatran9482]

Been missing your videos! Thanks for letting your fans know you're good!

[@SearchingforCShels]

We appreciate that! 🙏

[@77RB77]

Love your videos sorry to hear about the engine. We have missed seeing you guys. Please share more videos you guys are my favorite. May God richly bless you keep you safe 👍

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thank you Ron! 🙏 We will try to get more videos out.

[@HopeOfJoe]

What a nice message ✨ ✝️ ✨ ✅ 👍🏻

[@mikej7831]

Well...even though at times the boat expenses can get crazy...its a lifestyle that far outweighs setbacks. So good to see you back!

[@cruisingc-turtle1789]

We have been watching you guys a lot lately, we are preparing to head over to the Bahamas on the boat we bought about 8 months ago. We sold our home and now live on our 1978 Grand Banks. We have put tons of work into her and now it’s about to time. Waiting for this big storm to go by. Hope you’re doing well. Thank you for showing real boat life and not just the fun. I love what you said when you said that you must be able to take the good with the bad. That is so true. You inspired us to step out of the box and take a chance on real life. We love you guys!

[@SearchingforCShels]

That is so nice to say. Thank you. Are you cruising now for still in refit mode?

[@kevbjork1]

Bummer on having to rebuild that engine. I'll give my friend whose boat has the same engines a heads up on those coolers. On the other hand, you'll have a fresh engine to rely on going forward. Thanks for sharing.

[@SearchingforCShels]

If your friend hasn't replaced or doesn't have record of the replacement of the head gaskets and head bolts, then we would advise that gets done. Cheers!

[@kiddcisco]

Nice to follow the journey. Came west 32 yrs ago. Just closing deal on a 36ft, 41 loa. Thankful it's under covered moorage cause now it gets nasty for a while. Feel the pain on the rebuild but bet ya can't wait! All the best on your journey. Enjoy following up on what's happening now and then. BC is a boaters paradise it really is for the spring, summer & fall mths.

[@SearchingforCShels]

We appreciate you following along. Yes BC does look like a boaters paradise. I think we are going to have to try it some day, but right now, you are correct, we can’t wait to get south and back cruising. We are en route as we speak. 😉

[@JCAJCA3]

So sorry you guys had this little set back! Looking forward to seeing you heading toward those beautiful Bahamas waters. GOD bless.

[@lesb3481]

Great to see you two back with a new video and I hope there will be more to come soon! Sorry to see your engine has to be rebuilt. I had similar problems with the port 3208T in my 51' Symbol a few years ago, but I got lucky and the head gasket was all that was wrong. However, despite a few random issues over the years, I still love my old, easy-to-work-on Cat diesels and they've done a great job pushing my boat around for over 4k hours as of the latest oil change.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thanks Les, yes, they are great engines, we were struck by a little bad luck here. Have you replaced your head gaskets and head bolts on both engines? If there are no records of that in its service history, might be a good idea to add it to the maintenance list. The replacement head gaskets CAT has are better than the originals. Cheers!

[@lesb3481]

@@SearchingforCShels Thanks for the info and yes, I replaced everything after the head gasket incident, which occurred just after we bought the boat. Our boat is a 1984 model, with engines that have never been taken apart and since I wanted maximum dependability, I also changed the turbos, high pressure fuel pumps, injectors and all the accessories at the same time. We've now run the engines several thousand hours with virtually no issues to report. Hope you get yours back up and operational soon, so you can begin travelling again and inspire me to untie mine from the dock.

[@timharrison9060]

C-Shel II is living up to...... Break Out Another Thousand BOAT.... stay safe, Tim and Cat

[@SearchingforCShels]

She sure is. Nice to hear from you guys.

[@zzzxxzzz3248]

Looks brand new !

[@johnschieffelin3226]

Thank you for posting again. I was wondering what had happened to you and to the boat. The engine should be pretty bulletproof for a long time after a full rebuild. Those CAT 3208's are tough engines, very long-lived except for the 475 hp version which overstressed everything. I was in Vancouver briefly at the end of the summer, boarding and disembarking from an Alaska cruise. What a gorgeous city! Lots of green spaces, very vibrant, interesting new and old architecture. The waterways around there look fabulous for cruising, but no swimming without wet suits and lots of dangerous currents. Hope you find C-Shels in fine shape when you return to Stuart. I am in Stuart now (early November) and it is lovely but hot.

[@lorneserpa5888]

OMG, you are back! Hi. I used to watch 10-15 sailing channels, down to three. You, sailing sophisticated lady, and sailing the Nahoa. Love your content.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thank you, that is very nice to say.

[@yvonne.brooks3806]

I have friends that lived out there for many years , the winter is the rainy season apparently. Best of Luck guys! We'll be watching.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thanks!

[@scottm4977]

feel your pain, had that happen to me a few years ago OVER a oil pan pickup weld that failed. oil pressure lost because the pickup was sitting in the pan. entire motor had to be pulled out of my boat, engine flipped upside down and for $.025 worth of weld and 10 days worth of labor it was running. ug the life of boating. good luck, its the memories made and not these kind of cost that keep us all coming back from more boating. really enjoy watching your adventures keep them coming ! IF you stay on the west coast there is some beautiful boating between Victoria and san juan island chain, straights of juan de fuca, Anacortes and entire inter passage of alaska is a great area too. enjoy !

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thanks Scott! That’s a lot of work for a small weld. Wow. We loved the PNW, we will get back there to boat some of it in the future.

[@karenprice5439]

Hi..We have missed your videos been wondering about u both..We watched all your videos.. Good to see another one..Looking forward to more.. C and K from 🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@bigtime37ja]

Great to see you both again. Thanks for the video. Sorry about the luck. Wishing you two the best.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thank you!

[@tom080955]

Welcome to Canada! Our Vancouver is nice, much nicer when you get out of town…or pop up the mountains…before it snows. My seaside city, 30 minutes south is White Rock, bordering the USA border state of Washington is worth a look. Also Amtrak is back up here, direct run to Seattle and further south. Welcome, cheers and enjoy

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thanks! Yes, we did get out of town, including Whistler. Breathtaking. We didn’t get to Washington unfortunately. Next time.

[@MoBettaBoats]

Keep those engines running clean, keep it going.

[@SearchingforCShels]

That's the plan!

[@helmsman3838]

Happy to hear you’re getting it fixed. Miss seeing your videos

[@commanderwpm]

Good to hear you will be back cruising soon. Betty and I just returned from our summer voyage from South Carolina and Georgia. We returned to the Harborage to find out almost everyone got fired or quit. Things are different around here. More rules in place. Hope to see you guys this winter.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Hi Wayde & Betty! Hope you had a lovely summer. You will have to fill us in on the marina details when we get there. See you soon.

[@dawn2788]

Thank you for the "real life" video. I think many motor yacht owners have high costs, but don't like to mention them. I think also the marina dock fees are higher, then most yacht owners, like to mention.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Glad it was helpful!

[@garysmith6510]

Not sure when you made your crossing but we are really glad you made it safely back to Fl. We are sitting near Port Canaveral waiting for Nicole to pass. So very happy to have met you in Bimini. Carie and Gary - Island Paws

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thanks guys! You have a trip to the Bahamas planned for this season?

[@rtwca1]

Hey guys! Good to hear from you again. Today, Nov 8, we’re sitting in Georgetown, SC waiting for Nicole to pass through. Then we’re off to Fort Lauderdale then Bahamas. Maybe we’ll cross paths on our journeys!

[@SearchingforCShels]

Hope you faired the hurricanes well. Where are you now?

[@rtwca1]

@@SearchingforCShels Nicole didn’t hit very hard where we were, just a little windy. Presently we are sitting at Lake Sylvia in Fort Lauderdale waiting for a weather window to cross. It’s been 2 weeks we’ve been waiting and still nothing in the foreseeable future. We subscribed to Chris Parker for his insight.

[@rtwca1]

And where, may I ask, are you guys now?

[@SearchingforCShels]

@@rtwca1 yeah there doesn’t seem to be many windows on the horizon. We are at least staying in FL until the new year before we cross. Maybe even wait till March.

[@SearchingforCShels]

We are in Stuart at Harborage Yacht Club

[@oh-brothers]

3208 engines aren't very repairable unfortunately.... Thanks for the update guys... I love every video you guys put out !!!

[@AquaCultured]

Love you guys! So happy to see you on the way to being back in order!

[@jeffburns9419]

Hey Guys. good to sEE you back. saw that you stayed at Dania Beach Marina. where we are. Take it you met Frank. we sold our Bayliner 4788 and bought Silverton 410 S B We come back for the winter first week of November if guy come by Dania. Sheldon. looks like you re doing great

[@SearchingforCShels]

Hi Jeff! Thanks. Yes, Frank was very good to us. Was your 4788 in the marina in April or did you already have the new boat? There were a few 4788s there. Thanks! I feel great! See you on the water.

[@derjaeger3321]

Ouch!!! But as you said that’s boating. On the other hand my in-laws just paid over 10 grand for a HVAC furnace/AC replacement. I had a friend who was into the “aquatic life” he noted boats are the personification of Murphy’s Law. However, BC is not a bad place do some R and R and from what I have watched a magnificent place for a cruise. Some of the other You Tubers sail there, and Tony Fleming’s videos of the area are amazing. I think it may be a unique change for you two to sail the Pacific North West. But it would be a wild adventure to get there via the “Tolly”. Best to you and good luck in whatever you choose. We enjoy vicariously sharing the adventures with you.

[@betty-loucreamer112]

I missed you guys ❤🇨🇦

[@snocrazee]

Told ya it was the head gasket. Cheers you two! Bret and Talyn....

[@SearchingforCShels]

lol

[@alstuckless8642]

Great video guys

[@filmrunt]

Missed you guys

[@FloridaYachtInsuranceGuy]

Glad yall are doing well and hope the boat gets back to normal...cheers!

[@cydexade]

Nice to hear from you guys!! Sorry for the problems you are countering, will cost a bit of money I'm afraid.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Yeah just a bit.

[@brianmason3941]

Meanwhile I’m watching this, Weather is calling for an Atmospheric River. My 550 horse Cummins ISX cost $68000. In Fort St. John, BC. Started with a head gasket blowing exhaust into the coolant. (Dropped liner). Three cheers for warranty. Im from Vancouver

[@jackmead6166]

WOW!!!! I guess everything comes down to piece of mind. You do not want to have any issues at sea or any issues in a foreign port. It is always more expensive in a foreign port. I so love your videos and so looking forward to the update on the engine and or any damage/dirt that is caused with the engine rebuild on the boat. What is on the horizon for the next year or two for a C-Shell ????? Thank you and Keep Safe !!!!!

[@ronmiller5452]

Wow chell We meet at the boat show last year 😟 Had the same on both 3208s Ron miller

[@SearchingforCShels]

Sorry to hear. You rebuilt both engines?

[@Sauson_Rashidi]

Nice work guys, Keep it up..

[@lkeil84]

Yes, the weather is great out there in the Summertime. My Father lived on San Juan Island for 5 years and it was our favorite summer destination. Seemed rather anal at the time that my surveyor was a real stickler for wanting aftertercooler maintenance records. Of the first 5 boats I had surveyed, not one of them could produce any kind of record of this or any cooling system maintenance. Most just thought that changing the oil was the only required maintenance. I also remember Sean that you met out there in the Silverton also had to have an engine rebuilt due to an aftercooler leak. Mine are off right now as well as the gear coolers, heat exchangers and fuel coolers all being cleaned and tested. Hope to see you in the Bahamas pretty soon. I will most likely get down to Stuart around the end of January at the latest.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Hello my friend! Yes hope to see you in the Bahamas as well. Glad to hear you are doing all this preventive maintenance. 👍

[@AdventuresonTour]

Vancouver is awesome.. In the summer, but I'm sure winter is better than what we get in Ontario

[@SearchingforCShels]

Depends, do you prefer your winter cold and sunny or grey and rainy.

[@rickmcknight37]

Well, glad you made it back for the repairs, but sorry it turned out to be a "tad" more than bargained for.......yup, B.O.A.T.,.........but looking forward to your next adventure......from an old boater....lol

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thanks Rick.

[@boattguyafloat]

Could have had you guys out out Tollycrafting while you were here! (and the cold wet season has officially begun... ) Good luck with the motor...

[@SearchingforCShels]

That would of been cool. Maybe next time. Thanks!

[@sophiecote9086]

Hi our boat is also in river forest. We will be there in November also. Maybe Claire’s crew will have the chance to meet CShell2 crew!

[@SearchingforCShels]

Maybe! That would be great.

[@brieneaton8578]

St. Catharines here. OUCH ! !

[@neelyrichard72]

Sorry to hear the bad news guys:( Hope you get back on the water. Asap

[@r52euphoria]

So sorry to hear about your engine, that’s quite a set back. Too bad we didn’t know that you were going to be in our neck of the woods this summer. We live aboard our 70’ Hatteras on Vancouver Island. Definitely would have taken you guys cruising around the islands. Let us know if you are going to bring your boat up this way, we have done the trip before and if you need crew, we’ll, just sayin.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thanks. That would have been fun. No plans to bring the boat over. I think we would buy one up there before bringing C-Shel II over.

[@aquaticthumb5193]

I want a poly craft because there dependable! He said. Ouch!

[@garrieparsons2265]

Could using head gasket sealer in your coolant repair cracker gaskets without a tare down ? Much the same as a car ? The solutions these days are awesome give you an extra 30.000 miles in a car it’s probably temporary then just fix the gasket at your leisure 😂.. just an idea . Happy sailing

[@SearchingforCShels]

I don’t think so. I’ve never heard of anyone doing that on a large diesel engine in a boat.

[@barryness7953]

You guys just replaced the head gaskets last year on that same motor and it blew again!!!!

[@SearchingforCShels]

No, that was the other engine, and it was 2 years ago. The head gaskets had never been replaced on this engine.

[@lorneserpa5888]

I have those same white folding lawn chairs. West marine? Comfortable...

[@SearchingforCShels]

No not west marine. These are slightly different than the WM ones. Got them at a Chandlery in Canada.

[@davidb.4094]

We’re right down from you in A4… “Purely By Chance”. Maybe we can catch up sometime.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Hey neighbour, We’re assuming A5 is empty right now? See you soon. 😉 We will be there after the storm passes.

[@davidb.4094]

@@SearchingforCShels hopefully our boat will still be there lol….. yikes

[@SearchingforCShels]

We hope as well! Are you here on the boat? Stay safe.

[@davidb.4094]

@@SearchingforCShels we’re home on the Chesapeake Bay, MD at the moment. Due back down in Stuart in a few weeks 👍

[@timmccutcheon7354]

Thanks for the update! Sorry about the rebuild. Could anything have predicted the problem? Could a pressure test have picked it up earlier?

[@SearchingforCShels]

We did a pressure test on the aftercooler before, maybe we didn't pressurize enough. We should have replaced the head gaskets when we first bought the boat. I always tell people with this engine or considering this engine that if there is no record of head gasket and head bolts replacement, to do it even if it seems it doesn't need it.

[@pokermongoes1447]

Glad you guys made it back to the USA. What's the name of the place you were staying? It looked like a very calm place.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thanks. Are you referring to the place in the Bahamas or in Stuart FL. In the Bahamas we were staying at Bimini Sands, in Stuart we stay at Safe Harbor Harborage Marina.

[@aquaticthumb5193]

It could be the wood elves attracted by the leprechaun ruining your plans.

[@robpowrie1215]

Best way to repair a 3208 is repower cummins or yanmar.3208 is a disposable engine sorry to say right up there with the 8 2 detroit truly enjoy all the videos safe travels.

[@SearchingforCShels]

That is also much more expensive. Wish we could have replaced with 2 new engines.

[@lyleclark9190]

3208 is no more disposable than a Cummins or Yanmar in that same class. Don't know about Yanmar but the Cummins is a parent bore engine just like the Cat and the 3208 has proven itself as a reliable powerplant in many applications.

[@FloridaYachtInsuranceGuy]

Slow trolling back from the bahamas...did yall drop a line and try any fishing on the way back?

[@SearchingforCShels]

No, we didn't. Our goal was to get across without mishap and to beat any afternoon thunderstorms on the ocean. Didn't want a fish catch to slow us down.

[@larnaca11]

Hi Guys, I recall you have Caterpillar 3208TA engines? I have the same, mine are 375 HP units. I am right in the middle of rebuilding both my engines including re-boring and sleeving the cylinders. As I live in Cyprus in the Med, we only have genuine Cat dealer parts here at silly prices. However I have sourced very good aftermarket parts from where you are in Florida. The complete rebuild kits come in much cheaper than the quote from the Cat dealer (as you would expect). Let me know if you need any advice on getting these rebuild / price comparison and what you may find when the pistons are taken out. I took suffered from a head gasket blown and decided to rebuild both engines at the same time

[@SearchingforCShels]

Yes we have the same engines as you do. Its fantastic you can take that on yourself. I wouldn't mind comparing costs, etc. Good luck with the rebuild. Keep us posted. Cheers!

[@TFred1776]

Have you guys considered removing and replacing the port fuel tank while the block is out?

[@SearchingforCShels]

Yes, considered it. An inspection of the tank reveals it is still in good shape. We didn't want to add that to the bill if we could avoid it.

[@TFred1776]

@@SearchingforCShels That's very good news👍Glad your back at it😎

[@caymanbiz4114]

what kind of anchor do you use for the dinghy?

[@SearchingforCShels]

We have a @MantusMarine small boat anchor. We love it!

[@caymanbiz4114]

@@SearchingforCShels Awesome, When I saw it set in that seagrass bed when you snorkeled by the airplane I was like WOOAH I need to know what kind of anchor that is!

[@skullhart]

Did you guys tip the Boat US captain?

[@SearchingforCShels]

Absolutely, we really appreciated his help, professionalism, and skill.

[@roger9453]

Did you notice any coolant in the oil before?

[@SearchingforCShels]

No, never.

[@roger9453]

@@SearchingforCShels Strange - well best of luck. Hope you get back out on the water soon!

[@peterseuffert3055]

piece of advice for the future. Never cross the Gulf Stream when the wind blows out of the north. You get what you get. Nothing very comfortable.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Yes good advice. We’ve always followed if there’s a northerly component to the wind we stay put. Sometimes though the forecasts are wrong and you just have to dip your bow out there to know for sure, with no fear of turning around and waiting for another day of it’s not as expected.

[@roydora]

Never saw any water in the oil ?

[@SearchingforCShels]

No never did. I check oil before every cruise or more.

[@imcurtispenner]

Does anyone have a cat or cats on their boat? We have a kitty and I’m concerned she wouldn’t be safe on a live-aboard. 😢

[@SearchingforCShels]

We know lots of cruisers with cats aboard.

[@walterjanzen4715]

How many hours on those Cat’s ?

[@SearchingforCShels]

3000

[@EDavis-iw4zc]

So those weren’t your cats?

[@SearchingforCShels]

lol, no, those were the strays that got attached to Cyndi during our stay.

[@Centurio2020]

Cat 3208 engine?

[@SearchingforCShels]

Yes, Cat 3208 TA 375hp.

[@HopeOfJoe]

Great episode guys ✌️ Bummer on the motor.....yet all should be good for a long time. 😊 ✨🌊💨🛥🏝👙🌞✨

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thanks! Fingers crossed.

[@HarryCane305]

Well then, NOW you'll know how much it costs to rebuild the other engine... chin up guys!

[@SearchingforCShels]

lol, yes, I guess.

[@billdomb]

we use Boat-US by subscription, and they would have come OUT to Bimini to tow us back for free.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Yes, they would have done that for us as well. We didn't feel we needed to since we have that one engine working fine.

[@bigblockcutlass123]

They better Flatten that head out before putting it back together. Watch my Dad Scrape one flat before on a 3208 cat. (Did not Blow again) I don't think they can be machined. When your last one went bad, That's what I was thinking, but you were not in the position to even have it check for flattens. Not the best engine.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Yes, they were flattened. BS Marine did it. Considered one of the best on the east coast.

[@TheShipsLogg]

Hey there! It's Capt. Frank. We did a jet ski trip from Ft. Lauderdale to Bimini in June. We were there for a week and we stayed at Bimini Cove! Check out the video on my channel if you get bored one day. LOL! I'm sure you were gone by the time we got there. I would have noticed your boat if you had still been there then. Glad to hear you made it back safely and good luck with the engine repair.

[@SearchingforCShels]

Hey Capt. Frank! So nice to hear from you. We just subbed to your channel and added your Bimini Video to our watch later list. Yes, we were gone by the time you got there. We left in April. Would have loved to meet you over there though. Maybe another time. Cheers friend!

[@markhancock6694]

Sorry to hear about the engine maintenance, but I kind of thought it was a head gasket. I wasnt aware about damage that could occur to the coolers though. I guess it's easier for the mechanics to simply remove the engine completely as I thought the rebuild could have been done on board. Will you be posting the actual cost of the rebuild in a future video? I'm just curious how bad it could be. Just remember (as my wife always says), "It could have been worse."

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thanks Mark, The damage the aftercooler caused was mainly because the head bolts had stretched and water could intrude (I think). Actually that engine can't be rebuilt in place. It is not a sleeved engine so it has to go to a machine shop. We will be posting the cost so people can compare and even potentially prepare for something like this. Cheers!

[@Anne6621]

yikes sorry to hear that about your engine problems , how many hours on the engines

[@SearchingforCShels]

Thanks. Engines have (had) 3000 hours.

[@wineo84]

Noooooo!!!! I feel your pain more than ever.. threw the rings on #6 cylinder on my port Volvo diesels in September.. currently waiting on the rebuilt to start 💸 💸 💸 no amount of money is going to stop us from getting back onto lake Atlantic though 🛥️

[@SearchingforCShels]

Hope you are all fixed up now and back onto “lake Atlantic”. 😎👍