Trojan Diet - How to cut some weight?

[rossjo]

I would like to share some ideas on saving weight on the Trojan F series boats.

I have a 1974 F32 w/ Cummins 6BTA diesels, and would really like to knock off 500-1,000 lbs.

I'm considering removing my generator (use shore power @ dock, solar panels at anchor on trips and inverter underway), lexan windows, lighter interior floors, aluminum tanks, lighter mufflers, etc.

I've already removed my interior doors (much roomier - use a "drape" for the head), have Fortress FX23 main and spare anchors, have reduced my spare parts from being a storage area to being what I need for redundancy/safety.

What have others done - and what other ideas do you have?

[Peter]

Have a Trojan F36. Certainly no expert, it's the only large boat I have owned. [3 years] boat on Lake Erie, have gotten caught once or twice in exciting weather. Besides the obvious, saving fuel, why do you want to lighten up? [Didn't someone once say on this message board - fuel prices who cares?]

[jav]

Peter,

I would presume the diet would be for the sake of efficiency. Wether it be more speed for the same power and consumption or less power and consumption for the same speed.

Nice to see some activity over hear... tell us what you think of your F-36.

[rossjo]

Lightening for efficiency, speed, handling, etc.

[RWS]

Run around with a half tank of fuel instead and save your valuable time. Don't destroy the vessel's value by stripping her down. In my opinion the few hundred pounds you could save isn't worth your time. 100 gallons of fuel weighs between 700-800 lbs.

RWS

[rossjo]

Right! - Running 150miles round trip for a day offshore with 1/2 tanks is brilliant!

I'll leave my rods and gear at home too! One rod is enough - for the right fish. Who needs bait? Why fill the freshwater tank for a washdown? What the heck - why not leave the dock before my crew arrives - they're too heavy!

Thanks for the tip!

[RWS]

Using a chainsaw you could remove some significant weight and cut down on windage as well. Any sacrifice to stregnth could be buttressed with some 2x4's or in the best interests of saving weight some aluminum angle could be utilized instead to handle the weaknesses created when you remove the integral structure of the vessel from the way it was originally engineered.

All kidding aside, I'm imagining that with the exception of the genset any significant decrease in weight is going to cause a change to the vessel's design and value, unless of course yoiu're thinking about a '90's Dusky style, spartan vessel.

Trojan claims that my 10 Meter should weigh 12,000 lbs dry.

Here's something to consider

Interestingly enough, after changing out those big blocks to the lighter Yanmars and a lighter diesel genset, she weighed in at 16,000 lbs. (travelift) The only thing we could attribute the difference to is the extra sound insulation we added (unbelievably heavy) plus all the options that probably were not on the stripped down boat the factory weighed. Genset, water heater, HVAC, microwave, fridge, icemaker, L-bench seat, front seats W/storage underneath, wetbar, sink, rear bench seat extra battery, spare shaft, anchors & windlass all contributed a significant difference compared to a stripped down base boat.

Unfortunately we used the 12,000 number when we set up the first set of props. Now I have a nice set of spares !

RWS

[willietrojan]

You said in one posting that you could not handle riding in your F32
for more than 20 miles .

[ronski]

I have a 11 meter express crusier. It states on the owner manuel that it weight,s 16,800 pounds. I found out that the true dry weight is 22,000 pounds. This was in a dealer's manuel on the same boat. I like the weight it seem's to make the boat handel better in rough sea's . Look at your Magnum forty footer. This boat is best known for handling bad seas.It's dry weight is 28,000 pounds

[JuiceClark]

When I replaced the old 440s with new 502s the boat lifted up about 1/2 inch at the waterline! That must have lighted the load at least 600 pounds.

I would never sleep on the boat with the generator running...freaks me out on a gas boat. So, I threw it in the trash. Best thing I did. That old Onan must have weighed 1000 pounds with the galvanized gas tank with and exhaust, etc...had some pros fill the old exhaust hole in the hull.

Then I replaced all the galvanized fuel tanks with one big aluminum 350 gallon under the cockpit. The engine room is huge without those side tanks...can walk all the way around the engines for service. Losing those tanks lost another 500 pounds at least.
But! that made the boat bow heavy. That's why the new fuel tank is under the cockpit...seems weighted perfectly now. Any variance because of fuel level is easily compensated by the trim tabs.

I keep a 2kw Honda Generator (46 pounds) in a cabinet in case we have an emergency power need at sea. I have another at home that I'll bring and pair with the other if we want to run the air campin' out...4kw is enough for the front a/c. I just set them on the dive platform, plug in the shore power and go to bed.

Tony in Fort Myers, FL

[rossjo]

Some good input here. I have my tanks inthe back, no saddles. Balances the heaveir Cummmins diesles nicely.

I really do think I'll pull out the genset. Its a 1 cylinder Onan diesle, and weighs a lot! I don;t need it at the dock,as I;m onshore pwoer, and use solar for cruising. Its only use is for AC while cruising on very host days. Nice, but not necessary.

That and a monhtly bottom cleaning. How often do you have to clean bottoms up north? We have a lot of growth whenthe water is over 70, but its about 58 now ... so I'll get it cleaned once more for the winter.