(Above) Port engine. (Below) Starboard engine.
Red: Dipstick. Green: Oil Fill Cap. Blue: Emergency stop button.
4J: Engine & Transmissions
4J1: General Discussion
The main engines on the boat are two Caterpillar 3208N Diesels, each producing a maximum of
210 horsepower. These extraordinarily-reliable, rugged machines are the top-of-the-line, and can be
expected to give you trouble-free, economical cruising.
The engines are controlled at the lower helm with circuit breaker switches and start & stop
buttons; at the upper helm there are stop and start buttons for emergencies.
On engine start, no long warm-up is required! Simply start the engines just before
you leave the dock to begin in-harbor maneuvering.
Do not run the engines over 1400 RPM until the temperature gauge reads at least 140
degrees Fahrenheit.
Do not run the engines for long periods with the transmission in neutral, with no
load.
Engine gauges are in two clusters of five (one cluster for each engine, port and starboard) at
each helm. Each cluster has engine oil pressure; engine temperature; tachometer; battery amperage;
and engine hours
.
4J2: Checking the Engines
The engines require a regular, daily check,
since once underway, you will probably not
check them while in use, tucked away as they
are in the engine room. Please perform this
check each morning (when the engine room is
cool!):
Check the Oil
The oil level should be between the two marks
on the dipstick. The dipsticks are located on inboard
side of each engine, toward the forward end of the
engine itself, and the stick “pulls out“ upward. Use a paper
towel from the roll on the forward bulkhead, wipe the stick,
reinsert, guiding the stick with the towel to keep from bending it,
and take reading.
The distance between the two marks is about 1.5
quarts. Add only enough oil to bring it up above the “add“
mark, say a quart, using the oil provided on the boat. (If you
need more oil, buy it! We will reimburse you.) The oil fill on
each engine is a T-handled stopper cap in the top of one valve
cover on each engine. Loosen the T handle by turning it one or
Section 4J: Engines & Transmissions 4.23
