[DoctorM]

Hi All,

I'm looking at a Tiara 42 Open with 1600 hrs on Cummings QSM 11 675 hp engines. Boat looks pristine, all service records available. 

Any one out there have experience with this set-up ? If so, feel free to share your experience.

Greatly appreciate your advice & thoughts !

DrM

[HNS1]

I’ve had Cummins QSB and QSC diesels. You can’t go wrong with Cummins. Keep your oil changed, zincs and routine maintenance and you’ll be happy…

[DoctorM]

Hi HNS1 - Thanks ! I'm super fastidious about engine maintenance & the engine room in general. On my 1987 Bertram 42 Convertible (restored) you could eat sushi off the engine room floor !

DrM

[jclark003]

As with any boat purchase get a good marine surveyor, ideally one who knows Tiara’s and a good engine tech to check out the mechanicals. The QSM-11 is a very good engine if run and maintained properly. It has a dry exhaust manifold that can warp if the engine is run hard and or overloaded/over-propped. Most engine techs familiar with Cummins know this and will have that as one of the things to check.
The 42 is a great boat. I looked to buy one last summer but couldn’t find anything decent. Hope it works out for you.

[hiccup]

With a dry turbo & manifold, the QSM engines are nothing like the QSB and QSCs. They can be very temperamental and extremely sensitive to being run too hard. Find a Cummins mechanic who is familiar with these engines and have him perform a full survey of the engines including sea trial. Carefully review fuel burn at various RPMs and confirm the engines are not being run in an overloaded condition. When propped correctly, that is a good setup, but very often they are over-propped.

As for the boat itself, moisture in the hull sides coring is the biggest watch out. Ask your surveyor what he knows about that potential problem and how he would plan to check for it. If he doesn't use a moisture meter and/or a FLIR camera, go to the next guy. Moisture meters can be tricky to use but they are necessary--unless he has a FLIR which is more unusual but can be effective. Best is to use both.

Don't mean to scare you off as they are great boats, but this is the info you need to hear! Good luck!

[DoctorM]

Hi Captain Hiccup - many thanks ! Consistent insights from several sources now so I'll be on top of those issues if I move to offer & survey.

Thanks,
DrM