Operating instructions

Port engine. Oil dipstick (blue arrow) and oil fill (red arrow).
Starboard engine dipstick (fill is on valve
cover aft end.)
Starboard engine’s Coolant Tank
4J: Engine & Transmissions
4J1: General Discussion
The main engines on the boat are Caterpillar
3208-T Diesels producing a maximum of 320
horsepower each. These extraordinarily-reliable,
rugged machines are top-of-the-line, and can be
expected to give you trouble-free, economical
cruising.
Each engine is controlled at the lower helm
DC Panel with a stop breaker (common to both
engines), its own power breaker, and its start and
stop buttons; the engine's instruments are on the
helm panels at both helms.
On engine start, no long warm-up is required! Three or four minutes is
sufficient at idle, then load the engine by putting its transmission in gear.
Do not run it over 1400 RPM until the temperature gauge reads at least 140
degrees Fahrenheit.
Do not run the engine for long periods with the transmission in neutral,
with no load!
4J2: Checking the Engine
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 located on the inboard forward side of each engine. The
stick "pulls out" upward. Use a paper towel from the roll
provided, wipe the stick, reinsert, and take reading; since the
dipsticks are quite long, handle them carefully, guiding them so
they are not bent! 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. The oil fill
on each engine is a T-handle cap on the inboard valve covers.
Unscrew the T-handle a few turns, then pull the cap up. Be
sure to secure the caps when re-installing by moderately
tightening their t handles!
If oil is required often, check under the engine carefully to be sure there is no oil leak, and if
there is, have it corrected promptly.
Section 4J: Engines & Transmissions 4.23