Goombay Lounge

The Goombay Lounge is a 40 foot performance cruiser manufactured by Formula in 2004. A pair of turbocharged Yanmar diesel engines provide 880 horsepower to push the Goombay over 30 knots. There's ample space to sleep six comfortably, barbeque in the evening, and carry a 1,000 pound jetski on the swim platform. I purchased the Goombay as an investment, restored it to ship shape, and sold it after a few weekends of fun.

Jump to: Work, Heat Shrink, Heat Exchanger, Cabinet Restoration, The Result, Play

Work

As found, the Goombay hull and engines were in good condition, but there was a long list of odds and ends to take care of. The first job was to solder an emergency bilge pump at midnight during a blizzard. The second was to add some lines to keep the increasing wind from tearing her from the dock and sending her across the harbor. There was a lot of work left to do, but none of it would be as cold as that first night.

Unlike many "project boats", the work was straightforward thanks to the high build quality from the Formula factory and thanks to the durable nature of the Yanmar diesels. Here's a partial list of the work done:

Overhaul fresh water system
Adjust water pump
Replace fittings throughout cabin and bilge
Repalce city water regulator
Remove fouled heat exchanger
Ramrod bores free of debris
Acid flush and reinstall
Change 6 gallons of oil per engine
Change transmission oil
Change coolant fluid
Replace oil pressure sender
Tighten fan belts
Adjust cutoff solenoid
Replace batteries
Fuel filter replacement
Fuel rail bleed
Replace generator water pump
Adjust deck hardware
Heat shrink

Steering hydraulic bleed
Fix leaking rudder posts
Replace bow thruster solenoid
Replace head pump valves and bellows
Outhaul
remove marine biofoul
bottom paint and zincs
Body work, scratch repair
Reupholster deck cusions
Repair cherry veneer on cabinetry
Repair refrigerator
Replace hatch pistons
Replace CO detector & lighting
Diagnose tachometer pulse timing
Replace water heater
Replace hatch latch
Cleaning, cleaning, and cleaning
Wax & Buff
Diagnose & repair engine wiring harness
Repair damaged interior vinyl

Heat Shrink

John lent his row boat, his hands, and his daring balance to the job of heat shrinking the Goombay. The row boat isn't very stable, so we had to coordinate our turns standing up to keep from tipping over into the near-freezing water.

Heat Exchanger

The starboard engine ran warm, so I inspected the heat exchanger. It was biofouled and had impellor bits sucked into the tubes. Each tube is about a quarter inch diameter and has to be cleared out with a ramrod (welding rod or 22 cal rifle rod can work). A homebrew acid mix flushed out what was left. If you do this, be careful to not let any pinholes develop between the thin-walled tubes separating the fresh and salt water!

Restoring Cabinetry

Packages of superglue come with the warning "bonds skin instantly". I had never taken that warning very seriously before I worked on these cabinets, but I'll never ignore it again. Some creative use of rubber cement, rollers, filler, and polish brought the severely cracked veneer back to like-new condition.

The Rest of the Job

Fixing stuff, meeting people, solving mysteries, enjoying views, and taking some pictures along the way...