Image: Last Dance anchored in Waterfall Cove, Tennessee River.
Last Dance is powered by a pair of 135 hp Perkins diesels. They were installed in 1995, replacing the original 1976 130 hp Perkins. The port engine carries a 100 amp externally regulated alternator charging the house bank of batteries. A Balmar regulator provides proper 3-stage charging. A spare externally regulated alternator is aboard in the spares collection.
The starboard Perkins carries a 60 amp internally regulated alternator charging the starting battery bank. A spare is aboard. It also carries the hydraulic pump that powers the stabilizers. There are about 4500 hours on the main engines.
Custom made stainless steel exhaust elbows/mixers were fabricated for Last Dance.
The original cast iron elbows suffer from rust caused by hot salt water running over the cast iron. The rust can clog the water passages eventually causing the engines to overheat. Eventually, the walls of the cast iron elbows will rust through. The stainless steel elbows do not suffer these maladies.
And, the stainless steel elbows just look better. The new elbows are just one example of quality parts being used to maintain and improve the function and reliability of the vessel.
An 8 kw Westerbeke generator provides the 120v electrical power when at anchor. Westerbeke is a well-known generator in the marine environment, with many boat yards having parts in stock and mechanics practiced on that unit. The generator has just over 1000 hours of run time.
Borg Warner Transmissions have been recently rebuilt, the starboard in 2016 and the port in 2019, by Transmission Marine in Ft. Lauderdale, the premier rebuilder of Borg Warners.
Heating and air conditioning are provided by two 16,000 btu Crusair split systems, with the compressors located in the engine room and air handlers in each of the berths. Having the compressors in the engine room reduces the noise level in the living areas of the boat.
