Any information on Rodman or similar?

[Gordmac]

Sold my Levi Corsair and now need a replacement. Initial thoughts were Botnia Targa 27 or Nordstar 28 but they are scarce and expensive! A bit wary of outdrives but they give good fuel economy. I quite like the look of Rodmans, anyone run one that can comment on how easy they are to single hand and how hard on fuel they are?

Diesel is scarce about here and petrol non existent, a good range is therefore important. I use the boat on my own a lot so needs to be easy to use single handed. Wide side decks and cabin side doors seem a good idea for that.

Any ideas on anything else I should consider?

[Saintly Fish]

6 minutes ago, Gordmac said:

Sold my Levi Corsair and now need a replacement. Initial thoughts were Botnia Targa 27 or Nordstar 28 but they are scarce and expensive! A bit wary of outdrives but they give good fuel economy. I quite like the look of Rodmans, anyone run one that can comment on how easy they are to single hand and how hard on fuel they are?

Diesel is scarce about here and petrol non existent, a good range is therefore important. I use the boat on my own a lot so needs to be easy to use single handed. Wide side decks and cabin side doors seem a good idea for that.

Any ideas on anything else I should consider?

If youve not seen them look at the starfisher range. They are made in the same factory as the rodman. I own an ST840 with single 260hp Yanmar on shaft drive. It cruises nicely at 18 knots and tops out at 24knots with a clean bum. I take mine out single handed regularly and with my 9 year old son. Good quality double skinned boats. Mine weighs 4 ton and handles the sea brilliantly. 
They are not as common as the rodman (not that rodman’s are common), but are found cheaper because they are less known. 
Basically the same hull. 

[Andy135]

@Maverick and @TerryW both have Rodmans and can probably answer everything you need to know.

Tagging them so that they see this thread 👍

[Maverick]

2 hours ago, Saintly Fish said:

If youve not seen them look at the starfisher range. They are made in the same factory as the rodman. I own an ST840 with single 260hp Yanmar on shaft drive. It cruises nicely at 18 knots and tops out at 24knots with a clean bum. I take mine out single handed regularly and with my 9 year old son. Good quality double skinned boats. Mine weighs 4 ton and handles the sea brilliantly. 
They are not as common as the rodman (not that rodman’s are common), but are found cheaper because they are less known. 
Basically the same hull. 

Don't think they are made in the same factory i believe that they are owned by the same family in hte same town/area  but the family members don't get on at least that is what I heard.  All that said they are very similar in design and both good sea boats.

[Maverick]

I have the Rodman 870 fly with twin Volvo D3 170hp engines.  Twin engines make the boat very maneuverable.  At 5.5 tons without fluids and accumulated crap she is well planted in the sea.  I keep a fuel log which shows an average burn of 15.5 litres per hour however that includes time drifting, slow cruising and of course ordinary cruising.  I am guessing that cruising at 20 knots she would use close to 40 litres per hour.  Top speed clean is 26 knots.  If I were to buy another it would be without flybridge as although nice there is only room for 2 peeps so not very social hence it rarely gets used.  Also the high airdraft means she does suffer a little more windage than those without flybridge.

Of the boats you have mentioned I would jump at the Botnia Targa 27 even though it has outdrives which means what you save on fuel but you will spend it on maintenance/repairs

Edited December 3, 2020 by Maverick

[Saintly Fish]

If you can find one of these for sale (not sure if this one is) then you can’t go far wrong. All the power and economy of out drives but without the outdrives. excellent build quality too. 
 

https://boats.waa2.com/detail?id=ebc2899a1e7f5e74c60ff356c5c42cc6&q=viking marin 285

[Gordmac]

Thanks for the replies.

The Starfisher looks very similar to the Rodman 800/870. Only one fixed bed but at least looks like you can sit on the edge of it and put your socks on! Would need a 940 to be sociable enough to take friends away for a day or two. Is the bed made up with the table big enough for adults? Does the Starfisher have a decent fuel tank size?

Maverick, fuel consumption figures useful, thanks. Does she get blown about badly? With the Corsair it was sometimes difficult to get from the wheel to a rope to attach to a pontoon before the bow blew round too much. The Rodman is heavy with a bit more in the water so hopefully not so bad. That is where I think the side doors would be useful. I quite like the flybridge idea, on my friend's BT35 it is a pleasant place to be on a nice day. 

The Viking Martin 285 is something I have noticed before, very rare though. Runs vee drives? Hard to find out about them but does look interesting.

[Saintly Fish]

10 minutes ago, Gordmac said:

Is the bed made up with the table big enough for adults? Does the Starfisher have a decent fuel tank size?

The bed in the saloon is more suited to a couple of kids. I can sleep on it single and I’m 5.11”, but two adults would be pushing it. 
I have two 200ltr diesel tanks. 

[Maverick]

The main bed on the 870 is super comfortable for 2 adults but saloon bed is ok for 1 adult if you sleep on an angle across the bed so similar to the starfisher.

Although affected by windage it isn't overly bad.  As you are probably aware there is no side door, would be useful but not an issue, the side decks are wide and safe.

Fuel tank on the Rodman is 450 litres (another half a ton of weight)

[Saintly Fish]

7 hours ago, Gordmac said:

Runs vee drives

Yes it does. So all the power and fuel consumption of an out drive without the maintenance of the legs. But, as you say, they are rarer than rocking horse shit. I was on the look out for one before I got my starfisher, but gave up after just missing out on one in Wales. 

[TerryW]

On 12/2/2020 at 10:26 AM, Gordmac said:

Sold my Levi Corsair and now need a replacement. Initial thoughts were Botnia Targa 27 or Nordstar 28 but they are scarce and expensive! A bit wary of outdrives but they give good fuel economy. I quite like the look of Rodmans, anyone run one that can comment on how easy they are to single hand and how hard on fuel they are?

Diesel is scarce about here and petrol non existent, a good range is therefore important. I use the boat on my own a lot so needs to be easy to use single handed. Wide side decks and cabin side doors seem a good idea for that.

Any ideas on anything else I should consider?

I have only had my 2008 Rodman810 for about 5 weeks but I'll tell you what I know.  History: I ran a Bayliner 2452 (petrol V8 5.7 engine and outdrive) before the Rodman.  Had it for about 16 years. Always used it single handed. The v8 engine, batteries and outdrive are all hanging on the transom so steering is very, very odd. It wanders big time and is an absolute pig to dock. Took me 5 years to finally master it.

I find the Rodman is far, far easier to handle single handed. Mine has a single engine, single prop, shaft drive layout. Without steering input it goes in a straight line!  Fantastic.  Not had that experience for the last 16 years.

Docking with the bow thruster isn't difficult even for a beginner like me. It is my first time with a shaft drive.  There are differences in docking techniques. The Rodman810 is quite beamy and has a lot of freeboard. However, it is very manageable and ponderous when docking. Nice. The electronic gear shift  is a pleasure once you get used to the slight delay. I don't miss the hit or miss affair associated with cable change. At docking speeds there is virtually no response to the helm hence the reliance on the bow thruster. Scary at first. 

The driving position makes the boat seem far smaller than its true 28 feet. You can see all four corners which gives enormous confidence single handed. All round visibility is fabulous.

The windlass makes short work of single handed anchoring. The heater is fabulous. Electrics are comparatively well layout out except for the electrical switches that are next to the driver's right shin where you can't read the labels (how odd is that?).

Fuel consumption seems quite light but I can't give a true figure as mine doesn't yet have "fuel economy" as a displayable item on the Raymarine electronics or the Volvo Electronic Vehicle System (Volvo's drive-by-wire stuff).  I plumbed my 2452 to a Navman MFD to show instantaneous fuel consumption and fuel flow. I reliably got 1.8 to  2.3 Litres per Nautical mile cruising at 22 Kn (depending on hull state). I am guessing that the Rodman is about a third less thirsty with its D4-225 engine even though it is a much heavier boat with a less powerful engine. It cruises between 16Kn to 18Kn. Far more relaxed than the Bayliner but a lot slower. It feels like a much slipperier hull form from the way it reacts to throttle input although that might be the D4's torquiness. 

I hope that helps.

Terry

PS Sleeping quarters are quite spacious for two plus there is a huge area under the deck that can be sleeping quarters one more person or used for storage. The head is small but excellent. 

 

Edited December 3, 2020 by TerryW

[Geoff]

Nice read, that really does sound like a brilliant boat. Geoff,

[TerryW]

8 minutes ago, Geoff said:

Nice read, that really does sound like a brilliant boat. Geoff,

I am loving it. It is a real revelation after my old tub. And, a steep learning curve.

[Saintly Fish]

8 hours ago, TerryW said:

there is a huge area under the deck that can be sleeping quarters one more person or used for storage

This area would make a great sleeping space for a child. That’s where we were going to put our son. The electronics needed a curtain though to hide them away from curious fingers. 

[Gordmac]

That was very interesting Terry, thanks.

That is better economy than I would have expected from a V8. 

The 810 is a bit smaller than the 800/870 I think. From looking at pictures the bed fills the forward cabin, is this so? I like to be able to sit on the side of the bed and put my socks on! I take it the space you are talking about for a berth is storage below a deck hatch? Is there any portholes letting in light?

 

[TerryW]

On 12/4/2020 at 10:39 AM, Gordmac said:

That was very interesting Terry, thanks.

That is better economy than I would have expected from a V8. 

The 810 is a bit smaller than the 800/870 I think. From looking at pictures the bed fills the forward cabin, is this so? I like to be able to sit on the side of the bed and put my socks on! I take it the space you are talking about for a berth is storage below a deck hatch? Is there any portholes letting in light?

 

My old 5.7 V8 has #903 heads (improved marine heads and an Edelbrock carb). I had to dive under the boat twice a year in the Summer to scrub it clean. Great exercise in the warm IOW waters (Osborne Bay). I miss its speed now but glad of better fuel consumption.

[TerryW]

On 12/4/2020 at 10:39 AM, Gordmac said:

That was very interesting Terry, thanks.

That is better economy than I would have expected from a V8. 

The 810 is a bit smaller than the 800/870 I think. From looking at pictures the bed fills the forward cabin, is this so? I like to be able to sit on the side of the bed and put my socks on! I take it the space you are talking about for a berth is storage below a deck hatch? Is there any portholes letting in light?

 

There is a cut away so that you can get into the head with the centre section down as per the left hand shot. So, you can swing round and hoist those socks on and wrest the foot on the bottom of the stairs. They think of everything these Spanish.

[jonnyswamp]

8 hours ago, TerryW said:

My old 5.7 V8 has #903 heads (improved marine heads and an Edelbrock carb). I had to dive under the boat twice a year in the Summer to scrub it clean. Great exercise in the warm IOW waters (Osborne Bay). I miss its speed now but glad of better fuel consumption.

Were you on a Bayliner forum a few yrs back with engine problems (head trouble ?)

I think it may have been you I offered a set of heads to, gratis ?

[Gordmac]

Thanks Terry.

[TerryW]

On 12/7/2020 at 6:47 PM, jonnyswamp said:

Were you on a Bayliner forum a few yrs back with engine problems (head trouble ?)

I think it may have been you I offered a set of heads to, gratis ?

That was me. 2012 ish. Had a new GM engine from repower Marine in the west country. The flaming heads were faulty. No effective warantee. Guilt forced Repower to serll me new heads at cost. I fitted them and the engine was fantastic ever since. cost me about £500 on top of a new engine at £3500.  Still not too bad for 260HP of marine power. Has been dead reliable ever since. The boat is for sale in Ideal Boats if anyone fancies it.

This is the new V8 lump going in.

[Saintly Fish]

8 hours ago, TerryW said:

That was me. 2012 ish. Had a new GM engine from repower Marine in the west country. The flaming heads were faulty. No effective warantee. Guilt forced Repower to serll me new heads at cost. I fitted them and the engine was fantastic ever since. cost me about £500 on top of a new engine at £3500.  Still not too bad for 260HP of marine power. Has been dead reliable ever since. The boat is for sale in Ideal Boats if anyone fancies it.

This is the new V8 lump going in.

Bet that was a drinker of fuel Terry?

[TerryW]

17 hours ago, Saintly Fish said:

Bet that was a drinker of fuel Terry?

Got a Navman 8120 with fuel monitor attached. It was returning (clean bum) 1.8 Litres/NM to about 2.3 Litres/NM (worst case).  Not bad for this type of boat at cruising speeds of 22Kn. Could get better economy at 6-8 Kn (hull speed) and much worse at 14Kn (half up on the plane). Not much point complaining about the cost of fuel though. It is all tax.

Edited December 9, 2020 by TerryW

[Saintly Fish]

7 hours ago, TerryW said:

Got a Navman 8120 with fuel monitor attached. It was returning (clean bum) 1.8 Litres/NM to about 2.3 Litres/NM (worst case).  Not bad for this type of boat at cruising speeds of 22Kn. Could get better economy at 6-8 Kn (hull speed) and much worse at 14Kn (half up on the plane). Not much point complaining about the cost of fuel though. It is all tax.

Well yes that’s very true. And to be honest if we worried about the cost of fuel we wouldn’t own boats. 

[Gordmac]

Any thoughts on a Rodman 940?

[Maverick]

Yep I'd like one