Exciting and potentially expensive day yesterday ( drivetrain & window)

[SycloneDriver]

It was a nice windy day yesterday, so the wife and I decided to cook lunch dockside and then sail. Lunch was awesome. We cleaned up and I started the motor for about 2 minuets and backed out of the slip. I noticed that the exhaust didn't sound right, I forgot to turn on the engine cooling water. I shut down the motor and turned the water on. After restarting, the exhaust again had water coming out. We motored out and set sail.

After sailing for several hours we motored out of a long narrow creek. Everything seemed normal until a few minutes after I applied full power. I started hearing a low screeching noise. At first I though it was the wind whistling through the rig but it wasn't. I traced the noise to the dripless packing on the propshaft. I could push on it and the noise would change. Upon closer inspection I realized the raw water system feeds water to the dripless packing and likely to the cutlass bearing. On this boat the prop shaft exits the back of the keel, IIRC. I've never actually seen it and we have only had the boat about a year. In seven year of sailing an inboard this is the first time I've forgot to turn the cooling water on. The motor never did seem/feel "hot" but I faintly could smell hot oil/paint. Hopefully a new impeller will solve this. Anyone ever have experience with noise from the dripless packing or cutlass bearing?

We sailed back most of the way to the dock, not without some level of excitement. One jib sheet came untied from the sail at an inopportune time.

Back at the dock I found the window on the port side has a large crack in it. I'm sure that will be expensive. For now it has a piece of tape on it. I'm not looking forward to fixing this. Suggestions?

Looks like I'll have plenty to do next weekend!

 

[SycloneDriver]

If you look closely you can see the large crack in the window. I think the extreme cold temperatures that we had last month may have had something to do with that.

I sure will be glad when the water clears up.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

In seven year of sailing an inboard this is the first time I've forgot to turn the cooling water on.

See #3 to avoid raw water flow problems.

Value of raw water pressure warning

Comments appreciated. I'm considering adding a water pressure switch at the outlet of the raw water pump. My desire is to be warned if pump fails, inlet clogs or lack of water flow before the engine over temp light comes on. Would slightly less than 15 psi be the normal water pressure on a...

forums.sailboatowners.com

 

[dlochner]

It was a nice windy day yesterday, so the wife and I decided to cook lunch dockside and then sail. Lunch was awesome. We cleaned up and I started the motor for about 2 minuets and backed out of the slip. I noticed that the exhaust didn't sound right, I forgot to turn on the engine cooling water. I shut down the motor and turned the water on. After restarting, the exhaust again had water coming out. We motored out and set sail.

After sailing for several hours we motored out of a long narrow creek. Everything seemed normal until a few minutes after I applied full power. I started hearing a low screeching noise. At first I though it was the wind whistling through the rig but it wasn't. I traced the noise to the dripless packing on the propshaft. I could push on it and the noise would change. Upon closer inspection I realized the raw water system feeds water to the dripless packing and likely to the cutlass bearing. On this boat the prop shaft exits the back of the keel, IIRC. I've never actually seen it and we have only had the boat about a year. In seven year of sailing an inboard this is the first time I've forgot to turn the cooling water on. The motor never did seem/feel "hot" but I faintly could smell hot oil/paint. Hopefully a new impeller will solve this. Anyone ever have experience with noise from the dripless packing or cutlass bearing?

We sailed back most of the way to the dock, not without some level of excitement. One jib sheet came untied from the sail at an inopportune time.

Back at the dock I found the window on the port side has a large crack in it. I'm sure that will be expensive. For now it has a piece of tape on it. I'm not looking forward to fixing this. Suggestions?

Looks like I'll have plenty to do next weekend!

Another exciting day on the water! Yahoo!

Not as expensive as you might think.

Check the raw water impeller, running dry may have hurt it. It will probably take some boat Yoga and you might just as well replace the impeller while you're there, it will need replacing some time in the future, tomorrow is a good day.

The cracked port light is only modestly expensive depending on where you get the replacement acrylic. It can be a messy job, but many many sailors have replaced them. See the video below.

If you don't close the seacock, you won't have to worry about not opening it.

 

[SycloneDriver]

See #3 to avoid raw water flow problems.

Value of raw water pressure warning

Comments appreciated. I'm considering adding a water pressure switch at the outlet of the raw water pump. My desire is to be warned if pump fails, inlet clogs or lack of water flow before the engine over temp light comes on. Would slightly less than 15 psi be the normal water pressure on a...

forums.sailboatowners.com

I like gauges and electronic warnings, but sometimes the added complexity adds too many failure points. I think I'll start with a "preflight check list". A friend of mine has been telling me to do this for years, he was right.

 

[jssailem]

Start engine procedure

1. Open raw water valve for engine cooling
2. check fuel in tank and fuel system open
3. check batteries for power to start engine
4. Check transmission is in Neutral
5. Start glow plug or start engine depending on systems
6. Immediately check exhaust for water flow. If none Opps. Open raw water valve
7. Check again exhaust. If good go sailing If bad shut down engine immediately and find out why no water in exhaust

A simple check list avoids costly repairs.

 

[SycloneDriver]

Another exciting day on the water! Yahoo!

Not as expensive as you might think.

Check the raw water impeller, running dry may have hurt it. It will probably take some boat Yoga and you might just as well replace the impeller while you're there, it will need replacing some time in the future, tomorrow is a good day.

The cracked port light is only modestly expensive depending on where you get the replacement acrylic. It can be a messy job, but many many sailors have replaced them. See the video below.

If you don't close the seacock, you won't have to worry about not opening it.

Thanks for the video.

I don't usually close the valve on this boat, it's not easy to get too as the old boat. We've had some crazy cold (-18F) weather lately and I was being cautious.

The impeller is easy to change, did it 6 months ago. I still need to find/remove one missing vane, probably more now. I have two spare impellers, but not for long.

 

[SycloneDriver]

On the old boat the first thing I did upon entering the boat was turn on the batteries and and open the valves. This boat is a little different and I got distracted cooking lunch. It would have been better to take the wife out for lunch but I get tired of that and I like cooking on the boat.

When I start the engine I normally do check the exhaust for water flow. Everything just went a little sideways yesterday.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

When I start the engine I normally do check the exhaust for water flow. Everything just went a little sideways yesterday.

And all the rest of the distractions every time you visit the boat:

- the babe next door with the super short shorts,

- the mob of kids on the other side of your boat,

- the huge octopus climbing onto the guy's boat across from you

- the power boater who almost hit you as he was roaring by

And all of the other things that distract you and upset your routine. I finally gave up and installed a flow switch with alarm. It detects the root of the problem ...... no water. Wait for the temperature gauge to go up, probably toasted the impeller.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Some sailors hang their ignition key on their freshwater thru hull lever so they can't forget.

 

[JamesG161]

You can seal the window crack too, with white goop.

Then you have a reminder to open your engine raw water valve.

Jim...

 

[HMT2]

Some sailors hang their ignition key on their freshwater thru hull lever so they can't forget.

That’s me!

 

[SycloneDriver]

Some sailors hang their ignition key on their freshwater thru hull lever so they can't forget.

It's not a bad idea. I probably won't close it except when I'm working on something or in the winter. I can live with that.

I still need to make a check list. I find that I forget too many things when I head home. This time I'm sure I mistakenly turned the fridge off when I didn't have my readers on. On my old boat I wired the fridge directly to the battery along with the bilge pump.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Then you have a reminder to open your engine raw water valve.

Brilliant ! Why didn't I think of something like that ?

Maybe $100.00 for the flow switch. $0.00 to bust a window and slop it up it with whatever white goop I could find. Never again forget to open the cooling raw water thru hull.

 

[SycloneDriver]

Brilliant ! Why didn't I think of something like that ?

Maybe $100.00 for the flow switch. $0.00 to bust a window and slop it up it with whatever white goop I could find. Never again forget to open the cooling raw water thru hull.

I'm just gonna use some nice wide black tape on the window, at lease for a while.

 

[dLj]

I'm just gonna use some nice wide black tape on the window, at lease for a while.

I've found that Gorilla tape works well for a solid season does leave a nasty residue... Pretty water proof on top of it....

dj

 

[SycloneDriver]

I've found that Gorilla tape works well for a solid season does leave a nasty residue... Pretty water proof on top of it....

dj

I may give that a try. Thanks

I'm also thinking about cutting the other window in about the same spot. I would rather pick the location than just leave it to chance. Seems cracking of long acrylic windows is common or maybe they the adhesive loose, I can't remember exactly but they are problematic due to differing expansion rates.

 

[jssailem]

Gorilla tape makes a clear tape that might work.

 

[WayneH]

When we first got our boat, the Admiral created a startup/shutdown checklist. It got laminated and had a hole punched in one corner. When we got to the boat, we would remove the companionway lock and lock it to the checklist. Check the list to make sure everything was done then go sailing. Get back and check the list before locking the companionway.

After a couple of years, we got rid of the checklist. Which led to some interesting events like steering the boat while the Admiral removed the dodger cover. Oops.

 

[SycloneDriver]

I know I'm not the first guy to forget something important on boat, but this is really going to eat at me until I figure out if a new impeller solves the driveshaft noise. Who would think the two could be related.