WATER FOUND DURING OIL CHANGE OF DIESEL

[John]

Hi,  I'm thinking of buying a 1985 Catalina 30 with a Yanmar deisel. There was a check off sheet in the boat from last year. The sheet said that there was water in the oil when the oil was changed. There is water in the boat from a leaky window? The mechanic thought the bearings would be the first to go but there's no way to check this without pulling the engine at high expense. I'm worried about the reliability of the engine. The motor has about 650 hours, but the boat has been generally neglected the past few years. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Ron]

head gasket ?

Last time I found water in the oil on a previous boat, the head gasket had blown from improper winterization (before I owned it). I had on-going problems with that engine that were never solved from the original damage. I agree.......find another boat

 

[mortyd]

water found

john, i didn't mean to make a flip remark. after a long search and looking at a number of catalina 30's, we bought a boat that seemed to have been loved. the survey showed a bad alternator, small blisters on the rudder, an illegal propane installation, a non'funtcional running light - all easily cured. the survery didn't show a smallish leak around the starboard ports, a corroded swim ladder bracket, and a wrongly rigged furler. with all that from a boat that everyone who has seen her agrees was loved, why start with what seems like major trouble. sailboats are very complex things that exist mostly in an extremely caustic environment and for every problem you see there are even more unseen or impending.find another boat.

 

[John]

knew it

I guess I knew the water in the oil was a deal killer when I found out but the boat was priced so well and looked to have so much potential. I'm looking for another boat- thanks for the wake up. John