Any fresh water areas accessble in the Solent - Probably a stupid question.

[maej]

This is probably a really stupid question, but you never know unless you ask...

Are there any fresh water areas accessible by a fin keeled sailboat with 1.1m draft in or around the Solent area? I don't mean drinking water, I mean non salty water to float the boat in. Maybe near the top of a river near low tide for example?

The reason I'm asking is because I want to flush the salt out of my raw water cooled engine and I imagine actually motoring through fresh water for a while would be far more beneficial than running from a bucket and trying to force the water through the block, not to mention a lot more pleasant than faffing with hoses etc, and it could be a nice day out on the water.

I suspect the answer is no, but I'm no expert and it's got to be worth asking.

 

[l'escargot]

I think the trouble would be is that there would be no water left to float you at the top of any rivers with tidal access, at low tide. Even after heavy rainfall the best you could hope for is brackish water. I would dig the bucket out.

 

[prv]

Once you've motored up the river, though, aren't you going to motor back down it and fill the engine with salt again?

Strikes me as a bit of a Mr Bean solution somehow

Pete

 

[maej]

I think the trouble would be is that there would be no water left to float you at the top of any rivers with tidal access, at low tide. Even after heavy rainfall the best you could hope for is brackish water. I would dig the bucket out.

That's what I thought... I'll go get the bucket and hose.

Once you've motored up the river, though, aren't you going to motor back down it and fill the engine with salt again?

Strikes me as a bit of a Mr Bean solution somehow

Pete

Sorry, I wasn't very clear about this bit, I don't mean a winterising flush, I want to run it for an hour or so in fresh water to try to dissolve and shift some of the salt deposits building up in my elderely Bukh, the stuff I can't reach from the outside.

 

[RobinBirch]

I'm not convinced on the method but you could do a nice weekend trip into Poole Harbour and enjoy the fresher water of the R Frome around Ridge Wharf or Wareham

 

[theoldsalt]

That's what I thought... I'll go get the bucket and hose.



Sorry, I wasn't very clear about this bit, I don't mean a winterising flush, I want to run it for an hour or so in fresh water to try to dissolve and shift some of the salt deposits building up in my elderely Bukh, the stuff I can't reach from the outside.

Running your engine in fresh water will not dissolve the deposits in your raw water cooled engine. You will need to fill the cooling jacket with an appropriate chemical and leave to soak fo a considerable time. A job for the winter I suggest.

The method I suggest is to disconnect the inlet and exit cooling pipes to the engine and extend them into into a large container. Run the engine with the chemical/coolant mix circulating via the container until the engine is warm. Stop the engine and raise both inlet and outlet pipes above the engine to prevent the liquid draining out of the cooling jacket, then leave to soak.

 

[VicS]

Running your engine in fresh water will not dissolve the deposits in your raw water cooled engine. You will need to fill the cooling jacket with an appropriate chemical and leave to soak fo a considerable time. A job for the winter I suggest.

The method I suggest is to disconnect the inlet and exit cooling pipes to the engine and extend them into into a large container. Run the engine with the chemical/coolant mix circulating via the container until the engine is warm. Stop the engine and raise both inlet and outlet pipes above the engine to prevent the liquid draining out of the cooling jacket, then leave to soak.

An appropriate chemical ?????

Such as ... ??

 

[Seajet]

I have my doubts too; I have always run my Mariner 5 & 2 hp 2-strokes in plenty of fresh water at beginning and end of season, but I found they were still suffering partially blocked waterways, now it's head off each every laying up and manually dig out the salt.

 

[Thistle]

An appropriate chemical ?????

Such as ... ??

Dihydrogen monoxide, perhaps?

 

[pelicanpete]

An appropriate chemical ?????

Such as ... ??

Muriatic acid a.k.a Hydrochloric acid; used neat. Used in swimming pools but it dissolves calcium deposits a treat.

 

[apogee]

Salt-X ? Seems to work on outboards.

 

[blackbeard]

Just a thought - what would hydrochloric acid do to a zinc anode? (or, for that matter, to steel or cast-iron?)
Would a de-scaler based on (for instance) formic acid be vigorous enough to shift lime scale without dissolving the engine? or does experience show that hydrochloric acid is actually OK?

 

[VicS]

Just a thought - what would hydrochloric acid do to a zinc anode? (or, for that matter, to steel or cast-iron?)
Would a de-scaler based on (for instance) formic acid be vigorous enough to shift lime scale without dissolving the engine? or does experience show that hydrochloric acid is actually OK?

Hydrochloric acid will attack the zinc. Either remove it and plug the hole or if its due for replacement do so after the acid clean.

HCl will also attack aluminium and with less vigour steel and cast iron.

Formic acid will remove calcium carbonate scale relatively slowly unless warm. A sulphamic acid based limescale remover such as Fernox DS-3 might be better.

Maybe the best choice would be Rydlyme http://rydlymemarine.co.uk/

If Salt-X or Salt-Away works for you stick with it rather than aggressive acid descalers

 

[theoldsalt]

This is also available - but I have no knowledge how effective it can be.

http://blue-thru.co.uk/

 

[onesea]

In reply to the original question, most of the rivers I would suggest after heavy rain.
Go as far up them as you can (normally a bridge) on a falling tide.

Lymington, Hamble, and Itchen certainly are going to be brackish not salty.

As others have said not certain you will achieve your goal...

 

[alant]

In reply to the original question, most of the rivers I would suggest after heavy rain.
Go as far up them as you can (normally a bridge) on a falling tide.

Lymington, Hamble, and Itchen certainly are going to be brackish not salty.

As others have said not certain you will achieve your goal...

Even wareham as well I think!

 

[l'escargot]

Even wareham as well I think!

I think classing Wareham as the Solent is probably stretching it a bit...

 

[charles_reed]

This is probably a really stupid question, but you never know unless you ask...

Are there any fresh water areas accessible by a fin keeled sailboat with 1.1m draft in or around the Solent area? I don't mean drinking water, I mean non salty water to float the boat in. Maybe near the top of a river near low tide for example?

The reason I'm asking is because I want to flush the salt out of my raw water cooled engine and I imagine actually motoring through fresh water for a while would be far more beneficial than running from a bucket and trying to force the water through the block, not to mention a lot more pleasant than faffing with hoses etc, and it could be a nice day out on the water.

I suspect the answer is no, but I'm no expert and it's got to be worth asking.

Not at all stupid but totally mistaken that it will do anything to de-foul raw-water-ways. It does however frequently result in lots of hull fouling falling off but takes about 5 days in really fresh water. Can't think of any bodies of water round the Solent, that might meet that need.

I use a sulphamic acid solution, whilst the boat is on the hard, from one bucket with the raw-water intake pipe in the solution to an empty bucket under the exhaust outlet, leave to stand for about 2 hrs between each treatment until the mixture coming out, after the stand, no longer changes colour.

Then run through with plenty of fresh water (with antifreeze if you need).

 

[maej]

Thanks for all the sugestions and comments

Bukh strongly discourages the use of chemical descalers in the engine a point that has been discussed here before. Some people choose to go against the advice and seem to be none the worse for it, while other look for an alternative, hence my original idea. I had thought that running the engine in fresh (or tap) water for a couple of hours or so would dissolve some (not all) of the larger internal salt deposits like it does when poured over the external salt deposits ultimately helping the cooling a bit, and if repeated regularly might have had a cumulative effect, but from the comments it sounds like the internal salt deposits won't dissolve in fresh water alone. Is it because it is 'baked' on with the heat of the engine that prevents it dissolving in fresh water?

I can understand lime scale (being alkali) dissolving well in acid, but isn't salt ph neutral therefore acid alone wouldn't have any beneficial effect over plain water? Or am I misunderstanding how the acid works in cleaning engines?

I suspect the above paragraph is a complete misunderstanding on my part, chemistry wasn't my best subject at school so I apologise for my confusion. Are there any non-acid based treatments for helping to remove salt?

 

[alant]

I think classing Wareham as the Solent is probably stretching it a bit...

"RobinBirch
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I'm not convinced on the method but you could do a nice weekend trip into Poole Harbour and enjoy the fresher water of the R Frome around Ridge Wharf or Wareham "