Dirty Stern

claymore

claymore

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 Jun 2001
Messages
10,644
Location
In the far North
Visit site
The dinghy lives in its davits when we are underway.
I think a vortex is created where the exhaust is prevented from getting away. Does anyone think that if I moved the exhaust outlet around to the side it might reduce the amount of soot we get sticking to the transom?
boat_stern.sized.jpg
 
I have a good friend with the exact same problem, except he didn't have your davits. It came about because of his attempts to get a decent photo of his spinnaker flying in a flat calm. He'd go astern for hours on end trying to create a wee bit of apparent, with the result we can all see above.

Hope this helps.
 
Yes absolutely. But you will now have a grey sooty bit on the stern quarter instead. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif You could try a smoke stack fishing boat style?

I don't think it matters, all of us get it and we do with a stern quarter exhaust, especially with any kind of tail wind however light and even with freshly serviced injectors just fitted.

Robin
 
If the transom drags in the water when motoring consider moving the exhaust higher (above the water level) or extending the exhaust pipe outlet so that the smutty deposits get away from the hull. Difficult if you have a dinghy in the way, but it did work on a Nich 32 and kept the transom much cleaner.
 
I hate waterline and below exhausts! Moodies often have the exhaust on the waterline and the noise to me is very irritating, but I expect they get used to it. It is also I believe bad practice to have a system which gives back pressure to the engine, the idea is to take the exhausted gasses away not put up barriers to stop them escaping.
 
Hi Daði, yes, we use sails whenever possible, but, unlike Iceland, Scotland in the summer suffers from these long sustained periods of high pressure.

You can probably imagine what it's like for us - very sunny, high temperatures, extremely still, and with no wind for days at a time. Hence the engine and the dirty sterns. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
You could do a test by fitting a short piece of hose inside the exhaust skin fitting to extend it a few inches, this is quite common. Over the years and many boats I have tried this but in reality it made little difference, the problem in truth is the Volvo engines I had were always smokey regardless, Bukh were much better and the Volvo MD22 (really a Perkins Prima) in my last boat even better. We now have a Yanmar 4JHE, not too bad but still not perfect. It does seem that the smoke (normally invisible) gets sucked back and then sticks to the wet hull and over time it builds up to a grey bit, though not really noticeable unless you view it close up from the dinghy or pontoon. Actually these days it matches the grey streaks running off the decks from the seemingly dirtier rain we get now with New Labour.
 
Jeez, you are a showoff. I spect you spend most of your time paddling round the boat taking pictures hm?

Anyway, its likely that the boat isn't fast enought to leave the exhaust crud behind as does a car or erm a boat with no sails and a massive engine. Only other solution is underwater exhaust which starts getting spensive and bit pointless.

So, you may have to spend some of the time cleaning the boat. I tried but failed to explain this concept to jimi, so praps you might be abl to translate for him.

You need to PM poster hlb who mite appear idiotic northener, but despite that, sells v fab gear for exaccerly this application. He calls it "boat remover" to point up its efficacy, not its actuall effect. It is a billion times better than starbrite anything or even any special purpose items like "quick- she's on her way!" or even "sooty-scottish-stern-superwosh" which i bet exists somewhere, admit it. Sendim a cheque for 5litres which won't cost much.

You dilute this in a bucket about 8-1, and might need just half a bucket in total for the stern. It's a bit caustic but i clean my boat with it loads of time no prob, so it'll be fine, definitely.

To do a hull clean from the water in the dinghy, you need to tie on else first two brushstroke pushes you off the boat. If nothing to tie on to may need one of those powerful sucker things that can be used to lift pieces of glass. Don't rinse with sewater untill finished with bucket stuff cos seawater seems to muck it up. Result is total cleanliness and improved pictures!
 
Hi Sgeir, sounds amazingly like sunbathing is the only possibility? I showed SWMBO your post , and she felt you a bit brazen, having tried twice herself to "enjoy" the Hebrides from the water and spent both weeks clad in oilies and boots from dawn to dusk.

I, however remember the summer of, was it '78?, when we milled for weeks in blazing sun - but did visit St. Kilda in perfect conditions, so all other disadvantages forgotten.

A week, bareboat, (no SWMBO but with a budding daughter) from Dunstaffnage in August, will I hope bring perfect "mixed" conditions so our stern doesn´t get too manky. Hope you get wind too.

Daði.
 
Daði,

Stop by Silkie and say hello, if you get time, when you're passing through Dunstaffnage in August. I presume you're chartering an Alba boat - which one?

Dave
 
Re: Dirty Stern -The Cure

Easy to cure.

Sand down transom and ensure it is clean.

Paint with matt black, several coats.

Repaint Name on stern in White.

Problem solved.
 
Re: Dirty Stern -The Cure

There you are then. I look forward to seeing a photo' of the resultant, smartened-up Claymore.

At present it looks as though she has a moustache on her bum!

Borrow (or perhaps hire) a spray gun and use car paint between tides. She will look much smarter /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
The Halberdier has the exhaust along side the center cockpit, therefore the transom stays clean... as also does the side of the boat due to the smug fact that my Perkins 4107 does not smoke.

However with the breeze over the port side you get the smell of diesel fumes wafting in. I think I'd actually rather have the exhaust over the aft end.

Nick
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top