Have I shaken my boat to death?

[makkers]

I'm on a downer - I think I may have just about shaken the boat to pieces!

Is this possible I ask ? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

So saturday we motor on down to Alum Bay, wow lovely day, see the cliffs n stuff /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif and even see Leander and the silvery stealth / destroyer looking wannabe power boat - would have posted our pic's of these but got beaten to it so didnt bother.

Had such a good time we thought we would do the same on Sunday as we were taken some friends out for their first time. Bit windy'er and lumpy'er /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif but not a bad ride none the less.

Got to Alum Bay, thought the better off it as the wind had picked up somewhat and was not gonna drop the anchor and be blown about with all them little white horses galloping about. Gave Leander a little wave outside Yarmouth on our way back.

Having looked at the weather sites afterwards I noted the wind was F4-5 and gusting to F6 at times, could be contentious that one as I know people like to disagree and take a subjective view of wind and waves.

Still, not so comfortable ride back to Soton - bit up and downy wind behind us, a few bow slaps and shakes - didnt seem to bad me - but got back with guests beaming smiles of their adventure

So chucking fenders over side and prepping warps etc outside Hythe sitting in neutral and thinking my god never noticed the vibration through the steering wheel and hand rails etc before, irritating rattly noises coming from engine and engine bay, whats going on here? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Anyway couldnt inspect on the day so went back yesterday so see whats going on.

1. Cant lift engine bay cover because bench seat runner rail overhang was bent - temporay fix, sorted that with hammer.

2. Lift engine bay cover, fire extinguiser fallen out of bracket and rolling around bilge - crap must have been shaken out!

3. Start engine and think blimey boat still very vibraty - weird whine & high pitch rattle noises coming from engine ( Yanmar Diesel )which are new!

4. Stand on stern platform but not for long as I thought my teeth were going to shake out

5. Walk around boat and see pretty ripples in the water coming from the shape of hull in the water and bow rail wobbling like a guitar string.

This isnt right !! Engine doesnt sound right - boat doesnt feel right - what have I done?? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Engineer coming down tomorrow - trouble is engineers dont understand 'it didnt use to sound and feel like that' my worst fears are that the engine has become loose on its mountings or something engine wise has become unbalanced causing excessive vibration, either way that is not going to be good! I can t believe that I gave the boat that much of a pounding, I know its plastic but its been out in as bad weather before and can take the rough.

So not happy, /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif ,wallet wincing, feeling down and blx the weathers forecast to be good again this weekend.

Will feed back on engineer inspection tomorrow.......

 

[jhr]

I think it's unlikely you have shaken the boat to bits - we went down to Yarmouth and back in our 21 footer on Sunday and, yes, it was a bit lumpy (I agree, felt like 4/5, gusting 6 on the way back) but nothing that would do you any terminal damage. I'm no mechanic, but it sounds to me as if the mountings have worked loose? In which case - hopefully - the solution is a man with a big spanner to tighten them up again. Could have sheared one or more of them, I suppose, in which case I hope there's no damage to the drive.

Fingers crossed.............

 

[Dave_Snelson]

Boats have a nasty habit of throwing you off the scent by producing alarming coincidences. I don't think(IMHO) that the sea has pounded your boat enough to produce damage. Ya see, boats are built so as the occupants start to break before the boat does.

So... engine mounts maybe? Drive train (gimbal) problem? If engines are new, then what about warranty if things have gone wrong?

Good luck and let us all know what it was, coz were all curious and nosey now...

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I'd be surprised if it were the engine mounts. I think you'd need 2 or 3 to shear before the engine could vibrate like that. Total guess but I would think it's possibly a peripheral component on the engine like an alternator, starter motor, pulley etc that's worked itself loose. May even have been struck by the extinguisher falling off. Thats not good either. I'm surprised the thing did'nt go off in which case your engine would definitely not have liked ingesting halon or whatever

 

[mainshiptom]

check your engine mounts? They are made of rubber and can go at any time, also check connection to shaft prop, or has anything got on the prop?

plastic bag?


I always check things myself before getting expensive (potentially) workman on board,

Tom

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Can't be prop. It shakes when it's standing still!

 

[Nick_H]

Presumably if it was something internal in the engine it would get worse quickly and catastrophically, so more likely to be a peripheral bit loose or engine mountings as others have suggested.

 

[KevB]

Maybe injecter/pump problem and not firing on all cyclinders?

 

[landaftaf]

my wife drove the car home 3 miles once after one of the pistons had punched through the side of the engine .........
q: did it seem different to drive my dear ?
a : yes, the car seemed to wobble a bit ......


mmmm -

 

[boatone]

.....swmbo said quietly......what would happen if I put petrol in my car instead of diesel.......

I said......why do you ask dear?..........

....she knows now......amazing thing is she drove 20 miles or so home after the 'error' /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[sailorman]

engine mount to engine bed fixings sounds loose to me or the mounts to engine

 

[Wiggo]

Urrk. It looks like you're in A basin, right in the corner? Pop over and see us - we're just next to the fuel berth.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Just what I was thinking, but doesn't account for the whine.

 

[hlb]

My boat breaks engine mountings for fun. Particularly as they like to replace them with lumps of threaded rod. These you can break in half by hand.

 

[brianrunyard]

Check easy things first. Remove the alternator belt and see if the noise and vibration disappear.