Med boaters - will you get to your boat this year?

Been an interesting start to my boating season....after a few runs out around Southern Mallorca, had this coolant problem. Seemed to be blowing out through the header tank....after having the system bled, another run out, seemed to still have the problem. Engines performing well and engine temp all good. Tom from Total Marine (highly recommend them) suspected a leaking head gasket. Pressure tested each cylinder and found No 6
 

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z1ppy said:
The hardest bit is landing… landing on a small area on land is easy, when that small area is moving is hard, and if it goes wrong the drone gets wet makes it really hard.
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Ahh - I've cracked the landing bit - easy solution.
You teach yourself to land it in your hand.
After you have done it a few times, it becomes second nature.

When landing, I always turn the drone around so that it is facing away from me.
That way, left is left and right is right etc.
Bring it down to about 3 or 4 feet from you - and about 2 feet above.
So that your hand is about 4 or 5 feet below it.
Don't get too close because it will start to fly upwards away from your hand.
Hold your hand out flat below it.
Then, using the other hand on the controller, simply land it in the palm of your hand.
Be aware that it will think it is landing on firm ground and the speaker will announce "Landing".
Then simply grab it when it lands in your hand.
Keep the stick down until the rotors stop.
Alternatively, you can grab it and turn it upside down - by doing that it will shut the motors off but I prefer the gentler approach of letting it stop of its own accord.
The only thing to remember with this method is that, once it has declared that it is "Landing" - it WILL land so don't move your hand away.

I do the reverse for take off as well.
It is a little more difficult because you really need an extra hand.
But if you hold the controller against your chest, you can press both the sticks with one hand whilst holding the drone with the other.
Then whilst still holding the drone with one hand, simply push the "up" stick until it takes off.

Really, this technique is easy.
Just practice it on dry land and then you will feel confident to do it on the boat as well.
Obviously, stop the boat first!!!
 
Nick Epps said:
Been an interesting start to my boating season....after a few runs out around Southern Mallorca, had this coolant problem. Seemed to be blowing out through the header tank....after having the system bled, another run out, seemed to still have the problem. Engines performing well and engine temp all good. Tom from Total Marine (highly recommend them) suspected a leaking head gasket. Pressure tested each cylinder and found No 6
Click to expand...
Have you got a way of seeing load or EGT s ?

Dirty hull and or props , most likely props as most boats AF tends to work , so the engines get stick with dirty props = engines work harder .Spikes in cylinder temp + pressures .If there’s a weak spot a dirty prop will soon find it .

Classic symptoms of a HG blowing out the coolant .If it was a vehicle you would have seen a white smoke and smelt it too .
Guess the fumes in a boat with only 1 cy just get washed away in the wake behind ?
A road vehicle has no sea water intercooler.That’s the reason you did not really see a rise in the jacket temp ….your cooling system is up to the job it absorbed the potential temp rise with the gasses leaking in by being super efficient .
You don’t see movement in jacket temp .Ie it sits for me between 82 ( tickover ) and 84 running all day .
While running at 84 the EGT s can rapidly move between 250 tick over to 650 + acceleration with dirty stern gear .
Typically 300-550 * C .The jacket / water temp stays constant @ 84 so it’s not really a good indicator ( like a road vehicle) of whatd going on imho .

As said the load + EGT s would have varied between the two , the good one and bad one .
Also just saying if you keep an eye on them (for those that can access them and bother ) they tell you when it’s time to clean the stern gear as they creep up .
iIn a sympathetic kinda way i never really exceed 80 % load , been running Mid 70 s in the early season making 28 knots cruise .EGTs a happy 560 * C .
2004 motors running sweet .
Just don’t see any point pushing them .I don’t think they have ever been cracked open .

A lot of bigger boats ( read expensive motors ) set the cruise on the EGTs and load .Especially triple engined Pershing with Arnesons , or any triple as the middle engines stern gear is set lower than the lateral pair and a situation can develop where by it runs over loaded and in excessive EGT , potential blown HG territory.

What rpms and boat speed it ends up doing is irrelevant. It’s done the other way round .
I realise most on here just set it on rpm / boat speed because they are unable to access load / EGT s .
 
Portofino said:
Have you got a way of seeing load or EGT s ?

Dirty hull and or props , most likely props as most boats AF tends to work , so the engines get stick with dirty props = engines work harder .Spikes in cylinder temp + pressures .If there’s a weak spot a dirty prop will soon find it .

Classic symptoms of a HG blowing out the coolant .If it was a vehicle you would have seen a white smoke and smelt it too .
Guess the fumes in a boat with only 1 cy just get washed away in the wake behind ?
A road vehicle has no sea water intercooler.That’s the reason you did not really see a rise in the jacket temp ….your cooling system is up to the job it absorbed the potential temp rise with the gasses leaking in by being super efficient .
You don’t see movement in jacket temp .Ie it sits for me between 82 ( tickover ) and 84 running all day .
While running at 84 the EGT s can rapidly move between 250 tick over to 650 + acceleration with dirty stern gear .
Typically 300-550 * C .The jacket / water temp stays constant @ 84 so it’s not really a good indicator ( like a road vehicle) of whatd going on imho .

As said the load + EGT s would have varied between the two , the good one and bad one .
Also just saying if you keep an eye on them (for those that can access them and bother ) they tell you when it’s time to clean the stern gear as they creep up .
iIn a sympathetic kinda way i never really exceed 80 % load , been running Mid 70 s in the early season making 28 knots cruise .EGTs a happy 560 * C .
2004 motors running sweet .
Just don’t see any point pushing them .I don’t think they have ever been cracked open .

A lot of bigger boats ( read expensive motors ) set the cruise on the EGTs and load .Especially triple engined Pershing with Arnesons , or any triple as the middle engines stern gear is set lower than the lateral pair and a situation can develop where by it runs over loaded and in excessive EGT , potential blown HG territory.

What rpms and boat speed it ends up doing is irrelevant. It’s done the other way round .
I realise most on here just set it on rpm / boat speed because they are unable to access load / EGT s .
Click to expand...
thank you for your comments....I think I understand what you are saying, but I must ask whats a EGT?
the props were and are clean, have been under my ownership
 
Croftie said:
No No No don't ask Portofino about EGT it will be a l o n g.... reply :oops: Only joking Porto

Exhaust Gas Temp
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The miss thought process is road vehicles.
“ They are ok so my boat motors with the same behaviour will be “
Forget petrols .It’s a volatile fuel aching to explode ….fill your boots , or plant your right foot .Compression ratios of around 9 or 10.The cylinder temps and pressure are a fraction of diesel .Red line the thing in every gear .

Oil burners need a 15 upwards to 1 compression ration , they are effectively air pumps with a tiny squirt of oil into a huge cylinder temp + pressure environment to get the chip oil , sunflower or commonly diesel to ignite .
Your olive oil in the kitchen will also fuel a diesel motor ( suitability tuned ) .

But you wouldn’t put a bottle of volatile fuel ( petrol ) by the cooker nether mind open it and attempt to sprinkle it in a pan .

The more diesel you allow to go in by wide open throttling it just combusts , sometimes partially .As it does the EGT s soar .
Boats unlike cars have no gear box to change the load .It’s top gear all day every day …arguably going up a hill .
If your boats is excessively heavy or has fouled stern gear then that hills gradient just steepens with a diesel .

The EGTs soar .The HG is all you have separating stuff , the excess pressure will strain any weak spot and blow it .

A petrol out board rib say with twin Yam 350s need not worry thrashing it .As said completely different as are diesel vehicles because the load can divided down , reduced by the gears so excess EGTs if any are transient as it’s obvious when to drop a gear .

Can I ask did you go fast , or try to see how fast it would go ?
The meticulous service history is pretty meaningless, it’s how it’s been used .

Porsches have a spray on lining on the cylinders .Abore a certain temp for a petrol it starts to strip off = bore scoring .
Bore scoring is a complex issue in the Porsche world .
Picture the scene you wanna a 911 saw one on a fore court low miles 8000 GT3 or turbo or what ever 18 month old at a price you can afford .FSH all the stamps ( your point ) .One owner , fresh rubber = faultless .
90 % of “ lads “ eager to get behind the wheel will buy it .

Those 10 % in the know will get a computer on it and check for over revs .Yep over revs .How many times it’s been over the redline .
How long for , the whole spreadsheet.
This is the reason its not at a franchised dealer btw .While you are having your cup of coffee it’s been taken round the back and plugged in .They ( franchised dealer ) then refuse to take in .Not in your face , just offer silly Pex £ hoping you will 9iss off .That’s why it was on a used ( allbeit prestige )car lot .

Back to boat engines
So it would be great to get a vodia on them and if possible check for excessive EGTs and if they have ever been over 100% load and for how long .
That in my mind trumps a thick file of oil changes and genuine parts .How thrashed have they been used ?
 
Portofino said:
The miss thought process is road vehicles.
“ They are ok so my boat motors with the same behaviour will be “
Forget petrols .It’s a volatile fuel aching to explode ….fill your boots , or plant your right foot .Compression ratios of around 9 or 10.The cylinder temps and pressure are a fraction of diesel .Red line the thing in every gear .

Oil burners need a 15 upwards to 1 compression ration , they are effectively air pumps with a tiny squirt of oil into a huge cylinder temp + pressure environment to get the chip oil , sunflower or commonly diesel to ignite .
Your olive oil in the kitchen will also fuel a diesel motor ( suitability tuned ) .

But you wouldn’t put a bottle of volatile fuel ( petrol ) by the cooker nether mind open it and attempt to sprinkle it in a pan .

The more diesel you allow to go in by wide open throttling it just combusts , sometimes partially .As it does the EGT s soar .
Boats unlike cars have no gear box to change the load .It’s top gear all day every day …arguably going up a hill .
If your boats is excessively heavy or has fouled stern gear then that hills gradient just steepens with a diesel .

The EGTs soar .The HG is all you have separating stuff , the excess pressure will strain any weak spot and blow it .

A petrol out board rib say with twin Yam 350s need not worry thrashing it .As said completely different as are diesel vehicles because the load can divided down , reduced by the gears so excess EGTs if any are transient as it’s obvious when to drop a gear .

Can I ask did you go fast , or try to see how fast it would go ?
The meticulous service history is pretty meaningless, it’s how it’s been used .

Porsches have a spray on lining on the cylinders .Abore a certain temp for a petrol it starts to strip off = bore scoring .
Bore scoring is a complex issue in the Porsche world .
Picture the scene you wanna a 911 saw one on a fore court low miles 8000 GT3 or turbo or what ever 18 month old at a price you can afford .FSH all the stamps ( your point ) .One owner , fresh rubber = faultless .
90 % of “ lads “ eager to get behind the wheel will buy it .

Those 10 % in the know will get a computer on it and check for over revs .Yep over revs .How many times it’s been over the redline .
How long for , the whole spreadsheet.
This is the reason its not at a franchised dealer btw .While you are having your cup of coffee it’s been taken round the back and plugged in .They ( franchised dealer ) then refuse to take in .Not in your face , just offer silly Pex £ hoping you will 9iss off .That’s why it was on a used ( allbeit prestige )car lot .

Back to boat engines
So it would be great to get a vodia on them and if possible check for excessive EGTs and if they have ever been over 100% load and for how long .
That in my mind trumps a thick file of oil changes and genuine parts .How thrashed have they been used ?
Click to expand...
Thanks for your extensive reply...all part of my learning!!....in answer to your question I tend to cruise around the 20-22 knots, top speed is 35....dont tend to go that hard, sometimes a quick spirt, however you are right, I have no idea what the previous owners did.
 
On the other thread ( Ibiza trip thread ) sadly aborted , and the pic above of the head without its valve control gear or rocker box gasket witness marks , was it a new cylinder head or only the actual head gasket ?

Just curious.

B7B5E924-7407-4299-87B7-55ABB0BCAF4B.jpeg
 
It was a new cylinder head, the original one had quite a bit of pitting on the valve seats, and cylinder 5 failed a pressure test. So we looked at the rebuild vs new cost and it was pretty close, in addition theres considerable less risk and potentially quicker turnaround going new. All working now and seems to have cured all the ills...
 
Nick Epps said:
It was a new cylinder head, the original one had quite a bit of pitting on the valve seats, and cylinder 5 failed a pressure test. So we looked at the rebuild vs new cost and it was pretty close, in addition theres considerable less risk and potentially quicker turnaround going new. All working now and seems to have cured all the ills...
Click to expand...
Arh .Thx Nick .
Well classic sign of excessive EGT s .
Cylinder 5 would have had mushroomed valves .This means they have distorted in excess T+P s ( operator obviously unaware of granted = no blame here ) and unable to seal correctly.

I know I get flack on here accused of “ banging on “ about overloading and excessive EGT s etc .But its a real issue with marine diesels in planing boats .

Glad it was fixed for you rapidly and you are able to enjoy the rest of the season .
As I said if only there was a chip embedded in a ECU that one ( a mechanic surveyor ) could down load for previous history’s.
 
I had a lift and jet wash this morning, full performance restored.
Did a daft thing, inspecting props after jet wash, noticed a couple of barnacles still attached. No problem just push them off with my finger.
Well let's say barnacle 1 - me 0 ! The barnacle left a 3mm groove in my finger. It bled a lot. I didn't blub honest.
Barnacle was later removed with a metal scraper - like I should have done in the first place. Lesson learnt.
 
kashurst said:
I had a lift and jet wash this morning, full performance restored.
Did a daft thing, inspecting props after jet wash, noticed a couple of barnacles still attached. No problem just push them off with my finger.
Well let's say barnacle 1 - me 0 ! The barnacle left a 3mm groove in my finger. It bled a lot. I didn't blub honest.
Barnacle was later removed with a metal scraper - like I should have done in the first place. Lesson learnt.
Click to expand...
Yep - barnacles can give very nasty cut.
It sound obvious but the temptation is there - people often touch them with their fingers.
They are like razor blades.
Keep your hands in your pockets and don't get tempted to stroke them!!
I've been there as well!!
 
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I always cringe when people don’t use gloves with a slime line....the amount of times I’ve found razor sharp barnacles on the ropes..
 
On the boat in June shortly after back in water was drinking 50 L/h at 10 knots. Back in August and this moved to 75. Tank on and 30 mins of scraping the front of the props and now back to 52 ish. Big return for little effort. At 20 knots or 1800 revs the saving is huge but the pain of watching the fuel tank empty on the dial in front of your eyes is so great it happens once a day max!!
 
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