Princess 42 and magic!

[Beneteau381]

We are berthed opposite an elderly Princess 42 in Albufeira. Went out the other day to do so me shopping. Came back at 3:30 ish, one of the P donks was ticking over, sigh, After an hour and a half the bride had had enough. Polite knock but no answer. I went across and did a proper coppers knock or three on the hull. No answer! Peeled back the cockpit cover and shouted. No reply. Called the marina office and explained and perhaps an unconcious owner? The mariners arrived within five minutes and went on board. They called me in, NO KEYS! No one on board! Uuugh?
No way of stopping it.. I checked it, allegedly electric throttles? With just a cable going to the pump. The head mariner made a decision. Cut the fuel pipe! He did just as the owner arrived! The donk stopped.The head mariner explained v carefully that he had cut the pipe and he had better fix it as a matter of urgency.
Turns out, the cockpit cover was shagged, the controls were exposed to the weather, biblical storm the other night, water dripping on the ign switches? Engine started on its own!
BUT what I don’t get is that the starter wasn’t still spinning!
He was lucky that he had left the seacocks open! So were us adjoining boats? Exhaust on fire etc? A good possibility!
The owner didn’t have a clue, he is French with not a good understanding of English. I had to explain the importance of fixing the fuel line! Still nothing been done 3 days later!
Engines 6 cylinder VP

 

[ari]

The ignition switches are inside on a Princess 42, so no matter how 'shagged' the canopy, water isn't getting to them. (There is a flybridge, but no ignition switches up there I don't think). And even then, the water would have had to somehow switch on the ignition first (which requires either the key or the fob, depending on the age of the boat), and then it would seperately have to somehow activate the start button. Both on the same engine, but not the other engine.

Why did the marina cut a fuel line rather than just pulling the fuel valve (very easily found and activated on a Princess 42, it's in a cockpit locker, clearly marked).

I suspect there's a bit more to this story that you've not been told, no idea what though. How strange.

 

[Seastoke]

Don’t you lave yours running at times, if it was all night you might have a case . If you had got my fuel line cut I would be very angry and you would know.

 

[Beneteau381]

The ignition switches are inside on a Princess 42, so no matter how 'shagged' the canopy, water isn't getting to them. (There is a flybridge, but no ignition switches up there I don't think). And even then, the water would have had to somehow switch on the ignition first (which requires either the key or the fob, depending on the age of the boat), and then it would seperately have to somehow activate the start button. Both on the same engine, but not the other engine.

Why did the marina cut a fuel line rather than just pulling the fuel valve (very easily found and activated on a Princess 42, it's in a cockpit locker, clearly marked).

I suspect there's a bit more to this story that you've not been told, no idea what though. How strange.

The panel with all the switch gear and instruments is open to the elements because the cockpit canopy IS shagged, the panel is directly beneath it, the zips have gone, the biblical storm tore it away.
I’m not blind, I can see it all.
How do I know why the marina cut the fuel line? I reported engine running and had been for 4 plus hours. Their decision on how to deal with it.
The switches are VP standard ones, Enter key, twist to start etc and twist to stop. No buttons. Only one engine was running.
I have reported what happened from first hand witnessing what went on.
Interesting the owner switched the batteries off, when he switched them back on the panel lights for the port engine, the offending one, lit up, but it didn’t attempt to start. Then the lights went out.
I told him to switch everything off and get an expert in.
I am a diesel maintenance guy BUT. It’s not my roll in life to fix neighbours unattended boats. The marina did what they did.
The owner now needs to fix it.

 

[Beneteau381]

Don’t you lave yours running at times, if it was all night you might have a case . If you had got my fuel line cut I would be very angry and you would know.

What? I report a boat that has had the engine running for 4 hours, stinking the place out and as it turns out it was a good job I did!
Do I leave my engine running? No I do not! All that does is glaze the bores!
Why would you be angry with me?
Why is it my fault the marina cut the fuel line?
Weird!

 

[ari]

The panel with all the switch gear and instruments is open to the elements because the cockpit canopy IS shagged, the panel is directly beneath it, the zips have gone, the biblical storm tore it away.
I’m not blind, I can see it all.
How do I know why the marina cut the fuel line? I reported engine running and had been for 4 plus hours. Their decision on how to deal with it.
The switches are VP standard ones, Enter key, twist to start etc and twist to stop. No buttons. Only one engine was running.
I have reported what happened from first hand witnessing what went on.
Interesting the owner switched the batteries off, when he switched them back on the panel lights for the port engine, the offending one, lit up, but it didn’t attempt to start. Then the lights went out.
I told him to switch everything off and get an expert in.
I am a diesel maintenance guy BUT. It’s not my roll in life to fix neighbours unattended boats. The marina did what they did.
The owner now needs to fix it.

Ah, okay, then it's a Princess V42, a very different boat to a Princess 42, that explains that element of it.

No danger of the exhaust catching on fire then as is an outdrive boat (almost certainly, a very small number had vee drives) so no sea cocks to turn off (another reason I assumed it was the flybridge Princess 42, not V42).

Still really really odd though, as is cutting the fuel line, that's bizarre when there is no actual danger, at worst a slight nuisance, and easily accessed fuel shut off valve pulls to activate if they did want to stop it.

 

[Beneteau381]

Ah, okay, then it's a Princess V42, a very different boat to a Princess 42, that explains that element of it.

No danger of the exhaust catching on fire then as is an outdrive boat (almost certainly, a very small number had vee drives) so no sea cocks to turn off (another reason I assumed it was the flybridge Princess 42, not V42).

Still really really odd though, as is cutting the fuel line, that's bizarre when there is no actual danger, at worst a slight nuisance, and easily accessed fuel shut off valve pulls to activate if they did want to stop it.

A slight nuisance? Really? The owner could have been dead from the fumes. There are documented cases of people dying from fumes from eberspachers and ticking over gennies! Do you think it’s acceptable to leave a big donk ticking over for hours and drowning the boats downwind in fumes? Apart from the fact that it’s pretty stupid given the issue of bore glazing!
As for cutting the fuel lines, the marineros are supposed to know every model of the hundreds of boats in the marina and how to stop them?
Really?

 

[NC11]

Whats a p donk?

 

[Seastoke]

What? I report a boat that has had the engine running for 4 hours, stinking the place out and as it turns out it was a good job I did!
Do I leave my engine running? No I do not! All that does is glaze the bores!
Why would you be angry with me?
Why is it my fault the marina cut the fuel line?
Weird!

You said after 1.5 hours so it was your fault the lines were cut, surely they would have called him first . Also we run Diesel engines on tick over for thousands of hours , some say that is a old mans tail.

 

[volvopaul]

We are berthed opposite an elderly Princess 42 in Albufeira. Went out the other day to do so me shopping. Came back at 3:30 ish, one of the P donks was ticking over, sigh, After an hour and a half the bride had had enough. Polite knock but no answer. I went across and did a proper coppers knock or three on the hull. No answer! Peeled back the cockpit cover and shouted. No reply. Called the marina office and explained and perhaps an unconcious owner? The mariners arrived within five minutes and went on board. They called me in, NO KEYS! No one on board! Uuugh?
No way of stopping it.. I checked it, allegedly electric throttles? With just a cable going to the pump. The head mariner made a decision. Cut the fuel pipe! He did just as the owner arrived! The donk stopped.The head mariner explained v carefully that he had cut the pipe and he had better fix it as a matter of urgency.
Turns out, the cockpit cover was shagged, the controls were exposed to the weather, biblical storm the other night, water dripping on the ign switches? Engine started on its own!
BUT what I don’t get is that the starter wasn’t still spinning!
He was lucky that he had left the seacocks open! So were us adjoining boats? Exhaust on fire etc? A good possibility!
The owner didn’t have a clue, he is French with not a good understanding of English. I had to explain the importance of fixing the fuel line! Still nothing been done 3 days later!
Engines 6 cylinder VP

No need to cut the lines , just open the starboard locker in the cockpit and pull the black T handle to close the fuel supply valve , what a drama for nothing .

 

[ari]

Called the marina office and explained and perhaps an unconcious owner? The mariners arrived within five minutes and went on board. They called me in, NO KEYS! No one on board! Uuugh?

A slight nuisance? Really? The owner could have been dead from the fumes. There are documented cases of people dying from fumes from eberspachers and ticking over gennies! Do you think it’s acceptable to leave a big donk ticking over for hours and drowning the boats downwind in fumes? Apart from the fact that it’s pretty stupid given the issue of bore glazing!
As for cutting the fuel lines, the marineros are supposed to know every model of the hundreds of boats in the marina and how to stop them?
Really?

Dead from the fumes whilst elsewhere..?

Bore glazing after a few hours of running?

Marineros should have the wit to have a quick scout around for a fuel stop, most decent boats have them.

I'm not having a go at you, but this was clearly very badly handled for some reason that isn't clear.

 

[PaulRainbow]

You said after 1.5 hours so it was your fault the lines were cut, surely they would have called him first . Also we run Diesel engines on tick over for thousands of hours , some say that is a old mans tail.

It's well documented. If you run a diesel for thousands of hours on tickover, with no load, it'll glaze the bores. Running at low RPM under load is a different thing.

 

[ari]

It's well documented. If you run a diesel for thousands of hours on tickover, with no load, it'll glaze the bores. Running at low RPM under load is a different thing.

It might do, but not a chance after a couple of hours. Every boat that's ever been up a river would be glazed.

 

[Seastoke]

This does not add up , a boat starts on its own , someone complains after a couple of hours , they chop his pipe then he arrives even though he is french . Then you moan he can't speak English, why did you not speak in French. It has to be a wind up.

 

[PaulRainbow]

It might do, but not a chance after a couple of hours. Every boat that's ever been up a river would be glazed.

How do you motor a boat up a river without it being under load ? Do tell please, it will save me some diesel next season.

 

[Beneteau381]

This does not add up , a boat starts on its own , someone complains after a couple of hours , they chop his pipe then he arrives even though he is french . Then you moan he can't speak English, why did you not speak in French. It has to be a wind

Dead from the fumes whilst elsewhere..?

Bore glazing after a few hours of running?

Marineros should have the wit to have a quick scout around for a fuel stop, most decent boats have them.

I'm not having a go at you, but this was clearly very badly handled for some reason that isn't clear.

You said after 1.5 hours so it was your fault the lines were cut, surely they would have called him first . Also we run Diesel engines on tick over for thousands of hours , some say that is an old mans tail.

weird! Do you understand English? Old man’s tail !

Run an engine on tickover for thousands of hours and it will glaze the bores.

 

[Beneteau381]

This does not add up , a boat starts on its own , someone complains after a couple of hours , they chop his pipe then he arrives even though he is french . Then you moan he can't speak English, why did you not speak in French. It has to be a wind up.

I speak French fluently, the Marineros dont

 

[Beneteau381]

This does not add up , a boat starts on its own , someone complains after a couple of hours , they chop his pipe then he arrives even though he is french . Then you moan he can't speak English, why did you not speak in French. It has to be a wind up.

Weird

 

[Beneteau381]

No need to cut the lines , just open the starboard locker in the cockpit and pull the black T handle to close the fuel supply valve , what a drama for nothing .

You are supposed to be a diesel expert.
You know about a lot of boat engines. The Marineros have to know how to stop every boat engine? Really? They quite obviously didn’t know how to stop it, their call to stop it how they did, no owner there at the time and it having started on its own.
I don’t understand the animosity being shown to me by people! My call was correct as it turned out and explained previously.
Perhaps an educated guess as to what happened? The biblical storm we had would have had the engine panel streaming water over it! Albufeira Main Street in the old town was nearly washed away again it was that heavy a rain fall.