Saildrive on a mud berth

[Guest]

Does anyone out there have experience of using a saildrive on a mud berth? I have received varying advice from Volvo and Yanmar agents. Most Volvo input is that it is OK but I have had one Yanmar agent say that it is not a good idea. One suggestion was to have an independent water inlet instead of taking the cooloing water through the leg

Mike

 

[BigLes]

I have a Volvo saildrive on my Jaguar 25 (bilge keel) and have kept her on a mud berth (drying 3 hours either side of high tide) here in Chichester Harbour this last summer. Altough the mud has temporarily jammed the impeller on my log (which easily cleared once we were under way) it has caused no problems with the saildrive. Since taking the boat out of the water for the winter I have noticed barnacles growing near the cooling water inlet (as well as between the keels), this may be promoted by the mud. As far as I'm aware the mud has caused no blockages to the cooling system - if it had, the warning lights and audible alarm should have sounded anyway! I would recommend you anti-foul the Saildrive leg with the special anti-foul for aluminium.

 

[Seapepper]

I had a Volvo MD5 with saildrive leg on a mudberth for a year. Boat floated every day and engine was run weekly with no trouble. A lot of mud got forced up begind the gasket sealing the ley hole in the hull, but didn't seem to cause a problem

 

[Seapepper]

a bit I forgot to add to the previous message. ....at the end of the season there was a lot of silt bunging up the cooling water drain in the block. I had to remove the tap and proggle it out with a screwdriver and then flush the cooling jacket. you can also run the engine for a very short time sucking water up from a bucket with the drain tap removed. this blasts a lot of silt out of the jacket, and sprays it all over the inside of the engine compartment....better there than in the engine!