Sea Check again...

[Guest]

Had my Sea Check this morning for my 31' sailing boat and it was a very worthwhile chat for an hour or so. I got picked up on a few things...

1. Position of fire extinguishers and fire blanket. i.e. too close to the most probable cause of fire - galley/engine.
2. No emergency VHF aerial.
3. No soft-wood bungs.
4. No grab bag.
5. Not sufficient engine spares.
6. Get 1 larger fire-extinguisher.

All in all it is a very commendable service and I would reccomend it to all. The advice just gets you thinking and that cannot be a bad thing. I will be acting on the advice given.

 

[escape]

Please dont get me wrong all those items seem very commendable and most are must have's BUT
By my estimation thats just set you back £250-£300 dependant on the level of engine spares and assuming you have all the kit to go in your grab bag and tools to fit engine spares.An earlier argument was that advice would not always lead to a shopping list...pah!
AND back to my origonal point .. do you know how to use those spares ?
Posts about passage plans becoming 'law' just make me VERY uneasy about ''checks'' by anyone

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Re: Can we agree to disagree on this now

But that doesn't devalue the sea check service surely?
A grab bag for the solent is going to a bit different from one for the atlantic
the point about the spares is valid. but surely if he gets the spares, learns how to fit them he has saved a call out possibly in the future?


Wants woman with boat
Send photo of boat

 

[escape]

Re: Can we agree to disagree on this now

Yep but as long as posts promote i will put my oar in.
Dont say i didnt warn you when the system is compulsory (not RNLI)

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Re: Can we agree to disagree on this now

Wouldn't dream of stopping you putting your oar in
Otherwise what is the point in having an oar.
Days would be a bit dull if we all agreed.

Wants woman with boat
Send photo of boat

 

[Guest]

Re: Can we agree to disagree on this now

I have even arranged to meet the local diesel engineer on the boat for an hour on Friday to go through the spares I should and will now carry and he will show me how to perform the basic essentials. I have had the boat for 23 years but as the old Yanmar has been so reliable I have never thought to learn. Anyway I always have had sails and an anchor or two...

 

[Guest]

Yes to spares

It is sound the carry spares for this reason. On a wet Sunday afternoon in late October in a visited port you may well be able to dig out an engineer to help, but you will not find spares around for your particular engine.

 

[dickh]

Engine Spares I carry

The only engine spares I carry are 1 each spare fuel filter, 1 litre oil, spare heater plug, alternator Vee belt and 2 water pump impellors. I also have spare lamps, wire & terminals, shackles and a full tool kit.
Also have the water pump fitted with a "Speed Seal" to replace the impellor without tools and very quickly - very good addition, I thoroughly recommend it, you can change the impellor in under a minute.
dickh

 

[Twister_Ken]

Anybody ever used a softwood bung?

Not a criticism of the things, but I wonder a) if the occasion ever arises and b) if it does how effective they are both to get into a broken skin fitting or other hole, and when in, how good at stopping it up.

 

[peterb]

Re: Anybody ever used a softwood bung?

Boat I know of had a considerable problem while crossing the Bay of Biscay.

1 Heads outlet pipe gets blocked.

2 Member of crew attempts to unblock using 'straightened' wire coat hanger.

3 Hanger penetrates pipe, allowing water to enter boat.

4 Sea cock found to be "a bit stiff". (It probably hadn't been operated since the boat was commissioned.)

5 Long piece of pipe applied to sea cock handle to encourage it to turn.

6 Long piece of pipe works. Handle turns, accompanied by remainder of sea cock. Bolts holding cock to bottom of boat sheared off.

7 Three softwood plugs applied (two for bolt holes, one for main outlet hole).

8 Crew reduced to 'bucket and chuckit' for remainder of trip.

Without the plugs this crew could have been in real trouble!

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Re: Anybody ever used a softwood bung?

I was told that none of the old bilge pumps could compare to a frightened crew with buckets. glad i have never had to test that one.

Wants woman with boat
Send photo of boat

 

[Viking]

Re: Cavity foam?

A sailing friend suggested, which he said he used, was a plastic bag stuffed in the hole then fill it with builders cavity foam from a airsole cannister, which expands in the bag each side of the hole, filling the hole what every shape. Never had recall to use it myself. (touch wooden bung) but keep a can on board incase, as well as bungs of cause.

 

[Mirelle]

What do Sea Check say....

to someone in my position?

It is nice to have engine spares, and tools, and a manual, but
I know very well that the water pump cover, almost inacessible anyway, is held on by just two screws because the rest have chewed through their threads in the casting in the past 35 years. I also know that the water side seal on the pump shaft is shot.

So I know that quite soon the engine will fail due to the pump cover falling into the bilge as the last screws fall off or due to water in oil when the telltale hole bungs up with crud.

It is financially not worth getting the engine out of the boat and giving it the necessary top end overhaul, and it is too small for modern conditions anyway, so I am running it until it dies, when I will buy a nice new one.

Irresponsible?

 

[dickh]

Re: What do Sea Check say....

Surely is it possible to remove the pump during the winter and overhaul it on the bench? I did this on my boat and it only cost a few ponds. Surely this is the best and most economical way to solve your pump problems - much easier than waiting for the pump cover to fall into the bilge( perhaps filling the bilge/sinking before you noticed? -& cheaper - and more responsible...no lifeboat picking you up...) Larger threads can be usually tapped in the casting, seals/bearings replaced and your engine will have a new lease of life, with peace of mind. If you do this, also fit a 'Spead Seal' cover, when you will be able to replace the impellor without any hand tools, very quickly - in under a minute.

 

[Guest]

Re: What do Sea Check say....

many moons ago i used to sail a jaguar 25 which had an out board motor.
a regular trip was wales-ireland.
in calm conditions we would motor untill we had just enough fuel for entry into port then switch the engine off.
if it took another 5 hours great.. if 20 hours we'd get a little frustrated but we had a SAIL boat so expected it.
a duff engine or no engine is not in itself irresponsible as long as you are aware of your situation and dont expect to call the aa to tow you in.
also i'd prefer if you berth at great distance from me as with my luck your engine will expire just as your manouvering next to me! ;-))

 

[Mirelle]

Re: What do Sea Check say....

Well, yes, of course I could. But I did not, last winter, because I did all that 10 years ago when the engine was a mere stripling of 25. Last windter we renewed the keel bolts, floors and mast step, which have a much higher priority!

The engine is now at the end of its useful life in many respects - it has an awkward and inconvenient gearchange (not single lever), fitting a Speedseal won't make the position of the pump easier to get at, and a top end overhaul is still needed for the shaft seal, the exhaust manifold has just about had it, the shaft is worn, the prop is a bit dezincified, and so on.

The practical solution is chuck the engine out and fit a new, more powerful modern one, with a Aquadrive and new stern gear, which will fit easily into the space.

But I still want to go sailing this year, and do the engine job in the winter....

I don't think the water pump cover failing would sink the boat because I religiously close all seacocks before leaving the boat.

And I don't think a little 16hp engine in a ten ton boat is going to make any difference to a "lifeboat type situation" - I am hardly going to bother the RNLI for a dead engine. Grounding, man overboard, a disastrous rig failure or a medical problem, maybe.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by mirelle on Mon Jul 1 15:03:46 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: Cavity foam - What a B good idea nm

 

[escape]

Re: Well said...(nm)

.

 

[rex]

Just wondered what engine spares you carry and what they suggested extra?

 

[Guest]

Not much really. A spare fuel filter, a spare water impellor and a spare belt.