Starting engine when batteries are dead

[Nicholson58]

A boat I raced long ago had a 35 HP Perkins two cylinder with manual compression release. Release the compression, hand crank as fast as you can, engage the compression.

[hellosailor]

The hand cranks are fun. I've met wit two of them. First time, on a then-new boat around 1990. It seems that someone played the stereo too long between races waiting for a breeze, and there was no battery left when race#2 was eventually canceled and we were going to crank it up to motor home. Ergh....not quite, but there's A HANDLE! Kinda like watching the Keystone Cops as everyone said "Oh, let me do that, I can turn it faster!" Eventually, one guy got it turned enough but it took long enough that I wouldn't rely on that.
The other time was a smaller older boat with a Volvo MD6? MD7? and once we cleaned enough old paint off the crank to fit it to the flywheel...ah, no, Superman wasn't around that day. Wound up calling the launch and bringing over a jump box, instead.

So, keeping a dedicated spare battery, even a smallish one, works. Doesn't cost much. Probably covered under towing policies too, isn't it?

[a64pilot]

German Army Hatz Diesel generator, about 4 or 5 KW. Hand start only, no preheat or flow plugs, beautiful design, the compression release was automatic, sort of, you turned the thing then and cranked it by hand crank, it would move, after about three revolutions, compression hit.

It was an absolute bear to start winter in Bosnia, have a heavy guy sit on it, and a muscle guy spin it and it would eventually start. It weighed about 100 kilos and would jump around it was so hard to crank with compression. Could never do it now.

[ramblinrod]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Do you have a means of starting your propulsion engine in the event that all battery power is lost? Did you arrive at this redundancy deliberately or as a side effect of other goals?


How often have you had to use this capability?


Do you carry an extra starting motor and the tools necessary to install it?

We have a split house bank (always combined except
for service or testing) that runs everything.

In the event of draining below start voltage (never happened) usually just disconnecting loads for 15 minutes will recover enough sag, the engine can be started.

For smaller engines with decompression levers, these can be deployed to get the engine rotating by starter on weak battery, and then released.

Of course engines with crank handles can be cranked.

We carry a 12 Vdc booster pack as a portable 12Vdc supply for testing / troubleshooting that could be used to jump the starter. (Never had to use for starting).

Else wait for solar to recharge batteries.

We don’t carry a spare starter. That is a personal judgement call. On the one hand it could be useful. On the other hand it is taking up precious storage space and will most likely be a worthless piece of rusted scrap.

If it failed outside of port, we could just sail in, anchor, and take the dinghy in to locate a starter, or strap the dinghy to the mother ship for propulsion.

Then again if you carry a spare and painstakingly maintain it in working order you will never need it. ;-)

Laidening the boat with so many spares one can’t get out of the way of a storm, or make port before sunset may be counter productive.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by ramblinrod

We have a split house bank (always combined except
for service or testing) that runs everything.

In the event of draining below start voltage (never happened) usually just disconnecting loads for 15 minutes will recover enough sag, the engine can be started.

For smaller engines with decompression levers, these can be deployed to get the engine rotating by starter on weak battery, and then released.

Of course engines with crank handles can be cranked.

We carry a 12 Vdc booster pack as a portable 12Vdc supply for testing / troubleshooting that could be used to jump the starter. (Never had to use for starting).

Else wait for solar to recharge batteries.

We don’t carry a spare starter. That is a personal judgement call. On the one hand it could be useful. On the other hand it is taking up precious storage space and will most likely be a worthless piece of rusted scrap.

If it failed outside of port, we could just sail in, anchor, and take the dinghy in to locate a starter, or strap the dinghy to the mother ship for propulsion.

Then again if you carry a spare and painstakingly maintain it in working order you will never need it. ;-)

Laidening the boat with so many spares one can’t get out of the way of a storm, or make port before sunset may be counter productive.

That is unless your starter is also your generator then i carry a spare.

[a64pilot]

I carry a spare starter.
You have a starter / generator? Or are you saying you propulsion motor doubles as your generator?

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I carry a spare starter.
You have a starter / generator? Or are you saying you propulsion motor doubles as your generator?

yes it is a dynostarter at engine rpm it puts 11amps out back into the start battery.
And the only charger I will have for it the Lfp house bank will be completely separate and charged off solar alone.

[hellosailor]

Dynostarter: I think that's the same one used in the Albin Vega. If so, a spare is worth its weight in gold, there are just no spares or spare parts to find, from what I've heard. For some reason, the idea never really caught on.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Dynostarter: I think that's the same one used in the Albin Vega. If so, a spare is worth its weight in gold, there are just no spares or spare parts to find, from what I've heard. For some reason, the idea never really caught on.

the geared starter . Its more reliable. I personally have 2 spares that have been rebuilt by a shop I trust. Anyone with one I am willing to take it off your hands. For a reasonable price.

[sailorboy1]

I have some emergency backup systems on my boat. They are white a you have to hang up. Think they are called flapping bed sheets, but I just call them sails.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I have some emergency backup systems on my boat. They are white a you have to hang up. Think they are called flapping bed sheets, but I just call them sails.

I have those too. I was in the river valley the other day and they cut out on me at the worst time, left me in the current with no steerageway. Then the wind came up and the boat spun around towards the center of the channel before the rudder dug in. The other boats were impressed! One of them honked their horn the five times. It was fun.

[Sailorbob8599]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Attachment 176839Attachment 176840
German Army Hatz Diesel generator, about 4 or 5 KW. Hand start only, no preheat or flow plugs, beautiful design, the compression release was automatic, sort of, you turned the thing then and cranked it by hand crank, it would move, after about three revolutions, compression hit.

It was an absolute bear to start winter in Bosnia, have a heavy guy sit on it, and a muscle guy spin it and it would eventually start. It weighed about 100 kilos and would jump around it was so hard to crank with compression. Could never do it now.

FWIW dept.: BMW took this basic HATZ diesel engine (which I'm told, was originally air cooled), & they 'marinised' it with a water cooled cylinder to make the D7 & D12 marine engines.. Prior to this, apart from the military genset, it was designed to power small portable concrete mixers & similar equipment. It is one tough little engine, capable of accepting abuse at the hands of construction laborers & survive to work another day. With minimal moving parts, the crank & piston relies on the old 'splash' method, same as used in Austin engines powering the old LONDON TAXI cabs. Failproof & totally reliable. Another feature is the fact the alternator is integral with the flywheel, so no belts or revolving pulleys to get your clothing caught in. This, is as basic as an engine can get & still provide power to push your boat. Unfortunately, it is no longer in production.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Sailorbob8599

FWIW dept.: BMW took this basic HATZ diesel engine (which I'm told, was originally air cooled), & they 'marinised' it with a water cooled cylinder to make the D7 & D12 marine engines.. Prior to this, apart from the military genset, it was designed to power small portable concrete mixers & similar equipment. It is one tough little engine, capable of accepting abuse at the hands of construction laborers & survive to work another day. With minimal moving parts, the crank & piston relies on the old 'splash' method, same as used in Austin engines powering the old LONDON TAXI cabs. Failproof & totally reliable. Another feature is the fact the alternator is integral with the flywheel, so no belts or revolving pulleys to get your clothing caught in. This, is as basic as an engine can get & still provide power to push your boat. Unfortunately, it is no longer in production.

they occasionally pop up check with v12 engineering
Home - V12 Engineering

[thinwater]

Pull the rope? (twin 9.9s in cockpit wells)


After you start one, the other will crank in a few minutes.

[Elie]

Originally Posted by lockie

I recall seeing a YouTube post years ago where a bloke used a line from the main boom run through blocks to the engine, where it was wrapped around the crankshaft pulley.


Then...…….gybe-o, followed by vroom vroom!

The guy was Michel Desjoyaux, when racing an IMOCA 60 racer around the world. Its genset batteries were dead, and it impossible to start, close to the Cape Horn. So, he installed blocks attached to the main sail sheet and e few turns on the genset flywheel. By gybing the huge mainsail the sheet pulled strongly on the engine's flywheel at it started. That is a good way to get out of trouble.