Green liquid and mysterious salt water

[spaman]

I have a Beneteau 393 Oceanis but 2001 with a Yanmar 4JH3E with many, many hours on the clock. It was an ex Sunsail charter that was sold to a Polish guy from whom I purchased the boat 5 years ago. Condition is good considering the lavish attention I have spent on it and the engine has always been very reliable. When I bought the boat it had 4600 hours on the meter. When I next checked the hour meter some 3 years later (wasn't something I had felt necessary to do in the meantime), guess what? it was still on 4600 hours....
That is not the problem at hand. I have had the engine well serviced annually by a Yanmar authorised repairer, who this year had to replace the exhaust elbow and a number of the cooling system hoses (not cheap!) total cost including the service €1100).
A problem I have mentioned to them before has still not been resolved. When motoring for approx. 6-8 hours over a weekend (including 2-3 hours of motoring into a 18-22 knots headwind with 1.5-2m seas), I subsequently checked both the bilge and under the engine compartment. Nothing was in the engine well itself, but there was seawater in the port side channel next to the aft port cabin bulkhead (removed approx. 500ml using a kitchen baster) and another 650ml that had sloshed into the motor battery compartment. I have checked all hoses and the prop shaft, but cannot locate where this might be coming from.
I have also found a mysterious green liquid that appeared in my bilge. After taking up all the floorboards, I traced it as far back to the port side by the chart table seat. The amount is quite small, but evident nonetheless. There is nothing in any of the engine drain channels. I have emptied the seat contents and the hanging locker in the cabin to see if something had spilt, but nothing identifiable. It is odourless and doesn't seem to taste of anything (from the microscopic dot I placed on my tongue).
Thoughts anyone?

[donradcliffe]

The green liquid could be engine coolant--check to see what color the coolant is.

The liter of seawater could be coming from the prop shaft seal, or leaking out of a hose/connection on the engine. Look over the engine carefully to see if there are traces of dried salt somewhere.

[NoTies]

Where is your hot water cylinder?

[jkishel]

A little over a liter of water in a long day doesn't seem too alarming. I'd check the packing gland which is supposed to leak a little, bilge pump discharge (siphons when vessel lists), rain collected in nooks and crannies that spills into bilge when heeled, drainage from mast, etc. Green fluid sounds like coolant. Pressure test coolant system for leaks.

[Lepke]

Coolant, but bare copper can make green liquid. Especially with sea water.

[s/v Jedi]

Coolant tastes sweet so I'm thinking copper corrosion suspended in water?

[MarkJ]

Funnnnnnyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. I have just been having the same problem.


On my 393!


Pull up the aft cabin boards above the shaft seal. Its a Volvo dripless seal. It requires greasing annually. but dies in the bum after 10 to 15 years. Check o see if there is a drip coming down from the front end of the black rubber. if not when stationary test it under power... and in ASTERN. That forces water into it through the cutless bearing. I back down on my anchor hard so I think that's where I starts.


Theres a couple of ways of getting grease into the seal. The McDonalds Way or the Proper Way.
McDonalds lets you stuff your face without guilt. Whilst ramming a Quarter Pounder down your throat steal a drinking straw.
Shove the straw into some grease so the grease is an inch into the straw (steal a clear straw). Squeeze both sides of the rubber shaft seal and the opposing sides will come off the shaft a bit and let you slide the straw inside. Stop squeezing and withdraw the straw. the grease stays in.


The proper way of doing it is buying a plastic syringe from the chandler in the fiberglassing section. packs of 2 for $5. But the McD's way is more fun




Mark

[spaman]

Originally Posted by NoTies

Where is your hot water cylinder?

hot water cylinder is under the end of the saloon seat, midway between the chart table seat and the bilge.

[spaman]

Originally Posted by Lepke

Coolant, but bare copper can make green liquid. Especially with sea water.

this is bright green, so think unlikely to copper/sea water chemistry

[NoTies]

Originally Posted by spaman

hot water cylinder is under the end of the saloon seat, midway between the chart table seat and the bilge.

I'd be looking there for the coolant leak

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by spaman

this is bright green, so think unlikely to copper/sea water chemistry

^^^^
Plus it would have tasted salty when you tasted it, if it were copper & sea water.

[Steve Bean]

Is your engine coolant green? Does it taste the same as the mystery fluid?

[sailormed]

My mysterious small quantity seawater leak came from the seawater syphon break. The thin transparent hose from it was stuck somewhere in a hole in a reinforcing rib of the hull. The seawater appeared in the bilge after long hours of motoring.
Conclusion, check your seawater siphon break, pull the thin hose and put the end in a bottle.


Envoyé de mon iPad à l'aide de Cruisers Sailing Forum

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by sailormed

My mysterious small quantity seawater leak came from the seawater syphon break. The thin transparent hose from it was stuck somewhere in a hole in a reinforcing rib of the hull. The seawater appeared in the bilge after long hours of motoring.
Conclusion, check your seawater siphon break, pull the thin hose and put the end in a bottle.

They are easy to clean.
Pull it off and there's 2 screws in the top.

Salt builds up inside.




Sent from a stupid phone that replaces words with weird stuff.

[knockabout]

may be a cup of coolant that found a hidden spot somewhere after your service /check all fluid levels top up to specs give her a run in easy weather / some one else on the helm go below check for leaks/take care of hot components spinning components /don't want some red fluid to trace