Help With Clearing Out a Water Intake

[Hunter567T]

One of my water intakes for one of my engines is slightly clogged up with things inside of it. The water intake is inside of the sail-drive on the bottom of the boat. I am wondering if there is anyway to clean it out while my boat is still in the water without sinking it. If that cannot be done, what are the best ways for cleaning it when the boat is out of the water? (My boat is a 37ft sailing vessel and the engines are inboard ones.)

[Chief Engineer]

If it is a sail dive.....you need a diver or a haulout.....if the warter is warm

DIY

[Hunter567T]

Originally Posted by Chief Engineer

If it is a sail dive.....you need a diver or a haulout.....if the warter is warm

DIY

Right now I'm in the Caribbean so it is not a problem to jump in and fix it. I am looking for a method for myself to fix it without using anyone else though.

[colemj]

Get a dowel appropriately sized for the bottom hole in the saildrive intake (3/8"?) and long enough to reach through it and stick it up into the drive. Move it around a bit and in and out and it will break up the barnacles that grow up there. One of those plastic rods that are used in venetian blinds to close them when you twist it works perfectly.

Then, next time the boat is out of the water, add proper intake through hulls and a strainer and plug off the saildrive intake for good. Trust me, your life will be much easier after that.

Mark

[PyotrBee]

Would a small plumbers snake work?

[SVTwilight]

A metal snake might help if it is a thick enough one to stay more or less rigid against hard growth and break it up. Do you have a waterproof flashlight and can you see in to what is clogging the intakes? It could be garbage, but in my experience it is often barnacles and you need something rigid to knock them our like the plastic rod that Mark suggests. You really need scuba gear or the ability to hold you breath for a couple of minutes at a time like I do (not recommended for most).

You still might need a haul out and while it is out, yes, put on though hulls strainers.

Todd

[shakey doug]

If cleaning leg interior out in the water, remove raw water hose at pump end and back flush otherwise disloged barnacles and gunk will be force thru system causing other problems such as over heating and pump issues.