OK, I stuffed up again.

[Morgan Paul]

PS As for the 'sealing up' the impeller - and forgetting the skinfitting was shut - well those simple things could have happened to any 'senile old fool on a boat'

LOL ha ha ha ha ha!

[seafox]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

Here's a picture of the Water lock.

Man Alan, that sure looks like a hippo's anus

[jamhass]

One nearly fool-proof precaution is to tie the engine key to the seacock anytime you close the seacock.

[Kanani]

Alan,

Have you given any thought to having a S/S water-lock made. Those damn plastic things are a real rip-off. I would think that a good S/S one might be available in NZ.

I realize that you'd rather loose a water-lock than an engine, in a "no water flow" situation. However, the exhasut hose from the engine to the water-lock may be a better sacrificial item. You could even carry a spare.

Besides, that thing looks a little small. What power plant are you running?

[Alan Wheeler]

SST is not the best material to use. It is very prone to the exhaust pulse and work hardens and then cracks. Plus the Sulfur in the exhaust eats the welds. Hence why Water locks, mufflers etc for water cooled exhaust are either Plastic or fibreglass.
As for size, yeah I agree it seems small for the engine size I have. It has a 60mm in/outlet. But that is what was originaly fitted, so to better that now, means a whole new system.

[Boracay]

Is this a good time to ask if I can expect problems from my mild steel muffler?

[cooper]

Yep ...a great time. !. 1/ is your exhaust wet ? 2/ is the muffler epoxy coated ?

If the anwsers are yes and no then you are going to have problems. Hot exhaust mixed with salt water and steam is food for metal mice. Get a plastic one : )

[Kanani]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

SST is not the best material to use. It is very prone to the exhaust pulse and work hardens and then cracks. Plus the Sulfur in the exhaust eats the welds. Hence why Water locks, mufflers etc for water cooled exhaust are either Plastic or fibreglass.
As for size, yeah I agree it seems small for the engine size I have. It has a 60mm in/outlet. But that is what was originaly fitted, so to better that now, means a whole new system.

I had a S/S one made in NZ in 1995. The guy was a brilliant S/S welder and the waterlock is still in the boat.

[Alan Wheeler]

I had a S/S one made in NZ in 1995. The guy was a brilliant S/S welder and the waterlock is still in the boat.

There's always' one that wants to buck the trend now isn't there ;-) :-)

[Pelagic]

Hi Alan,

Interesting lessons about the lag or failure of a water temp Alarm sensor. Had you not been so alert, it could have been dramatically worse, leading to an ER fire.


I have a similar set up on StarGazer and now realise an inherent weakness.


Thinking back to my early days on Tug boats (both ship docking and offshore) the engines always had a Pyrometer on the Riser.


It was Alarmed and especially when I was pushing hard to dock a ship, was the most looked at gauge.


I think I’ll look at putting one on SG, so as to Alarm prior to a meltdown.


Hope it didn’t spoil your Holiday. Thanks for sharing!

[the5]

checklists are useful and all, but when you are doing something out of the ordinary, a lockout/tagout works well. This has saved me many times from many expensive mistakes.

A lockout/tagout is a tag/lock placed on the ignition/on switch, or other thing that turns on something that will break the equipment or mame/kill someone who is working on the equipment. The tag includes what is being done and who is doing the work, etc. Modify for your enjoyment. The best feature of this system is that someone else also knows not to use the equipment.

Another thing that I have found unbelievable useful (and seems so obvious I don't know why I didn't think of it), is to put any and all nuts, bolts , hardware in bags (zip lock bags work great), and wire tie, zip tie them near the work (don't use tape, it comes off to easy), and label the bag.

And one more thing I like to do, as I leave tools in hard to find places all the time, is use a small tool bag to bring to the area of work, and count in/out the tools when I start/finish the work. Now I don't loose my tools! or better yet leave them were they can break something!

I have learned these methods while working on aircraft and dangerous industrial equipment, as they were required operating standards, and they work great.

[NoTies]

I haven't read this whole thread but will add my 2 cents worth. ALWAYS close all valves when leaving the boat, including fuel and other ancillary services. This is less a safety measure for me than a guarantee that I know they're not seized and helps prevent them becoming so. Leave the start key for the engine beside the cooling water valve and you will never forget to open it. Even if it takes 5 minutes to close all the valves it's a very cheap form of preventative maintenance.

[Alan Wheeler]

Yes I know. But the issue for me is where the stupid person who put the through hulls in, positioned them. You have to clamber down in the engine compartment and down the side of the engine to get to the cooling water valve. The fuel valves are nearby, so that is a bonus. Then there is a valve for the pilothouse drainage in an even further out of the way nook. Then you have to climb out and back down over the otherside to reach the other valve for Pilothouse drainage and then there is the waste outlet valve and then the washdown pump valve which both got fitted in the crany. I don't mind the five minutes part, but I do mind having to contort myself like Houdini and it is next to impossible to get down there when the engine is hot after we get back in. I wish we could have some remote way of opening and closing them from up top, but I guess that is fraught with problems as well.

[NoTies]

While you are clambering through all those spaces you are also going to be seeing so much of what is actually happening around your boat so I believe it is worth the effort. It's a bit like insurance. Some people say "I have my boat insured" I say "I am insuring my lifestyle by insuring my boat". Of course it comes down to priorities and being a liveaboard cruiser the boat is definitely #1.

[Alan Wheeler]

All very good points Pete. Well said.