Advice Post Running Aground?

[CarolinaDelt]

I have a 40' sailboat and recently ran aground on sand/silt/muck in the ICW. Both channel markers and charts indicated I was in plenty of water but that's another post ... anyways, after trying to motor off in reverse for 10 minutes and shifting weight, I wasn't going anywhere. Thus, SeaTow ;( I licked my wounds for a few moments and then carried on for a nice day sail.

However, when I returned to my dock and hooked up shore power, my air conditioning system continually overheated. I checked my filter and it was full of muck and silt. After cleaning the filter and priming the on/off valves a few times to ensure no air bubbles(read this from prior post), the AC worked just fine.

However, and ultimately my purpose for posting, now my water pressure doesn't work. Is this somehow related to another clog? It worked fine beforehand so I'm assuming there's an intake somewhere I need to check (akin to the AC). I recently filled the water tank so I know it's not empty; actually wondering if perhaps I overfilled it(I read that in another post too)? If I need to drain water, how? Thoughts?

ALSO, curious what else you'd recommend I check after running aground? I thought about looking at water intake valve/impeller ... I'm 2 months new into this boat so still learning where everything is located and all the systems. Thoughts?

Thanks,

[gonesail]

not sure why the AC problem is related to running aground unless you got a lot of mud jammed into the thru hull or the AC shares the engine intake thru hull? i would say the engine could have taken on some sand and mud which is not so great .. and the impeller and heat exchanger may have suffered in the process.

[model 10]

You should have said what kind of 40" boat you ran aground. Some boats are not bothered by running aground but others might. You might have an Ovni or something and really went aground.

[Stu Jackson]

Whenever you run aground, it is essential to check the intakes of all thru hulls.

Engine cooling, head, A/C, galley sink pump (if you have one), etc.

ALL of them.

Good learning process, too. You do shut off your thru hulls when you leave the boat, right?

What boat, are you cruising?

[CarolinaDelt]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Whenever you run aground, it is essential to check the intakes of all thru hulls.

Engine cooling, head, A/C, galley sink pump (if you have one), etc.

ALL of them.

Good learning process, too. You do shut off your thru hulls when you leave the boat, right?

What boat, are you cruising?

Great points ... It's a Hunter 40' ... 1993 model. I do close the thru hulls when I leave.


Still curious about the water pressure issue ...??


Is there a way to check the thru hulls without jumping in?

[JPA Cate]

If you want to get water out of your tanks, take your dinghy pump, you may have to use an adaptor, but if you open your taps, and apply pressure to your vent line, you should be able to blow water out past the pressure pump. It seems unlikely to me that the pressure pump would have been affected by the grounding. However, if it shares an electrical circuit with the AC, then maybe it popped a fuse, thus causing the pressure pump to no longer function.

Just start checking things. Jim likes to start with the easiest things to get to, but really any logical order will do.

Ann

On edit, after a grounding, it's a good idea to hop in the water and get a good look at the keel and rudder, and check the prop for weedy debris, too. You can assume that your engine water pump for the coolant, if it is raw water cooled, shall have ingested bits of sand, mud, shell, and etc. from the water, but I would think that the continued running would have cleaned all that out. However, if you don't know the last time the impeller was changed, go buy a spare and keep it on hand for when your engine starts to overheat.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Whenever you run aground, it is essential to check the intakes of all thru hulls.

From the looks of our keel, we run aground a lot. I don't see any reason to dive the boat all the time for the kind of groundings we make. Intakes are not anywhere near the bottom. I don't think everybody needs to think it's "essential".

[jmackay]

I think the first lesson is that SeaTow or TowboatUS is cheap insurance. Second lesson is that when you stir all of that muck up it gets sucked up into anything drawing water. Final lesson is it will happen again.

[FamilyVan]

I went in the mud a few weeks ago, also in a channel, had to motor 10 hours to port at 4 knots.

I cleaned out my impeller, sea strainer. Also, my belt was super loose afterwards too. Might be worth checking, could be why stuff isn't pumping for you. Also added coolant and oil after working her so hard all day.

Ended up cleaning about 50 lbs of mud and weeds of my skeg too.

Boat ran like a champ again by the next day.

Sent from my SGH-I547C using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[zboss]

We ran aground a few weeks ago in the ICW... same deal... plenty of water charted. In fact, we had just gone through that area 4 months prior on the same exact plot. Good thing is that the ICW is almost all mud and sand. Really, there is no better place to learn the hard knocks of going aground.

We also have seatow (AND boatus) but we prefer to not wait (tide could be unfavorable) and usually inform boatus - in case we do need help - but kedge ourselves off using our fortress anchor, a winch, and a little reverse. We have run aground in the ICW 3 times but some people have never run aground. It happens.You deal and move on.

Strongly suggest you do not ignore the advise of checking your through hulls for mud and debris. We have a cutaway keel so we generally ground pretty softly. I suppose if you have a fin keel you may need to be more cautious.

[keepondancin]

If pressure is low at the galley and head sinks, check to see if the aerators (screens) are clogged with grit or debris, which would probably be coincidental.

[roverhi]

Having an anchor constantly rigged and ready to row or walk out to kedge off is the best insurance. Trying to power off like you did is a recipe for most of the problems you are now having. Engines and other systems that require external water source don't last long if they get mud instead of water. Really don't understand why the first thought that comes into a skippers head when they run aground is to call for a tow. Get an anchor out and kedge yourself off. Way cheaper and easier on the boat.

The pressure water system problem shouldn't have anything to do with your grounding, That system is a closed system that just draws water from the tanks and delivers it to the faucets. Check the pump and be sure it's running when you open a tap. If not it may either be a switch, motor or pump issue or the wiring between pump and battery.

[scuba0_1]

Is it possible while you were looking around you closed a valve on your water system. It's a closed system so it's other your pump or something is closed or partly closed.

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[hamburking]

If you never run aground, you are never going anywhere.

Around here its all rock....I pray for soft mud.

[Russ]

Having run aground on the ICW MANY times in a sailboat (mine at lest) the keel hits and the through hulls are above the keel and the muck by a bit. I am surprised but not amazed that your intake stuff got plugged.
Suggest you also look at the type of intake cover (clamshell ect ) that is covering the through hulls. A more or less open design might help. Mine are just 2" dia holes without covers of any sort.

Also never forget to try and fly your jib IF the wind is favorable as the Jib may torque you around just enough to get off whatever.