NEED A TOW ASAP

[pbmaise]

This is not a recommendation to Carebear.

In that case, this couple should not move into the sea until confident the engine runs well. Further they should have the most common consumable spares like the water pump impeller and belts.

Further they should be confident their fuel is clean, well filtered and have spare filters. They should also know how to reprime the fuel system if they run dry. I keep a small diesel jerry can in my engine room specifically for this.

....

In a pinch and you are at sea with an overheating motor what do you do?

Others have suggested the common solutions. But what if you really can't solve it that way?

#1 Go ahead and run the engine. You have some time before you ruin it. How long depends on the size of your heat exchanger. On my engine from a cold start I have about 12 minutes. If 12 minutes is all you need to avoid danger... fine. Be sure to refill heat exchanger and keep a good supply of distilled water aboard for this emergency.

#2 A variation of solution #1 is to stock lots of distilled water. (Plain water if no other choice. ) Keep refilling water that has boiled away with new water. Again I do not suggest this situation, however, you can buy a lot of distilled water for the price of a tow.

#3 If your water pump chewed up your last spare impeller bypass it. Simply disconnect the water inlet to engine and run flexible tube. Next find a source of water and electric pump. When this problem occurred on my boat, I had 7 working electric pumps aboard to pick from. I picked a portable electric bidge pump.

NOTE: Start engine first and then electric pump. Stop electric pump and then engine. If you go in wrong order you risk flooding engine with sea water.

Flooding of the engine with sea water is a common problem especially in very high seas. You should have oil on board for two oil changes specifically for this occurance. In very high seas run engine often to flush water out of exhaust. Further make triple sure water line to engine is closed.

Before starting engine, look for high oil level. Do not run engine if oil level has changed from normal to high. Instead change oil in engine and remove the seawater. Add new oil, run engine five minutes, and then change out this oil with second oil change.

Aboard my vessel when I used a bildge pump, I simply opened a spare valve and flooded a compartment next to the engine. Then while running the engine, the bildge pumo could pump out compartment faster than it was filled. This meant the bildge pump was pumping both seawater and some air into engine. Not a problem.

I ran 200 nm a 150 hp engine in this manner and simply monitored my engine temperature. I kept engine rev down to maintain the normal engine temperature. In fact the setup ran so well, I was tempted to keep it since in my case impellers and rebuilding the raw water pump is expensive.

Note to Carebear... It seems you are letting husband do most of engine work. Not a good idea. You should be able to do all common repairs too.

Make sure raw water supply is open and not blocked by marine growth. Look inside strainer basket and clean.

When line open and clear...
Both of you observe which way the fan belt turns the raw water pump. If belt doesnt turn it at all, check for worn belt and belt tension. Turn the wheel on the pump by hand in same direction. If it turns very easy, then impeller inside is worn out. If it turns very stiff, sea growth may be inside. Opening, checking, and changing impeller is a skill both of you should learn.

[meatservo]

Carrie,

Hopefully you will have onboard at least two good flashlights and a VHF radio once your boat is up and running, but I am sure you guys already know that...

meatservo

[pbmaise]

Carebear: Until confident in the sailing ability of your vessel, I strongly recommend you should have enough fuel on board to motor 100% of the way to destination especially since it is so close. Fuel is cheap compared to a tow and can be stored on deck with plastic cover over outlet. If nearby, I alone could lend you enough containers for 200 liters.

Look for a big sailboat at your local marina and ask to borrow jerry cans. They are about $22 a piece and and should be returned washed and dried with fresh water and soap. Do not use if not clean inside.

It is so less stressful knowing you have an iron sail to call upon if you cannot sail the vessel.

If you get out to sea and there is no wind, or strong head winds, you have to consider the fact you may have time contraints. You may not have the time to wait for wind or time to slowly plod against the wind.

This is a step by step learning experience and again, I strongly encourage you personally to have the ability to solve exactly this type of problem on your own.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by carebear1968

Hi Anne and thanks bunches for your wisdom and kind thoughts. We did turn her around$ 485.00 tow[emoji19] but she's back in dock. My Husband knows the problem we just don't have time to stay and fix it so we have to try again next weekend. Anyhow Happy New Year. Thanks again.

Hi Carebear,,
It appears that you are mostly lacking time which is affecting your confidence in delivering your untested boat to your home.

May I suggest that next weekend you hire a local boat maintenance guy to work with your husband to solve the known problems and do a safety check together to accomplish more.

Ideally, he could even do an external check top and bottom during the week with the agreement that he would accompanying you on the delivery as extra crew who now knows the boat as well as your husband.
Try and take the stress out of this to get her safely home, even if it costs you a bit more.

[pbmaise]

You are clearly buying an older boat that has been sitting a while. This is why some have expressed concerns about fuel quality.

I too purchased a vessel that had been sitting a while.

Regarding fuel recommendation by another CFer, if there is water and biological growth within fuel tank,

#1 Best to get it out and take for disposal.

From experience, simply having enough fuel filters aboard is not a good recommendation. When I had this problem I replaced 12 fuel filters on a short trip. Engine time was only a few hours per filter. It was very stressful to have engine stop every few hours and run low on filters.

#2 Step one will not remove sludge attached to bottom of tank. I opened my tanks up and manually cleaned, and flushed with fresh diesel.

Note: From my experience, In tank biocides will help dislodge and kill an existing a growth of sludge. Before the trip, with 12 filters clogged, I had added biocide. Therefore, biocides in my book are only a prevention measure to stop growth from beginning. If you already have growth don't use unless you flush out tank.

After my experience I became rather paranoid about fuel quality.

I now run all fuel into my Starboard tank. I then transfer via a high speed pump through a large 2 micron filter into the port tank. I run the engine on only the port tank.

I can also clean and recirculate fuel back into starboard tank.

Since this change, I have had no clogged fuel filter to the engine.

[goat]

What? None of your guys have had a wife before? You know;
Him 'OK we've got a few problems let's get down and fix them.'
Her 'we need some help, let's ask strangers for help'
Him 'go ahead, ask away I'll keep working on this over heating problem'
Her 'the forum said to check the impeller and the water intake'
Him 'yes I'm changing the impeller right now'
Her 'did you check the intake strainer?'
Him 'it's under water'
Her 'what if I can find someone to tow us to our slip?'
Him 'go ahead and ask, I'll keep working on this until you find someone who wants to tow us through the bridges. Almost finished'
Her 'so far no one wants to help'
Him 'big surprise, looks like the impeller was bad. We should be OK to motor out'
Her 'I don't know, wouldn't it be better to have a professional look at it?'

Of course I'm just a little jaded and probably far off base. :^)

[Steve Bean]

In my opinion, ensuring that the fuel in the tanks is clean is much better than carrying a lot of extra filter elements. When a boat that has been sitting unused for a long time goes out to sea, the motion will stir up all the sediment from the bottom of the tank, and clog the filter. Running the engine at the dock will not reveal this problem. Neither will motoring in canals or the Intracoastal Waterway. I've experienced this, having the filter clog in the Gulf Stream, on a boat that had been sitting in Ft. Lauderdale over a year. Fuel polishing service is available.
After the overheating problem has been addressed, test it by running at the dock under load ( with plenty of extra dock lines well secured to strong points) before moving the boat. I know the New River and Fruit Isles area; not wise to move a boat with unreliable propulsion, or inexperienced pilot.

[buzzstar]

IMHO, the major error was not having a sea trial., with the slip availability in writing. Perhaps upgraded to a condition whereby the broker would provide a back up slip and accompany the buyers on the trip to Jacksonville. Other than that it is an object lesson about vessels that need inspections/surveys and why.

[jongleur]

In Carebear's defense, she's at least not
getting defensive or offended. I think
she's doing her best to communicate with
us. There might well be a language issue.
I wish them the best.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by jongleur

In Carebear's defense, she's at least not
getting defensive or offended. I think
she's doing her best to communicate with
us. There might well be a language issue.
I wish them the best.

I do not know about the language issue, but I do think it appears they were taken advantage of unless the vessel was a near freebie and full disclosure, and perhaps even then. I also have substantial doubt about the broker, but it is impossible to be sure of anything based upon the available information. Stiii, to Carebear and spouse, I am sure we all, not just jongleur and me, wish you the best.

[thruska]

Care bear, its been mentioned to contact the broker ? I would question his credentials and his business practice.
It would behoove the online brokerage to work with you barring a very bad review online.
A seaworthy boat does not have an iverheating engine, a stuck centerboard, and meanuverability issues !
Id call them and jack em up and ream em in no uncertain terms.
The owner and his caretakers are no better in my opinion..
I can understand medical issues but throwing you off the dock didnt heal him im sure.
Burden lies on the owner and broker for lies and and downright rude and inhumane behavior..
Its a damn shame .
I hope you didnt by it with an as is agreement. Is not seaworthy from them . You have a real case if they dont fess up .
Good luck!

[JPA Cate]

I cannot imagine how goat's post could possibly improve the situation. The implication that the man is masterful and the woman a ditz is extremely offensive to me, at any rate. We, in truth, know nothing of Carrie and her husband's communication skills.

What we do know is that they got in a little over their heads--maybe even a lot--and she has been trying to improve their situation. For that Goat denigrates her and by extension, all women. Boy, Goat, i sure wish you hadn't written that. You may feel jaded, but is that really an excuse?

Carrie has been trying to communicate about things she has no prior experience of. Some of the posters are trying to help. We all started out somewhere. Sheesh!

Ann

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

I cannot imagine how goat's post could possibly improve the situation. The implication that the man is masterful and the woman a ditz is extremely offensive to me, at any rate.
......... Sheesh!

Ann

I agree Ann, but I am reasonably sure she knows when to ignore and recognize when this particular Goat has Nanny issues.

[pbmaise]

Originally Posted by thruska

Care bear, its been mentioned to contact the broker ? I would question his credentials and his business practice.
It would behoove the online brokerage to work with you barring a very bad review online.
A seaworthy boat does not have an iverheating engine, a stuck centerboard, and meanuverability issues !
Id call them and jack em up and ream em in no uncertain terms.
The owner and his caretakers are no better in my opinion..
I can understand medical issues but throwing you off the dock didnt heal him im sure.
Burden lies on the owner and broker for lies and and downright rude and inhumane behavior..
Its a damn shame .
I hope you didnt by it with an as is agreement. Is not seaworthy from them . You have a real case if they dont fess up .
Good luck!

This is a quote from a paper on British Admiralty Law. US law is similar.

Where the buyer expressly or by implication makes known to the seller the particular purpose for which the goods are required, so as to show that the buyer relies on the seller's skill or judgment, and the goods are of a description which it is in the course of the seller's business to supply, whether he is the manufacturer or not, there is an implied condition that the goods are reasonably fit for such purpose...

Have you documented to seller or broker vessel was unfit to sail and your expenses?

Have you asked for use of slip?

[valhalla360]

It's not too clear but it sounds like the seller changed the terms prior to sale. Assuming a typical contract it's "as is". Unless there is written evidence that was not superseded, that the boat was in proper running order...That puts the burden on the buyer to get it off the dock.


There is also the very real possibility that the last time the seller took the boat out, it ran fine, so to the best of the sellers knowledge, it was running fine. 3-6months later...issues crop up. End result there was nothing nefarious going on. The OP would basically have to prove that the seller knew there was an overheating issue or had somehow warrantied the operational condition.


Another option to consider if you think you can fix it yourself is to take a couple days off work to spend working on the boat. A 5hr drive down Friday night, Work on the boat Saturday and maybe a couple hours in the morning before a 5hr drive back. That's tiring and really doesn't give you much time to actually work on the boat. Take 2-3 days off and you can essentially triple the amount of time available to work on the boat.