Running dry for hours. .. what damage could have been done?

[Rachinwokingham]

Originally Posted by SailingFan

So how did the motor start itself?

This is the mystery. We have no idea. We are waiting for the electrician to come back with the rebuilt starter motor. Then he will trace the wiring back and try to find the source. However he is reportedly waiting for a spare part to be shipped to the island (Corfu )from Athens so. ... we might be in suspense for a long time!

[JPA Cate]

The real basis of the insurance claim will have to to with the collateral damage due to the heat and smoke, if the engine is okay.

If the batteries had been totally isolated from the start motor, this couldn't have happened.

Ann (with no "e": I'm just plain Ann, not a fancy British one)

[DumnMad]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

For many reasons it's best that the bilge pumps be wired direct to the battery bank, but when you leave the boat for awhile maybe disconnecting the battery bank is best to prevent other unintended operation and fires?

Normal best practice is for the battery cable to the starter to have an OFF switch wired in so you don't disconnect the pumps etc when you disconnect the starter.

[gunnarandeva]

When I leave my boat I turn off four switches; neg and pos on the starter circuit and the house circuit. The only thing hardwired directly to the battery is the fridge. Solar panels keep the batteries fully charged. A pretty foolproof system and, being a steel vessel, also avoids the possibility of stray currents causing galvanic corrosion.

[Jim Cate]

Query for those saying that this or that type engine never will reach operating temperature at idle: Surely that means with coolant running through the engine. Otherwise, where does the heat generated by even idle speed combustion go? It must build up over time. Hard to believe that convective air cooling on the exterior of the block can dissipate that much energy.

Or is there another means of extracting the heat that I'm overlooking?

Jim

[SecondBase]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Query for those saying that this or that type engine never will reach operating temperature at idle: Surely that means with coolant running through the engine. Otherwise, where does the heat generated by even idle speed combustion go? It must build up over time. Hard to believe that convective air cooling on the exterior of the block can dissipate that much energy.

Or is there another means of extracting the heat that I'm overlooking?

Jim

Not sure I can answer your question but I believe the understood conditions were engine running, starter continuously engaged, and engine started with coolant. However thru hull closed to no (little?) raw water.

[SecondBase]

Originally Posted by Rachinwokingham

This is the mystery. We have no idea. We are waiting for the electrician to come back with the rebuilt starter motor. Then he will trace the wiring back and try to find the source. However he is reportedly waiting for a spare part to be shipped to the island (Corfu )from Athens so. ... we might be in suspense for a long time!

I will no longer be able to help you due to extreme Corfu jealousy. What a place to wait it out. Get over to Pelekas beach and the little restaurant on the SE end of the beach.

You have arrived.

Recommendation: try to discreetly CANCEL that replacement part order or create another issue to create a longer delay ..... Enjoy !

[contrail]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Oysters are routinely outfitted with water separators in the exhaust system, so you shouldn't see water and exhaust spitting from above the waterline. Only exhaust fumes from above and the exhaust cooling water comes out below the waterline.

Very alarming to most who're unfamiliar with this feature. Relax, your engine is fine. You just need a new starter motor, then buy a spare to include in your spares inventory. The black smoke inside your boat was from the burnt plasic on the starter motor.

Check with Oyster after sales department to verify your boat was equipped with separators for the engine and generator if unable to check yourself. If it was... maybe it's time to find a new mechanic.

The mechanic said the seacock was closed, so there wouldn't have been water, no matter the exhaust design.

[SailingFan]

Originally Posted by Fence Man

Makes me glad to have an old 2 stroke outboard on my boat. Most of the time, it won't start with help, let alone get the job done by it's self.

HA HA!!!!

[mynameismud]

Lucky the starter did not keep engaged and start a fire.

[Rachinwokingham]

Originally Posted by mynameismud

Lucky the starter did not keep engaged and start a fire.

The starter motor did keep engaging and I think we were lucky to hear about it and get someone on board before it all caught fire. We have only owned the boat for a few weeks so that would have been really unlucky.

[Rachinwokingham]

Originally Posted by SecondBase

Not sure I can answer your question but I believe the understood conditions were engine running, starter continuously engaged, and engine started with coolant. However thru hull closed to no (little?) raw water.

That is correct

[Rachinwokingham]

Originally Posted by SecondBase

I will no longer be able to help you due to extreme Corfu jealousy. What a place to wait it out. Get over to Pelekas beach and the little restaurant on the SE end of the beach.

You have arrived.

Recommendation: try to discreetly CANCEL that replacement part order or create another issue to create a longer delay ..... Enjoy !Attachment 154984

Thanks for this reminder that we are stranded in such a gorgeous place. We are trying to get this boat into shape to live on board for a year(or more) and do the ARC next year so this season will be all about preparation. And I have heard that the cruising life style is as much about 'doing boat jobs in the sunshine' as about sailing! We are using the time to go through the boat and sort, clean, fix and understand the many little quirks of a twenty year old boat with five previous owners. We are also getting to know the technicians and engineers here and learning about Greek time! And so although we have been here for several weeks already now, there are still a lot of things left to explore on the island.
One thing seems pretty clear. .. there seems to be a consensus that if the batteries were really switched off at the relay, the engine couldn't have started itself because of a short, could it?
The guy who looks after our boat in winter (gardiennage) cane on board the morning after it happened and commented that her had never heard such a strange sorry. 'Maybe next she will sail herself away' he suggested.


One

[Kenomac]

I suggest you join the Oyster Owners forum and also start taking advantage of the excellent Oyster after sales/customer service department. Usually the answers you seek and parts you need are only an email away.

You think Greece is nice, just wait till you visit Croatia...

[Rachinwokingham]

Thanks for the suggestion. We have called Oyster Customer Services a few times now. They have to go into the paper archives to tell us anything about our boat though!
We haven't joined the Oysters owners forum yet, so we'll do that.