Inability to keep the water out > Long distance rescue

[Reefmagnet]

Tried an 18v cordless Ryobi 1/2" rattler as a starter on my 33hp and not a chance.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by DefinitelyMe

Regarding the discussion about starting an engine with a cordless drill, it seems that no-one has actually tried it. Some say probably, some say probably not. Nobody has mentioned the size of the engine as being important. Those of you who say no, surely if the engine is small enough it has to work!

On another note, how easy would it be to decompress most engines manually and then crank them? Could you perhaps remove one of the injectors, thereby reducing the torque needed to turn the engine, and simply run it on one less cylinder? At least you'd have it running then! Better yet, crack off all of the injoectors, get it spinning with the drill and then tighten them up one by one? I'm not in a position to try it at the moment (i don't have a drill!) but would be intrigued if anyone else wants to give it a go!

Try comparing a starter motor pulse wattage and compare that to a puny drill motor.

As to cracking the injector. You mean removing them from their seats ?????

Jeepers why can't people just kep a charged battery handy.

Dave

[Sailor_Hutch]

Originally Posted by atoll

not really too worried about taking on water on either my 63 ft alu keel boat ,as it has 5 watertight bulkheads,or my catamaran that has 4 watertight bouyancy compartments.

when we had the aft cabin flood from a cracked skeg 400 miles from antigua,pumping it out 2 times a day was enough to remove the limited amount of water that could only flood as far as the waterline under the cabin sole.

what was more worrying was seeing blue through the crack as the skeg flexed!,and the possibility of loosing steering.

bouyancy compartments or watertight bulkheads are the way to go!

it doesnt matter how big your pump is or how it is run,if the leak is bigger than the pump or pumps output

Cracked skeg on your aluminum boat? Or one of your other vessels? Geez, atoll, you're running a shipyard! Good to ya though!

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Sailor_Hutch

Cracked skeg on your aluminum boat? Or one of your other vessels? Geez, atoll, you're running a shipyard! Good to ya though!

yes it was on the aluminium monster,caused by a design fault that allowed the unsupported skeg to flex where it was welded to the hull.

soon sorted it in antigua........2 boat dollars later

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by atoll

yes it was on the aluminium monster,caused by a design fault that allowed the unsupported skeg to flex where it was welded to the hull.

soon sorted it in antigua........2 boat dollars later

Wasn't a Bruce roberts design was it , its alleged his skegs had a habit of that

dave

[steve77]

Let me go back to the question of using the auxiliary's raw water pump as a bulk water removal device. I have never seriously considered this because of two reasons: 1) I don't think it moves that much water, and 2) my concern of having detritus and "bilge junk" from clogging the heat exchanger, leading to loss of the engine.

I have a primary electric bilge pump, 2 large capacity electric bilge pumps mounted a little higher in the bilge, a permanently-mounted diaphragm bilge pump operable from the cockpit, and a Titan portable diaphragm pump with a long hose. And buckets. If things really go bad, and all other options are exhausted, I can use my Blake Lavac head pump to move water.

Any of those will move more water than the raw water pump on the engine. For the small amount of water it will remove, in my opinion it is not worth the risk to the engine to use this as a bilge pump.

An engine-driven pump is a separate issue and has many positives, but I don't have one.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Wasn't a Bruce roberts design was it , its alleged his skegs had a habit of that

dave

no it is a one off russian design.
the problem was that the skeg should have been let into the hull and supported with a latice to the interiour stiffners,as you would an aeroplane wing.

instead it was just welded direct to the outer plating with no additional bracing,resulting in cracks on either side of the skeg, through the hull plating.

it was a minor job to weld up the cracks,and put in 2 bits of bar as cross braces to the skeg,rudder is transom hung anyway,so no danger of losing the lot

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

Tried an 18v cordless Ryobi 1/2" rattler as a starter on my 33hp and not a chance.

Nice! Good to hear from someone who's actually tried it.

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

As to cracking the injector. You mean removing them from their seats ?????

Yes. I know most of them have a copper washer that deforms to the shape of the injector and once you've cracked them you're supposed to replace that washer and blah blah blah but in reality it will work fine if you just use the same one, sometimes many times over. You 'sound' incredulous!

[minaret]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

There is no way.

None at all for a normal cruiser to start a modern diesel on a sailboat with out a battery.

Btw, nor have I ever heard of someone carrying an axe. Unless its for when the wife is cooking and you need to break the cake.

If you listen to every bit of 'advice' and then buy every object mentioned for your boat it will sink before you get to the breakwater. But you will probably not even ever get that far.



Mark

An axe is basic, though I prefer a good wrecking bar and a hatchet myself, not enough room to swing an axe properly and a wrecking bar is faster/more efficient. Know loads of people who sail so equipped.

I believe Andrew has a system which allows him to start his diesel with a scuba tank. We should probably be paying attention and learning instead of denying what he is saying is possible.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

problem solved

I bought a good one of these last year. Did a lot of research etc. First time I tried to use it it didnt turn the engine over. Why? Because if your batteries are REALLY dead, they soak up all the amps instead of amperage going to the starter!
Lots of luck starting a diesel engine with the hand drill! haha that's funny...

[Lojanica]

Originally Posted by Andrew Troup

Given the dwindling demand for robust simple technology, like self-sufficient engines and pumps, the supply is drying up before our eyes, denying future sailors options taken for granted by our forebears.

The opportunity to travel the world in relative safety without being lashed to the apron strings of corporations and states and airfreight companies is rapidly being extinguished.

Nicely stated. Seems like less mechanical will be the future not more for the self-sufficent as the electronics and complex difficult to repair mechanical part of a contraption piece of the equation will ultimately necessitate a simple solution.

[oceannavigator]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I bought a good one of these last year. Did a lot of research etc. First time I tried to use it it didnt turn the engine over. Why? Because if your batteries are REALLY dead, they soak up all the amps instead of amperage going to the starter!
Lots of luck starting a diesel engine with the hand drill! haha that's funny...

Best solution of the bunch!

My interior is 100% screwed together with removable screws to allow access to every part. No crowbar or axe needed.

It's very silly, imo, when people build a permanent interior that needs to be taken apart with a saw/axe to get to the hull behind it. Poor planning in boat design.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by oceannavigator

Best solution of the bunch!

My interior is 100% screwed together with removable screws to allow access to every part. No crowbar or axe needed.

It's very silly, imo, when people build a permanent interior that needs to be taken apart with a saw/axe to get to the hull behind it. Poor planning in boat design.

Must look godawful with exposed screw heads everywhere. And I bet I can grab a wrecking bar and remove what's in the way much much faster than you can pull a whole bunch of screws with a cordless.

[The Garbone]

Atomic 4s can be hand cranked.