Saltaphobia....saltwater questions
Being a freshwater boater from the Great Lakes, I have salt phobia now that
I'm floating in the brine.
How often (if at all?) do saltwater boaters try and flush their saltwater
cooling systems?
Engines, Generator, Refrigeration, Air Conditioning.....do you try and flush
with fresh water when not in regular use??
So you are sitting at a marina or your dock and not using your boat much, do
you try and flush your systems with freshwater between trips? If so, how
often?...or how long would you wait....a few days, a few weeks?
Or do boaters not bother trying to flush at all?
What other areas of prevention are taken?
Curious Jim
So you are sitting at a marina or your dock and not using your boat much, do
you try and flush your systems with freshwater between trips? If so, how
often?...or how long would you wait....a few days, a few weeks?
Or do boaters not bother trying to flush at all?
What other areas of prevention are taken?
Jim, we don't flush our engine, and I don't know of anyone that does. We do
religiously check the sacrificial zincs in the heat exchanger, and in the
engine, if present. If you don't have engine zincs, I would suggest thinking
about adding an in-line zinc housing (but check with a salt-water based engine
dealer first).
Even though flushing your engine sounds like a good idea, in practice it's not
likely to do much good. Most engines are, at least in part, below the
waterline, and once you flush the engine and reopen the seacock, the saltwater
reenters. If you don't reopen the seacock, there is the very real chance that
someone will forget to open it before starting the engine.
Running the engine periodically, and checking the heat exchanger (at the
manufacturer's recommended intervals, or sooner) to see if it needs cleaning
seems to me to be a better use of your time.
I see engines every week that have been sitting in saltwater for 20 and 30
years without ever being flushed, and the problems that they exhibit are from
age, or from neglecting what should have been routine maintanence.
On the other hand, maybe someone can post a good reason for doing so.
Rudy
Jim:
I have always boated in saltwater. I know that a saltwater flush will help
my engine's cooling system- zinc usage, corrosion and fouling; but I don't
do it. I replace zincs twice a year when they are about half gone.
I have also seen corrosion on the boats bronze sand shoe. I have an
isolation transformer to block incomming DC from the shorepower system, so I
don't know what caused the sand shoe corrosion.
But saltwater isn't something to fear, but to respect. Keep up with
maintenance chores such as zinc replacement and it isn't that much different
from fresh water.
David
<Most engines are, at least in part, below the
<waterline, and once you flush the engine and reopen the seacock, the
saltwater
<reenters. If you don't reopen the seacock, there is the very real chance
that
<someone will forget to open it before starting the engine.
To prevent the inadvertant engine-start with the seacock closed, we practice
the common industrial practice of the lock-out. Whenever I close the
sea-cock for service, I remove the keys from the ignition and place them
nearby. Since I normally leave the keys in the ignition, this action will
remind me if I go to start the engine that something is not ready. A piece
of masking tape across the key slot will serve as well if you don't normaly
leave the keys in.
Mark Richter, M.E., Winnie the Pooh, Ortona, FL on the Okeechobee Waterway
To prevent the inadvertant engine-start with the seacock closed, we practice
the >common industrial practice of the lock-out. Whenever I close the
sea-cock for >service, I remove the keys from the ignition and place them
nearby. Since I >normally leave the keys in the ignition, this action will
remind me if I go to start >the engine that something is not ready. A piece
of masking tape across the key >slot will serve as well if you don't normaly
leave the keys in.
Mark's story reminds me of an experience that I once had. A long time ago, in
a land far away, I was doing routine maintanence on a customer's engine. Since
she was always shutting off the seaacock (just in case) I strongly encouraged
her to put her ignition key around the handle of the seacock to prevent
inadvertant starts without cooling water being available,,, so we started
doing just that.
Well, a few days later, I went back to finish up and test run the engine. I
looked for that ignition key all over the boat and couldn't find it. A call to
her didn't help either. Geez, her boat wasn't all that big!
Then, just as I was about to give up and go onto the next job, I thought to
look at the seacock and make sure that it was closed.
Guess what I found hooked around the seacock's handle? Yep, that little bugger
called an ignition key. What's worse is I couildn't justify charging her for
the time spent looking for the key either- I was the one who put it there!
So, the moral of the story is- if your boat has an ignition key, Mark's idea
can work, but the memory part...
Rudy
Briney Bug, Panama City, Fl
How many of you all start your engine (maybe the first start of a
day) while standing in the engine room?
I am (hopefully) setting up my engine room so that the ignition key
and engine panel is in the engine room and a fly bridge panel is in
the pilot house.
My thought was that if there is a problem, it probably will happen
after the engine has been sitting for some time.
At least, my past experience has been leaning heavily toward that.
While my engine will be keeled cooled and dry exhaust, being in the
ER means that if there is a problem, I can hopefully quickly address it.
And, if the ignition keys are also in the ER, than a potential thief
might have to work harder to get the boat underway.
Thoughts? Concerns? Questions?
Lee
Izmir Turkey
On Dec 27, 2009, at 1558, Rudy and Jill wrote:
...If you don't reopen the seacock, there is the very real chance
that someone will forget to open it before starting the engine....
LA Licata lazilicata@gmail.com writes:
How many of you all start your engine (maybe the first start of a
day) while standing in the engine room?
This is exactly how I have Island Eagle set up, and it has been great. I have
a full set of mechanical Murphy gauges in the ER, and a complete set of VDOs
in the pilothouse. On the same theme, I have the mechanical shutdown in the
ER and the electrical (solenoid) control in the PH. One thing that I have not
yet done is add a small throttle in the ER so I can set the idle a bit higher
when I fire the beast up. And I really like to listen and smell at booth
startup and shutdown.
I am (hopefully) setting up my engine room so that the ignition key
and engine panel is in the engine room and a fly bridge panel is in
the pilot house.
I do not have a key in the PH. Because I have a full walk-around ER, and the
PH is out of earshot, I think that the potential danger of an accidental
start is greater than any convenience.
Scott Welch
Chief Evangelist, Open Text Social Media Group
www.opentext.com
905 762 6101
"Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn
out." - John Wooden
snip
How many of you all start your engine (maybe the first start of a
day) while standing in the engine room?
snip
Tamarack has a walk-in engine room with the (only) ignition switch and
a set of instruments, so she is started and shut down from there. When
underway I habitually enter the ER once per hour for a look-see. There
is a manual shut-down/fire extinguishing system lever in the pilot
house and there are remote fuel shutoffs for all tanks outside the ER.
I like this layout.
Terry
Tamarack
while i agree that's it often better to start from the ER, not having remote
starter buttons at every helm is not a safe set up in my opinion. while
diesels rarely shut down for no reason, if they do, you want to be able to
restart from the helm if you're in a tight spot... an easy but important
fix.
pascal
miami, fl
hatteras 53MY
on MY Charmer, 2003 Johnson 70, Warderick Wells Bahamas
----- Original Message -----
From: "Terry Neill" tsneill@centurytel.net
To: "LA Licata" lazilicata@gmail.com; "trawlers-and-trawlering"
trawlers-and-trawlering@lists.samurai.com
Sent: Sunday, December 27, 2009 4:26 PM
Subject: Re: T&T: Starting your engine from the engine room (Was
Saltaphobia....saltwater questions)
snip
How many of you all start your engine (maybe the first start of a
day) while standing in the engine room?
snip
Tamarack has a walk-in engine room with the (only) ignition switch and
a set of instruments, so she is started and shut down from there. When
underway I habitually enter the ER once per hour for a look-see. There
is a manual shut-down/fire extinguishing system lever in the pilot
house and there are remote fuel shutoffs for all tanks outside the ER.
I like this layout.
Terry
Tamarack
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09:18:00
"LA Licata" wrote:
How many of you all start your engine.... while standing in the engine room?
The key word is STANDING. I doubt many owners of crawl-in engine rooms start
engines from the ER. I do, and I do have the luxury of a stand-up ER. Lets
me know immediately if the girls are not happy.
Bob
Robert Calhoun Smith Jr in DC
M/V MARY KATHRYN
1977 Hatteras 58 LRC
Lying Sunset Bay Marina
Stuart, FL