Adventure #1: Getting her home

[Lou_tribal]

After a start, always go look at the tailpipe and make sure water is coming out. That means the pump is pumping.

... and pumping in the right place and not in your ER like it happened to me

L

 

[Lepke]

With older engines, Ebay can be your friend. Many people buy engines, just to strip for parts sales. It's a good place to pick up spares. Because I have room, I carry spare pumps, etc., for all my engines.
And the pump you're replacing can probably be rebuilt. Most raw pumps have a rebuild kit available.

 

[dhays]

Jovial,

Another thing to take into consideration for the eventual run South is look at currents. There are several places along that route where you can deal with up to 6 knot currents. Best to time it so they are helping, not hurting you.

As someone who had an engine failure in the Narrows, I can say with some experience that you don't want to be fighting a current at that point. The advice for at least adequate ground tackle is another good one. I need to drop the anchor to hold me off the beach while I waited for Vessel Assist.

 

[jovial_cynic]

Post a photo of the RW pump.

Attached here.

 

[Ski in NC]

Looks like a Jabsco. Should be able to get anything for it, including a complete unit if necessary. Will need a press or puller to get that pulley off.

So, is it leaking when running, or not pumping?

Grab hold of pulley and try to wiggle it hard. See if there is any play in the bearings.

 

[jovial_cynic]

Yup - confirmed it's a Jabsco. It looks like this last time the engine was run (first time in 18 months), the pump pulley spun shortly and then seized, causing the belt to squeal. The engine was immediately shut off to prevent overheating.

This Friday, I'm heading up to put in some fresh batteries, and while I'm up there, I'm going to yank the pump off to see if it seized due to the impeller being old and mangled up, or if it seized due to corrosion of the shaft or bearings. Either way, I'm going to call around a few local shops to see if any of them can do an immediate service on it and carry a new impeller. Hopefully that does the trick, and I'll have access to both engines.

I took another look at the engine, and quite frankly, after a closer inspection, it doesn't look as bad as I first thought. Lighting sure makes a difference.

 

[jovial_cynic]

Oh, additionally, somebody from the local yacht club recommended a diesel mechanic who apparently is pretty great, and I asked him if he'd be willing to captain my boat down with me, or at least hang out and have a few beers and tell me what to do while I'm getting to know the boat. He said yes, so I'll have an on-hand mechanic for a bit. That makes me feel a little better about the whole thing.

 

[menzies]

Good job, I am sure you will have an great first cruise. Milk the guy for all the info you can get. It is priceless.

 

[jovial_cynic]

Good job, I am sure you will have an great first cruise. Milk the guy for all the info you can get. It is priceless.

Yeah, well, I think he's going to become a drinking buddy, whether he likes it or not! I'm going to document everything and get to know my boat like I know my car. I've got a 1971 Datsun 510 I've wrenched on for the past 14 years; I've turned every single bolt in that car, and I hope to have a similar relationship with my boat.

 

[Lou_tribal]

One advice... enjoy every second on your trip back home. It will be your best time on your boat!

L.

 

[menzies]

and I hope to have a similar relationship with my boat.

That's not a choice you get to have!

 

[BruceK]

If one of your raw water pumps seized, and you replace the impeller during the fix,best replace the other impeller too. You`ll get to check that pump while doing it.
Fresh water circulation pumps give far less trouble.

 

[menzies]

I have to admit - I'd be replacing both pumps altogether.

 

[Ski in NC]

Check that belt is not loose. Pump can take a bit of effort to turn, especially if not run in a long time. If belt is the least bit loose, it will slip. Could also be a sign of rusted bearings, in that case it will turn rough with belt off. Or not turn at all.

 

[jovial_cynic]

Good call. When I take off the one that I know is having a problem, I'll make sure to get two rebuild kits. There's a few service locations near the boat, and if they can turn the pump pretty quickly, I'll just run back and grab the second pump and have them swap out the impeller on that one as well.

If it turns out that it's just a belt issue, that would be spectacular. I'll fiddle with it a bunch on Friday and see what happens. But in the end, I'm sure I need to swap out the impellers anyway.

 

[chriscritchett]

One advice... enjoy every second on your trip back home. It will be your best time on your boat!

L.

That's SO true! Well maybe not 'best' (hopefully), but it will stick in your mind. That, and bringing her home after doing a bunch of work in a yard somewhere.

 

[jovial_cynic]

Ok. Tell me a little bit about battery polarity.

The boat has 2 large 6v batteries. I believe these are for the house. Typically, we see these strung together in series to bring up the voltage to 12v, correct?

And the boat has several 12v batteries. I believe each engine has its own, plus there must be some auxiliary items that need a battery all to themselves?

Without having my hands on the cobbled-together diagram for my boat, are there "typical" setups that people have that they can share? I pulled the old batteries out (the 6v ones were toast), but as I was putting them back, it clicked that they were 6v and not 12v, so my wiring plan had to change a bit. I'm typically a car guy; we don't have this 6v nonsense in our world!

 

[GregBrannon]

Okay, so you had 2 6-volt batteries that were wired in series to make 1 12-volt (one battery's - to the other's + and the same first battery's + to the other's minus) and then the outputs of one of the batteries +/- connected to the boat's panel to give 12 volts. If you now have 2 12-volt batteries to replace those, wire them in parallel, + to +, - to -, and the output of one will be 12 volts. Whether start batteries or deep cycle doesn't matter at this point, just get them wired up and move on.

 

[ljk]

change all the fuel filters, have the tanks cleaned. Do a short 2 or 3 hour run. Change the filters again. If all ok, enjoy the trip home.

 

[jovial_cynic]

Okay, so you had 2 6-volt batteries that were wired in series to make 1 12-volt (one battery's - to the other's + and the same first battery's + to the other's minus) and then the outputs of one of the batteries +/- connected to the boat's panel to give 12 volts. If you now have 2 12-volt batteries to replace those, wire them in parallel, + to +, - to -, and the output of one will be 12 volts. Whether start batteries or deep cycle doesn't matter at this point, just get them wired up and move on.

No no - not replacing the 6v with 12v. The boat came with 2 6v and 3 12v batteries. I'm replacing old non-functioning batteries with fresh batteries.

 

[jovial_cynic]

Tomorrow morning, I head to my boat in Bremerton with the mechanic. I guess we're going to wrench on this thing until I run out of money? I have no idea. But the goal is to get the two engines running, get the house running, and make sure all of the electronic nav systems work.

And of course, dump the bilge water. The previous owner apparently let 11 inches of rain-water accumulate in the bilge. This last Washington winter was a doozie, and the previous owner didn't pump any of the water out. So that's exciting. I'm not sure what the terminology is, but the bilge near the engines isn't so full - maybe 2 inches in some areas. But inside the cabin, under the floors, there's apparently another bilge area, and that's where there's the 11 inches.

So that's got to be dealt with.

Adventure!

 

[Donsan]

A 42' boat should have at least 3 bilge pumps. Sounds like 2 or more of them aren't working. Could be due to the house batteries being dead. Could also be clogged with crud or just dead. Be sure they are working before heading out to run the boat.

 

[GregBrannon]

Sorry I missed the point of your 6v/12v battery post. The 6-volt house batteries were likely deep cycle, possibly golf cart batteries, You said they were large. Not sure what you meant by that. Note the group number for any battery you're replacing and generally replace with the same group in order to fit into the existing battery boxes and use the existing cabling. I'm not sure how much time or money you have, but this isn't an area you should have to rewire prior to delivery. However, you do need the batteries to supply the power needed to run the boat.

As Donsan mentioned, the house batteries may power the bilge pumps and they probably run the electronics.

Some consider Nigel Calder's books on diesel engine maintenance/troubleshooting/repair and marine electrical the authority on these topics. You should have these or similar references handy before, during, and after your trip. Mr. Calder presents many battery configuration options, thoroughly discussing the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Good luck on getting the boat ready for your trip, and continue to keep us posted.

 

[jovial_cynic]

A 42' boat should have at least 3 bilge pumps. Sounds like 2 or more of them aren't working. Could be due to the house batteries being dead. Could also be clogged with crud or just dead. Be sure they are working before heading out to run the boat.

Turns out the previous owner was under the impression that any dumping of bilge water into the marina was prohibited, so he intentionally disconnected all of the bilge pumps while it sat in his mostly-covered boathouse. I say mostly, because of the monstrous Washington winter we had this last year blowing in tons of water and snow into the open-area of the boathouse. To ease his concerns, I picked up a 55-gallon drum and a hand-crank liquid pump. I'll suck all the water out of it, and then once it's in the drum, I'll deal with the oil on top and figure out what to do with the rest.

Anyhow, today was interesting. The diesel mechanic was great. We went through and checked the raw water pumps, and the one that was seized is, in fact, toast. He was able to turn it by hand, but it has a pretty significant leak. He recommended just buying a new one now, and then turning my current one into a future rebuild-project so I can have a less-expensive spare later on. Amazon prime carries one, so I'll have it in hand soon, although I'll have to get the pulley off of mine and onto the new one. I live near a machine shop, so getting the pulley pressed on/off should be quick.

In the fiddling with the raw-water pump, I learned some important things about boats that have raw-water pumps. Now, don't laugh: this is all new for me. It hadn't crossed my mind that the raw-water pump is pulling water in from a HOLE in the bottom of my boat. A HOLE! A hole that has a tube coming through it, and a ball valve (mine is corroded and needs to be replaced) that I can ordinarily close so I can replace my raw-water pump without sinking. Since my valve needs to be replaced, I'll need a quick way to seal the 1.5" tube long enough to swap in the new raw-water pump.

Because I have TWO engines, with TWO raw-water pumps, that means I have at least TWO HOLES in my boat that water can get in. The diesel mechanic laughed and showed me that there are even more holes, and I nearly fainted. Not really, but it was a bit of a shock to me to realize just how many ways my boat can sink.

Ok. Even with the raw-water pump half-seized and leaking, he felt it would be ok to run the engine very briefly, just to make sure that they'd start up, and that the propellers were doing their job. So, after replacing the batteries and wiring up the engine properly, the engines fired up instantly. No hesitation, no long crank time... just Vroom. Or whatever sound a diesel engine makes. He revved them a bit, and perhaps because of some organic buildup around the propeller shaft, or whatever, when he shifted into forward or reverse, the first engine simply died. He want down to make sure things were actually spinning, and they were, so he decided that it just needed to be revved a little bit more for the transmission to engage without killing the engine, and sure enough, they worked.

So... two working engines, fired up every time without any issues. So that's encouraging.

I've already ordered the raw-water pump, and it should be here in a couple of days. I'll also need to grab a new belt, because the one I had was pretty stretched out.

Next weekend, a bunch of folks from the Bremerton Yacht club are heading down to Olympia, which is exactly where I am taking my boat. I'm coordinating with them to travel as a part of the fleet, and to be towed if my boat can't make the trip. ha! But it looks like that's something that may work out, and I'm very excited about it!

 

[Miz Trom]

Is your Matthews a wooden boat, like this one?

 

[GregBrannon]

I'm pretty sure someone mentioned checking the fidelity and operation of thru-hull valves or seacocks which are the ball valve contraptions responsible for controlling water entry through your hull that you've recently discovered. You might have wondered, "What's that?" at the time. Now you know. It's also a good lesson for the rest of us that someone brand new to boating may not understand words considered common or basic. Now that you know what they are, find all of them, figure out what they do - where the water that flows through them goes and does - and make sure that you can open and close them all.

I think that someone also mentioned checking hoses. Hoses coming from the seacocks should be double clamped, and those hose clamps may not be in the best of shape. I tightened a few of mine, and many clamps broke easily within a quarter turn of the screw. The screw/band interface is prone to corrosion. Check them all, and carry spares of appropriate sizes.

External inspection of the hoses can't guarantee they're fit internally. You've had a mechanic look things over and to get things running, but don't assume he checked all of these things, especially for hoses not related to the engines, unless you talked about it with him. Other seacocks may supply the sanitation system, raw water washdown, air conditioning, and others I'm forgetting. Find them all and check them.

Other areas that that deserve attention are where the rudder(s) and propeller shaft(s) enter the boat. Those seals may not have been good to begin with but may have dried and/or shrunk. Know how to control leaks at those places.

How is the boat steered? Is it a mechanical linkage with wires and pulleys, or is it hydraulic? The mechanical will corrode and suffer from wear, the hydraulic will have fluid that needs attention and cylinders and fittings with seals that will dry and leak with lack of use. Know how your system works and have an idea how to fix it if it goes bad. Is there a backup or emergency steering system?

Check fluid in the drives and change it if indicated. The drives also have seals that may have dried and/or cracked with lack of use. Drive leaks may be small and manageable for a short trip, but have the correct fluids on hand an know how to check and add.

Fuel. Have fuel filters and know how to change them. The knowing may include knowing how to bleed your engines, but I don't know that in your case. If you still have your mechanic, have him show you this and how to service your drives.

As always, interested in your progress and wishing you the best.

 

[jovial_cynic]

Is your Matthews a wooden boat, like this one?

Yup - very similar.

 

[dhays]

Greg, good point about us assuming a new boat owner will know what we are talking about.

Jovial, that is generally very good news about the engines.

Make sure those bilge pumps work well before you take off. Running the boat will put things under stress that haven't been used in a while. Hoses would be a concern of mine.

Great idea to go South as part of a group.

 

[jovial_cynic]

As always, interested in your progress and wishing you the best.

Thanks! And you are quite right - I could have read everything you wrote BEFORE meeting with my mechanic, and my eyes would have glazed over at all the unfamiliar terms and lack of context. Now that I spent a few hours with the mechanic, literally everything you've said makes sense to me.

I'm going to stock up on new hose clamps (there's a box of extras on the boat, but they look like they're already on their way out), as well as extra hoses.

As for the thru-hull valves, I assume the proper way to replace them is to bring the boat *out* of the water to address those. I saw a couple of youtube videos that show some in-water solutions, and while those seem great, the fact that I have an old wood boat tells me that my existing holes might not be as clean or easy to address as the ones in these videos:

I think I'll just measure my thru-hull valves and buy a set of them, and plan to swap those out when I pull the boat out of the water.

 

[dhays]

Replacing thruhulls is something best done on the hard, particularly when you really won't know what you are going to be looking at.

If you look around the boat, there should be some wooden plugs laying around near them. These are designed to be pounded into place should one fail. There are more modern synthetic plugs that I thing would work better. Forespar makes a foam plug. There is also a nifty product called Stay Afloat that looks like it would help with a lot of emergency leaks.
http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|135|2290137&id=2362479

My boat has wooden plugs tethered to the thru hulls. That makes it easy to have the right one at hand. Of course, while I have a mallet on board, it is buried in a tool box in the aft lazarrete and would be hard to locate in an emergency. I really should keep one in the ER where the largest thru hulls are.