Update: Adventure and Misadventure
With the help of a friend (who is a competent sailor), I've transported the boat across the Georgia Straight from Nanaimo to her new temporary berth in North Vancouver.
Unfortunately, the trip was not free from incident.
First, let me readily confess my idiocy. While I followed all of the proper protocols for starting up the diesel, I neglected (forgot) to do one important thing: I did not peer over the stern to ensure that raw water was flowing out of the exhaust through-hull. Well, I must have sucked up a plastic bag (I think) which starved the cooling system of salt water and undoubtedly fried the impeller. I was not aware of this until an overheat alarm sounded. The engine was shut down within about 30 - 45 seconds of the alarm going off (unfamiliar boat - was initially unsure if it was a buzzer or some resonant vibration in the cabin). Most of the fresh-water coolant was burned off (none in reservoir - but present in the tube running from the reservoir).
I HOPE there's no serious damage. It's a Westerbeke 10-TWO (vintage 1985). I have very little mechanical experience, but I'm a quick study and I figure I should try to fix this on my own. My current plan is to remove the old impeller; check connections and hoses leading to the heat exchanger for pieces of the old impeller (not sure if I should be opening up the heat exchanger); install new impeller and gasket (lubricating with petroleum jelly since it will momentarily run dry); replace fresh-water coolant; test run; if working - change oil twice. Please - advice and suggestions are welcome. Can I really do this on my own or is this asking for trouble? Based on my description, could I have done serious damage to the diesel? Is there any way to check for a blockage in the through-hull without going under or hauling (the raw water strainer has only a small amount of water in it, I'm not sure if it should show full only when there is suction from the raw water pump)?.
Other stupid questions: (1) There was standing water in the head sink despite seacocks being open. PO said that this was typical and probably due to the anti-siphon loop. Does that make sense? It seems to me that there should be an easy way to drain all water, particularly if you're going to lay-up for winter. (2) Under power and while we were being towed to the new marina, there was an intermittent jack-hammer-like vibration coming from the dripless shaft seal. This vibration is present about half the time and will persist for quite some time. The other half of the time the shaft can be seen turning with no noise or vibration. I have no idea if this is indicative of a problem. Could it be prop cavitation (Campbell Sailor) or imbalance from the shaft zincs?
Sorry for the length of this post....
With the help of a friend (who is a competent sailor), I've transported the boat across the Georgia Straight from Nanaimo to her new temporary berth in North Vancouver.
Unfortunately, the trip was not free from incident.
First, let me readily confess my idiocy. While I followed all of the proper protocols for starting up the diesel, I neglected (forgot) to do one important thing: I did not peer over the stern to ensure that raw water was flowing out of the exhaust through-hull. Well, I must have sucked up a plastic bag (I think) which starved the cooling system of salt water and undoubtedly fried the impeller. I was not aware of this until an overheat alarm sounded. The engine was shut down within about 30 - 45 seconds of the alarm going off (unfamiliar boat - was initially unsure if it was a buzzer or some resonant vibration in the cabin). Most of the fresh-water coolant was burned off (none in reservoir - but present in the tube running from the reservoir).
I HOPE there's no serious damage. It's a Westerbeke 10-TWO (vintage 1985). I have very little mechanical experience, but I'm a quick study and I figure I should try to fix this on my own. My current plan is to remove the old impeller; check connections and hoses leading to the heat exchanger for pieces of the old impeller (not sure if I should be opening up the heat exchanger); install new impeller and gasket (lubricating with petroleum jelly since it will momentarily run dry); replace fresh-water coolant; test run; if working - change oil twice. Please - advice and suggestions are welcome. Can I really do this on my own or is this asking for trouble? Based on my description, could I have done serious damage to the diesel? Is there any way to check for a blockage in the through-hull without going under or hauling (the raw water strainer has only a small amount of water in it, I'm not sure if it should show full only when there is suction from the raw water pump)?.
Other stupid questions: (1) There was standing water in the head sink despite seacocks being open. PO said that this was typical and probably due to the anti-siphon loop. Does that make sense? It seems to me that there should be an easy way to drain all water, particularly if you're going to lay-up for winter. (2) Under power and while we were being towed to the new marina, there was an intermittent jack-hammer-like vibration coming from the dripless shaft seal. This vibration is present about half the time and will persist for quite some time. The other half of the time the shaft can be seen turning with no noise or vibration. I have no idea if this is indicative of a problem. Could it be prop cavitation (Campbell Sailor) or imbalance from the shaft zincs?
Sorry for the length of this post....
