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SEAHORSE
Ol'Salt
Joined: May 02, 2008
Posts: 779
Location: Carolina Beach
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 Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 6:18 pm Post subject: Boy today is my lucky day!! |
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So since it's winter and I had some routine maintenance planned for the Sea Horse I figured this was as good a time as any to get it done. I wanted to install a new Furuno color machine Santa brought me and I have a single diesel engine and since I run the stream and only have one motor I try as hard as possible to be extremely careful with maintenance. This winter I had on my list a new raw water pump not just new impeller. Pull the oil cooler and after cooler and get them boiled out and repainted along with replacing the high temp blue exhaust hose going to the fiberglass exhaust tube and muffler from the mixing elbow on the engine. Well when we pulled the old hose off the mechanic said to me the tube felt very loose and that's not right. He gave a little pull on the tube and water started flooding into the boat. Turns out the "Stainless Steel" clamps that hold the hose to the fiberglass exhaust tube going into the muffler had rotted off at some point and because they are almost impossible to see under the cockpit deck there was nothing holding the hose on except good fortune. I would suggest that everyone take a day since we can't fish often this time of year and go through every fitting and thru hull that has a hose or clamp on it and give a pull or check the clamps for rust or see of the have loosened. It's a very long swim home from the Same Ole. I am sitting here typing this and feeling like a very lucky man that this was discovered at the dock and not forty miles from home on a rough crappy day when the weatherman missed the forecast by a mile.
I had to get the boat from my slip to the lift at my marina and since I am a Sea Tow member and could not start the engine to get there under my own power I called Sea Tow Wrightsville Beach. They arrived in 45 minuets which I felt was a very fast response considering it was no emergency but I could not leave the boat in the water like this and towed me to the waiting fork lift . Guy really knew his stuff considering the wind started to gust as soon as he arrived of course. When he put me on the lift dock and asked me to sign his book I looked and the cost to preform this tow would have been $476.00 if I was not a Sea Tow member. I suggest to everyone that you renew your membership now. You think because the boats just sitting there not going anyplace you may wait to get your Sea Tow contract renewed. Boy am I glad mine was up to date and active. I have to go now. Think I will go buy a few lottery tickets while I am on a roll.This could really be my lucky day. 
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There always biting somewhere |
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bambam
Ol'Salt
Joined: Sep 25, 2010
Posts: 1061
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| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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bout to jump onto my single inboard and do the normal yearly maintenance. I hope I dont find anything like that. Just repowered my rig one year ago so since I personally did the work and had my hands on everything I feel pretty good about it.
You are definitely lucky that hose held on. That could have been nasty.
You were out there last tuesday when I was at the same ole. I guarantee you would not have had to swim anywhere.
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TOTAL CHAOS
1989 Albemarle 247exp, OME 5.7 325hp fwc motor/Volvo 290DPA outdrive.
I yam what I yam... |
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SEAHORSE
Ol'Salt
Joined: May 02, 2008
Posts: 779
Location: Carolina Beach
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| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:02 pm Post subject: |
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| bambam wrote: |
You were out there last tuesday when I was at the same ole. I guarantee you would not have had to swim anywhere. |
Kind words . Thanks for that. :D
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BarryTurano
Ol'Salt
Joined: Sep 21, 2009
Posts: 1257
Location: Wilmington NC
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| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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Great save Tom. If you ever need give me a call my boat is 5 minutes away.
Barry
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Edge Water 247cc
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USS Corporal SS346
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Capt_Keith
Ol'Salt
Joined: Oct 18, 2004
Posts: 1744
Location: Holden Beach NC/Myrtle Beach SC
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Masonboro
Ol'Salt
Joined: Aug 18, 2008
Posts: 291
Location: junction of the monkey
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| Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 9:05 pm Post subject: |
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Just a quick bit of advice from someone who works on boats and builds boats. Make sure you are double clamping these types of connections and also any fittings that are below the waterline that are connected to thru-hulls. Also make sure they are stainless steel. Not all clamps are created equal and inspect them often.
Seahorse, you definitely got lucky and probably have good karma. |
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Squid Row
Ol'Salt
Joined: Jan 11, 2005
Posts: 2658
Location: 212 Miles too far to the West
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 10:09 am Post subject: |
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Great post!
I have the Squid Row II sitting in the driveway right now going through all the hoses, belts and fluids. Getting ready to do my quarterly oil change as well as change the transmission and cooling fluids.
One thing I encourage all inboard owners to do is install a valve at your raw water pick up seacock that connects to a hose. This way, if you ever start to take on water, you can close your raw water pick up and have your engine act as an emergency bilge pump
My 351 W engine will empty a five gallon bucket in less than 8 seconds at idle speed. With two standard 1500GPH bilge pumps plus this emergency third, I hope to have enough time to get off an epirb and call the CG before ending up in the drink.
Plus it sure makes flushing out the engine a snap too. I have a diagram somewhere if anyone is interested I will look for it.
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Squid Row II
1995 Shamrock, 351 Indmar Inboard
Flounder Pounder II
1994 Sandpiper Skiff, 40HP Yamaha Egg Beater |
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bambam
Ol'Salt
Joined: Sep 25, 2010
Posts: 1061
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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One of the first things I did to my albemarle was to change the outdrive intake to a through hull with a ss ball valve seacock so I can shut off the raw water quickly if something comes loose.
Also it is a very good idea to have your bilge pumps wired into an led light so if something goes wrong and water is coming into the bilge you will know when the pumps come on. Then you can close your sea cock quickly before you sink. I keep enough extra hose onboard to totally replace the entire cooling system hoses.
Most of these problems could be avoided with visual checks and routine maintenance but it does not hurt to be prepared.
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TOTAL CHAOS
1989 Albemarle 247exp, OME 5.7 325hp fwc motor/Volvo 290DPA outdrive.
I yam what I yam... |
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MidnightWind
Ol'Salt
Joined: Mar 16, 2007
Posts: 2997
Location: Carolina Beach, NC
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| Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:31 am Post subject: |
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Glad it wasen't worse Tom.
Let me know if U need any help. |
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MidnightWind
Ol'Salt
Joined: Mar 16, 2007
Posts: 2997
Location: Carolina Beach, NC
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| Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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Tom, Went by and checked on your boat today.
Sad sight to see her up on the hill.
Any idea when repairs will be complete?
Midnight
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gsrsol84mm
Ol'Salt
Joined: Feb 24, 2009
Posts: 460
Location: Charlotte, NC
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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You absolutely can't be too careful. Some boat manufacturers have used plastic thru-hull fittings below the waterline. These can shear off and cause the boat to take on water and capsize. This is what happened to the boat a few miles out of Venice, LA that led to the death of a couple people. If you have any plastic thru hull fittings below the waterline, change them to Bronze ASAP. Make sure that any water pickup has a ball valve to shut it off.
Make sure your bilge pumps are also working perfectly and change any bilge hose ,water pickup hose and livewell hose that doesn't look in new condition. Double clamp any hose below the water line. Buy the good hose, not the cheap stuff. I have an led light on the dash that tells me when one or both bilge pumps go on. Very easy to wire in.
Make sure all fuel lines are also in new condition.
Before you head out this spring, go over your boat with a fine tooth comb and check / double check everything.
By The Way, Seahorse that is one incredible looking ride.
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Big Mama -1986 24 Albemarle Express. 5.7 Vortec Motor, Volvo 290-A Outdrive.
Zillabeast - 1989 24 Albemarle Express. 5.7 Vortec Motor, Volvo DPA Outdrive, No Bottom Paint. |
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Desert1
Ol'Salt
Joined: Apr 28, 2011
Posts: 353
Location: Virginia
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Someone needs to post a list of everything that needs to be checked on boats running outboards and inboards along with diesels because some of us forget things easily,you were indeed very lucky but luck had nothing to do with it. |
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SEAHORSE
Ol'Salt
Joined: May 02, 2008
Posts: 779
Location: Carolina Beach
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 3:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Desert1 wrote: | | Someone needs to post a list of everything that needs to be checked on boats running outboards and inboards along with diesels because some of us forget things easily,you were indeed very lucky but luck had nothing to do with it. |
Think I will start a new thread soon and discuss just what you requested. Was talking yesterday with a friend that has a twin outboard boat and he said since you have outboards you tend to forget that you also have holes in your boat below the water line that need inspection. Scupper hoses wash down fittings live well fittings sometimes a head that pumps overboard. It's not just us inboard guys that have exposure to sinking from thru hull fittings and exhaust hoses etc. we are all vulnerable to lots of hose clamps and thru hull fittings that are over ten years old and we have never touched any of them or the clamps that hold them on. I think maybe the guys that trailer and boats on lifts or rack stored are the easiest to forget about these dangers since you don't have the worry of a boat tied in a slip.
Oh by the way, the "Sea Horse" is back in action waiting for the wind to drop out and head back to the stream. All fixed up and I have crawled all over every clamp hose and fitting personally. I also told my mechanic that wants me to take him and his wife fishing to think about everything he does on my boat because he will be back floating sixty miles offshore if he screws up and forgets to tighten a new hose or clamp. This is probably the surest way to get a good job outta him, is to remind him that he will be on the boat to. :D :D
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bambam
Ol'Salt
Joined: Sep 25, 2010
Posts: 1061
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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Glad your boat is back in the water! Weather looks good Monday and Tuesday so maybe you can get her offshore then.
Good luck.
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TOTAL CHAOS
1989 Albemarle 247exp, OME 5.7 325hp fwc motor/Volvo 290DPA outdrive.
I yam what I yam... |
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ScottK
Ol'Salt
Joined: Sep 25, 2006
Posts: 891
Location: Sanford N.C or Offshore
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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Good topic Seahorse.
I am doing some upgrades and checks to mine as well. I am adding an "Oh Sh*t" backup 4000 GPH bilge pump.
I will insure to use only true SS clamps, doubled up like I originally removed.
I plan to test each pump separately and together so I know my true pumping capacities if it hits the fan. Glad you caught yours in time and hapy you are all fixed up!
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Cobia 244 ~ Twin F115\'s
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Strikefast
1st Mate
Joined: Nov 14, 2009
Posts: 55
Location: Watha North Carolina
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:58 pm Post subject: My luck Day |
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Don't miss one of the most important factors that contributed to Seahorse's having a lucky day. Sea Tow!
I just finished my renewal this morning, as they have saved my bacon on several outings. This Includes a tow in from the schoolhouse the year before last. without the service contract the tow would have cost me over $1,400.00!
The $169.00 cost this year is worth the price. No One with an inboard, outboard, IO or otherwise should go out the inlet with out one of the tow services....
Stay safe to fish another day I say!
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22\' Cobia Carribean Sport Fish WAC
Sundance B18 CCR Skiff |
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SEAHORSE
Ol'Salt
Joined: May 02, 2008
Posts: 779
Location: Carolina Beach
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 8:55 am Post subject: |
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| ScottK wrote: | Good topic Seahorse.
I am doing some upgrades and checks to mine as well. I am adding an "Oh Sh*t" backup 4000 GPH bilge pump.
I will insure to use only true SS clamps, doubled up like I originally removed.
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Do a little investigation when buying new stainless steel clamps. I just found out after over forty five years of boating that all stainless clamps are not created equal. Two companies, and unfortunately I can't remember their names make a far superior clamp to most. Cost a little more but they don't have the open slots in the clamp they are closed with indents for the drive screw to use to tighten. Also they are solid band steel and the excess clamp wraps around on the inside rather than the outside of the clamp making for a much tighter and more secure fit. I will try and find the name of the company and post. I believe they sell them in West Marine because I remember several weeks ago looking at hose and clamps and noticed one section of hose clamps were several dollars more per clamp and questioned the cost difference and employee showed me way they cost more. OK I found the clamps I was talking about on the West marine site but I am sure they can be purchased other places. Look closely at these clamps and notice the difference. http://www.westmarine.com/buy/products/4964-heavy-duty-316-stainless-steel-hose-clamps.html
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