David Hughes
Senior Member
So the family and I were on our Leopard 37 Powercat , just leaving Shark River in the Everglades, on a trip to The Keys. Three miles offshore the overheat alarm goes off on the starboard motor. I immediately turn it off and continue on the port motor as I think about things. Not 30 seconds later the overheat alarm goes off on the port engine too.....I shut it down too. Hmmm ........
I can see, hear, nor smell anything wrong, and bilges are clean, coolant is full, strainers clean, water flow is fine, etc. After a rest, I start them up again and resume. Not 3 minutes later both alarms go off again within 30 seconds of each other. I wait again and try at very slow speed, whereby I get an extra 3 minutes before alarms.
So the riddle is what can cause both engines to fail at the same time? Could I have destroyed both impellers or sucked up plastic bags into the intakes? Sure didn't think so.
Well now we were adrift and at least 30 miles from cell phone service so I can't call anyone for advice. I try calling TowBoatUS on the VHF. Nothing. By the way, we have not seen another boat of any kind for 18 hours. This is the off season and we were way down on the southwest tip of Florida. Now I try calling anybody at all. Anybody. Nothing. After an hour, finally Coast Guard Sector Miami hears me and responds. They ask about imminent danger, medical conditions, ages of the children, etc, and I tell them we are fine, but need a relay to TowBoat. They do that, after getting CGSector Key West to listen in and take over. TowBoat drives 50 miles in 2 hours and pulls alongside. Now I should mention that low battery lights come on at the AC panel and I see that the house batteries are pretty low. Hmmmm again. Oh did I mention that also the RPM gauges on the helm stopped working? Important points in hindsight.
Things add up to something electrical, right? Long story short, turns out bolt V belts were found broken. These motors are electrically connected so that both batteries may be charged by running only one engine. So in the event one alternator fails, the other can take over. Here's the design flaw: if one v belt is gone, or one alternator failed, there is no warning system of any kind. You only know you have a problem when the other side fails.....
Live and learn!
David Hughes
2009 Leopard 37 Powercat for charter in Cape Coral, FL
Florida Catamaran Charter the "True Love"
I can see, hear, nor smell anything wrong, and bilges are clean, coolant is full, strainers clean, water flow is fine, etc. After a rest, I start them up again and resume. Not 3 minutes later both alarms go off again within 30 seconds of each other. I wait again and try at very slow speed, whereby I get an extra 3 minutes before alarms.
So the riddle is what can cause both engines to fail at the same time? Could I have destroyed both impellers or sucked up plastic bags into the intakes? Sure didn't think so.
Well now we were adrift and at least 30 miles from cell phone service so I can't call anyone for advice. I try calling TowBoatUS on the VHF. Nothing. By the way, we have not seen another boat of any kind for 18 hours. This is the off season and we were way down on the southwest tip of Florida. Now I try calling anybody at all. Anybody. Nothing. After an hour, finally Coast Guard Sector Miami hears me and responds. They ask about imminent danger, medical conditions, ages of the children, etc, and I tell them we are fine, but need a relay to TowBoat. They do that, after getting CGSector Key West to listen in and take over. TowBoat drives 50 miles in 2 hours and pulls alongside. Now I should mention that low battery lights come on at the AC panel and I see that the house batteries are pretty low. Hmmmm again. Oh did I mention that also the RPM gauges on the helm stopped working? Important points in hindsight.
Things add up to something electrical, right? Long story short, turns out bolt V belts were found broken. These motors are electrically connected so that both batteries may be charged by running only one engine. So in the event one alternator fails, the other can take over. Here's the design flaw: if one v belt is gone, or one alternator failed, there is no warning system of any kind. You only know you have a problem when the other side fails.....
Live and learn!
David Hughes
2009 Leopard 37 Powercat for charter in Cape Coral, FL
Florida Catamaran Charter the "True Love"