View Single Post
Old 04-11-2013, 11:24 AM   #111
Art
Guru
 
Art's Avatar
 
City: SF Bay Area
Vessel Model: Tollycraft 34' Tri Cabin
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 12,569
Quote:
Originally Posted by mahal View Post
Your claim that you are able to "not let the leak begin" with your good maintenance routine is far fetched and downright impossible. The leak that I referred to was a fuel seepage out of a good looking mechanical fuel pump. How in the hell would would you have seen that coming? Oh I know, you change gaskets or pumps regularly before a failure.
Well... that's one way to help avoid it! Nothing is fool proof – but – careful attention to everything aboard a boat can really help!

Let me ask you... Captain!... How often do you check all of your boat's operational equipment??

IMO: Captain of a pleasure boat should check systems daily... like I do whenever aboard our boat. As a general rule I open both ER hatches in early morn (I automatically wake at 5:30 +/-, while Admiral and guests sleep in separate staterooms behind closed doors). I step into ER for a survey of all its under salon deck components. When newly arriving to boat at dock - first thing I do, even before any electricity is hooked up or switches turned on - with portable floodlight in hand - I open one or both ER hatch for sniff test and do a quick visual check. Constant surveillance is the only way I know of to help avert disasters or even annoying break downs. That includes gas or diesel powered cruisers...

Two years ago, while closely checking our mechanical fuel pump on 7.5 KW Kohler gen set, by pulling my finger under the pump (something I do each visit into ER) I noted slight moisture. Smelling my finger I immediately realized it was gasoline. Even though the amount leaking from pump's slowly rupturing diaphragm created no noticeable gas fume odor in ER - I caught it early-on due to my consistent and thorough surveillance on all operational portions of the boat. Next visit I had new pump in hand and onto gen set it went. Also, on both engines' fuel pumps there are "sight bowls"... if any moisture gets in the mechanical pump needs to quickly be replaced with new. That means that although the pump has a secondary diaphragm to keep engine running the primary diaphragm is beginning to rupture. Those simple to accomplish check-up items are just a sample of what I do every early morning while aboard. Then, of course, there's fluid level checks on all units, close look at and a feel if necessary for through hulls, linkage attachment visuals and tightening/adjustment if needed, fuel line and fitting checks, checks on all cooling hoses, bit of lubricant spray onto moving parts as may be required. Heck, every spring I even check and tighten every available nut, screw, and bolt in the entire ER. Far as I’m concerned I can never be too careful in taking real good care of all portions. I think from what I just said you can get the picture of how serious I am in helping to avert problems, can’t you?? BTW: These daily early morn visits while aboard boat give me much joy, feeling of accomplishment, feeling of safety and constant visual picture of what’s really going on in my boat’s below deck areas, specifically in the large and well lit ER. Daily check-up throughout ER on a visit may last for minutes or if circumstances warrant for long as it takes! Knowing a boats operational tenor at every moment is one of a Captains highest responsibilities. Any “Captain” that thinks a boat is similar to a car where you just start and go for days/weeks/months on end without constantly consistant checking all boat components is begging for eventual problems and potentially life threatening calamity. At every “correct season” (i.e. spring, summer, fall – warm water) cruise I also spend fun-time swimming under our boat with mask, fins, flashlight, and applicable brushes/scrappers to clean all UW drive gear, check/clean all water draw holes/grates, brush schmeg off bottom (we’re in fresh water, little to no seaweed or other growths), and clean the surface of or replace the anodes.

One item that I, as Captain, demand to have nearly instantly available for me on any of my boats: Easy, quick access to standing head room with lots of light and plenty of elbow room to get around in the ER compartment. Otherwise I would not be able to keep up my all important daily ER equipment survey. In other words... I refuse to purchase a boat where you must pull away the steps to a down galley and/or forward stateroom so you can crawl on hands and knees through a small opening to arrive into an ER cave where you can hardly kneel, constantly hit your head, and have difficulty even turning around – much less peering over the other side of the engines to see anything or to work on it. And... if the engines are hot and something makes it imperative that you go into that cave – well – good luck, you’re screwed!!

Now, understand, we don't keep our boat as a show piece for others to ooooh and ahhhh over, we simply keep her in damn good over all condition for us to use and enjoy while playing on it. That's what pleasure boating's supposed to be all a bout - as far as we're concerned. All in all our Tollycraft tri cabin currently fits all my Admiral’s and my desires/needs!

PS: Last pict is crew for that weekend enjoying Morning Joe and saluting the boating-fun day ahead... not long after I closed ER hatches from my early morning check-up!
Attached Thumbnails
TO - Both Engines and Genset - Looking Forward 100_0615.jpg   TO - Both Engines and Grey-Flex Battery Cover Looking Astern 100_0612.jpg   TO in Delta Tules 100_0429.jpg   Craig, Taune, Linda Morning Coffee.jpg  
Art is offline   Reply With Quote