First jackass manuever as a trawler owner.

Wxx3 · Jul 10, 2014

jwnall said:
Well, I am pretty certain that the odds of my forgetting to do something important (regardless of keys and tags) is far, far greater than the odds of a properly maintained and periodically inspected seacock suddenly failing to the extent that the bilge pumps are overwhelmed. Heck, I sometimes have to check my driver's license just to be certain of my name and address.

You mean our address is on our licence :facepalm:

Somebody said you must know your personalilty. That's right on.

If my keys were dangling on the sea cock, it would work 48 out of 50 times, but one time, I would certainly just take the keys and leave the sea cock closed :facepalm:

, the other exception, i would look at the cock and wonder where the keys were :nonono:

Don't ask how I know. :facepalm:

BruceK · Jul 10, 2014

Over here it is said sailboat owners close seacocks when leaving, power boat owners leave them open.
As an old sailboat owner, now an old power boat owner, I close them. You never know when despite maintenance, something will fail upstream.
It becomes habit, open seacocks, check fluids, start engines, check exhausts. And the reverse, close seacocks, drain fuel filters.

timjet · Jul 10, 2014

Open sea cock is a checklist item

This simple checklist is attached to the key. It works for me.
Since I fresh water flush the engines inc the genny, the sea cocks get exercised and I know they work.

bligh · Jul 13, 2014

We stayed at the dock this weekend. And it was a good thing too. I decided to change the impeller from the 'seacock' incident. Here was the impeller I took out of the raw water pump. It had almost 2 vanes left. I cant believe it was working with only 2 vanes but it was. I never ran up the rpms at all, but still. Good to know. I was able to fish out all the pieces from the aftercooler using my smartphone and a long set of needle nose pliers. There were also a few pieces in the hose from the sea strainer. I had to remove that hose as well to get them out. That hose is kind of a bear to take out, but I managed to do it. It helped that I only installed it a couple of months ago and it wasn't totally welded onto the engine and sea strainer.

Billylll · Jul 13, 2014

THD said:
One option no one has mentioned-if you are really anal retentive and have more extra maintenance $$ than you have maintenance-seacock with electric valves. They do make them, I think the company is KZvalves. They even come with programmable controllers. I don't know the price, but I am guessing, not cheap! Program it correctly and you are set.

They are fairly costly. Here is a distributor for their products in Ohio.
Purchase KZ Electric Valves & Actuators - Motorized Agricultural Valves - Agrimart

I thought VETUS also had a line of electronic controlled valves? I'll have to look at their site as well.
It appears they do have them as well here is the link to their electrical ball valves.
http://www.vetus-shop.com/vetus-electric-ball-valves-c-27_143_268.html
Bill

Mule · Jul 13, 2014

Well Bligh, aside from the cost of parts, your punishment was engine room time, anxiety, self cursing. Lessons in life are a pain. I have a couppla jackass situations unfolding, well they are already unfolded, now I gotta fold em back up and get em back in the envelope. I feel your pain.

Billylll · Jul 13, 2014

bligh said:
We stayed at the dock this weekend. And it was a good thing too. I decided to change the impeller from the 'seacock' incident. Here was the impeller I took out of the raw water pump. It had almost 2 vanes left. I cant believe it was working with only 2 vanes but it was. I never ran up the rpms at all, but still. Good to know. I was able to fish out all the pieces from the aftercooler using my smartphone and a long set of needle nose pliers. There were also a few pieces in the hose from the sea strainer. I had to remove that hose as well to get them out. That hose is kind of a bear to take out, but I managed to do it. It helped that I only installed it a couple of months ago and it wasn't totally welded onto the engine and sea strainer.

That's a pretty ugly picture. I'm surprised it kept pumping water and the motor didn't overheat. Then again you said you didn't run it hard.
I'm not too surprised at what you found considering what happened.
It's good that you were able to recover all the old pieces sometimes that can be the hardest part of this type of repair.
Bill

First jackass manuever as a trawler owner.

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