Driving from the fly bridge or not?

[Plane Nauti]

FLIR, Very good at allowing you to see the variations in temperature that it sees. Never used a marine application though. Is it a handheld or a mounted device?


Edit: not sure why pic will not post. Posted but can't rotate it. ugh.

[Bigsfish]

Art

Is there much of a chance of those hatches moving quickly and doing damage of crew or furniture?

My Hatteras had hatches that were hinged but moving carpet and furniture was a real pain so I used the door entry forward and crawled on my knees.

Thanks.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Bigsfish

BandB

Thanks but to go further, as I understand Flir and the reason I bought it was to find a heat signature. I can see finding an airleak in a duct system. However if a fitting on the engine is leaking wouldn't the fluid that is leaking be the same temp as the engine block? Wouldn't the tempatures be the same? Perhaps I don't understand Flir.

Thanks.

You're 100% correct in describing it. I didn't think you'd see the fitting leak either. However, knowing already what you had and were looking for (basically cheating), you could detect the drop off as the fluid was cooler than the engine block. I never would have detected it though just using the Flir. Only saw it when pointed out to me. The heat signature is the real thing though whether it's liquid or air or whatever it is, just detecting a difference where there shouldn't be one.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Plane Nauti

FLIR, Very good at allowing you to see the variations in temperature that it sees. Never used a marine application though. Is it a handheld or a mounted device?


Edit: not sure why pic will not post. Posted but can't rotate it. ugh.

We have mounted Flir for operation of the boat but the same handheld as at home for just checking around the boat. Certainly not essential but fun to play around with sometimes. The things the inspector found in our home though, we wouldn't have found otherwise. Then there are inspectors who swear it's all a sham. I don't know their logic.

[Bigsfish]

Thanks BandB

Since I have Flir I'll try it but I won't put a lot of faith in my ability to find the temperature difference.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Bigsfish

Thanks BandB

Since I have Flir I'll try it but I won't put a lot of faith in my ability to find the temperature difference.

I wouldn't either on the engine fittings or anything like that. But AC and Water and even Fuel leaks you might.

[Codger2]

Originally Posted by FlyWright

Very well said, Howard. Some ERs are not conducive to safe checks while underway. .........
A couple video cameras provide some visual reassurance that all appears normal. Maybe it's a false sense of security, but it seems to help me.

Me too, skipper! I boat off shore and my boat is not conducive to hourly ER checks. I check before & after a run (no more than an 8 hour duration.) ER camera(s) are a must for me.

[Bigsfish]

BandB

Certainly another tool to consider.

Thanks.

[Art]

Originally Posted by Bigsfish

Art

Is there much of a chance of those hatches moving quickly and doing damage of crew or furniture?

My Hatteras had hatches that were hinged but moving carpet and furniture was a real pain so I used the door entry forward and crawled on my knees.

Thanks.

During travel to any extent furniture and throw rug is already moved out of way. I don't pull up both hatches at once while boat is in motion. I do pull em both up at anchor or dock. While moving...First hatch with hand on it then the other. Shine down with spotlight and also check temps with heat gun. Smelling is s big part of safety. If too rough water conditions... the engine check-up waits.

[FlyWright]

Originally Posted by Codger2

Me too, skipper! I boat off shore and my boat is not conducive to hourly ER checks. I check before & after a run (no more than an 8 hour duration.) ER camera(s) are a must for me.

It was your camera installation in SeaHorse II that showed me the benefit of ER cams.

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. Bf. Oh great! Changing the barometers. And for your information, I'm NOT a bastion. Me ma and pa were married for 2 years before I was deceived. So there!

[markpierce]

A boat with only a pilothouse helm, only a very bad design would have poor forward visibility. More likely boats with flybridges would have poor lower-helm visibility. Too bad many have to compromise visibility between dual helms.

[Bigsfish]

Mr. RT

LOL

Oh, I can't change the parameters?

Not sure about your me ma and pa, I wasn't there are neither were you! LMAO

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by FlyWright

It was your camera installation in SeaHorse II that showed me the benefit of ER cams.

And your set-up gives an added incentive to view what's coming from behind.

[LarryM]

I just saw this in another thread. Since I have two heavy engine boxes, this seems like an elegant solution to allow a quick view into the engine compartment from the center hatches. Four high intensity LED lights in the corners, maybe some of those round spot mirrors strategically located . . . . just a thought. A daily physical check down in the pit, occasional visuals through clear center hatches and full alarms while running. I think this is about the best I can do with this particular boat and my solo boating lifestyle.

Or

Maybe time for a new girlfriend, one who is a former Navy or CG engineman or machinest's mate who just loves boating, and is petite.

[Hotrod]

Originally Posted by Bigsfish

Art

Is there much of a chance of those hatches moving quickly and doing damage of crew or furniture?

My Hatteras had hatches that were hinged but moving carpet and furniture was a real pain so I used the door entry forward and crawled on my knees.

Thanks.

We also had a Hatteras, where you had to go on your hands and knees, under the steps in the galley, or pull the floor up, to view. We realized quickly that we bought the wrong boat. After that mess up, we bought a defever, with a walk in engine room.

[Vashon_Trawler]

To each his own I guess, but I prefer options. If I ever purchase another boat, it will definitely have a flybridge. I spend all day cooped up in an office, so I'd rather not be inside while I boat. I love the visibility a flybridge provides--such a better experience in my opinion. I have an outside helm and use it exclusively unless the weather is foul. A bimini top does a great job keeping the sun off.

[Art]

Originally Posted by Hotrod

We also had a Hatteras, where you had to go on your hands and knees, under the steps in the galley, or pull the floor up, to view. We realized quickly that we bought the wrong boat. After that mess up, we bought a defever, with a walk in engine room.

Conrats on getting away from boat with "crawl-space" engine compartment having hard to access/open overhead hatches!

For size boat we currently require to suite our current limited-use boating lifestyle... 34' Tolly tri cabin perfectly fits our needs. Unfortunately, in that size range there is simply no boat I've seen having a walk-in engine room; if there was we'd probably have it. That said, I much appreciate the exceptional roominess of easy to open, hinged, large dual hatches to engine compartment in center of our Tolly's salon sole that enables me with nearly instant access for complete standup engine-work procedures.

I looked at plenty of 34 to 55' boats that have limited access to "hard to open" hatches to engines... but that do have small "crawl through" access doors where you can stay on your knees crawling around and bumping your head a bunch. Either I have standup head room via easy open, considerable large engine hatches directly over the engines or a walk in engine room - because - I will not own a boat and that forces me to crawl around inside a confined, crawl-space-only engine compartment! - Period!

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Hotrod

............ After that mess up, we bought a defever, with a walk in engine room.

Yea, but walk in engine rooms are hard to find on 28' trawlers.

I have two fairly large hatches in the floor and I can sit inside and get to the important parts but it would take a fool to go in there with the engine funning.

[Hotrod]

After crawling on my hands and knees, banging my head more than once, I literally got struck, in the engine room, doing a strainer rebuild. Sat there for 3 hours , till my wife came , and helped me out That did it!