Sea strainer bowl cracked .Marina fault?

[SILENTKNIGHT]

i have a 34T Mainship 2006, i chose to leave it in water this season and had marina winterize while in water. NEVER AGAIN !

He winterized the water line system way before the freeze here in Long Island.

But i believe he delayed the engine winterize. he did it after a day after significant freeze of our first 15 degree day. Even though i had heaters running in the engine room it was 60 degrees inside. I noticed that all the thru hull valves (AC & generator were closed) except the engine thru hull , possibly mixing saltwater with propelyne glycol creating a diluted mix in the strainer bowl, thus creating the crack-freeze? Is this possible? should i hold him responsible?

 

[rslifkin]

Considering there's visibly antifreeze in there and it still froze and cracked, I'd say it wasn't adequately winterized and it's their fault. I'd bring it up to them ASAP.

 

[O C Diver]

While the day might have been 15 degrees, the water the boat was sitting in wasn't 15 degrees. How much ice was around your boat? No ice, the water probably was only slightly below freezing. Mix salt water with antifreeze and you're probably needing below 15 degree water temperature to make it freeze. If it was 60 degrees in the engine room, I don't see it freezing with 10 degree water temperature.

Ted

 

[SILENTKNIGHT]

there has been alot of ice around the boat in last few days. They just dropped in the bubblers....i just noticed the dripp around the time they just put in bubblers

 

[O C Diver]

there has been alot of ice around the boat in last few days. They just dropped in the bubblers....i just noticed the dripp around the time they just put in bubblers

Ok, that's surface ice caused by water cooling from 15 degree air. If you use an infrared temperature gun on the seacock, doubt you will see a temperature below 25. Check the temperature on the strainer.

Btw, how do you think he filled the strainer with antifreeze when the seacock was open?

Ted

 

[O C Diver]

Does your strainer have a drain? Any chance the bowl was removed and the screws were over tightened when it was put back on?

Ted

 

[Bacchus]

Those bowls are known to crack after years of use.
If it wasn't replaced recently I will bet it is a coincidence. I have replaced a couple smaller and three larger engine bowls on my '08 MS with the same strainers.
If you havent replaced any bevsure to check the others carefully.

 

[OldDan1943]

If all you suffered was a cracked 'plastic' strainer body, consider yourself very lucky. Of course I would point it to the yard and ask them to replace the 'plastic' body but I wouldn't make a big stink about it. It is next to impossible to prove it was not cracked before hand. Of course you should point out that the hull valve was left open and not doubt contribute to the event.

 

[SILENTKNIGHT]

the others look good. I just ordered a new one
$ 168.00...

 

[SILENTKNIGHT]

i though about the same issue about "how do you think he filled the strainer with antifreeze when the seacock was open?"
it couldnt have been done open..

 

[CaptTom]

I don't think it froze. First of all, it's pink, so mostly antifreeze. Maybe there's a little salt water mixed in. If the ER is 60, and the water at the level of the intake isn't frozen outside the hull, how could the water and antifreeze that far inside be frozen? I suspect the crack is from another cause. Could still be the mechanic's fault, and it would be decent of them to replace it, but don't beat them up too bad on this. Your argument isn't strong and you may be making a false accusation.

 

[SILENTKNIGHT]

Thank you all, i guess just throw money at it and replace . It could have been worse.
Could also just be coincedence ?

 

[O C Diver]

i though about the same issue about "how do you think he filled the strainer with antifreeze when the seacock was open?"
it couldnt have been done open..

If you took the lid off the strainer with the seacock open, would water flow into the boat from outside or is the strainer above sea level?

Ted

 

[SILENTKNIGHT]

yes water would flow out if i unscrew the top, with seacock open

 

[Comodave]

A lot of people get away with looking at the color of the antifreeze and thinking that because you see pink or blue it is good. When we did cold storage we tested every item individually with a refractometer to see what the freeze point of the antifreeze was. All the time when you first see color it would test +20 to +30 degrees. We would keep adding antifreeze until we had at least -20 to be sure it wouldn’t freeze. So just because there is pink in the strainer doesn’t mean it is properly protected.

 

[O C Diver]

yes water would flow out if i unscrew the top, with seacock open

So, one would assume that the yard closed the seacock, drained the strainer, and either poured antifreeze in the strainer while the engine was running or replaced the lid with one attached to a hose will a bucket of antifreeze.

Question is, after replacing the strainer lid, why did they reopen the seacock? I would have a friendly conversation with the yard foreman to understand how they winterized the engine and why the seacock was reopened. There might be a logical reason, such as moving the boat in an emergency.

Ted

 

[OldDan1943]

In the photos, sorry, I cannot determine the location of the crack.
If the crack is at the top lip where it is screwed into the bronze part.... it could be a problem with misalignment of the holes between the bowl and the bronze body. I have seen it happen. When replacing the bowl, make a close inspection and if necessary and possible, enlarge the holes to fit, removing the strain on the lip of the bowl.

 

[Todd R]

Check all of your strainers carefully. Replaced all of mine last year on our 2005 Mainship 34T and all of them on my neighbors Mainship 2008 400. Cracks were found on the back side, so never noticed from the front until they started weeping.

 

[2savage]

For $168 you now have something that will last for many years, as opposed to something that has done good service for many years. You improved your boat. And if you can't afford $168 you're in the wrong sport!

 

[SILENTKNIGHT]

yep ! already bought the bowl .

 

[Long Island Boater]

I can’t tell if the strainer is made by Marine Hardware but if so, I have had 2 of them crack over the18 years we own our 390. I drain and leave the plug out every winter and still had them form cracks. The 3/4” bowl uses two different hole alignments depending upon the year the bowl was manufactured. My 2004 vessel uses the bowl for the 1” strainer. Same size bowl as the 3/4” but the holes are off ever so slightly on the newer years, such that you might think it works but you’d be forcing it and causing a crack. I’m not sure why anyone manufactures a clear bowl when you really can’t see much once they get dirty.

 

[Sofa King Fishy]

Those bowls are known to crack after years of use.
If it wasn't replaced recently I will bet it is a coincidence. I have replaced a couple smaller and three larger engine bowls on my '08 MS with the same strainers.
If you havent replaced any bevsure to check the others carefully.

Agreed~ Oxidation & Gravity are taking us ALL down! If it’s an old part, it’s due.

 

[Thermo]

25 years lr so ago, Long ago…. Before I knew a cleat from an anchor, I winterized a brand new Catalina Yanmar that had an acrylic strainer. I was a little short on antifreeze and had first mate grab a couple of jugs from a local big box store. I didn’t read the labels well and ended up using methanol based (but still pink) antifreeze. The strainer bowl was laced with cracks well before the weather dropped below freezing. I’m sure your yard would not make that mistake but thought I would share that experience.

 

[High Wire]

How do you know it wasn’t cracked from previous years? Not worth arguing about.

 

[dutch-barge]

i though about the same issue about "how do you think he filled the strainer with antifreeze when the seacock was open?"
it couldnt have been done open..

SURE it could be done.....my strainers are above the waterline...
the raw water pumps sucks the water into the bowl int the engine cooling sytem

the strainer Inlet is on the top, so IF above the water line dry

 

[SILENTKNIGHT]

agreed, im turning the chapter on this. Already ordered the bowl.