Running with Fouled Running Gear

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IntoTheBlue

IntoTheBlue

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Messages
151
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Into The Blue
Vessel Make
Mainship Pilot 43
My vessel was in water (in canal, brackish water) all winter. I took it out for a test ride today. All went well, no vibration, etc. However, at WOT my RPMS were about 300 below norm (2900+ instead of 3200+). So there is probably some fouling on the props, rudders, etc. Normally I would just wait for the water temp to rise and dive in to clean or have it short hauled.

This year we are keeping the boat out out east on the north shore of Long Island. The trip is just over 100 miles, mostly in the ocean. Question is, is it OK to run with slightly fouled running gear. Then only reason I'm pushing it is that I want to get the boat out east as soon as we can. Weather this week is perfect.

Thanks.
 
I would go for it.
As long as you keep the speed down.
You should probably get a diver to clean the props and check zincs, coolant intakes and rudders.
 
Nomad Willy said:
I would go for it.
As long as you keep the speed down.
You should probably get a diver to clean the props and check zincs, coolant intakes and rudders.
Click to expand...

:thumb: AND, watch your engine temperatures.
 
The loss of 300 rpms is pretty serious and should immediately warrant either you or a diver going down for a look. If it’s crap wrapped up on your shaft between your strut or stern bearing and wheel, or dragging a lobster pot on a rudder, etc etc it could go from annoyance to costly. If you have engine exhaust temp gauge (s) see if your engine is over loading and heating up. Water temp doesn’t always tell you what EGT will. Better be safe than sorry. Good luck
 
Nomad Willy said:
I would go for it.
As long as you keep the speed down.
You should probably get a diver to clean the props and check zincs, coolant intakes and rudders.
Click to expand...

:thumb:
A clean bottom and running gear should bring boat back up to speed.
 
IntoTheBlue said:
My vessel was in water (in canal, brackish water) all winter. I took it out for a test ride today. All went well, no vibration, etc. However, at WOT my RPMS were about 300 below norm (2900+ instead of 3200+). So there is probably some fouling on the props, rudders, etc. Normally I would just wait for the water temp to rise and dive in to clean or have it short hauled.

This year we are keeping the boat out out east on the north shore of Long Island. The trip is just over 100 miles, mostly in the ocean. Question is, is it OK to run with slightly fouled running gear. Then only reason I'm pushing it is that I want to get the boat out east as soon as we can. Weather this week is perfect.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Here on Long Island as well and we would clean it before we moved it, needs to get done in either case and not worth the risk. Once it fouls at the start of the seasons it builds quickly. Also your intakes likely have growth as well and they could really affect your trip at an inconvenient time.
 
Running a boat with growth on the running gear has never hurt my or commercial boats I have run as long as the vibrations werent too bad and if more than minor, run less than hard.

Line wrapped can but not in my experience do damage to shafts and/or cutless bearings.
 
Nomad Willy said:
I would go for it.
As long as you keep the speed down.
You should probably get a diver to clean the props and check zincs, coolant intakes and rudders.
Click to expand...

I second this. Diver is cheap insurance. Long stretch on lee shore with no safe harbors.
 
Once you leave the slip, performance is usually predictable, good chance there is lessened performance but little chance fouling will affect a potential catastrophic failure.
 
Curious how so many just assume this problem is sea growth and nothing else. Well cross your fingers, grab your wallet and hope that is the case. Personally getting underway with a problem and hoping it’s nothing is a fools errand
 
IMO - Limited growth on bottom, shaft, prop and rudder is usually just an annoyance for speed and fuel use. However... growth on water intakes can become more than costly.

Couple hundred for a diver... or possible thousand$ - you make the call!!

BTW - I too always do my own bottom/apparatus cleaning and anode refreshments/changes. Just do it! You'll sleep better even if it's just to make sure all water intakes are clean.
 
garbler said:
Curious how so many just assume this problem is sea growth and nothing else. Well cross your fingers, grab your wallet and hope that is the case. Personally getting underway with a problem and hoping it’s nothing is a fools errand
Click to expand...

Maybe because of decades of running boats that have sat for more than a month in a place where fouling is possible has sunk in, and that's more likely that than a wrapped line,

My experience with wrapped line is it either stops the engine abruptly or has little effect at all. Plus the owner never mentioned picking up a line which most of the time the skipper knows.

If it something else....which it could be..... but what else goes wrong just sitting unless its engine issues? ...which you need to run to ID anyhow.
 
Gotta start somewhere. Diver..... this part of FL, for my 34 ft AT, $80, once a month.

If that doesn't help, check the factory spec and then, discuss your situation with a good prop shop. Follow his recommendations and try your test run again.
 
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If you are going to run at planing speed, get a diver to clean it before you go. If running hull speed, no worries.
 
My early spring is like that.
I am now in the habit of checking for black smoke, watching engine temps when I haven't had the annual haulout yet.
 
MR Herreshoff used to suggest to visualize the prop and its growth blown up to the size of the hull, to decide if it should be removed.
 
Moving the boat without understanding the root cause of the problem is something I personally would prefer not to do. I would spend too much time worrying about it and not enjoy the trip very much. If coming to an understanding of the root cause is not possible or practical at your current canal location, then I would consider taking the 100 mile trip slowly. 6-7 knots max...and then, only if there was no unusual vibration. If you've noticed increased vibration, then I would go even slower, or consider not going at all until the problem is rectified.
 
In my case, prior to moving the boat that had been sitting for a while, I would have employed a diver to clean the bottom, clean and inspect the running gear.
 
I recently purchased from Amazon, a digital inspection endoscope. I tie the camera end to a fishing rod. From the swim step I can check all of my prop, rudder, shaft etc. From the dock I am able to check the thruster as well. The device has a decent focal length, and does still, as well as video. IIRC the $ was just under 60.
My friends borrow on a regular basis........
 
Salish Nomad said:
I recently purchased from Amazon, a digital inspection endoscope. I tie the camera end to a fishing rod. From the swim step I can check all of my prop, rudder, shaft etc. From the dock I am able to check the thruster as well. The device has a decent focal length, and does still, as well as video. IIRC the $ was just under 60.
My friends borrow on a regular basis........
Click to expand...

Sounds good. What if water is not very clear?
 
UPDATE...

First, thanks s to all who responded. All of the comments were appreciated.

I've decided to error on the side of caution and have the boat cleaned prior to making the trip. I found a diver and hired him to come next week to check and clean the running gear and bottom.

As there was no vibration and the no overheating I was tempted. If the inside passage was open (south shore of Long Island is part of the inland waterway, but shoaled up around Moriches) I may of made the trip. However, traveling through a couple of inlets and outside in the ocean made the risk simply not worth it (as some had pointed out, better to be patient).

Thanks again and enjoy!
 
LOL a couple of those famous "Rules of thumb" to be accomplished prior to a long trip.
A. clean the bottom and running gear. excessive fouling increase the drag and reduces the MPG.
B. fill the fuel tanks.
C. fill the water tanks
D. empty the black water tanks.

Observation: Your MainShip43 Pilot should be able to some rough weather but, in my feeble mind, boating should be fun and fun does not include throwing up into a bucket.

Check the CE rating for the boat. I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the degree of rough weather you boat can survive. Of course, you and your passengers may end up rattling around like pebbles in a tin can.
No one considers adding, at least, lap belts for the helmsman and maybe the navigator. The guests can lay on the floor. LOL
 
Last edited:
OldDan1943 said:
LOL a couple of those famous "Rules of thumb" to be accomplished prior to a long trip.
A. clean the bottom and running gear. excessive fouling increase the drag and reduces the MPG.
B. fill the fuel tanks.
C. fill the water tanks
D. empty the black water tanks.

Observation: Your MainShip43 Pilot should be able to some rough weather but, in my feeble mind, boating should be fun and fun does not include throwing up into a bucket.

Check the CE rating for the boat. I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the degree of rough weather you boat can survive. Of course, you and your passengers may end up rattling around like pebbles in a tin can.
No one considers adding, at least, lap belts for the helmsman and maybe the navigator. The guests can lay on the floor. LOL
Click to expand...

I wasn't worried about rough seas for the voyage, we've been in plenty over the years (never by choice) and the Mainship P43 handled it well. As you noted, rough water cruising is not fun and at our age not looking for the high sea adventures stories for dock talk.

You hit it on the head, we all have (or should have) checklists prior to a trip and you know your taking a risk when the checklist is not complete.

Thanks and Enjoy!
 
Many boroscopes need to be very close to focus...mine does.

So water cloudiness is not preferred, but to see anything, you have to be very close anyway.

It really depends on the gear you bought.
 
Engine coolant temp is a poor indicator of propeller condition or efficiency.
An exhaust gas temperature gauge is what you need to be looking at.
The meter on my boat reads right at 400* @ 7.5 knots with clean gear, but with a few barnacles and some hair on the prop and rudder, it gains 200* to make the same speed.
Pushing the throttle up when dirty shows alarming increases in EGT and fuel consumption.
I wouldn’t embark on a trip knowing there was potential for problems to occur, especially a problem so easily remedied!
 
kapnd, from where do you take the exhaust temp on a wet exhaust boat?
 
OldDan1943 said:
kapnd, from where do you take the exhaust temp on a wet exhaust boat?
Click to expand...

Many exhaust systems come it’s a 1/8” tap just out of the turbo before the water jacketed portion of the exhaust.
The pyrometer probe goes there, and extends to about the center of the pipe, so it truly reads the temp of the exhaust at exit point, before it is cooled.
The engine manufacturers data should give some reference to target EGT temps, and they will vary with installation differences, but the real value is in collecting and logging readings at various speeds, loads and conditions, so that you can recognize anomalies and take action to prevent damage to your motor.
Almost anything that’s going wrong with your motor will cause some EGT creep, providing you with early warning of say a weakened impeller, clogging aftercooler, fouling prop, etc.
 
kapnd, thanks, next time I am in the ER I will look for the fitting. Seems to me, I have seen this fitting.
I have heard of truckers doing this on each of their exhaust but first time I have of the application on a boat.
Perhaps you will provide the parts number for the pyrometer probe ???
Currently I have a high temp alarm for the overboard water temp on the main engine and generator.
 
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