Let's just be thankful we're not flying airplanes! Bill Coleman
On Sun, Jun 11, 2023, 09:42 Korbey Hunt via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > I have a 1980 34 C&C located in Ketchikan, AK. I only use it in the > summer. It has a new Yanmar 30 hp engine with 300 hrs. Last year when > returning from a long cruise at good speed and running well for many hours > the engine suddenly slowed and died. We were in a channel and began > drifting towards the beach. After a few minutes I restarted the motor and > it ran fine. I suspect a fuel problem but never found the cause. I > changed the engine filter but it did not look dirty. > > Get Outlook for Android <https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg> > ------------------------------ > *From:* Martin DeYoung via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > *Sent:* Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:24:48 PM > *To:* Stus-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > *Cc:* Martin DeYoung <martin.deyo...@outlook.com> > *Subject:* Stus-List Re: Engine strangeness > > Transitory engine issues can create drama quickly. Back in 1992 we had > just taken possession of a 1981 C&C 36 and departed Seattle's Lake Union > heading out to our saltwater moorage at Shilshole Bay Marina. This trip > takes us west through the Lake Washington Ship Canal, under the Fremont and > Ballard Bridges (needed to open them), and through the Ballard locks. The > Ship Canal is narrow enough that it is rare to sail through it. It was also > calm that day. The engine ran just fine through the transit to and into > the locks (approx. first hour of ownership). It is common to shut down the > engine while locking through as it can take enough time to expose a few > people to the exhaust fumes. > > So, the lock gates open, the C&C 36's Yanmar 3-cylinder diesel fires up > and *aided *by the outgoing current we departed the lock. Now it worth > noting there is an opening single leafed Bascule train bridge with a > clearance of +-48' at that moment's tide height a short distance west of > the lock. Our 36's air draft was a little over 50'. > Given how the gods watching over errant sailors enjoy a good laugh from > time to time the engine chooses that moment to shut down. It shut down in > that way that indicates a restart is unlikely. The train bridge is also > down. The current coming out of the locks is relentlessly pushing us > towards the closed bridge. I am suddenly very concerned for the top few > feet of the mast. > > I immediately sounded the signal asking for an opening. I asked the boat's > new co-owner to make ready to anchor. I hit the starter to see if the > engine would restart. It sputtered and died again. I sounded for an > opening again. Nothing promising was happening up on the bow in way of an > anchor being deployed. I attempted another restart this time with the > reduction gear in reverse to make use of any rotation of the prop. I get > maybe 15 to 20 seconds of run time which slowed our progress slightly. The > bridge operator made the horn signal indicating he was able to open the > bridge, no trains were in route. I headed for the side of the bridge that > opens first and hit the starter again hoping for another few seconds of > reverse. > > Fortunately, the bridge opened just enough and our path close to the > opening end of the bridge equaled just enough clearance the mast remained > intact, and we avoided an embarrassing episode where we would have needed > to "strike the burgee", obscure the boat's name, and wear bags over our > heads to avoid being identified. > > The cause of all this entertainment was debris in the fuel tank blocking > the fuel pick-up. We hired a fuel tank cleaner/polisher who cut a > inspection port removed the debris, cleaned the tank, polished the fuel and > voila, no more fuel pick up issues. > > Fast forward to 1999 and I am motoring our recently acquired C&C 43 along > the same route. When the truck from Chicago arrived, we had her unloaded > at a Lake Union boat yard. After 3 months of repair and upgrade work the > boat was ready to leave but the mast was still in the paint shed so we > motored off without a mast. Didn't need to open any bridges and was > relaxed about restarting in the locks and heading west. (The anchoring gear > was ready to go this time.) When we got to our Shilshole Bay Marina slip I > contacted the fuel cleaning guy and had the tank thoroughly cleaned and the > fuel polished to be ready for my next trip with the mast up and its 70' air > draft. > > Martin DeYoung > Calypso > 1971 C&C 43 > Port Ludlow/Seattle > > Greta > 1956 Matthews 42 > Port Ludlow > ------------------------------ > *From:* David Knecht via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > *Sent:* Saturday, June 10, 2023 12:47 PM > *To:* Stus-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > *Cc:* davidakne...@gmail.com <davidakne...@gmail.com> > *Subject:* Stus-List Re: Engine strangeness > > So the problem has not recurred in several hours of motoring over a few > days so i am going to write it off as launch day blues. No water in > separator. Fuel pressure gauge normal. I cant see that i can do anything > about it unless it keeps happening. Thanks for the ideas. Dave > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jun 9, 2023, at 11:41 AM, Dreuge via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > wrote: > > I once had a similar engine issue. It would run fine one day (or half) > and constant stall upon or shortly after restarts. It turned out that my > Racor was not full tightened. Easy fix once found. > > - > Paul E. > 1981 C&C Landfall 38 > S/V Johanna Rose > Fort Walton Beach, FL > > http://svjohannarose.blogspot.com/ > > On Jun 9, 2023, at 11:27 AM, ALAN BERGEN via CnC-List < > cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > > > On Fri, Jun 9, 2023 at 7:22 AM David Knecht via CnC-List < > cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > > I am out for the first time this season. Engine started right up. Motored > out of harbor for two hours. Turned engine off for a while waiting for > wind. Started back up. Ran for 15-30 sec and died. Started up and ran for a > bit longer then died. Pulled bed to get access and fuel pressure and level > in racor look fine. Started up and ran fine for 40 min. WTF? Dave > > > Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and > help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: > https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > Thanks for your help. > Stu > > Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and > help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: > https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > Thanks for your help. > Stu
Please show your appreciation for this list and the Photo Album site and help me pay the associated bills. Make a contribution at: https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks for your help. Stu
