Ed's Boat Tips

Continuing with the theme I began in yesterday's post lets take a look at sea cocks and valves today. The photo below, again taken at the Mystic Classic Boat rendezvous over the past week end show one of the original sea cock valves used "back in the day".

Actually I see three gate valves in the photo above. This is a good example of the ABYC learning the hard way over time and adjusting what gets said within a standard as we learn about some of the real world problems that exist. In this case, as you look at the valves can you determine if they are opened or closed? I certainly can't, and that's the rub, and lesson learned. The valves could be opened, closed or somewhere in between, effectively restricting water flow, perhaps to an unacceptable level for the system being supplied with sea water. The valve on the far right side of the photo is the main sea cock supplying cooling water to the engine on this boat. If it's not opened all the way, the engine could suffer from water starvation and overheat, perhaps causing serious damage.

Also, assuming an emergency situation with water gushing into the boat and now it's time to close the valve. How many turns (and how much time) will it take to stop the flow of inrushing water?

So, in the photo below you see a different type of valve, in this case several "ball" valves.

The valves above happen to be installed in a boat's fuel system to control switching of fuel delivery from one fuel tank to another. What's more important here and really the lesson learned, is that the valves function in a 90 degree sweep from fully closed (as shown) to fully open (the handles in line with the piping). Categorically this is the preferred valve type today, and recommended in several ABYC Standards. Whether in a fuel system, or sea water valve, by using this type of valve you can instantly tell whether the valve is opened or closed and when you need to close it in an emergency, it just takes a quick flip of the valve handle to accomplish the task.

So, check your own boat and see what valve types you have installed. Replacement could be a very worthwhile project over the winter if you find gate valves in use.

This past weekend I had the honor of being one of the judges for the annual Mystic Seaport Classic Yacht rendezvous.

This is an event I always look forward to because I get a chance to see some really beautiful boats. Beyond that I also get a chance to see up close and in great detail what efforts have been made in any restoration efforts. Some of the owners are really handy and do a fantastic job with these old gems. I'm jealous of the amount of free time they have to accomplish all that they do.

This year as I looked at the boats in the grouping I was responsible for (power boats under 40') I found myself reflecting on where we have been and where we have come in terms of technology. I also found myself thinking about the ABYC Standards for recreational boats as they exist today, and how they have evolved since 1954, in large part due to lessons learned the hard way over time. My next few installments here are going to graphically illustrate the where we are and where we were, and the why we needed to make changes along the way.

So, to start out I'll begin with something seemingly basic, engine instrumentation. First the old:

What you see above was found on a mid-thirties built boat that had  been re-powered during its lifetime with some Chrysler Crown engines. Understand that from a safety perspective, the ABYC considers engine instrumentation and monitoring quite important. After all, if your engine quits on you at the wrong moment, you could be in serious danger. The cluster above includes a tachometer, water temperature, oil pressure and alternator voltage output from each of the twin engines. So, you can monitor an engine's vital signs while underway, and with enough knowledge, react and affect repairs if needed before things reach a crisis state. This of course assumes you understand what the instruments are telling you. The way I explain this to most people is quite simple. Establish what the norm is for your gauge readings. Anything other than the norm means something is changing and needs attending to. Keep an eye on your engine gauges all the time when underway.

Now for the new, to compare and contrast:

The shot above is also of a twin engine installation package. Besides the two electronic engine monitor gauges in the upper right corner we see a Raymarine multi-function display and an electronic compass and some other miscellaneous displays. So, in an area not too much larger than the mid-thirties instrument cluster we can not only monitor engine status, but have access to a full-color chart plotter, perhaps with a radar overlay of the waters around you, and have depth information at your figertips. The electronic engine monitors are also equipped with a series of audible alarms that will activate if engine temperature exceeds a preset value, it may have an alarm if maximum engine rpms are exceeded and an alarm that could be activated for just about anything the engine manufacturer decided was important. Oh, and let's not forget the ability to automatically reduce engine rpms to a "get home" level if the situation is deemed critical.....by the onboard computer.

So where am I going with this?

Well, as I get older, and in spite of the fact that I've spent my entire career playing on the bleeding edge of technology, I'm starting to long for the days when things were a bit simpler and all you needed to get by were some basic skills to help control the outcome of things. I guess I'm a bit worried that the average boater today doesn't have those basic skills and the equipment manufacturers are forced to engineer that missing knowledge into the equipment they produce.

Computer controlled is becoming a scary notion to me.

Every now and then you hear a story about someone who's autopilot does some strange things when someone else on board uses the head and hits the macerator button or the vacu-flush. Or maybe they are down below washing the dishes and using the pressure water system on board when the autopilot starts steering a strange course. Or, maybe you've noticed that when you're moving along in a thick fog and steering by your compass, and you suddenly turn on the windshield wipers the compass moves 20 degrees off your course.

All of these strange incidents are usually caused by electro-magnetic interference and it can be found all over your boat with a simple tool that costs about $100 that I've added to Ed's Tool Box. The tool is called a gauss meter and I've been using the one shown below for some time now to help me sort out these odd problems.

The tool is actually about the size of an iPod and is super sensitive, being able to read milligauss levels of magnetic field strength.

Before you use one you need to understand a basic electrical principle that I explain at length in my book entitled Advanced Marine Electrics and Electronics Troubleshooting. If you're reading this, you may be interested in getting the book, which is available on this site through Amazon.com . Just click on the link on the left side of the home page.

Anyhow, back to the principle....Understand that any wire that has electrical current flowing through it has a magnetic field surrounding it. The strength of that magnetic field is proportional to the amount of current (amperes). Electrical appliances also have a magnetic field surrounding them. The strength will vary based on the design of the device and specific technology used within the device. The gauss meter can find these magnetic fields and help you to establish what I refer to as a "safe zone of separation" between either a wire or device. To learn more about this, click on the button at the top of the home page for this site labeled Ed's Tool Box.

Does using ethanol blended fuel make you feel green? Or, do you worry about the fuel's impact on your engine or boat's fuel tank?

Every boater has read one article or another about the horrors of alcohol in their fuel and its impact on such things as fiberglass fuel tanks, its overall lack of stability and propensity for attracting water into your fuel tank.

 Most of you have probably heard or read that the EPA has been trying to up the allowed blend from 10% to 15% and the boating industry, primarily the NMMA (National Marine Manufacturers Assiciation) has been pushing back on this, for good reason.

The truth is, most folks have probably not considered how mis-guided this whole ethanol thing really is. Truth is, all we are really doing his helping out a segment of the farming community, and of course their lobbying people are all for increasing the blend to 15%. Not because these folks are super green tree huggers either, but for the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ involved.

Well today a link came in over the wires that helps to explain some of this madness and I have to share it: http://www.followthescience.org/

Check it out if you are interested in a dose of reality regarding Ethanol blended fuels.

Yesterday Interlux announced its new web site at www.yachtpaint.com The site includes video, interactive tools and even a section where Interlux users can interact. Choosing the right product to use for a given application is going to be easy with this site's detailed application info.

Additionally, the "Paint your Boat" section will allow you to see how different colors available will look on your boat. There's an "ask the experts" section to deal with technical issues the site itself doesn't answer.

To date, this is by far the best web site I've seen to help answer paint application questions and to find the best choice within a myriad of choices. The site is available in 27 languages, which I also found rather impressive.  Check it out!