Chesepeake Bay Warning

[Jim Brener]

Wind Spirit was launched mid April after spending the winter on the hard.  Due to other projects, time weather and other bad excuses I had not gone through my Spring engine check list until two weeks ago.  Upon start up everything was fine but when placing the engine under load at the dock the RPMs did not increase and it did not go into reverse and hardly in forward.   After checking the fuel lines, fuel pump etc, I found nothing wrong.  I did find, for some unknown reason, throttle was not attached to the engine and the engine cut off handle did not pull up as before.  Again for some unknown reason, the stopper adjustment was moved and did not allow the cut off lever to move all the way forward.

I thought that solved the problem as I could move forward and reverse against the dock and spring lines.  We took the boat our for a shake down and moved slowly above idle just fine but when increasing throttle nothing happened.

A discussion with a mechanic suggested that the prop was fouled which I thought hard to believe after two months in the water.  I had a short haul and the entire shaft and prop was completely covered with barnacles. These were removed during power wash and the yard  applied a coat of Pettit Zinc Prop Coating.  The yard said they have done a lot of short hauls for fouled props this Spring.

The suggestion is even if you can't leave the dock to run your engine often to spin off the barnacles or better yet, go sailing, which we will be doing.  I bring this thought to you as I have not before had this amount of buildup to the extent that it affected performance of the engine.  By the way, here was only a little soft growth on the hull.   Speculation, global warming.

[lazybone]

Hi JIM, what part of the bay ar you in?

[td]

I had a similar problem in Puget Sound.  The boat went sideways instead of backwards when I put it in reverse.  My slip is the first on the dock with no port side  finger pier and  the wind was blowing such that she was immediately swung into the dock's gantry. So I was stuck fending off with a boat hook and no steerage .  Fortunately, a passing fellow sailor got a hand on a bow line we were able to get her back along side the finger pier.  The diver said the Max prop and shaft were heavily encrusted with many layers of barnacles.  I have made it a habit to spin the prop every 2 weeks whether or not I take her out.   Apparently, this is no longer sufficient.

[DaveM]

Same thing on Pamlico Sound area including lower Neuse River. I heard from diver it is attributed to cool spring. Barnacles are small and numerous but come off easier than usual.

Goodwinds
DaveM

[Ron Hill]

Guys : Jim in in Harrington North or the bottom of the upper Chesapeake Bay. 
I haven't had a problem, but I've been using the boat so we'll have to see what happens when it gets hot and the boat is parked.

[Jim Brener]

I am at Herrington Harbor North, Tracy's Landing, MD about 20nm south of Annapolis, MD.

After the haul out, we ran the boat for a short time and all seemed normal.  Now to get the Tach working again, oh, and a leak in the aft water tank just below the port stringer.  Tried to patch it with butyl rubber and epoxy but have not stopped the leak.  May have to not fill the tank all the way unless someone has fount a way seal leaks on a PE tank.

[Ron Hill]

As I have already mentioned to Jim, the only way to permanently repair a crack in a water tank is to have it hot air welded!! 
I know of nothing in a tube that will seal and hold/seal onto the water tank type plastic.   

[reedbr]

I second this. Growth is off the chart this year. I'm on the Potomac. I usually haul my boat every other year and have to dive the prop in the second season to scrape it. This spring, year two on a double coat of ablative, I dove the prop and cleaned extrememly heavy growth off the prop, shaft and strut. I dove my dad's boat three weeks later and his was the same. I went back to mine at the same time since I had the gear on and air in the tank. In three weeks, it had grown a full coat of small barnacles on the prop and shaft. I scraped it again. Last weekend I was going on an 80 mile trip. Before I left I dove it again, just two weeks after my second scraping. It again had a full coat of small barnacles on the prop and shaft. Inspecting the rest of the hull, I had some small growth near the waterline, and huge growth on the knotmeter plug (paddle wheel was removed) and depth sounder transducer.

I'm on the Magothy now, we'll see if this growth pace continues.

On the water tank, Harbor Freight sells plastic welders. I have used it one on a lawnmower gas tank (yes, dry and empty). It does work, but it takes practice and a complete match on the filler stick you use.