Emergency Starting Process

[Stu Jackson]

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Maybe I don't have the prerequisite testosterone to skipper a mid-size sailboat... ;)

There is much to be said for brains over balls. 

[Bill Shreeves]

Well, I know through personal experience with other things, balls grow with experience.  The tough thing is knowing if your about to bite off more than you or your crew can chew.  For good reason, I'm still taking very little bites.

[lazybone]

You sound like a very sensible man.
What's fun about that. A little mayhem is good.

[KWKloeber]

So, I'm a newbie and I only have 1 season on my 34, my first sailboat that I couldn't paddle if I HAD TO.  I'm thinking, assuming I've ponied up the nominal fee for the gold towing as I have, why not call them for a tow instead of risking damage to me, my boat or someone else's boat trying to start the diesel with a hand-crank or sail into the marina?  BTW, my slip last season was 12' x 30' with a 40' wide fairway and a finger pier.  Maybe I don't have the prerequisite testosterone to skipper a mid-size sailboat... ;)

many many times I've been in situations where a "plan C" would have been nice, in addition to "B".  I can think of situations where it would not be wise to just wait for TowBoat/US.  Murphy is always one step ahead of us.

ken

[Bill Shreeves]

Lazybones:  yeah, a little mayhem can be fun but, don't underrate not having to pay big $ or several days sailing lost to repair as a result of the decided risk.

KK:  I don't think that waiting for a tow is the always the answer and yes, it's always good to have back up plans but, I'd consider a tow first.q`

Maybe after a bit more experience I'd toy with the idea of sailing into the huge slip on the outside with no fairway I'm moving to this spring.  No way would I ever sail in to the slip I had last year.  I watched many sailors with many years of experience beat the bejesus out of their boats powering in to the tiny slips in my marina last year.  It's like they think their driving a car.  I watched every video I could find, read articles and books about docking a sailboat before the first time I took this boat out and that taught me alot.  Had only one bang when I tapped a piling in my first season backing out when my tranny didn't shift in to forward.  I know its inevitable when docking and more are coming my way.

[Bill Shreeves]

So, on the other side of the coin, how could one turn over the diesel and thinking about how to instead of why and rube goldberg hasn't been ruled out...
The trending thought so far, if i followed, was to wrap a line around the crank or possibly a battery powered drill and a socket on the end of the crank. If we're going to use rope etc, to try and pull start it, what about wrapping nylon web e.g. a long sail tie around the coupling and giving it a go with the transmission engaged. You'll have the larger dia coupling and mechanical advantage of the gearbox to make it easier to turn over the engine but makes it harder to get enough revolutions.   If you only have rope and can't get enough wraps maybe back off the bolts to make some space to capture the rope between the coupling faces around the four bolts?

and maybe, I had too many choice beverages while this was bouncing around in the back of my head tonight while at the local watering hole.

[lazybone]

I predict no one wraps anything around their crank and yanks on it in anger.   

(Not with witnesses watching)

[Indian Falls]

You're not starting that engine with a rope or a drill or a hand crank. 
A spare battery is the only practical backup.
but I could be wrong!

[Bill Shreeves]

I agree wholeheartedly with lazybone   

I've never tried to hand start anything larger than a lawn mower.   I did notice however, while removing the damper plate on the flywheel several weeks ago that the flywheel turned surprisingly easy.  So easy, in fact, that I had to ask the admiral hold a wrench on to my crank shaft while removing the "stiff" screws holding on the damper plate because it was rotating too easily.  Also had her rotate the crank to get the damper in position so I could get to the next screw in line which was very easy.   So, it makes me wonder just how hard is it to turn the crank shaft.

[mark_53]

I seem to recall (50 years ago maybe) 20hp Briggs and Stratton gas engines with pull start only .  I would think our diesels have higher compression and 3 more hp so it may be possible for The Hulk.  The original Model T Ford had a hand crank and it was 20hp gas.  The key to trying it would be to get a good solid pull without ripping the engine off it's mounts.
It should capable of hand starting since that what the decompression lever is for.

[lazybone]

You'll have to yank on the crank as you reach-around and fiddle with the decompression lever.

[mark_53]

You'll have to yank on the crank as you reach-around and fiddle with the decompression lever.

Seems like that is a workable problem with a jig.

[KWKloeber]

Now we're getting a bit complicated. I think adding onto everything else going on might be a bit much. Chewing gum maybe, but expecting a dance routine from Paul as well?

Seems like that is a workable problem with a jig.

[lazybone]

You'll have to yank on the crank as you reach-around and fiddle with the decompression lever.

Seems like that is a workable problem with a jig.

Remember, you're going to be bent over while your negotiating all this, so better to have a real good friend looking over your shoulder.

[Bill Shreeves]

Where's the decompression lever?  Searched my 25xpb manual and did't find a reference to it.