So much for going to Sark!

[Erin]

After weeks of good weather when the tide was out and cr@p weather when the tide was up, eventually a good weekend came along.... or so I thought. Forecast wasn't brilliant, but the plan was to head off to Sark on the last of the tide at 7.30 this morning to meet up with some friends travelling down from Alderney.

It went quite well for the first 10 miles though the sea was definitely slight verging on moderate and the wind was picking up as we got further out and the mist came down. Then my engine drops to 3000 revs and the overheat alarm comes on beeping at me. First time I've experienced a problem out at sea, and of course with my complacency about the reliability of my Suzzy I hadn't bothered putting the aux on this year . I looked round and saw the tell tale wasn't telling tales so I cut the engine. Couldn't see anything wrong, no placcy bags round the intakes etc. Gave it a restart and it piddled out the telltale a bit then picked up. Alarm had stopped by this time so I turned round and we gingerly headed back into the building seas.

Fine I thought, can't really get back to my mooring cos the tides out so what shall we do. Then i hear a request from the CG looking for someone to help a small open boat with navigation problems. It was about 7 miles from me. Do I don't I? Well after thinking I was going to need rescuing 10 mins before I replied and head to the co-ords.

It pisses me off when I go out of my way and find it's to help people who've gone out with no radio, no GPS, no compass . They'd lost sight of land and got disorientated. Their only saving grace was a yacht who saw they were in distress but wasn't able to help. Anyway by the time we arrived the mist had lifted and they could see their way. English wasn't their first language and I don't think they even realised all that had gone on between the yacht myself and Jersey Radio to help them!

We still had a few hours to spare so stopped off at the Ecrehoes for a bit of sunbathing and laughing at all the frenchies who seem to drop the anchor after they've grounded and walk it up the beach by hand.

Photos
1 - A busy day at the Ecrehoes. Spot the frenchman who managed to find the only rock in the bay to moor on top of
2 - Not much garden, but a good sea view!
3 - My rib with Jersey in the background silouhette
4 - Catamaran on the rocks

[nick wood]

Hi Erin,

I find my Suzuki 50 on my fishing boat does the same, when you leave the boat and not wash the engine out with fresh water for some time (because i dry out on a beach mooring in St Helier), it clogs up with dryed salt and blocks the tel tail outlet. i.e. stops water coming out. I keep a paper clip on the boat which i put up the pipe this clears it most times. But yes i get the same problem the engine losses revs and the alarm comes on, which in some ways is gd at least you know the engine will not do its self any damage. That is the problem with mooring at La Rouque and other drying berths in Jersey there is no where with fresh water to wash engines out.

So just remember in your ribing kit keep a paper clip!!! lol

Like the pic of the french cat, What are the frogs like!!!!


Nick.

[codprawn]

You have a stunning cruising ground on your doorstep Erin. I know the tides are big and you have loads of rocks but at least the water is so clear you can see the bottom!!! We have so much sand and silt in our waters you can't see more than about 6'.

Hope the boat is going well and give your engine a slap so it starts behaving itself!!!

[Erin]

Originally Posted by nick wood

Hi Erin,

I find my Suzuki 50 on my fishing boat does the same, when you leave the boat and not wash the engine out with fresh water for some time (because i dry out on a beach mooring in St Helier), it clogs up with dryed salt and blocks the tel tail outlet.

Nick.

I think it may have been more than just a clogged tell tale. That shouldn't cause the engine to overheat as far as I know. Anyway, will take a look at some point. Now all I need is the tide out after work and I can take my spanners down to La Rocque. I recently replaced the impellor and the 4 anodes in the waterways and all looked fairly clear inside. Local agent (DK Collins) didn't even know there were more than 2 anodes. Helps to have the official workshop manual and to have read it!

And yep, at least I know the warning system works.

Keith

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Erin

It pisses me off when I go out of my way and find it's to help people who've gone out with no radio, no GPS, no compass. [snip] English wasn't their first language and I don't think they even realised all that had gone on between the yacht myself and Jersey Radio to help them!

Uhhh... Without a radio, how would they have, even if they spoke fluent English?

Still a good thing to go and help out, even if they got things sorted out on their own. Unprepared and in distress is no different than being prepared and in distress. End result is the same (getting the word out is bit tricker, though.)

jky

[Biggles]

Must admit my Yammy 50 has a habit of clogging up the tell tale. Doesn't stop the engine but when I clean out the tell tale I get small pieces of white crystalized salt out.
Thats even though I religiously wash the engine through after every trip..
Never been a major problem as I always check the tell tale prior to setting off. Its an easy job to wip the tell tale pipe off and blow the crap out.
I just find it strange as I,ve never noticed this on any other engine.
Could it be caused by the salt crystalizing between retrieving the boat and flushing it through ?

[Erin]

It's never clogged before, and I was 30 mins into my trip before it happened, so it was either a big lump of salt crud which blocked the flow or something got caught around the leg and blocked the water intake. Either way, I'll probably never know, but it seems to have been ok since. I'm now very tempted to fit a water pressure gauge on the dash. Though I supose unless I monitor it constantly it won't be much use unless there's a trend in the pressure dropping off.

Keith

[Erin]

Think I may have found the 'overheat' problem.

It happened again the other day and by chance I noticed that the fuel primer bulb had been sucked in to within an inch of its life. Clearly a case of fuel starvation. Working back from the primer bulb I found some fibreglass crud had got sucked up the fuel pipe from the tank and got itself wedged on the inlet into the filter. This had slowed the fuel supply down to a trickle and caused the engine to faulter and go into a limp home mode. Cleared it out and all was fine again.

Keith