Power Voyaging

As most of us know, good clean fuel is important to any diesel engine.

Oil is oil, right? Wrong!

For centuries, mariners have depended on a compass to provide direction.

I once read an article in a major boating magazine entitled “Oil Analysis Made Simple.” It caught my attention because, as a trained oil analyst, I know from experience as well as formal training that oil or fluid analysis is complex and fraught with both opportunity for sampling errors and misinterpretation of reports.

A concerned seller who could not attend the survey and sea trial of his trawler called me, his voice laden with concern: “Jeff, I keep getting text messages that the bilge pump is going off. Are you guys sinking?”

Nearly all marine engines are designed to be adjustable, to a point, relative to the propeller shaft by using adjustment or jacking nuts on their motor mounts.

Most of the more experienced power voyagers I work with have a system and a plan to look after just about every aspect involved in the management of their boats.

We’ve had three pendants fail on our Steelhead Marine crane aboard our Nordhavn 52 Dirona over the last nine years.

When you have a mess to clean up, sometimes the best solution is to take matters into your own hands and suck it up.

Watch-standing is a shared responsibility with all who take the helm.

“One if by land, two if by sea.” We have all heard that phrase before. It’s a rallying call more than 150 years old, and I believe it also applies to distance cruisers heading offshore.

The engine faltered, and with that a cloud of dense, white smoke erupted from under the small runabout’s dashboard, enveloping the cockpit and its occupants … I vividly recall my first encounter with overcurrent protection, or more accurately the lack thereof.

How much do you know about your trawler’s manual bilge pump?

There are two approaches to marine exhaust setups.

You could argue that there are many “most important” systems on your trawler: diesel fuel delivery systems, firefighting systems, head and holding tank systems, electrical systems, etc.

Several years ago, as I was walking through a boatyard, I came across a mechanic who was in the process of removing a propeller.

Elvis Costello’s song “Accidents Will Happen” is a catchy tune and, as it relates to boats, I like to focus on the “will” part.

Every morning, I awaken to Hawaiian music that provides me with a smooth transition from deep sleep to facing the day. This sure is more pleasant than the shrill alarm that used to scare me awake and have my heart pumping.

While today’s crop of computer-wielding mechanics rely on high-tech tools to formulate diagnoses, there’s still something to be said for the tried-and-true technique of interpreting the quantity and color of smoke emitted by a diesel engine.

What is that? That’s a new and different smell/sound/vibration/leak … something doesn’t seem right. What happened?

This is the second of a two-part series on making sure you have the spares you need for your power voyaging boat.

One frequent question I hear from my trawler clients is, “What hand tools should I have on board?”