I'm Not Superstitious, But . . . . . . .

**Sailor** · 10-03-2010, 04:41 PM

. . . . . because of our abnormally cold winter and spring, we manged only our THIRTEENTH sail of the year on Thursday. Weather and wind were perfect - low humidity and not a cloud in the sky - and the bay was filled with more dolphins than I've seen before (still didn't get any good shots; I find these critters very hard to predict).

Everything was splendid until - while motoring up channel towards our marina - something plugged the raw water intake and the engine overheat warning sounded and I shut it down. Seems like this sort of thing only happens when you're in a situation where maneuvering under sail is difficult, but we unrolled a bit of jib and were able to keep steerage. I dismantled all of the associated plumbing, eliminated the plug, put everything back together and we were underway again - after a bit of angst-filled moments, after which the cold beer tasted especially good.

Ain't yachting fun? Particularly when the number thirteen is somehow involved.

Jer

r0ckstarr · 10-03-2010, 05:09 PM

So, what caused the blockage?

**Sailor** · 10-05-2010, 11:34 AM

Originally posted by r0ckstarr

So, what caused the blockage?

No way to know, since it was lodged below the through-hull valve - which doesn't happen often but, at the same time, is not remarkable. Almost everyone I know who's sailed for years has dealt with this problem at least once.

Jer

RioRico · 10-05-2010, 06:21 PM

THIRTEEN is only significant in Base10 numeration, and only in the English-speaking world.

In Octal numbers, it's FIFTEEN, nothing to worry about. In Spanish, !No hay problemo!

Is your boat really a hole in the water, into which you shovel money? Just wondering...

daacon · 10-06-2010, 06:47 AM

Glad to hear all is well and it did not live up to it's name of Break Out Another Thousand at least this time ! (I have one Land Boat - daughters '92 Cadillac Deville ....next outbreak it will be shot and put to rest

)

**Sailor** · 10-06-2010, 07:46 AM

Originally posted by RioRico

. . . . . . . . Is your boat really a hole in the water, into which you shovel money? Just wondering...

Something like that

.

Jer

Originally posted by daacon

Glad to hear all is well and it did not live up to it's name of Break Out Another Thousand at least this time ! (I have one Land Boat - daughters '92 Cadillac Deville ....next outbreak it will be shot and put to rest

)

Thanks, buddy. She'll probably live up to B-O-A-T anyway, but - hey - she still delivers alot of enjoyment. Right now, our "big thing" is my daughter's wedding in Ohio coming up on Saturday. We'll be flying up tomorrow, so I'm hoping to shoot some turning leaves along with of course enjoying the big celebration.

Jer

daacon · 10-06-2010, 08:02 AM

Originally posted by Sailor

<snip>Thanks, buddy. She'll probably live up to B-O-A-T anyway, but - hey - she still delivers alot of enjoyment. Right now, our "big thing" is my daughter's wedding in Ohio coming up on Saturday. We'll be flying up tomorrow, so I'm hoping to shoot some turning leaves along with of course enjoying the big celebration.
Jer

Congrats ! Hope it's a perfect day

**Sailor** · 10-06-2010, 12:25 PM

Originally posted by daacon

Congrats ! Hope it's a perfect day

Thanks, buddy.

Jer

**Sailor** · 10-19-2010, 04:11 PM

Originally posted by RioRico

THIRTEEN is only significant in Base10 numeration, and only in the English-speaking world.

In Octal numbers, it's FIFTEEN, nothing to worry about. In Spanish, !No hay problemo!

Is your boat really a hole in the water, into which you shovel money? Just wondering...

OK . . . . I'm a scientist, and while I accept low-probability events, I'm also suspicious of coincidence. Today - as we headed out for our 15th sail - we had a repeat performance of an over-heating engine. Once again, we were in the channel and pulled out a bit of jib for steerage and I did "my thing" on the engine intake. I couldn't shake the idea that there was something systemic I'd missed before, but when - yet again - I dislmantled the intake plumbing, I found a FISH in the strainer. Once dislodged, water flowed happily into the 3-lung diesel, and we motored off without a care and had the best sail of the year.

However, if you would give me some stock market advice, I'd sure listen

Jer

KungPOW · 10-19-2010, 05:43 PM

you need a scoop strainer like this:

Boat Marine Plumbing Mushroom Scoop Strainer Thru Hull

that will keep the big stuff out of the cooling line, and then the basket strainer will keep junk out of your engine.

If you are concerned about the performance of your sailboat, look for a thru hull strainer that mounts flush. They are less common, but they can be found.

**Sailor** · 10-20-2010, 05:45 AM

Originally posted by KungPOW

you need a scoop strainer like this:

Boat Marine Plumbing Mushroom Scoop Strainer Thru Hull

that will keep the big stuff out of the cooling line, and then the basket strainer will keep junk out of your engine.

If you are concerned about the performance of your sailboat, look for a thru hull strainer that mounts flush. They are less common, but they can be found.

Thanks much, for the thoughtful reply. We had a Scoop Strainer (or something similar) on our previous boat and I'm thinking of having one installed on our present one the next time its hauled for a bottom job (boats here stay in the water all year). Some of my dock neighbors claim the Strainers can become clogged with barnacles, but I never had that experience.

Again thanks for the link.

Jer

10-03-2010, 04:41 PM	#1
Sailor Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Coastal Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 26,205	I'm Not Superstitious, But . . . . . . . . . . . . because of our abnormally cold winter and spring, we manged only our THIRTEENTH sail of the year on Thursday. Weather and wind were perfect - low humidity and not a cloud in the sky - and the bay was filled with more dolphins than I've seen before (still didn't get any good shots; I find these critters very hard to predict). Everything was splendid until - while motoring up channel towards our marina - something plugged the raw water intake and the engine overheat warning sounded and I shut it down. Seems like this sort of thing only happens when you're in a situation where maneuvering under sail is difficult, but we unrolled a bit of jib and were able to keep steerage. I dismantled all of the associated plumbing, eliminated the plug, put everything back together and we were underway again - after a bit of angst-filled moments, after which the cold beer tasted especially good. Ain't yachting fun? Particularly when the number thirteen is somehow involved. Jer

10-03-2010, 05:09 PM	#2
r0ckstarr Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,507	So, what caused the blockage?

10-05-2010, 11:34 AM	#3
Sailor Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Coastal Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 26,205 Original Poster	Originally posted by r0ckstarr So, what caused the blockage? No way to know, since it was lodged below the through-hull valve - which doesn't happen often but, at the same time, is not remarkable. Almost everyone I know who's sailed for years has dealt with this problem at least once. Jer

10-05-2010, 06:21 PM	#4
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	THIRTEEN is only significant in Base10 numeration, and only in the English-speaking world. In Octal numbers, it's FIFTEEN, nothing to worry about. In Spanish, !No hay problemo! Is your boat really a hole in the water, into which you shovel money? Just wondering...

10-06-2010, 06:47 AM	#5
daacon Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Alberta,Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 20,914	Glad to hear all is well and it did not live up to it's name of Break Out Another Thousand at least this time ! (I have one Land Boat - daughters '92 Cadillac Deville ....next outbreak it will be shot and put to rest )

10-06-2010, 07:46 AM	#6
Sailor Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Coastal Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 26,205 Original Poster	Originally posted by RioRico . . . . . . . . Is your boat really a hole in the water, into which you shovel money? Just wondering... Something like that . Jer Originally posted by daacon Glad to hear all is well and it did not live up to it's name of Break Out Another Thousand at least this time ! (I have one Land Boat - daughters '92 Cadillac Deville ....next outbreak it will be shot and put to rest ) Thanks, buddy. She'll probably live up to B-O-A-T anyway, but - hey - she still delivers alot of enjoyment. Right now, our "big thing" is my daughter's wedding in Ohio coming up on Saturday. We'll be flying up tomorrow, so I'm hoping to shoot some turning leaves along with of course enjoying the big celebration. Jer

10-06-2010, 08:02 AM	#7
daacon Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Alberta,Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 20,914	Originally posted by Sailor <snip>Thanks, buddy. She'll probably live up to B-O-A-T anyway, but - hey - she still delivers alot of enjoyment. Right now, our "big thing" is my daughter's wedding in Ohio coming up on Saturday. We'll be flying up tomorrow, so I'm hoping to shoot some turning leaves along with of course enjoying the big celebration. Jer Congrats ! Hope it's a perfect day

10-06-2010, 12:25 PM	#8
Sailor Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Coastal Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 26,205 Original Poster	Originally posted by daacon Congrats ! Hope it's a perfect day Thanks, buddy. Jer

10-19-2010, 04:11 PM	#9
Sailor Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Coastal Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 26,205 Original Poster	Originally posted by RioRico THIRTEEN is only significant in Base10 numeration, and only in the English-speaking world. In Octal numbers, it's FIFTEEN, nothing to worry about. In Spanish, !No hay problemo! Is your boat really a hole in the water, into which you shovel money? Just wondering... OK . . . . I'm a scientist, and while I accept low-probability events, I'm also suspicious of coincidence. Today - as we headed out for our *15th* sail - we had a repeat performance of an over-heating engine. Once again, we were in the channel and pulled out a bit of jib for steerage and I did "my thing" on the engine intake. I couldn't shake the idea that there was something systemic I'd missed before, but when - yet again - I dislmantled the intake plumbing, I found a FISH in the strainer. Once dislodged, water flowed happily into the 3-lung diesel, and we motored off without a care and had the best sail of the year. However, if you would give me some stock market advice, I'd sure listen Jer

10-19-2010, 05:43 PM	#10
KungPOW Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vancouver, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,699	you need a scoop strainer like this: Boat Marine Plumbing Mushroom Scoop Strainer Thru Hull that will keep the big stuff out of the cooling line, and then the basket strainer will keep junk out of your engine. If you are concerned about the performance of your sailboat, look for a thru hull strainer that mounts flush. They are less common, but they can be found.

10-20-2010, 05:45 AM	#11
Sailor Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Coastal Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 26,205 Original Poster	Originally posted by KungPOW you need a scoop strainer like this: Boat Marine Plumbing Mushroom Scoop Strainer Thru Hull that will keep the big stuff out of the cooling line, and then the basket strainer will keep junk out of your engine. If you are concerned about the performance of your sailboat, look for a thru hull strainer that mounts flush. They are less common, but they can be found. Thanks much, for the thoughtful reply. We had a Scoop Strainer (or something similar) on our previous boat and I'm thinking of having one installed on our present one the next time its hauled for a bottom job (boats here stay in the water all year). Some of my dock neighbors claim the Strainers can become clogged with barnacles, but I never had that experience. Again thanks for the link. Jer