Good morning all.
I may have made a mistake, or I may be mistaken. Your expertise will help.
I went to scrub the hull of our Nonsuch 260 yesterday afternoon. I had three to four weeks of light algae-like growth. We are in the San Juans, if that helps in getting the idea of type of growth. I used a Scrubbis tool from Davis. We had maybe a ½ inch of very loose growth. I stupidly was running the engine to charge batteries while doing this.
A few minutes after being done scrubbing, while working on pother items around the boat, I thought I might have heard a change of sound in the exhaust. When I looked, I noticed that water was sputtering from the exhaust, not flowing smoothly, which I thought it used to do.
Is it possible that I partially plugged the intake? I opened up the motor area, checked the white filter with a clear cover (lower right of engine, with me facing the stern) and water flowed smoothly through it and there was nothing in the filter.
Hauling out is next to impossible (in fact, I will be back some time soon to find out more about winterizing while keeping the boat in the water) so I need to know what you suggest for this kind of situation. Thanks for your time.
I attach a video that shows the exhaust while running at idle. The engine is a Yanmar 2GM20F, with less than 100 hours. All hoses were replaced before moving it here, coolant replaced, thru-hulls checked, etc.Video of Berceuse exhaust
It’s been awhile since I had a diesel on board but. that looked like a pretty good water. There is no white smoke so it looked fine to me. Check the engine temp meter to be sure. Since your filter is clean the only place that could be obstructed is in the line between the filter and the hull shutoff valve. You should be able to clear that from inside with minimal water coming into the boat to check.
Mike
BIANKA
1986 30U
Long Island
Looks like a decent amount of water for idle.
On a separate matter, how would you grade the performance of the Scrubbis?
Thanks,
Paul M
NS30U #211, Sandpiper
Cowichan Bay, B.C.
Looks fine…
If I remember correctly Berceuse has a Yanmar in her. The exhaust mixing elbows on the Yanmars have a habit of gradually filling with carbon and will eventually plug completely leading to overheating. You don’t need to panic but at sometime you should check the exhaust elbow. It is possible that has started to slow the water flow. I would also be inclined to pull the cover off the raw water pump and check the impeller.
You thought you heard a change in the exhaust note while you were cleaning growth off of the bottom. It is possible that some weeds were partially blocking the water intake but not being sucked up into the raw water strainer. One cold late October day I was leaving a local marina and the raw water flow sensor alarm went off. I pulled back into the slip and shut off the engine. Fired it up and everything was fine. I pulled out of the slip and as soon as I started forward the alarm went off again. Back into the slip. I checked the impeller and the raw water strainer and they were both fine. I pulled the inlet hose off and opened the through hull and water came in. I put it back together and head out of the slip. As soon as I went into forward the alarm went off. Turned out I had a piece of seaweed stuck to the hull. When the boat was stationary it hung down and the intake was clear. As soon as I went forward the weed was pushed back by the water flow and covered the intake. It is possible that some weeds partially covered the intake and have now fallen way or may still be there. You might want to get a piece of wooden dowel about 12" long and slightly smaller in dia. than your water intake through hull, pull the hose and run the dowel out the intake to clear any weeds or growth that might be there. I drill a hole through the dowel and put a lanyard on it so I make sure I don’t lose it and can get it back out of the through hull.
Alternatively you could ask Brian Berdan of Blue September (260) to take a shot of the water flow out the exhaust and compare it to the flow you have.
Mark Powers
Looks good to me. I think the exhaust needs to fill with a certain amount of water before it spits out, refills and spits again. I have a universal 30 hp. It looks exactly like mine.
Bill Evans Companionship 30U #465 West River MD
I’d say the water flow looks fine but agree… take the intake hose off and use a dowel or a coat hanger to clear any debris in the entry pipe… some water will come in but nothing the bilge can’t take care of…also curious about the scrub item…best, Gary
Aloki NS 30329
Hi Richard - this is anecdotal at best… but we have a Yanmar on our 260 (albeit a 2YM20) and the water flow from our exhaust looks and sounds approximately the same as what you show in the video.
Mike Readshaw, Whimsey, NS260#8, Vancouver, BC
I don’t have a Yanmar but the design looks odd. The water is injected across the exhaust flow no doubt cooling opposite side of the pipe excessively and creating turbulence and wear . My Westerbeke injects the water at the top of the bend in line with the exhaust flow and Westerbekes go decades before needing replacement.
By now you’d think someone would redesign the part given the failure rated and cost of replacement.
So sorry I did not respond as quickly as I should, work stretched from 3:30 am to 11:15 pm yesterday. I peeked at answers, but waited until now to return. I do not intend any disrespect, work just called ( and students, and parents, and peers, alouette…)
Yes, it is a Yanmar 2gm with fresh water cooling. Thanks for checking the video, I feel better. That said, I will do what some of you suggested, find where the intake hose is, disconnect, and plunge it with a dowel. That was a clever suggestion.
As for those asking about the Scrubbis, I think it work well, maybe too well if it plugged the intake; that was my fault for running the engine while cleaning. How stupid! I could see brown gunk float up, but it is hard too tell without swimming in. October, on Lopez? I am not divin’ in the water, heck no! Really easy to use, got tangled a bit between the shaft and the prop because I went too far, but otherwise a 15 minute job on our 260. I could not really do the rudder, though.
Now, time to learn how to winterize the engine before Thanksgiving.
As always, thanks so much for the kind, caring community.
Is it possible the exhaust note changed because the battery charger went into the next charging mode and changed the alternator load on the engine?
Peter Moodie,
Nonsuch 30U Catalyst #366,
Sidney, BC/Winnipeg, MB
Richard, mon ami -
I used to own a boat with a smaller Yanmar engine and the exhaust in the video does look healthy to me. Plenty of water. Here’s a crazy thought but … as you weren’t standing right at the engine controller as the engine was idling, is there any possibility that the accelerator control moved/slipped a bit, etc. Were the revs exactly the same AFTER the change in pitch (after the engine “slowed down”) as BEFORE ??
On my old Carter 30, sometimes the engine speed lever would need to “re-adjusted” a bit. Maybe it just slipped and, sure enough, one would hear the difference if the speed dropped by even 50 - 100 rpm.
Ernie A. in Toronto
PS - Love the name Berceuse - a lullaby that rocks you asleep like the gentle motion of a wonderful Nonsuch.