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Surprise!

The engine is reputed to be a good one - a Yanmar 3GM30 - and it supposedly has only 600-700 hours on it. But despite the boat being built in Rhode Island, the engine is a European version of the 3GM30. It had a "self-bleeding" fuel system, which was an idea that didn't work well. It caused the engine to simply not run now and then, due to air in the fuel system. This not-running happened to us shortly after leaving Santa Cruz to deliver the boat, and it has happened a couple times since.

I have a good engine mechanic who rebuilds diesels for a living. He removed the faulty self-bleeding system and did exten$ive other work. The engine started and ran flawlessly for getting to/from the 3BF and last Sunday's Midwinter. But yesterday it wouldn't start. It wanted to at first, running roughly for a few seconds. But after a few more attempts it wouldn't even catch. (I had turned off the raw water intake to avoid filling the engine with water.) The batteries are strong - it turns over fine.

Suggestions from the crowd? Again my mechanic is quite good, so I'm looking for experience specific to this model of engine.

This is a big boat, I have a downwind slip and I kinda need the engine to work, hence my frustration.
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I'm almost positive you have air in your fuel system. I would start from the fuel tank and trace all lines to the injectors. I bet you're sucking in air from somewhere. That has been my experience with this engine. Something probably settled and shifted with use since your mechanic worked on it. Check all your connections and hose clamps.
 
Do you have the European version - S/N starts with an "E"?

No doubt it's air in the fuel system. The question is why, when it was just serviced and was running fine. I could have bled it myself but I didn't want to screw up his ability to diagnose it.

He has a couple ideas - I'll post back when we have an answer.
 
The mechanic says the fuel line is 1/4" and Yanmar specified 5/16" for this engine. Also, because of the location of the tank, the line is relatively long. He disconnected it at both ends and couldn't blow air through it. He replaced it with a larger line and routed it more directly. He also replaced the lift pump, which was being asked to work a lot harder than intended. The engine is running again so hopefully you'll see me at the start on Saturday.

Philpott offered to tow Surprise! out into the reach on Saturday morning if necessary - thank you Philpott!
 
Yesterday was Sunday and, since Bob didn't want to go back to work yet, I was invited to sail on Surprise! He let me steer and so we sailed around Angel Island and then raised that pretty blue spinnaker ("too small, need a bigger one") on the way back over to Richmond. Does she sail like a dream? Well, yes of course she does. So beautifully balanced that I could control the tiller with my knees. In fact, it was very similar to the way Dura Mater sails. hahaha. Only more faster. More!

Bob reminded me that there might be an Alerion 38 in my future, since one is for sale locally. hahaha/again.
 
BobJ said:
Surprise! has a stove with an oven but there are two issues: (1) A 20 year-old propane system with some dubious-looking hose that I want to replace before I blow up the boat, and (2) a skipper who doesn't know how to cook. There are skippers like Tortuga Randy, who can produce an endless stream of baked goodies from his boat's oven, and Sail la Vie Phil, who baked muffins during the SHTP - while I was eating 5-Minute Heater Meals (and losing 20 lbs.) Ragtime! didn't have a galley but Surprise! does, and I need to figure out what to do with it. Suggestions welcome, but you need to understand that the specialties of the house are hamburgers, hot dogs and frozen fish patties.
Click to expand...

My prior boat had a two-burner alcohol stove top, so I had similar concerns when talking ownership of Morning Star, with her nearly 30 year old propane oven & stove and hoses of unknown age. Nothing in any of the extensive records that came with the boat suggested the hoses had ever been replaced.

One of the non-required items in my prep for the SHTP was installation of a propane fume detector. Bought the unit on line, thinking I'd install it myself, then concluded hiring a professional would give me a better aesthetic result and better peace of mind. And, since replacement of the propane hoses would not likely spike a material increase in the pre-race hemorrhage of cash, the work order included the direction to inspect and replace all hoses as needed. The proverbial asking the barber if you need a haircut.

The company, Morton Marine Services in San Diego, had done other work for me, and had helped me think through other potential projects, so I had a decent base of experience to support my favorable view of their abilities and judgment. Still, it was a pleasant surprise when they reported that none of the hoses needed replacement. And they came up with a very elegant solution to the installation of the display/control unit in the very challenging space between the battery monitor display and propane solenoid breaker. Because there are no other propane devices below, they put the sensor right under the oven where it will be the most sensitive, rather than in the bilge as frequently recommended.

I would say it was some of the best money spent in preparing for the race and sail back, but my sailor's amnesia leaves me blissfully ignorant of the numbers. The peace of mind over the propane question in mid-ocean was, as they say, "priceless."
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Per your excellent suggestion I looked at some propane monitors. According to the surveyor I'm supposed to have a CO monitor too, so I'll probably opt for a unit that monitors both. RV places have a good selection but I didn't see any with a separate sensor. What brand is yours?

Any boat cookbooks with simple stuff? Like those they write for college students?
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Per your excellent suggestion I looked at some propane monitors. According to the surveyor I'm supposed to have a CO monitor too, so I'll probably opt for a unit that monitors both. RV places have a good selection but I didn't see any with a separate sensor. What brand is yours?

Any boat cookbooks with simple stuff? Like those they write for college students?


I would worry that the RV stuff wouldn't hold up long in salt air.

As for cooking, we like to make meals at home prior to a cruise and then freeze them, so that all that is needed on the boat is to re-heat and serve.
On a boat I crewed on going up and down the coast many decades ago, we had cereal and milk with bananas for breakfast, a canned ham, a chunk of Jarlsberg and sourdough bread for sandwiches for lunch, and a number of different dinners; one of my favorites being a one pan meal with hamburger, onion, a can of chili, a can of stewed tomatoes and some pasta shells. We would brown the meat, then cook the diced onion down, throw in the two cans, and then add the pasta. The trick was to not drain the liquid out of the cans so the pasta could soak it up. Barbecued steak and baked potatoes, with maybe a green salad was another. There is a fairly popular group on Face Book called "cooking on boats", and I'm sure there are several boat cookbooks at Blue Pelican that can be had for a song.
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BobJ said:
Per your excellent suggestion I looked at some propane monitors. According to the surveyor I'm supposed to have a CO monitor too, so I'll probably opt for a unit that monitors both. RV places have a good selection but I didn't see any with a separate sensor. What brand is yours?

Any boat cookbooks with simple stuff? Like those they write for college students?
Click to expand...

The brand is Xintext Propane Fume Detection System, model P-1B-R. Made for boats, with a 20' cable to connect the sensor to the display unit. Propane is heavier than air so the sensor needs to be mounted low. I have a separate Fire/smoke/CO detector (made for home, RV, or boat) located above the level of the galley counters/stove top, near the engine compartment.

As for cookbooks, I have "The One Pan Galley Gourmet" by Jacobson & Roberts, which looks good and has a spiral binding for laying open on the counter.
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I did some editing to get the "how to blow up Surprise! while cooking" posts out of Philpott's "Sailing Tomorrow" thread. I didn't change anyone's content.
 
Yes, Chubby is racing to Cabo right now - that was at the start.

That looks like a standard code zero up front. Surprise! would probably need mizzen shrouds to support a stays'l that large and straight-luffed. Looks good though!

I see she's adopted Dorade's "here in name only" half-mizzen. Dorade is a North boat and I think Elvis (at Quantum) handles Chubby's sails. Might have to chat...
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While out calibrating instruments yesterday, Surprise! was overtaken by the lovely Mull 30+ The Shadow.

Aboard were Vallejo YC friends, owners Gail and Bruce Sinclair. The Sinclairs have joined Richmond Yacht Club and The Shadow is berthed one dock over, near her equally lovely sistership Pretty Penny.

Also aboard The Shadow were good friends LaDonna and Rob - it's always great to cross paths with those two!

Shadow 1.JPG
Shadow 2.JPG
Shadow 3.JPG
 
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