Saturday, June 30, 2012

Engines Down

One of the key items on my leave-the-boat check list has always been "engines up?" A few times I've forgotten, and within 2 weeks in the warm season enough growth appeared on the props to cause...
  • Considerable vibration
  • Considerable loss in speed--at least a knot and perhaps more
  • A swim and some vigorous scrubbing to remove barnacles
Sure, I could apply an alluminum-safe antifouling to the prop, but even so, if I were to leave the engines down for weeks or months as some do, I would face...
  • Clogged water passages due to critters, and subsequent risk of over heating
  • Electrolysis and other corrosion
  • Increased risk of gearbox water contamination
So why do they leave them in the water? It seems like 20% do, and I've never understood that. Lifting is so easy.


No comments:

Post a Comment