Essential Boat Engine Checks | Sailing Lifestyle Channel | ™Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose - OFFICIAL

[@frodrickfronkensteen9241]

Checking engine oil: good tip to always check it when warm. Something else my dad (God rest him) taught me... get the oil warm, shut off the engine... then wait 5 minutes. The oil will still be warm but the oil in the upper part of the engine will have drained down to the pan, giving a more accurate reading. You mentioned how detrimental it can be to overfill an engine... this is one way to ensure that doesn't happen. Stay safe. Great video!!!!

[@sailingrubyrose]

Good points mate

[@kristinevier1761]

So frustrating I can't get into a basic diesel mechanic class due to COVID closing classes down. Thank you for putting this together!!

[@ryanjackson7101]

Not nerdy by any means-tech Tuesdays are great!!!!

[@seanjokela]

Never thought about threading, specific to that individual screw. Good advice. I wonder if Tyresa should do the robot during the intro for Tech Tuesdays lol.

[@slopezz66]

You guys are great...I really enjoy the comedic moments, but mostly the education you provide folks like us. see you on the seas! Cheers, Chris

[@mariemorrissey9378]

Going to watch again and study up, 👍👍⛵⚓⛵👍👍

[@chilihntr]

Thank you. We just started this life and your how-to videos are truly what is going to keep us somewhat out of trouble. Our only difference is that we have a dripless stuffing box and I'll need to read up on the checks for that. Big thumbs up.

[@humanafterall2076]

A clever person solves a problem, a wise person avoids it. Nicely done and I’m sure there are those out here who have no idea about their engines. Hopefully now they do.

[@rustyandsueclaridge6462]

Another great episode Nick. All important stuff. Thanks Rusty and Sue

[@toddabrahamsson1797]

Good job explaining the service for the raw water strainer for the engine. Very important to make sure the gaskets / O- rings for the strainer are in good condition, other wise they will suck air causing a very hard to find engine overheat. You should use a little lube on the O-rings when reassembling the strainer. On the stuffing box, the notion that the box has to drip at all is wrong. The best type of box with old fashion flax packing should have a grease cup on the housing to grease the packing. This will extend the life of the flax packing. Also the box should be water feed from he cooling water exiting the engine into the exhaust. The only time a stuffing box will get dangerously hot is when it is over tighten and has no cooling water being feed into it. Again, The notion that a stuffing box is supposed to drip is completely wrong, it will only make a mess of the box and the rear end of the engine. Most engines / transmissions except for Borgwarrner / Twin-dis , Capital Transmissions are Aluminum, not a good combo. I have spent my whole life doing this work professionally.

Or you could practice all kinds of maneuvers under sail, in which case engines are a convenience, not a necessity, in most sailing. I used to dock under sail all the time. We would even warp ourselves off of lee docks, just for fun. This was with a couple manning the boat, a 9 ton displacement junk schooner on a yacht hull. As Joshua Slocum said, when writing about the Liberdade, "The junk rig is the most convenient boat rig in the entire world."

[@BastienKoert]

Ain't nothing wrong with being nerdy. Great series, Nick

[@DriftaholiC]

The distance between the two marks on the oil dipstick is typically 1qt or liter. So if you're halfway between add 1/2 a quart. Yes between the two marks is perfectly safe but you never mysteriously gain oil and can lose it. Always worth topping off to the upper mark may just save you running low and causing damage. Cheers! keep up the good work.

[@escalator4]

I also put nuts and bolts back where they come from. I've been doing that since I first learned how to change a car tire and still do it now as an elevator mechanic. I does matter some times.

[@kennymcclymont2066]

Great video Nick. Too many sailors get lazy about the daily, weekly, monthly checks etc. I always suggest a simple spreadsheet with aid memoire for each check. Works for me. Keep the great videos coming. Q: Does Terysa do the checks or maintenance or is it always you?

[@fredrikdetdu666]

I love your "technical tuesday" where you show us all kind of tips and tricks relating to sailing and now "Sunday brunch" aswell, freaking awesome. Keep it up guys oooh and your "normal" videos rock aswell.

[@MikeH-fl9lu]

Nice job don’t think I have ever seen anybody explain maintenance so easy and no need for any questions thumbs up buy you a beer next we see you guys

[@thewedword]

Love Technical Tuesday's, pdf a great idea or pdf checklist 🤔

[@svdellajean253]

Funny to see you install fasteners in the same hole you removed them from. I do that and if there’s a nut, I put the nut on the bolt I removed it from. People may think we’re over the top. We’re not, they’re sloppy. 🤙 Another item I regularly check is the zinc anode in my heat exchanger, and will check again before a long motor.

[@jamesbennett5421]

Great synopsis! Of course, now my left ankle itches! :)

[@betty-loucreamer112]

Flashy intro!!💞💞🇨🇦

[@barrywmw1290]

Excellent episode thanks.

[@claasriese1036]

Nick, you are good at making the technical videos and they are very valuable advice and/or reminders to old Sea dogs to check, check and verify all is good before heading out into the blue. Keep it up!

[@terencesmith4137]

Very informative, thanks

[@Quakeboy02]

Another good tech video, Nick! Might I add one thing from my recent experience? A few days ago I was anchored in a grassy area, and my genset strainer got clogged, along with the hose up to the strainer. I cleaned it, but I wasn't sure about the amount of water in the exhaust outflow near the waterline. Yesterday I looked at the outflow and I could see very little water and some steam - definitely not good! The strainer was clean and the hose from the seacock to the strainer was clean, as well. The impeller was in perfect shape. What had happened was the entrance to the through-hull was clogged with grass. I was able to use the onboard fresh water hose to back flush the through hull to clear it. Granted, this is a very rare problem, but it should be on your mind if you have an odd problem with engine temperature and the usual suspects are all OK.

[@Milbssailing]

Great vid Ms Rose!

[@hcying9728]

Great education

[@daveoverton2095]

Thank You Again. Another excellent episode for beginning cruisers. Still think you should think about compiling these episodes into a book. And take the videos of the episodes, compile them into a DVD and include with the book.

[@CanAm_Sailing]

Great video as usual Nick

[@ronbye2400]

Excellent overview of the basic checks. Especially for novices who are just learning to sail. The Southerly 38 is one of my favourite boats, even though I have never seen one in person. What surprise me about your engine access was how cramped it is. I have an Aloha 32 with a vee drive Westerbeke engine. My engine access is terrible and you have to be a contortionist to be able to reach major engine components such as starter motor, alternator, fuel pump etc. How do you access those items on your boat?

[@oldtimergoalie1]

Great video!! You were spot on with all your tips. Sometimes we all get lazy with checking things. You definitely woke me up to get into a routine before we head out.

[@sk4256]

Thank you again Nick. This was another really good one! Sk in the UK.

[@sailingrubyrose]

No worries mate. Glad you’re enjoying them

[@paulberrington4659]

Following the videos...informative cheers, please drop the experiment with the music which is not conducive to listening!

[@plstrom]

practically pros ! :D movie makers going for the baftas ?

[@SVImpavidus]

If it's best practice it's not nerdy ! Good video guys. Ant and Cid x

[@sailingrubyrose]

Thank you for watching my sailing lifestyle channel and writing your feedback on new sailing vlogs on youtube. For more ocean sailing videos stay connected and subscribe to my ™Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose - OFFICIAL sailing videos channel. Have a good time!

[@JimKJeffries]

Great tech Tuesday, thanks for sharing

[@rwplace]

Good stuff, also worth a mention to check on the air filter as part of the regular routine. Also, I've never seen a zinc on the dry side of a shaft like that before, is it simply there as a spare or does it actually still work as they do submerged?

[@gregjones7472]

Great Video Nick .. Something most Sailing Vlogs don't show. Doing these things is the difference between a Great time out on the water. Verus an afternoon of cussing and kicking yourself in the pants for not checking them at all. While waiting for Seatow to bring you back to the Marina.

[@gtrevarthen]

Great vid. Thanks

[@antonolan]

Great job, I like the educational spin that you guys have started put on your videos.

[@williamswezey6715]

love this stuff...please keep it coming

[@sailingrubyrose]

Thank you for watching my sailing lifestyle channel and writing your feedback on new sailing vlogs on youtube. For more ocean sailing videos stay connected and subscribe to my ™Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose - OFFICIAL sailing videos channel. Have a good time!

[@csranch2000]

Hey Nick, We also check the racor fuel filter and engine filter for water and drain if necessary.

[@simonf9723]

Another great video. Simple stuff that I'll bet first time owners don't always know about. Key discipline I think is a great idea as is the nut and bolt nerdiness. A good video you did a while back to link in here for newbie subscribers would be the spares and tools one..

[@simoncousin3241]

Again I agree better to be safe as bad things always when least expecting it preparation is best

[@herveriou3467]

Thank you for the great tips. One question: I saw you had a zinc on your shaft near the packing box. Is this useful. Does it ever corrode? If you stop in NYC again let me know🙏 bon vent🙏

[@99Randizzle]

Another aspect of doing regular checks is what I call familiarity. When you inspect your engine or anything else regularly, then you tend to immediately notice when something isn't right. It could even be the smell of the engine bay. If one day it doesn't smell normal, find out why. And of course visually you tend notice when something is out of place. Aircraft mechanics use this principle. Cheers.

[@davidleatherbarrow2640]

Thanks for posting. Will be great to see you renew the stuffing when it comes time, a lot of people are afraid of this job. David. Down Under.

[@bill4nier]

Love your teaching style. Something I heard that might help others is to use the word "W.O.B.B.L.E.S." Water, Oil, Belts, Battery, Look ( check hoses), Exhaust, & Stuffing box (I added this last one something the others didn't do - thanks Nick!). 😍⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵⛵😊👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@AndyUK-Corrival]

I have been doing that for years....taking bolts and screws out of things and putting them down carefully so they all go back where they came from.... Another good video of top tips,for anyone with a Yanmar. Andy UK

[@edrussell7960]

Great as always. I put the bolts into the holes on the cap and set it aside in a bowel. And the idea with the keys is awesome. I always worry that's what I would forget to do and blow the motor. I will definitely put that into practice.

[@NorbCat]

Ed - Ouch! Thats just gotta hurt something fierce, mate! Don’t you think a bowl would be better than a bowel? Typos can really be hilarious at times ...

[@edrussell7960]

Crazy auto correct. Grrr

[@johnbama4740]

so nick, just a suggestion. I always have a clean raw water strainer basket on hand to simply swap out for the dirty one. since problems usually happen at inopportune times it's might save the day to have one ready to go. clean it later.

[@snakeplisken4278]

Excellent and to the point. Thanks Nick. We also replace the drip absorbtion cloth in the pan under the engine before each trip which helps to id any fluid leaking issues.

[@michaelch5060]

Love your videos guys, one thing, maybe try to level your audio before you share it out, interlude audio was very booming and the dialog was a little low. Try to set all your audio to about -6, or there abouts. That way your viewers aren't having to adjust their levels up and down while watching :) Thanks again for sharing!

[@robertfrost6246]

Wild audio levels are pretty common on KZbin. I wish there was an option for viewers to switch on a limiter function. Like your videos, technical and otherwise, but agree the audio can drive me nuts when streaming to a TV

[@walkaboutclive]

another good video. i am surprised at how many people do not do basic maintenance, its for these people that sea tow are greatfull. just spending a few moments checking the simple stuff will give a little piece of mind on the water. look forward to the next vid. i wonder what you will be cooking up on sunday brunch

[@glenpeters955]

Simple, straight forward and clearly explained as usual. I would be interested in your checklists, how many do you have for your yacht.

[@realwheelman]

Great Video I just love the graphics you guys are using. On the bolt re-installation Nick you are nerdy on same bolt in same hole fer me not so much I am however nerdy on bolt loosening / tightening sequence. Never 12,3,6,9 always 12,6,3,9 for a 4 bolt flange. also fist tighten to just snug then a second trip around to tight. As even a pressure as possible is the goal in my overly nerdy bolt tightening obsessions. Anyway thanks for another great video.

[@iainlyall6475]

ya, like what he said. :-)

[@Howardall09]

Peter Dandridge : Retired pipe fitter , plumber agrees with bolt tightening

[@brucemacsr.6776]

My dad was a truck mechanic for forty years. He's didn't talk much but once in 1955 he did say that its 12, 6, 9, 3.

[@mhensen1]

In the speeded up video, you could see Nick tighten them in the proper order, he just hand seated the bolts in clockwise, then he alternated with the “spanner”

[@alexanderblitz6819]

I was surprised to find out that some people thought that using a torque wrench meant to get it as tight as you can. So, a torque wrenches measure a certain pressure (pounds) on a certain lever arm (inch or foot) (or newton meters) . So a wild guess from what is described in the video, only about 10 to 12 foot pounds. Which would be the equivalent of resting a 10 or 12 pound weight on a 1 foot wrench 90 degrees to a horizontal bolt. Proper torque prevents damage to the machinery but also, if a bolt can hold 100 lbs. before breaking and is over tightened by 75% (which may not do any damage) it will only require another 25 lbs. of force before breaking.

[@SailingPauHana]

I always look forward to these Tech Tuesday vids. Very informative

[@darrylbeattie737]

Well done Nick!!

[@andersjakobsen9906]

I guess I learned somthing ;-) Nerd or not, I think the items lives longer if you put the bolts back where it belonged ;-) Thanks and cheers :-)

[@jimfromri]

A great reminder and tutorial for all sailors. Kudos for making and sharing the video.

[@chrismalberg4883]

Great

[@neptunesfancy]

Vessel assist high number of calls involve failure of raw water impellers.i keep 4 replacements on board for engine and generator..pays to check them every 2 years, and more frequently with higher hours. Often overlooked as maintenance item. I have a yanmar.

[@Xanderith-og4ir]

Greatly enjoyed the video, just wanted to give some feedback. The music on the splash screen between segments is very loud compared to the rest of the video with headphones on, not a big deal just wanted to bring it to your attention.

[@sideswipper]

thanks Nick.

[@HighMesaTrader]

Good basic knowledge pertaining to every vessel, routine, preventative maintainance. There is one NECESSARY Precaution we found throughout our sailing years whether at the quay, mooring bouy or when necessary, at sea, whoever is doing the checking has the KEY where applicable. When I ran checks I had possibly of the main key, the backup was in a locked cabinet. This rule stands well especially when checking ANYWHERE under the vessel when in the water when inspecting the prop (s) or any other gear whether SCUBA, Hookah or snorkeling. I've seen some serious accidents waiting to happen when a diver went over the side leaving the key in the slot, props eat folks when inspecting fouled props with line. Just my two cents. SV Eleutheros

[@t.bunker2511]

I never liked boats having keys to operate the engine or battery-switches; especially an ignition-start key in the cockpit. Just too-many points of failure or loss. Just a primary key for the campanionway-hatch to open the boat, and separate convenience keyed-alikes for the lockers and deck gear. Particularly for a regularly-used or liveaboard.

[@HighMesaTrader]

T. Bunker yes, I too dislike "keys" yet all of our craft including our larger dive vessels have had them installed in-line in the on/off sequence. Saying that, we had dead-man switches akin to a high-end battery switch installed and bilocated within the start/kill loop for maximum safety when checking props as well as secondary off board theft prevention. Throwing a pair of 32" props on a dive boat or our smaller Ketch prop can be rather dodgy when under the hull, just saying.

[@dalewilliams4312]

Keepem coming Nick love tech Tuesday

[@michaeldenicola6725]

Great video, thank you Nick it is helpful. Safe Sailing. I love this type of video it is wonderful.

[@sailingrubyrose]

Thank you for watching my sailing lifestyle channel and writing your feedback on new sailing vlogs on youtube. For more ocean sailing videos stay connected and subscribe to my ™Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose - OFFICIAL sailing videos channel. Have a good time!

[@johndagher9321]

Great episode!, Cheers

[@baseballDUDE32]

O-YAAAA. Love technical Tuesday’s 😎👍👍👍

[@CatTiki]

Very informative Nick! For us it is very important to know about technical things that might come up in the future. Thanks for taking your time to make these videos!

[@khendron]

Great video, especially for beginners! What is a Stern Gland/Stuffing Box, and why does it need to drip at 1 drop per second? Why does it need to drip at all?

[@snartzzb983]

Perfect...by Don Casey of course.

[@millzee60]

So if Terysa is tightening the alternator bolts, who is the "big spanner" applying the tension? :)

[@ianwhite1287]

bolt order is a great idea, if slightly nerdy ;-)

[@chiefcliff]

Thanks Nick

[@benjibumble]

Another great vid!

[@oldsoldier]

Another Informative video great work! I know its tough to get the level right, but I wonder if there are some who should not be on a boat if they cant do basic tasks!

[@beachcomberz]

Another good one. ON a completely unrelated topic - Just saw that your Buds Bo and Allison are thinking of selling their boat. Must seem strange to have partners in crime suddenly landlocked? Of course you could have them on RR. Cheers

[@barrymccrae7242]

I see that you have the same Yanmar engine panel as us, is your engine hour meter still working, if not, have you come across any solutions/fixes for it. TIA

[@1962gms]

Very informative, have you gone for a Speedseal on your impeller cover?

[@aerialvisionmarketing7538]

Love your videos keep it up

[@sailingrubyrose]

Thank you for watching my sailing lifestyle channel and writing your feedback on new sailing vlogs on youtube. For more ocean sailing videos stay connected and subscribe to my ™Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose - OFFICIAL sailing videos channel. Have a good time!

[@drwindsurf]

Another awesome technical video! Thank you Nick :)

[@brianswanland5466]

Stern drive stuffing box? Is that a shaft drive? I would love to hear your opinion of shaft drive vs. saildrive.

Saildrives are a maintenance nightmare. You have to haul the boat to change the oil in the drive! Also, electrolysis is a huge issue, due to the dissimilar metals in them. A shaft drive with an old fashioned packing gland, using nylon / Teflon packing is bulletproof. The new non-packing glands can go very, very wrong, so avoid them.You have to locate the engine farther forward with a shaft drive, unless you have a v-drive, but it is good to have the engine closer to the middle of the boat. It is hard to get at the packing gland on a v-drive, so that is also best avoided.

[@JohnSmith-xn3fr]

When working on the engine or in the engine compartment, I always take the ignition key(s) with me. Thus it's impossible that someone else on the boat turns the engine on, not knowing I'm messing with it. I also put a piece of sticky tape / electrical tape / Post It on the raw water filter, reminding me to turn the sea cock back on.

[@ericmills1707]

I am just a tad confused at the installation of a sacrificial anode on the inboard side if you prop shaft. Surely for an anode to be effective it needs to be immersed in the fluid surrounding the components to be protected. Galvanic corrosion being a serious killer of less noble metals.

[@Airportnomad]

You guys should put together a general pdf guide (I’d buy one!)

[@t.bunker2511]

Do you find the lack of easy access to the engine for routine maintenance a regret? For anything major they must have to dis-mount half the cabin for access. I'm still leaning towards a double- headsail center-cockpit ketch for the split rig and the separate engine-room; but that literally comes at the expense of being a bigger-hull, more money and higher marina fees. What builder and model is the Ruby Rose? I looked on your site and got confused between Southerly and Oyster, and there's no mention I could find on the model and fixed versus swing-keel. Swing-keels used to be common here in the States, now they're practically-extinct in recent-build cruisers.

[@Richdudevids]

good to know stuff thanks Nick..

[@Moachamp]

What did you have for lunch, quiche ?

[@toddabrahamsson1797]

Do you guys know how to check the seals on both the fresh water and salt water side of the engine cooling system pumps ? When is the last time you serviced the raw water cooling pump on the engine ? When you do the service you should show how it is done. This is an often over looked maintance item on engines which can be catastrophic to the engines health. The raw water strainer what type is installed on the boat ? How often do you service it ? The seacocks ? How often do you service them, how do you service them ?

[@KRyan1070]

The 2 marks are 1qt so if it's hafeway between the 2 marks you can add 1/2 of a qt

[@qakk2000]

excellent :)

[@2212db]

We have an engineering apprentice at work, I've been trying to instil the best working practice of replacing nuts and bolts to their original location; it's not nerdy at all. I'd have more success trying to herd a kindle of kittens :(

[@kenslattery6458]

No transmission oil check?

[@lyfandeth]

Think about the physics. Oil and other dipsticks used to have HOT and COLD level mstks on them. If yours doesn't, just let it get cold after a fill and scribe a COLD line on it. Physics, not marketing FUD.

[@56Spookdog]

Frigg sakes how can squat that long and still be able to walk? #impressed

[@smeagol1504]

When will you start the new series " So here's the thing thursdays" ? I'm thinking 20 minutes of Nick rants whilst playing ukelele.

[@johnrochester6713]

Engine oil level should normally be checked when cold!

[@lyfandeth]

If you really had OCD you'd have used calipers to check the two plates being parallel. Taking shortcuts, eh? :-)

[@stimpsonjcat67]

Yep, a friend's dad lost two fingers doinking with a running engine out in the gulf. Had to be evac'd and left my bud on the boat...I think he was 10 at the time. Belt squeal can often indicate a failing bearing. 'Nerdy' would be using a torque wrench, and discussing patterning the bolts...you're just being 'anal-retentive' :D