Ep. 79 - Mast Down, Breakdown!

[@airgead5391]

That fuel problem turned out well on the "hope for humanity, there are still good people out there" scale! Love it! What a great guy!

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Absolutely, I couldn't have gotten any luckier.

[@davidkettell6236]

Great video Maddie , you will always find good people if you are one yourself. Words of wisdom from an old guy .

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Thanks, David. I tried to explain to my daughter that "karma" isn't some mystical force or anything, it's a simple side effect of how you choose to live. If you're a good person, you'll find good people. If you are shallow and selfish, you'll find shallow and selfish people. So in a way, being kind and helpful is almost selfish, if that makes any sense. Sure, being kind means sometimes you'll get taken advantage of, but over the course of a life? Worth it. I'd rather get taken now and then if that means I keep meeting kind people. :)

[@m-th]

"Yeah, we gonna get this" - what a legend helping you like that. I hope you had some Jack and Ginger afterwards!

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

A positive attitude is huge.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

And yes, we had a drink to celebrate. Poor guy needed to sleep though, so it was a short one.

[@OffGridAussiePrepper]

break out the pina coladas i wud say....

[@loucinci3922]

Three Cheers to Collins and Jack&Ginger!! Thanks for sharing

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Thanks, Lou! Glad you enjoyed. ^_^

[@briangately8104]

I really, really respect your commitment to continue filming when dealing with any of your crises. You do a great job in intense situations! Thanks for sharing! You have earned the right to dislike diesel.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Haha, thanks, I do very much dislike combustion engines... Ooph. Thanks for the kind words, and I try my best to film it all, good and bad. Help people understand that for all the good, there's a price to pay also. A worthy price, but ya. :)

[@denisebrooks4513]

It's been wonderful following along while you've been discovering your boat. We also had a fuel issue very early on in our journey. We also had to bleed out the engine. Unfortunately there was no anchoring opportunity, so we were drifting merrily onto rocks. It all worked out. But quite a learning experience.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Drifting onto rocks?! That's a nightmare... Did you have a sea anchor? I don't, but I will absolutely be getting one... Heave-to and drop drogue, buy time to debug.

[@ripplesandleaves]

Damn. You have been through so much! This was nostalgic for me. My family on both sides were farmers. It reminded me of many times my dad, uncle, grandfather would be taming a misbehaving tractor by flashlight. I hope you have a much easier go for a bit to let you recharge! And what an incredible human who helped you! Warms my heart. ❤

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

It's easy to let the assholes waste our time... Good people are who we need to think about instead. Really happy the video brought back some fond memories! ^_^

[@planecrazy9208]

More of magnificent Madi's magic!! Great guy who helped you out! There are good people on this earth after all. you did good Madi - hats off to you - Tom

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Thanks, Tom! Ya, there's are lots and lots of good people, the sailing world is full of 'em.

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

HOWdy T-D-M, ... Duct-Tape UP & Over the MAST - HOLE ... to keep the ANGRY BEAVER out !!! LOL ... So glad you are making such apparent PROGRESS !!! ... Thanks for taking us along on your journey ... COOP ... the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA ...

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

I ended up using a garbage bag as a waterproof layer, then a generous amount of duct tape to hold it all in place. :)

[@wm8728]

First ever comment: this episode reminds me of my honeymoon trip in the old 73 Hornet back in summer 1980. Hot. It broke down on a Saturday evening, far from a big city, so no parts availability. I quickly determined the mechanical fuel pump was an issue. I proceeded to tear it out in a restaurant parking lot, and took it apart. The two valve bodies were plastic, and they had come loose from their mounts. I simply pressed them back into their housing, buttoned it all back up, and so the trip was saved! I never had another fuel problem with that car.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Thanks WM! Sounds like a great "hell ya!" moment, happy I brought back what seems like a good memory. :)

[@loucinci3922]

Nice going, M! You solved the issue 51:36. That was a bugger for sure.

[@jamesthepuerilis]

Madi you poor thing, after a crappy day like that and the chap coming to your rescue, what a star he was.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

There's a saying I try to live by; "Never complain about a situation you got yourself into". Now poor Colin on the other hand... Haha! Yes, tree dude was a saint!

[@vingreensill]

There are indeed good people out there.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

There really are...

[@jamesallen712]

Had a badly rusted steel diesel fuel tank on the inside. With the pump working the rust would block the tank exit feed pipe so had to fit an outboard tank with new lines to the racor filter and ran that way. Might be worth picking up a 25 litre outboard tank and fitting that to the system and keeping it topped up. Keep going Maddy. It will all be worth it in the end.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Some videos back, I did a total service of the tank, and sucked a lot of crap out of it. I'm pretty sure some dead bug sloughed off (I did a biocide and then purple-power degrease treatment, plus fuel polish). I did that hoping to avoid exactly what happened, but I knew even having done all that work, it wasn't 100% safe. I didn't mention it in this video, but for the rest of the trip home, I tried to stay under 2200rpm. I was wondering if trying to make time to catch the federal lockl / flight of five locks, I was pushing hard, running at 2500~2600 rpm. I started wondering if the higher fuel burn was causing more suction at the end of the pickup tube, and hoped that powering slower would reduce the chance of sucking up crap.

[@johno186]

Wow! What a couple of days. All I know about engines is fuel goes in, in a controled way it goes boom, pistons move up and down, boat goes put-put-put and moves. I had no clue what you were doing, but you explained it well every step of the way. May the rest of the journey have been problem free...{re-reads description} guess not.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

For what it's worth, I had no clue until I was learning to do it... I'm glad I'm explaining it half decently then, maybe being new to it helps me explain it for other folks who haven't done it before, to? And ya... Unfortunately, there's another major issue coming up... It was an eventful trip.

[@simonlewinson4170]

The ”bleed screws” on the top of the injectors is actually the leak down return line from the injectors. The three lines on the side of the injectors is where the high pressure diesel from the injection pump feeds each injector. That is the nut you need to crack and then crank to bleed the air out of the high pressure side of the system. Close these nuts and voila, it should start. Then you can crack each nut while idling to remove any last vestiges of air from the system.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

I think that's the one he cracked where he said a lot of air came out... We didn't do it sooner because I didn't have the right size wrench (hence the "buy the right tools!" comment at the end of the video :) ).

[@onthelake9554]

Yep , came here to say you were bleeding the returns which does nothing . The three individual lines from the pump are the ones to bleed . Glad you got it going .

[@simonlewinson4170]

Also, i would consider buying a small electric fuel pump. They are real cheap.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

@@simonlewinson4170 If I was keeping the engine, I'd 100% buy a little transfer pump!

[@jimsvideos7201]

For aluminium repairs: There's a line of products called Alodine, it comes in essentially a bingo dauber, and you use it on bare aluminium to create a better oxide layer than you'd get otherwise. If it isn't worth buying one of your own, try your local aviation maintenance shop; their metalworkers will very likely have them. For that keel bolt: A breaker bar to get it off is easy enough but if you can only find 250 lb-ft torque wrenches, you can put an extension (see Snap-On's SRDHM30 for an example) in line wiith your torque wrench and multiply the torque on the fastener by the increase in length. Like if your torque wrench is three feet long and you put a foot of extension on it, multiply your 250 by (4/3) to find the torque applied to that nut.

[@madisonbusman7688]

You did great 👍

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Thanks, Madi!

[@sebydocky5080]

Epic episode ..... OMG......

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Heh, it ... was a day.

[@sailingarista]

I liked aquaMaps, which is a competitor to Navionics. But either one a mini pad from droid was extremely easy to transfer wherever I needed it. I would map the course on Aqua Map‘s, transfer that to the Garman that was down below and wirelessly connect to the mini and move that from the home to under the dodger when needed. I did the trip from Lake Ontario to North Carolina, and returned solo.

[@Flamytygwa]

"I might have an excuse to buy another tool." I feel this one.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

haha! I wonder where the heck I'll find a home for such a big torque wrench!

[@rexmyers991]

As to the MFD discussion - I agree with your decision. A dedicated MFD is great. You’ll appreciate the larger screen. It And, it has its own antenna for better reception

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Since I recorded that, I've started playing with the idea of building a standard PC (like an Intel NUC or Dell Optiplex Micro) and running openCPN. One worry I have about going with an MFD proper is repairing it / fixing it if I'm somewhere outside service area. If I roll my own, it'd be much more repairable. Could still get a bigger screen, and might be easier to tie into the rest of the systems I'm hoping to build/monitor.

[@pegasusspringsmuses]

Red Duct Tape might help serve as a warning when docked at the slip.

[@avitiello100]

Awesome video, thank you. Have learned a lot about diesels. A thought, it's likely the bad squeeze bulb fragmented on the inside, resulting in fuel system contamination. Good luck.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Oooooooooooooooh. Holy shit, you might be right. That would explain how there was crap AFTER the raycore! Damn, I wish I still have the bulb so I could cut it open and look. Huh, not that's an interesting thought!

[@avitiello100]

@TheDigitalMermaid One other thing (if you haven't already) check to see if the squeeze bulb you bought diesel rated. Most of the fuel related things sold at WestMarine are just for gasoline. Just a thought, sorry.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

@@avitiello100 A very good concern, and I did verify it was diesel rated.

[@mikeunum]

Fuck Yeah, was the best call, haha. I can understand the emotion in that moment, really.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Dude... When I heard that engine start to turn over, I was almost shaking... I literally had to tell myself to calm down in order to finish bleeding the injectors. Hearing it settle into a smooth hum was AMAZING!

[@dc1544]

Those old style fuel lines break down and micro particles from the hose cause all kinds off issues as you seen. I switched to the grey/silver lines that do not break down from gas/diesel. The line is 1.5 times as much but you never have to worry about fuel lines again. I am saying this for others who will always have a diesel engine/generator on their boats. Quick silver is who I used to order from. Also they have UV shielding so for outboards its a win win.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

I had replaced every hose and filter in the fuel system, _except_ for the bulb. One hell of an oversight...

[@phygital1]

Klacko Marine Spars out of Ontario will likely be able to help you with the spreader.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

I got the upper spreader fixed already (coming video), but Klacko is exactly who I plan to get my stranding rigging done by. They seem very well regarded!

[@charles.neuman18]

43:17 Can you pour diesel into the filter from the top to fill it up with diesel and push the air out? Oh wait, it looks like you may have other issues. I'll keep watching...

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Ya, when you heard me ask the guy if the diesel in the squeeze container might help, that was the kind of thing I was thinking about. However, for the filter itself, there wouldn't have been a way to squeeze it in, the screw opened up narrow slits. Good thinking though.

[@SalingSamantas]

I've got 2 spare primer bulbs on my boat. In the old days every auto parts store had them, not so much anymore.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

I was surprised at how hard they were to find! I assumed they'd be easily available anywhere. I even had a few places say "why do you even have a primer bulb?". I guess most modern engines use electric pumps? Well anyway, if I was keeping the engine, I'd 100% get spares. Thankfully, my new motors have no use for em. :)

[@billbruce5528]

When bleeding the 3QM30, i never have to bleed the injectors. I turn on an electric primer pump and crack the bleeder on the high pressure fuel pump (i believe this is what you referred to as a manifold) a couple of times and the engine always starts. If you get the air out of the high pressure pump that's enough to start the engine every time, in my experience and i have done this tons of times.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

A couple of folks now have said that what I called the manifold is the high pressure pump, so you might well be right. If I was keeping the diesel, I'd absolutely get a powered pump.

[@bgbthabun627]

thanks for that, that was a real adventure!!

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Thanks for watching, BG!

[@josephlavoie2253]

Swab the deck, duck tape the mast. LOL

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Haha, it's great for soooo many things!

[@johnxrv]

fresh air, sunshine, night full off stars on the sky, sipping vino, and just the right wind ind the sails, aaahhhhh the good life on a boat. so Madi, tell me, is the boatlife what you expedted ? ;-) like I said in a comment some videos back, "good fight" , but on the bright side , one the when you have rebiuld the boat and under way you will have some chance of helping others i need , when there motor shits the bed. looking forward too next video.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

"is the boatlife what you expected" - No and yes... When I broke down on the Erie Canal and crashed, and I had no idea how I would get out of that one because there's no tow service where I was, I hit the lowest point on the trip home. Later that evening, with the help of friends I started coming up with a way out. Despite feeling low and exhausted, I thought "Well, this is the test. If you can't handle breaking down close to land, while you're safe, how the hell do you expect to do crossings?". I sat on that and wondered if this is really what I wanted to do, and after a lot of though, the answer was yes. I loved being on the water. I loved travelling. I loved meeting people. These problems are just problems to solve. So in a weird way; I'm glad I had all these problems. I needed a reality check. :)

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

And also; especially having had people help me, I am very much hoping to be in a position to help others, and "pay it forward". It's the very best part of sailing, is the community willingness to help each other. So even though I never want to own a diesel again, I'll happily get my hands dirty if I think I can help someone later.

[@chevrofreak]

I wonder if you could have taken the bleed bolt off and attached a hose barb, then used your fluid extractor to pull fuel through the entire line? Though, that may not have done anything to clear the clog in the tank.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Another commenter made the same suggestion, and I think I probably could have. Obviously there would be some spots where I'd have to manipulate to let the air through, but I think it would have helped A LOT. I didn't even think of it at the time though

[@andrewmuir7938]

I am shocked... But East Bumblescrew doesn't exist anywhere... Closest I could find was Bumblechutes kitchen supply in New Hampshire...

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

hahahaha

[@planecrazy9208]

... and furthermore there are no trees in East (or West) Bumblescrew to climb ...

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

@@planecrazy9208 You're thinking of New Bumblescrew, to the north. This one had plenty of redwoods (yes on the east coast, stop asking so many questions!)

[@charles.neuman18]

Wow, that was exciting. (Seriously. I like a good puzzle.) So, question: After everything you went through, and I know there's even more, if you were to go back would you do it all over again the same way? I wonder if you're thinking it was all just part of the adventure, and you learned a lot. Or do you have a list of pieces of advice to others who were about to do what you did?

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

So I'm not certain how you mean "do it all over again the same way?". If you mean, "would you have still made the trip home?", 100%, no question at all. I realized that the break-downs and crew issues turned out to be a really good test of my desire to do all of this. It's easy to dream about the remote places and great sunsets, it's quite the other to genuinely understand what living and traveling on a boat means. When I was dealing with the next breakdown, I realized that if I couldn't handle issues when I was close to land and relatively safe, I had no business trying to do crossings, full stop. If I couldn't handle these issues on this trip, I may as well call it off because there is no doubt in my mind, much worse problems are coming... Was all this worth it? I decided yes, and it changed my view on these kinds of problems... These are problems to solve, so solve them and get back underway. That was a hell of a realization and that alone made it all worth it. If you mean "would I have done things differently to prepare for this trip?", that's harder to answer, because there's a bit of a cart before the horse issue. Knowing what I did by the end of the trip, I'd very much have done things differently. However, where I was and what I knew before the trip started? I think I was as prepared as I could have been, given how much I had to learn and the time I had to prepare. Clearly I missed key things, but so it goes, that's learning. :)

[@charles.neuman18]

​@@TheDigitalMermaid Thanks. I guess I was asking both questions. I was thinking maybe you'd say, "Don't do this. Buy a boat close to home, or have it trucked." But I sensed you enjoyed the challenge, and in any event you can frame it as a positive experience no matter what, so I'm not surprised by your response. Your resilience and determination, as well as your positive attitude, are a major theme for this channel. In my opinion.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

@@charles.neuman18 I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but one of the goals of the channel was to inspire people, help keep them going on whatever it is they're working towards. This is important to me because, like in this video, soooo many people have helped, taught and encouraged me. So you saying that the positive attitude is a big theme for the channel makes me very happy. Thanks, Charles! ^_^

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

" F U N " the "F" Word that You chose 🙂 COOP ...

[@horstkotte6114]

Dunno if anybody mentioned it yet but concerning navigation, you might be an OpenCPN Person. And in any case somebody has a similar diesel problem, disconnect or cut the line, stick in in a jerry can, lift it up for gravity assisted bleeding and finally put it down and lash it down. It also removes a ton of variables from the equation (like bad fuel, leaks downstream, contamination, clogged vents, defective pickup...)

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Getting the diesel over the engine to use pressure to help bleed, nice! I wish I had thought of that, but alas.

[@horstkotte6114]

​@@TheDigitalMermaid Thanks! Next time.Even if it's not in your boat, you'll meet plenty of folks with engine troubles. And these engines are also very simple, so getting into fixing them is not too involved and it can be quite rewarding. Also, it's the same kind of analytical thinking as electronics. I guess a full disassembly manual for this thing is shorter than the user manuals of your blue appliences combined.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

@@horstkotte6114 If I run into someone in trouble, I'll be happy to help them and happy to have any skills that help me help them. That said, I have zero interest in doing engine work beyond that. It's not that it's bad or anything, I just enjoy working with angry pixies and code more. :)

[@horstkotte6114]

@@TheDigitalMermaid I think I just like troubleshooting :-) And in my situation fixing old engines is often the least amount of work / financial effort, so even if I'm not a diesel fan I sort of respect them in this application.

[@dennisbrok9335]

Is that little leaver a plunger ? Looks like a bleed valve if not Would it not have been faster to undo one of the injectors and run the pump by starting the motor until you see diesel come out

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

The lever activates the pump (basically, on one side, it goes into the engine to be activated by a lobe on the cam shaft, on the other side in the lever I was pressing). In the end, nothing was going to work because of the blockage in the output check valve on the pump. Once that was cleared, then yes with the injector manifold open, and then the injectors themselves, I could have cleared it eventually with just that little lever, but turning the engine over was a lot faster.

[@dennisbrok9335]

Yes you fixed it :) I start typing when I see it I should wait to comment until the end of the video haha can’t wait to see the electric install learn from you’re mistakes :)

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

@@dennisbrok9335 I do that allllll the time! haha.

[@dadzilla007]

A light glass beading will remove the aluminum corrosion but leave the solid metal.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

I'm guessing I could take the foot to a metal place and have them do that easily enough. Though, I need to repaint the mast so I may need to find a DIY option as I can't take the mast to a shop. :)

[@segwaytothepicture1109]

👍

[@holdenman8850]

Hi Madi, just remember the algae problem in the tank, it grows..

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Yup. I'm going to pull the diesel out, biocide it, and give it (with warning) to a friend at the new marina. I want to take the tank completely out of the boat and cut an access hole for future cleanout, and put a new sender in. I'll give the tank a damn good cleaning then. I never knew how annoying bug was before... haha

[@holdenman8850]

@@TheDigitalMermaid I wouldn't bother putting an access hole in . Just got steam pressure washer the sh1t out of it as you will never get rid of it as it regrows..biocide are a preventative not a solution.. my boss had the same problem and it's a nightmare to get rid of.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

@@holdenman8850 The reason for the access panel is that there's currently nowhere to get a pressure washer nozel in. If you look back to the videos where I was changing the hoses and cleaning the tank, there's one place where an access window would have made things SOOO much easier. Neither the fill neck or the sender are very useful as access points. Bug will probably be even more of a problem in the future, as post-conversion, the diesel will only be used for hot water (when conserving batteries), heating in the winter, and an emergency generator (that I will consider a project fail every time I might need to use it). So with luck, the diesel will end up sitting for ages, so easy inspection/cleanout is going to be really important for me.

[@holdenman8850]

@@TheDigitalMermaid my memory isn't that good 😂 but you saying about it has remained me. It sounds like a good plan you have.. must be late for you as it's 2pm here

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

@@holdenman8850 It's only 23:00 here, so not too late. That said, I did just wake up from a nap. lol

[@jamesmorgan8780]

I just discovered you and am starting to watch, but I would urge you to put in an electric fuel pump inline. Standard on Westerberke. I could never figure out why yanmar does not do that.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Welcome, and thank you for watching! ^_^ If I was keeping my engine, I would absolutely do that (not to say that electric pumps don't have problems of their own). In my case, though, the goal was always to service the engine sufficient to make the 760 nm trip back to where I live. Once home, the engine's work is done. I am removing it to convert this old girl to run on angry pixies!

[@ismzaxxon]

I learned from this one. Maybe rubber from the bulb was the blockage.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Entirely possible. I threw out the old bulb, and in hind-sight I wish I had cut it open and looked inside.

[@ismzaxxon]

@@TheDigitalMermaid Was just a thought as old impellers seem to drop rubber. I am going to put a bulb on mine now, as i only have one of those click things.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

@@ismzaxxon Oh, for sure and others had the same idea. Could well have been a bit of rubber sloughed off, plugged the pump and the back pressure popped the bulb.

[@tommussington8330]

Those caps you were opening are the fuel return line from the injector pump feeds the side of the injector the pump you serviced is the lift pump the injector pump is on the other side of the engine (were he opened later ) is were you bleed the injector, Im sorry you can you have to go through this I'm yelling at the screen trying to tell you what to do LOL I've been working on engines for 5 decades. by the way your oil change pump could suck the air put of the system just hook it up to the lift pump discharge and pump till you get diesel to that point.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Heh, until I started servicing this engine for the trip home, I'd never touched a diesel in my life... I've had sooooo much to learn, and I've made a number of mistakes along the way. So learning goes! Using the oil vacuum to suck air out it ... wow, I never would have thought of that, that's brilliant.

[@alexpyattaev]

Rotting wood consumed the oxygen, so aluminum parts did not have enough oxygen to rot. Very lucky=) In other notes - have you considered what you'd do when the lithium battery catches fire? Would be nice to have a fire escape chute of some kind so battery can burn out without sinking the boat.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

LFP batteries have a very very low chance of fire, less even than lead acid, and certainly less than a propane or LNG stove. The worst case is that, if they are damaged, they can swell and possibly vent their electrolyte. For that reason, and as per ABYC standards, I'll be keeping the exhaust vents so if there's ever a rupture, I can vent the gas. As for the aluminium, ya, I scored!

[@alexpyattaev]

@@TheDigitalMermaid Any lithium battery can burn if encouraged enough (i.e. overheated), and as you have observed on this trip, if a problem can happen, it will, and it will cascade into multiple problems in the worst possible location where no phone works. Having a lithium fire inside a boat (no matter how remote of a possibility it is) would be game over, as you can not extinguish them if thermal runaway occurs. With your size of battery banks, you can very quickly generate extremely high temps, which are unlikely in things like cellphones or scooters. There are plenty of tests with them where they do indeed burn quite well even in much smaller quantities kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZmilhGmHjpiqf5o One real cheap way to contain the fire would be to have your battery boxes made of plywood, with vents going to the deck out of plywood too. Plywood is quite fire resistant if thick enough (and you can probably get it with treatments for extra fireproofing), and if you keep the outside surface cool (e.g. with water) and there is no pressure buildup (because it vents to the outside) it should allow the battery to burn out without spreading to the boat. You can also pour sea water into these boxes to keep the internal temps from building up, thus keeping the boxes structurally sound. Important - do not make the boxes out of metal, it will not stay solid once hot, and may ignite stuff around the box.

[@jounik]

That's what I was thinking too. All that decomposing wood made for a reductive environment for the aluminum, saving the boot.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

That video is the one and only case I've ever seen of an LFP cell catch fire, and he hand-waved the "abused before this test" part, with no explanation for what that abuse was. Even still, he had to repeatedly stab it with metal to get it to ignite. ABYC, the standards body, tried to reproduce anecdotes of LFP fires on boats, and they failed completely. I've been trying to find proper studies and controlled tests trying to trigger TR, and the highest temp was a 200Ah cell that had been overcharged at 1C; It spiked to ~515 degrees celsius, briefly, then cooled back down (the flash point of fiberglass is ~600C, for reference), so even if the temp had been sustained, it's wouldn't have ignited. Anything sufficiently abused can end badly, and a lot more easily if the diesel system, propane system or heck, even the wiring regardless of power source is abused or neglected. So while there might be some way in some extreme abuse corner cases to cause LFP to ignite, there are many many other risks for fire on a boat that are much more likely to cause fire. This comes back to something I touched on in the video; The risks of diesel, propane, lead acid batteries, etc are "known risks", and are accepted without much thought because they're common issues across most boats. I'd argue, strongly, that LFP is one of the safest energy sources on modern boats, but because it's still fairly new, the risks are not normalized yet, so folks focus on this disproportionately, while more or less hand-waving away greater risks from familiar tech.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

That's something I never thought of, but I can see how it might work... It's a fascinating idea.

[@jimsvideos7201]

Ok you like red twizzlers, but how do you feel about black licorice?

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Wouldn't buy them for myself, but I'd eat them if they were there.

[@jimsvideos7201]

@@TheDigitalMermaid So if I brought you a bag of red ones, you'd leave my black ones alone maybe?

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

@@jimsvideos7201 lol, ya, I try not to make a habit of stealing the treats of others. :)

[@jimsvideos7201]

@@TheDigitalMermaid We might just get along then 😊

[@tobiaslindblom2187]

start using checklists?

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

I'll be making checklists as I work through the conversion

[@donburnett8629]

Pulpit. It's a pulpit forward! Aft is the Pushpit. Great job tho - keep going!

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Doh! Thanks for that, I keep mixing them up. :)

[@MOBiEC1]

Defo do the electric conversion - I don't regret it at all! But you probably know that already 😂

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Oh I sooooo can't wait to convert! I'm waiting for the email saying my motor is on the way!

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

"LIGHT-BULB" just appeared = your DIESEL Engine is a THREE (3) Cylinder !!! LOL ... COOP ... ...

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Yup, I thought that was odd when I got the boat, I was used to car engines that always seem to be even numbers.

[@colinmcgregor1544]

Odd, normally when I watch a sailing video I do the "I wonder how this video is going to end?". This time I could do the "I know how this video is going end!" 🙂. Any event, New Baltimore, New York, a place (but not an ideal place) to get a boat hook, which spoiler alert will come in handy later on in the trip 🙂.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

I've been waiting to see; Did I get you on camera explaining the second boat hook shenanigans? I hope so...

[@Thorupjens]

The Canadian MacGyver

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Well isn't that just the highest honour.

[@Thorupjens]

@@TheDigitalMermaid It seemed like a lot of troubleshooting at the time and you did fine.

[@jepomer]

"If it works, keep it!" implies that "working" is also "reliable". If reliable, the diesel motor would be worth keeping. With all of the engine work you had done in preparation for this trip, the system still has many quirks to be resolved. I was hoping that the motoring portion would have gone smoothly for you. It is interesting to watch your perseverance and troubleshooting with explanations. I do prefer the simplicity of an electric drive even if range is limited and recharging slower than filling a fuel tank.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

THANK YOU! Yes, as a diesel engine goes, the Yanmar is fantastic. Compared to the mechanical simplicity of electric propulsion though? Not even a contest! When I was broken down on the Erie Canal (sigh...), I had a moment where I started feeling a spot sorry for myself. I'd heard of story after story of people who bought old boats, maybe changed the oil, and then set off of long trips, with minimal issue. Yet, here I was having done so much prep work, and still I had so many troubles. However, I realized (and mentioned to a couple others here), I'm kind of glad it all happened though. If problems were going to scare me off this boating life, isn't it better to find out before I leave my house? So these issues, I think, were a blessing in disguise. I needed to test of will, if that doesn't sound too weird.

[@brianwarner7747]

FYI, and completely pointless bit of information now well after the fact. But that "Bleeder", aka the big white knob, on the external fuel filter/water separator is actually supposed to be a little pump. Unscrew and it is a little plunger that you can pump up and down. Now I will tell you, on my boat with I think that same filter, my little pump doesn't work... But that little pump on that filter/water seperator is supposed to do what your fuel bulb is doing. Again, no help to you now :)

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

I thought that was the case, I think I even included a clip where I mentioned that to the guy who was helping me, but whatever model I have is, it doesn't have the pump.

[@patchmack4469]

oh you do make me smile, dropping the screw driver bit into the bilge and then washing it? funny, i love the Americans and Canadians, so anti dirt!! that there mast step jobby, clean it up, if you don't paint it, just give a heavy coat of wax oil, that spreader that split on the mast, get someone to weld it up and fill that area that's worn away, be good as new and stronger - wow how much for a tow, scary mary, all that work and you break down, roll on going electric i guess one system is as bad as another, components and anything joining them together, means anything can fail, just like any plumbing, failures normally occur in the joints, systems with components, fuel lines or even electrics and cables, connectors can corrode i car has always been reliable, suddenly it wouldn't turn over, ignition but no starter, closer inspection and the earth cable between the solenoid and motor had gone, corroded away

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

I think Colin suggested checking if my insurance covered tows, so I called then and they did! Progressive was super easy to work with. Would have cost about $2k, $400/hr from the time they leave their dock until they tie back up at their dock. It was two hours for them to get to me, an hour two, then two more hours back. Thankfully, Progressive handled it without any hassle. On the motor side; I think a lot of folks see electrics and so much of them is new to them, so they see it as much more complex than a mechanical system. To some extent, I would even agree with them, in that the mechanical stuff is easier to "see" (both physically see, and understand). However, electrical systems are MUCH more simple, mechanically. So much less that can go wrong. The trade off, of course, is that you need to learn about the electrics. One of the reasons I've decided to "roll my own" motor and controller, instead of buying a ready-made system, is so that I can learn the ins and outs. This way, it will be mechanically simple, and I'll understand the software and wiring, so best of both worlds.

[@lindacolaprete7324]

Actually your audio is better than when you wear the mic on yoour sweater. The audio from the sweater is always very muffled and a little harder to understand. Ed C

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

I noticed while editing that the audio when I was in front of the camera was great, but when I turned the camera away, it got really bad. I've got a replacement DJI Osmo 3 coming, lost the GoPro overboard. I'll have to experiment with what sounds best. I'll see if I can sort out the audio with the Rode lapel mic, too.

[@carrollstrella8905]

you need boat usa

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

OK, so I didn't mention it, but I had Tow Boat USA, it was part of my Gold West Marine membership. What I didn't know was that it expired... I don't recall seeing that it was needed when I signed up, I thought it auto-renewed. My membership had expired one month before... >_

[@RoyBlumenthal]

You are one extremely dogged individual. Is Perseverance your middle name?

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

Fun fact, I have no middle name! ^_^ Thanks for the kind words, Roy.

[@OffGridAussiePrepper]

tff u trying to tape up the bulb...... seriously???? first thing I wudda done is cut it off join the 2 pipes with the barb fitting and then dropped the filter lower and get someone to pump the primer and turn the motor over. no crap should have gotten past the filter and u replaced the hoses and the motor ran fine for a long time b4 u got a split in the bulb..... big mistake was shitting ur brain for 2 weeks with stress and long days then doing the trip without being thoroughly rested and compounding ur fatigue even further... if u did rest b4 hand u would have quickly fixed the prob I am sure. Wouldn't it have been cheaper if u got the marina chandler y to deliver the bulb to u?? I would never have paid 2 grand for a tow... delivery charge wudda been 100 bucks at best at 3 miles.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

"tff u trying to tape up the bulb...... seriously????" - The whole premise of the channel has been the process of someone new to something trying to learn how to do that thing. Things that seem obvious to experienced people are not obvious to new users. I learned from this experience that it wouldn't work, of course, but how was I to know it wouldn't until I tried? "big mistake was shitting ur brain for 2 weeks" - I mean, that's a take I suppose. I know most people working on big projects have things wrapped up and ready with time to rest before the big day, I guess I'm not as organized as most people. "if u did rest b4 hand u would have quickly fixed the prob I am sure." - Given I'd never taken a fuel pump off before, let alone unblock, clean and reassemble, I'm really not sure how I could have gotten back underway without getting help from someone like I did. Again, this might be all super simple and obvious to you, and good on you for it, but as I said in previous videos, I'd never touched a diesel before this project. I've been doing the best I can. "I would never have paid 2 grand for a tow..." - What's your advice for negotiating a lower tow fee? Again, even if a chandler delivered to a stranded boat in the middle of a river, a new bulb wouldn't have helped, the fuel pump's outlet check valve was blocked.

[@OffGridAussiePrepper]

@@TheDigitalMermaid the check valve was blocked after all the drama that happened after the initial split in the bulb, something tells me that if u just took the bulb out and joined the pipe, u would have got it going again. Everything u did after the bulb I suspect made thing worse and yes I know inexperienced and tired brain lead u to this disaster.... but hey I would have paid for a delivery by boat and not a tow..... a part of me wishes I was there to save the day :)~ but that was 1 hell of an ordeal and thanks to AKA Bob the savior he explained to u how it works, which is no good now cos ur going to electric.... its tff really cos if there was an electric fuel pump then this would not have happened, or as u know u didn't replace all the rubber. What did the blocking material look like?? piece of hose from the inner wall, cos i cant see how any debri got past the filter.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

@@OffGridAussiePrepper Everything is obvious in hind-sight, I guess.

[@OffGridAussiePrepper]

@@TheDigitalMermaid hind sight is 20 20, is that the saying ma dear?? and get ya rest and do not hit the fatigue zone cos that was my demise.

[@TheDigitalMermaid]

@@OffGridAussiePrepper Surely you understand the realities of a big project rarely leave room for what should be done, ideally, right? I would have loved to finish prep a week or two before departure, gotten properly rested, etc. In all my own big projects, and in all the big projects I've seen others undertake, I can't think of a single one that didn't run long. I appreciate that you mean well, but really it just kinda makes me feel like crap. I know I could have done better, but I did the best with the time, tools and knowledge I had at the time.