The very first thing you should have done when your engine stopped is roll out the headsail and get the boat settled down and underway. Dropping anchor in deep water on a lee shore is asking for trouble. You were quite correct in thinking you would have trouble retrieving your anchor without your engine so if you started dragging you would find yourself in all sorts of grief. Remember first and foremost you are on a yacht, always rely on your sails as your primary form of propulsion . Love your videos always look forward to them.
Under the conditions they faced, I think this is absolutely right. They had plenty of wind and reasonable sea state to get away from the shore and buy time to decide what to do. Depending on wind direction they might have been able to sail straight into Portland Harbour which is absolutely huge; as long as you have a clean tack through the entrance you would be safe to nose around for a good place to anchor.
Another piece of advice I picked up (from watching something Skip Novak was talking about actually) is not to "fully put your sails away" always have them ready to go up quickly.
A half mile to shore with a headwind and current isn’t exactly an ideal situation or a lot of time to get a sail up, and someone less experienced might would end up just pushing themselves to shore faster trying to get the sail set up. Idk, I think dropping anchor was the right choice in this case. I’m that someone with little experience so obviously my perspective is a little different, but dropping anchor is what I would have done in that situation too.
You had established the problem. Dirty fuel. Once the engine started and run for a minute you had a degree of certainty you had indeed established the problem. Assuming you know your consumption per hour you could have estimated if the replacement fuel in the separate container was adequate and then draw directly from clean fuel container I believe you made an educated decision. Don’t be too hard on yourself. A good result. Get your fuel polished.
Great video and love your storytelling. When I was about 12 we had a similar situation, exactly the same trip (Studland to Weymouth). 5 of us on an Eygthene 24 (my parents, me, 10 yr old brother, 5 yr old sister) Dad had underestimated the extent of the tidal race off St Albans and we got caught in the tail of it (this was 1977, years before gps, all we had was a compass). Very confused sea. I remember we dropped off one wave with an almighty crash. I was sent forward in the cabin to see if everything was ok. I said it was because the water was only on my brother's side of the v-berth (the anchor locker wasn't sealed well enough). I also remember as I was returning to the cockpit seeing a wave run along both side decks and completely fill the cockpit, drained away so fast nobody else noticed at the time. As we came up to Weymouth, the engine stopped (might have been a similar problem but also it didn't have a gearbox, the cable adjusted the pitch of the propeller to go forwards or backwards). So we sailed into Weymouth. Wind was coming straight of the harbour so we had to beat all the way in and raft up as the outside boat about 5 deep (no pontoons in those days, seem to remember we were right next to a large brewery). When we tried to leave the next day we discovered that the main bulkhead compass had jumped off it's bearings, presumably in the tidal race, and so was saying North as we headed South out of Weymouth :-) I wouldn't be anxious about your decision to anchor (although it looks like it would be good to practice, in easy conditions, to see how you could get it up without the engine either manually or by increasing the battery bank). Great that you were able to sort the fuel, but these problems seem to be getting more and more common (Distant Shores had a fuel blockage on an almost brand new big Southerly last year). This is one of the reasons we are switching our 43 year old Rival 38 to an Electric Motor. I'd join with the other comments, your greatest asset is being able to sail. Portland Harbour is huge so you could sail in and anchor in a more protected place, you don't need to be able to get to the marina under sail. Or just sail slowly out to sea to give thinking and sorting time (you could just get plenty of sea room and heave to for the night). You don't need to worry about racing performance, but experimenting with Cadoha will show you want you can do while shorthanded. For example will she make (slow) progress to windward under main only? Will she tack under main only (and in what wind speeds/wave states)? Do you need some genoa to help tack, but can you do so with only a small amount unrolled to make tacking easier? Which sail combinations make heaving to easy (and how fast will you, in what direction). Don't start in difficult, tight spots with lots of current or tide but find a nice day and go out for a relaxed play. Build up a list of known solutions so that you know exactly what will work in a particular situation rather than trying to work it out at the time. Remember you are not needing optimum speed but control, calm and ease of handling so you might seem to have reefed more than needed. Hope that helps. You did well and you got sorted with other options available, nobody got hurt and nothing broke - always a success.
Hey guys, let me say first of all as a very recent newcomer to your vlog, I'm hooked. You've a great way of chatting and explaining and it's highly entertaining. Thanks! Second, what's just happened is exactly what happened to my wife and me. We bought an 18 month boat up here at Largs and as a small bonus, it had a full tank of diesel too, filled to the brim. It transpired the guy who bought this very boat did so at the Souhthampton boat show - it's the actual bought that was on show. He bought it seemingly on a whim and then after 18 months, with only 40 hours on the engine and very little sailing, sold up..... to us, late in the season so we never got to sail much until 6 months later. We then set out, sailed quite a bit but rarely used the engine, though we did a full service etc etc. Some months later, just as we needed the engine, cough, cough and it died. Fortunately we had sea room and so I immediately set about changing both filters etc. Turned out we had diesel bug blocking the pick up pipe. All sorted, fortunately, but lesson was to: 1. Regularly check my fuel tank and clean out any stray gunk, much like the previous poster advises, service regularly, not skimping on the quality of the filters, and I now also routinely use Marine16 fuel additive to kill any bug. 2. Rig up a separate emergency fuel line which I can quickly and easily attach and draw fuel from my back up 20L jerry can, just in an emergency. I've also modified the attachment on my bulk head so I can very quickly change the filter if absolutely necessary. 3. Keep a small, 5L can which I can quickly dump into the tank if I've run short at a crucial point, although of course this should NEVER happen ;) You guys are doing a great job there. It's scary when this stuff happens but I'm sure this won't happen to you again. Keep positive and be proud of how you've coped so far. Top marks to you both. PS Our old diesel had also lost its cetane value through standing too long so it didn't want to ignite. Just a tip, but don't keep it too long like we did otherwise that's another potential issue, more so on a yacht where the diesel gets used far less.
Think you did great - have sailed same waters for 40 odd years and think perhaps a better option when the engine failed would have been to get the sails back up and sail out of trouble - anchor as a last resort. However all’s well that ends well and another great vid
You guys are awesome. 1st rule OF LIFE, don't panic. Keep your heads clear and your attention focused. I was in the same place as you nearly 2 years ago when I bought a boat that had been sat on the hard for nearly 18 months. Having had a very limited experience of some sailing issues I did 2 things I am really really glad about. I threw the batteries away and got new ones and then I got some diesel additive to clean whatever was in the tank. So far, cross fingers its been plain sailing ever since. Good luck with the adventure, hope it all goes well from now in. You deserve it.
This reminds me of an incident I had to deal with in Asia 15 years ago with an outdoor training organization I worked for; 12 students and two instructors anchored at night on a 24 foot ketch with no engine, just sails and oars. Middle of the night a strong wind and a poorly set anchor sent them drifting across the bay towards the far shore; what did they do? Raise the anchor and start rowing against the wind. They lost. The boat hit the rocks and was holed. Somehow everyone got out onto the rocks largely unhurt but shaken and probably put off sailing for life. Even in the cold light of day the next morning the instructors, with Yachtmaster tickets didn’t think that using the sails to do a beam reach out to sea, or to leave the anchor down as a brake were options; “We didn’t have time” they said, though the bay was a mile across, it had taken 15 minutes or more to cross it and hit the rocks and it takes a few seconds to raise sails. Panic blocks options. As we didn’t have engines on those ketches we, the instructors became very skilled at rowing and at anchoring, weighing anchor and coming along side even in strong winds. I’m going to polish my fuel properly and get that extra diesel Jerry can, and that big leather strap fuel filter grip I keep thinking of and add an extra inlet point for fuel. I’m also going to pretend I don’t have an engine in my Westerly Oceanranger sometimes to rediscover the mastery I once had on the ketches. Thanks for the vicarious experience. I love your videos. Keep it up.
This episode was definitely a great learn. Thank you. I'm not a sailer (yet!) so I can't tell you if your handling of the situation could have been better but it worked and you all kept safe, didn't drag anyone else in with you and you got to safety without drama. I have reasonable experience of ending up in the brown stuff (if you don't occasionally, you need to turn up the adventure dial) so what I can say with some confidence is that getting out of the brown stuff to safety with a smile on all faces and an open mind to take the experience with you means you did superbly well. You've definitely earned a drink. Keep up the good work and hugs to Hank!
When I took ownership of my Baba 34 one of the items on my list of "must-do" was to have the fuel polished and the tanks cleaned as well I changed all hose and filters. The engine never failed me..But I must say even with the off line panic, what you showed and explained you did all (IMHO) you could have before throwing the towel in and getting towed. BRAVO AND WELL DONE.
What worked out well for us in the past few years: we bought about 5-6 of the cheapest diesel filter in a car parts store - the one you through out when it is clogged up. We intalled it in the fuel line as the first filter to clog up and placed so that we can change it easily. A replacement filter is also stored next to it. In rough seas, or before any risky maneuver, we just take a look at the filter (it has a transparent housing) and quickly change it if looks suspicious. Our main racor filter is also much cleaner ever since and we did not have sudden engine cut-off since.
I know a lot of people probably don’t see this as such a big deal, but some of us understand just how bad a situation that was and lots of ducks showing up on the boat all of a sudden is more than understood and familiar to anyone who’s been in any situation like this. Great job handling the situation like a boss.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but you did so well in the circumstances. Never forget though that sailing boats have sails and that should be your primary propulsion!
Sailing Cadoha the thing to remember is we’ve all made the same mistakes (some of us have done a lot worse, me for one!). The main thing is to stay safe and have fun which you seem to be excelling at :)
So easy to ‘criticise’ from an armchair! Diesel ‘bug’ being stirred up is very common as you said so maybe you should have cleaned the tanks in preparation for this trip. Secondly, make searoom, you had sails and could have tacked out to sea and then made it safely into Portland harbour where you could have anchored. Don’t panic. Excellent video, you are very honest and amusing!
As so many have also mentioned NOT to forget that you are a SAILBOAT (a nice cutter) and are perfectly capable of sailing off a lee shore. The first thing that might have been done is to get those sails back up. I had that same thing happen to me just as I was passing through a swing bridge! I had to get the sail up while I was foundering within the bridge and eventually moved the boat out away from the bridge so he could close it again in rush hour traffic! I sailed down the river for a few hours until I could clean the filters and prime the lines and purge them of air. I was a newbie then and was moving the newly acquired boat from North Carolina to the Great Lakes! It takes some planning and a little know how to set up a system to filter or "polish" your fuel. If you have the room for it in your bilge, get a small feed tank ( 3-5 Gallons) for the diesel that the injectors feed from and run lines from the main tank to it through a pump and another filter. The pickup tube in the main tank should run close to he bottom of the tank so that it will pick up the sediment and water and algae in the main tank and feed it through the additional filter to the feed tank. Plumb it so that when the feed tank is clean the output from that new filter can be run right back into the main tank to polish the main tank's fuel. It would be helpful to have a sight window on the feed tank to see the fuel that has been sitting awhile.
I once had an accident about 30 miles from shore in the Baltic sea. It was blowing 30-35 knots and the engine didn't start, but I was able to dock the 50 foot classic yacht under sails. Alone. Well, I have been sailing for 40 yrs and much of it alone, but never in a big unfamiliar boat like this (I was hired as skipper to get the boat to a boat show), so in many ways you cans say I have sailing in my blood. On the other hand, for rookies like Dom and Carly, who is 100% true about their lack of experience, maneuvers like docking a big boat under sail in an unfamiliar harbor must seem like jumping into a hell gate. But time and persistence makes heroes.
If the wind was not on the nose to get into the harbour, I agree this would be a good call. Portland harbour is *huge* and plenty of room to manouver under sail inside and sail right into a good place to anchor. If the wind was on the nose though, tacking through the harbour entrance might be tricky (and in either case, it would be important to get authorisation from the harbour authorities - there is some big traffic!)
Regardless if 1 Week, 1 Month, 1 Year or 20 Years of sailing experience - EVERY time you go out you will learn something. I would suggest a small external fuel pump that, if the situation arises, you can pump from a Jerry can. Love watching the videos and following your journey. Keep sailing - Keep Learning!
Rig what you need to run from a can by replacing its lid... and be able to leave it running unattended (in case one of you is single handed). Keep the thing assembled and clipped up in the engine bay. You will look at this every time you wobble and realise that by making this, you have ensured you will never ever need it.
Guys, a novice myself, i think you did great, as many suggested get the sails back up, I guess you could have sailed into the harbor, although that may not always be an option, our harbor has a ruling about entering under sail, so at that point to me it would have been keep to deep water, and attempt repairs, for you that wasn't going to happen as you didn't have clean fuel, so a call for assistance would have been an option. I recently inspected my tank, I'm glad I did, there was a fair bit of sludge in the bottom, so out came the tank, washed the tank out, filled with fresh fuel, and a drop of anti bug treatment as well, preventative maintenance is the way to go :)
Awesome video Dom, it never feels good having issues but you are learning so much from all these experiences and it will really equip you well for things to come when you travel further afield.
Dude, you are such a good story teller, I mean I'm just here for the sailing content but the story just makes it 10x more enjoyable and heart warming😂 Im still catching up after just finding you two days ago. Fair winds from Plymouth
On the evidence of that experience I am going to add a valve and T ahead of my filter so I can draw fuel from a container when things go wrong. One Twenty litre gerry can should go a fair distance. I’ll also look at a twin filter system, not to mention add inspect fuel tank interior to the work list. It sounds like a lot to do, but I’d rather do that than mow a lawn.
I would put a Tee Valve (L port) between the tank and filter. Change the filter and turn the Tee to suck fuel out of a fresh container via a short hose. Tee-ing in after the filter is a risk. The container may well have some muck in it and this will go straight to your engine!
Jonathan Wetherell : I think we are on the same page, Jonathan. Ahead of the filter is between the tank and the filter (flow direction). I currently use a 20 litre gerry can for my Eberspacher water heater and that is working well, but when I get to plumbing that into the main fuel line I’ll add the extra line for emergency engine supply. I may well have the same fuel gunk issue on my 19 year old boat. I haven’t run the engine enough to find out. Maybe a tank inspection.
William Bunting guys don’t for get the returned unused diesel will go back into your main tank , there fore emptying the Jerry can quicker than just the engine usage. If you T into diesel supply line you need to return unused diesel to Jerry can
Done that a few times, and it's a nice exercise to try. Works best with the dinghy strapped around the rear 1/4 to 1/3 mark. Try it somewhere calm and without much current 'cos you'll find it's good for a knot or two. In the conditions you were in it would have been both futile as you would have gone backwards, and dangerous to take to the dinghy in open water with Cadoha rolling like pig. But give it a go, so you know.
I know the feeling. Engine refused to start in the NAB anchorage area at 2am with no wind and 30m deep . Your instinct on boat damage from the dive boat is right. You COULD have asked Sea Start and their RIB ie big black fender to follow you in. But very well done sorting it out. I have seen a motor boat lose an engine momentarily in there in a blow and nearly hit the rock wall.
Yes we just went with gut feelings and instincts at that point, luckily it worked out, although we learned plenty of lessons upon reflecting on the incident.
You did the correct thing regarding anchoring as soon as you were able to. I probably would have asked the rescue guy if he minded staying in touch on the vhf and if he would be prepared to tow you in if you only made it part of the way to the marina. You must carry 25 litres of fresh clean diesel in a spare can together with filters and tools of course. I totally agree that fuel contamination is the number one problem with Diesel engines. Never run the tank down to near empty but the problem can occur even with a tank that is nearly full due to fuel rolling around and stirring up any dirt on the bottom of the tank. You really need to clean the tank out otherwise you will continue to have the problem. I would also suggest using an anti diesel bug chemical. Diesel bug is caused mostly by infrequent use of the engine allowing the growth of an algae . Always store the boat with a full tank to cut down on inner tank condensation. On the subject of accepting a tow, always use your tow rope to avoid salvage claims!
Your fuel problem is a frequent occurance on sailboats. I had a similar problem 25 years ago, in a gale, with swells from two directions. The engine stopped, filter was clogged with "stuff". I changed filters, engine would run for a few minutes, then clog again. And the engine was an old hand crank type. Anyway, as clean filters were decreasing in number my wife asked "why don't you use one of the Jerry cans of clean fuel?" Thank God for wives. That worked, we made port, had the tanks cleaned, and proceeded on our way to Mexico. So what you did was good to my way of thinking. And the motion and fumes and heat presented me with my first and only episode of sea sickness.
Great video. You have a good story-telling technique. All these things happened to me when I was starting off. When you have an old engine and you are still learning the ropes you get constantly bombarded by engine issues. ..ONE thing I learned very quickly was to question WHAT IF?...Each time you plan to enter a port say "What if the engine packs up again?"...and say it to yourself constantly until you are safe at anchor or in the marina...and keep learning the heck out of how your engine works and fixing/preempting the issues along the way.....By the way, I would a) Clean the full tank and fuel line; and b) make sure the tank and fuel line to the filter is fully water tight....Then you'll have just one less thing to worry about....In time you will either learn to trust your engine or you'll replace it. Another great vid....I'm pondering what you are going to do for content when things start going really well...
'What if's all that's been haunting my mind since the day this video was shot. A lot more than just dirty fuel has been illuminated and we are now making lots of plans to improve the boats systems, but also improve our sailing skills, with some additional training which has kindly been offered to us by a local sailing school, which I think we'd be crazy to turn down ☺️
There is a saying we had in the Air Force, any landing is a good landing. So getting back in a safe port or anchorage... it's all good. My wife is from Cape Town South Africa and truly enjoys your humor. like Capt Ron said," if it's going to happen it will happen out there" Have been reading tons of sailing books, since I was a young boy. I'm 62 now and can honestly say, when I got in Mother Natures off side with Neptune, I would remember what others did to survive the savage sea. you never stop learning and you have amazing schools in your neck of the woods. Stefan, Paper Boat Project, went thru to get his Captains License. He is a perfect example of someone with sailing experience, but wanted to tae it to the next level.
One of the long distance cruisers - Cornell, maybe - set up his boat's fuel system so that there is a permanently mounted "day tank" (a day's consumption sized) with its own filtration and water separator above engine level and fuel is always pumped to up into it by a manual activated pump, by the person on watch. Rationale is 1) it will always gravity feed to the engine, no pumping issue, and even if you have a pumping issue there is X liters of time till the day tank gets empty 2) You can easily check, replace, treat etc your fuel in the "day tank" without having to deal with the higher amount of diesel in the main tank 3) if you always fill it manually, you can spot far sooner that something is wrong in the main tank, e.g. fuel is dirty, has lots of water in it or that the the main tank got dry (contingency for a fuel level indicator failure) Such a "day tank" (3-4 hours worth of size) may not be so difficult to install in retrofit. Maybe with a possibility to use manual pumping, just in case.
You did brilliantly and didn't panic. You assessed the risk and solved the problem. I take my hat off to you. However I have to say I personally would have accepted the tow immediately. I am retired now but used to be a fulltime regular coastguard in the Orkney Islands and Gt Yarmouth. The sea, no matter how calm the sea state or experienced, knowledgable and qualified a skipper is, will take no prisoners. Safety must always be king. Just a suggestion but I would also think about using what we used to call the CG66 scheme but now the RYA safetrx scheme in your passage planning.
I would have went back to sailing mode immediately, head out to open water and figure out anything after I have a few miles between the boat and anything solid. Easy for me, in an armchair. Thanks for sharing, good learning for me too.
Grew up sailing and worked at a sailing club in my teens, but it has been a while. One thing I notice about a lot of sailing channels is a lack of experience sailing in tight quarters. Remember, the Pardeys sailed around the world without an engine. Practice in tight anchorages, practice beating in a narrow channel, etc. Keep a sail ready to rock even if you're motoring. My father always made me sail through the mooring area, practice picking up a mooring under sail, etc. You can sail yourself into a slip with a little practice, so you could probably have sailed out of this situation. That said, what you did would be my second or even first choice depending on how nervous I was. The other poster made a good point about the difficulty picking up your anchor with a lee shore looming but, honestly, who cares? Worst case scenario you save the boat, call a tow, and lose the anchor. Not ideal, but at least all the people and the boat will be safe!
Hi guys, check the O ring on the deck filler is in good condition. This is where most boats get there water into the tank and its this that causes the bug. These need to be changed every second season or so and lubricated with just a smear of silicone grease. (Dont use vaseline). Sail Safe Guys, Ant, Cid & the pooch crew.
Will be sure to look into that now. Does it make a difference if the deck fitting is fitted through the teak? I read some people say that you never get a good seal on teak unless you epoxy the area that the fitting will be placed onto?
@@CadohaAdventures Hi Guys. The O ring will be on the inner lid that you unscrew just above the threaded part. This seals the outer filler tube to the cap when under compression. It stops sea water and rain getting into the filler and hose. They need to be changed every other season or so and lubricated with a light silicone grease. Don't use vaseline. The outer deck filler is best sealed to the teak with butyl so the expansion and contraction of the teak as it wets and dries is matched by the butyl. Sealants like Sika cant cope with this over time and will let water past the outer filler and possibly into the deck core or inside the boat. Check the filler inside below the deck where it meets the filler hose for signs of water ingress. (You can cet the same issues with water tank deck fillers as well so good to check them too.) As for the water in the fuel tank causing the bug; you can polish the fuel but your engine does this via the fuel return hose from the injectors. The water and bug will be at the bottom of the tank as derv floats on water when it's not all stirred up so you can get it out using your oil extractor pump.) You really need to clean the tank if you can get inside it? Top tips are; keep the fuel tank topped up, fit a disposable filter from ebay (about £3.50) in the fuel line and this will clog first and can be quickly swapped out in a few seconds for a spare. Installing will take about 10 mins. Or buy a set of bypass filters with bypass valves for about £250.00 and spend half a day or so fitting them. Hope this helps? Sail Safe Guys, Ant, Cid & the pooch crew.
These are great videos. You've done really well. I think I'd have tried to sail into Portland harbour and pick up a buoy but you troubleshooted the problem and kept yourselves safe. I have a lot of respect for what you're doing and really love being onboard with you. Safe travels!
Cheers, Chris, and yes, I'm starting to realise that dropping the anchor before trying to sail into port was likely evidence of me panicking perhaps? I'm kicking myself now, but all lessons being learned and clearly need to build more confidence in our sailing ability. 😬⛵️🙏🏻
Thought you did a cracking job on fault finding that problem and the previous engine one. We saw a similar issue with a fellow flotilla boat several years ago due to diesel bug being churned up by choppy seas.! I reckon you earned your pay on that one. good job. Very much enjoying the channel.
Last week a young English, over 80 years old, sailing alone was saved about 300 miles, north west of the Azores(The true middle of nowhere), with a broken sail, ENGINE(WATER ON THE DIESEL), without food and almost no water, but he knew he needed to get to that distance to ask for help (the radio range), the Portuguese Navy solved the problem in the engine and gave him food, diesel, water, and and clinical, according to the legend, when he arrived on the island of Faial (and it was last week) HE said: "I'm sure the tank will be cleaned and I'll increase the radio capacity", and a few beers were drunk, laughter was given and hugs! He was lucky, others don't have it! I hope your diesel tank is already clean, because if it is not you will have more problems...
As usual an excellent video and admire the brutal honesty as a lot of channels just show all the glamorous parts of the sailing life. We have had some issues ourselves during our sailing and as they say "every day is a school day". Regarding all the advice given, a lot of it is very good but at the time you did what you thought was right and it worked. Finally, a big shout to Al for the help he provided and that is what life should be about, not all about me, me, me but alos helping others.
Yes Al was a top guy (and let's not forget the two ladies with him, one of which had a cracking throw!) We've got a lot of sound advice now, and so systems have been implemented but a bigger project is now unfolding for the winter!
Well done - stress levels UP.....some calm and methodical problem solving by both you and Carly found the solution and you fixed the problem....with a tiny bit of help. All a learning curve, be it vertical for a short space in time...you guys did exceptionally well. Live to sail another day. Cheers once more.
love your channel, i'm just setting out for my yachmaster RYA etc so binge watching your channel as been ace. and seeing that you can learn to sail etc in a different route to the RYA path as been really interesting.
Great videos. Some great tricks and advice you have found. I sail a family boat 12 years old 47 feet. It’s been in the med most of its life and over the Atlantic back twice. Saw the Dazcat in Plymouth last week on a trip to Salcombe. The amount of tools and spares we carry is mind boggling. But if I can recommend one thing, a cordless angle grinder. If ever you get dis masted, bolt croppers will take 15 to 30 mins to get through rigging in weather. A cordless angle grinder will be low minutes.
Declaring a situation as an emergency is hard, but you realized that making a request for help was the best option, and then working to try to get your engine started knowing help was coming, was correct. Finding out what caused the engine out condition when in a safe place and then setting up a protocol to deal with it if it happens again is what you did...Well done.
Thanks, we're happy all are safe and well, the boat didn't come to any harm, but there's been a lot of reflection and we already have new systems in place since and we have some more extensive plans for the winter projects coming up.
As a mature novice (never too late to start anything) this is starting to feel like a really great channel as you're being so open about your mistakes alongside your passion for sailing itself. Reading the comments and advice from more experienced mariners is proving to be really useful to me as a newby. Best of luck with your adventure.
Great video and story! I had similar issue last year and learnt from it... Clean the tank with a 2nd hand wet vac... Built a duel filter system and now have two Jerry cans of clean fuel!
I was a delivery skipper for a long time. You guys did great and hind sight is 20 20 vision, as they say, but the most important piece of advice I ever got was "operate as if you have no engine." Not so easy today with modern marinas, etc, and the convenience of motoring through tight spots is very alluring, but, it is a dodgy mindset. You are sailors on a "sail boat." Your ethos for routing/passage planning should be based on having 'no' engine. I can hear people already saying well we have these great little modern engines why not use them and "drive right up to that lovely little dock, right by the bar." That's okay, let people do what they will do. But, when you are a "sailor" your mind set changes. You know one mistake can cost you your boat. I was once told the sea doesn't care. I subsequently changed my mindset to "The sea is not inert, it is actively trying to kill or maim you. You suffer from Stockholm syndrome, you have fallen in love with a murderous conniving sea. It is going to wait until you are on a lee shore with a flooding tide before it puts a lobster pot line around your prop." I have watched quite a few of your videos and send many thanks for the content, and really admire how you are thinking things through. You are doing really great. You are finding most of it is common sense, too. But there is a comment below that advised you should have pulled up the sails and got out of there, given yourself more sea room while you had wind. That was the move to make. But not easy to see when you are just finding things out and hit a snag. But consider my first piece of advice, operating as a "sailor" on a "sailing" vessel will make you sleep better. Imagine there is no motor, and when using the motor, always plan for it to fail just when you need it. Keep the sails ready to deploy until you are at the dock, then pack them. There is a sailing channel called "How to Sail Oceans" it is worth watching, he travels with no engine aboard his boat. Watch his tactics. Proper old sailor style. VERY IMPORTANT POINT: The temptation when there is a problem is always head for shore, to a dock. It is your natural instinct. Drop that temptation asap, it will get you in trouble. Beyond a hurricane the only thing that is going to harm your boat is land, rocks and docks. Never run for shore. Unless it is a medical emergency, first rule is, find sea room, stay out at sea, you have water and food and a boat that floats, stay at sea until you can work out a plan. Last point, if you do not have a sea anchor aboard make getting one your priority. Get a sea anchor and learn how to use it. I never put to sea without one. It is a massive priority. I always rig it so it is ready to deploy from the cockpit. Take a line forward, out through your bow roller and lead it back to the cockpit. Even on sunny days, the ability to stop your drift can be a life saver. You have Stockholm syndrome, remember.
Fantastic story telling and gripping - knowing this coastline, it had me on the edge. I have found there are two ways to learn sailing - the hard way through experience and the easier way through instruction, but the first is far more interesting to others. A cool head and logical thinking meant that even though your tactics are disputed, you won the day. ] Things I prefer: Petrol outboard engines - no 'bio-gunk' - no pot marker danger: Boats small enough to sail easily and so not having to rely on the engine: Wind with less than force 5.
I'm sure when you entered Portland you realised you could have sailed her in, the entrance is so wide. Practice sailing without the engine when it's clear to give it a go. Start easy in good conditions and you'll start to enjoy hosting the main, pulling the anchor, pushing the boom over and silently trickling away before unfurling the head sail. Then try anchoring up under sail when you have the space. Then leaving a pontoon if you have the sea room and the wind is right (practice off an empty hammer head). Its great when you have the confidence to nail it. I was helping a friend move his boat from the S coast to Wales and the engine died for exactly the same reason entering Caernarfon. We called up the harbour master to ensure there was a decent run of dock we could approach head to wind, and sailed her in through the lock (with a massive cross current at the entrance). Practice, practice, practice, you'll value the confidence it gives you. Congratulations for dealing with it. And thanks for sharing your story! I have one of my own for Weymouth!!
Yes you'e right, Andy and I think what this all boils down to, most importantly, is perhaps the lack of confidence in my sailing ability right now. It must be that, I think, because when I felt I had lost control of a situation, my brain just did what I thought I had to get 'get control' back again. I guess that's a form of panic, perhaps. Lots more has been learned from this already, I've done little more than think about it since and lots of sail manoeuvring practice will play a big part of day to day life going forward.
@@TheFlyingPlectrum We did quite a few dummy runs to judge the tide induced leeway, deployed all fenders then aimed at the wall just upstream (/ downstream? you know what I mean) and gunned it. Full main for drive and a scrap of headsail for balance but max visibility, and so it was sufficiently out of the way while we got some lines ashore. Scandalised the main as soon as we were in and it truly went as sweet as you could imagine (and possibly a bit better than we'd imagined!). Beneteau 44CC so not the smallest or most agile yacht. Still, it did have a full professional mechanical check, engine re-commision and service before we left Southampton and was declared in excellent order...
Agree with Premier4378... Getting the jib up gets you back in control, and able to steer, etc. You can very effectively jib-sail onto a mooring buoy, and in Portland Harbour they are free, and the marina staff are extremely helpful (I think we may have been there at the same time). If you're not confident jib-sailing into a marina then they'd have sent a boat out to you to help you in.
We later figured out that they are indeed a really helpful bunch and we have since been practicing sailing in close quarter situations, although I won't lie, we still need LOTS more practice 😬😬
Yet another top video. You might get yourselves in some trouble however with planing you get out of it. Love how you involve hank definitely going to be an old sea dog we even had some ducks in the video today. Keep up what you’re doing stay safe and hope your next sail will be uneventful as you deserve it
Well done guys! Very seamanlike :)) I may have sailed back into open water to fix the engine but you seem to have a trusty anchor and sometimes sailing onto an anchor is ok! You may be able to pull the anchor up yourself without a windlass? Or winch it up... but I appreciate that’s not a quick thing to do. Or worse case if you have to let your anchor go quickly (ie your getting dragged onto a Lee shore and you need to sail off quickly)- tie a fender to the end of your anchor line and let it go free. (I always carry two anchors) so one is available should you need to drop anchor again quickly). You can pick it up the next day/ later on under engine :) but I think you are both problem solvers and quick thinkers - you deserve a lot of credit here :)
You did a wonderful job dealing with this. Even the most seasoned boaters don’t always make the best decisions. I was out boating with a friend of my father’s when I was a young teen. (I hadn’t yet completed any boating coursework). We had engine trouble and he called the Coast Guard for assistance as he was concerned for the “young people’s” safety. . After checking in with them over the course of an hour or so, the CG noticed our position was changing as an offshore breeze and current was sending us farther offshore. The Coast Guard asked the captain if he had an anchor. Quite indignantly he replied he did. The Coast Guard response was “Captain might we suggest you throw it over?” In the stress of the moment he had just forgotten the most basic step. We all learn the most from experience - you’re doing great.
You fixed it and nobody died and no boat was damaged. Great job! Now time to clean the tanks, get some spare filters and think about a fuel cleaning process as, like you said, it’s a very common problem that will return in the future.
We're all loaded up with filters and a back up 20 litres of clean diesel, and some preventative Marine 16 bug treatment for each fill. The other thing left to do is get into the talks and clean them this winter and take out and change all the pipework.
If a situation is particularly dire you can always tie your dinghy alongside amidships or on a stern quarter and use your outboard as an auxiliary! In any sort of sea if your yacht is bow to the swell, amidships is where the motion of the yacht is likely to be least pronounced and therefore boarding a dinghy from the yacht safest. The dinghy scenario would probably be better than nothing in many situations if you can actually maintain any headway at all on such a small motor as a location on a stern quarter will enable you to control your heading better as well. Also it is not a bad idea to have your dinghy readily available in the water at such times anyway.
The goal was safe passage and it was achieved without injuries or damage. Success. Everything that has ever been done, could have been done more effectively and we learn from this.
I'd certainly have sailed (i.e with sails!) into the harbour and anchored up; it's quite a wide entrance, even if you're beating to windward you should get in on one tack or the other. If that sounds like a big ask, then I'd suggest you both take a dinghy sailing course. You'll (a) enjoy it, and (b) when you can sail a dinghy, a keelboat is a doddle - heck, they don't even capsize!
I think a lot more time actually sailing is going to be a focus, rather than just getting out in the open and pointing in long straight lines, which is essentially all we've done, when we think about it.
Did a good job with what you had. Another lesson is there aint no substitute for plenty of chain and at least two decent anchors. But remember, your boat has excellent sailing qualities. Take every opportunity to practice doing stuff without your engine in good conditions and you will find you have much more confidence in a crisis
Been there done that. My boat had 40 years of dust and fluff and stuff that had blown into the tank when it was filled with diesel. So I jet washed the interior of the tank with a home made jet wash. I used a diesel fuel transfer pump to pump diesel into a copper pipe with a nozzle on the end which produced a jet strong enough to dislodge all the crud. I then pumped the dirty diesel through some CAV filters and back into the tank. I changed the filters when they became clogged and managed to remove all the rubbish from the tank. I had to do this because the only access to the tank was via the filler pipe and I didn’t fancy cutting an inspection hatch as to do that I would have had to remove the tank. It worked. No problems since. I also add diesel bug treatment every time I fill the tank.
This may be an avenue for us to explore then was we do have 'inspection hatches' although they are in the far flung corners of the tanks and one is especially hard to get to, so we may as well not have them as far as cleaning the tanks goes.
I think you showed the right attitude of thinking through the problem and taking advantage of your opportunities but maybe it’s good to think of yourself in the first instance as a sailing boat ie: use the sails to get yourself to a place where you can anchor safely and then if necessary call for a mechanic if you can’t fix it yourself. I think you had good options in Portland Harbour and Weymouth Bay. But there will be other times and it’ll never be the same twice! Good luck.
I think our lack of sailing experience and the subsequent lack of confidence in our ability means we're likely using the engine as a crutch more often than we should. Sailing manoeuvring will be bigger part of our practice going forward 👌🏻⛵️
Thanks, Dave. We're glad we got out of another situations unscathed, but feeling a bit like a cat with nine lives right now and have taken several lessons away from both experiences now 😬🤞⛵️
You made the right call Dom. You did the right thing going the slow safe route, giving yourself time if needed. I think your diesel tank needs replacing or flushing though before anything else. Have you checked it over for pin holes & rust? I'm no boat expert, I've watched far too much UA-cam though 😆
I think the diesel tanks being replaced, along with all the pipework would be my preference going forward. But the aft tank looks like it would never come out in one piece. 😳
@@CadohaAdventures plastic tanks? No more rust. Worth the peace of mind fixing it however you do it. Going to leave a dent in the ol wallet either way. Im in the same...boat, pretty sure there's water in the bottom of my cars tank. Runs fine until the tank gets low and then goes into limp mode etc. Hope you get it sorted soon 👍🏼
Wow! In a short trip you experienced two of the three classic engine/drive failures: blocked cooling and dirty diesel. And you handled them! Folks can quibble over the details, but you correctly diagnosed them and got yourselves going again! Better upgrade that dive mask, though. Now you’re due to get a crab pot line wrapped around the prop..... Cheers!
Well done, but best to get your fuel polished or if you don’t have much in the tank, dump what you have, clean the tank and refill with fresh. Probably best to use an additive each time you fill up and keep your tanks full over winter to minimise water / condensation.
Sailing Cadoha . When I had some fuel problems I waiting till the tanks were nearly empty, drained the old fuel. Cut a circular inspection hatch in the stainless tank. Cleaned the inside of the tank thoroughly, had a friend make me a stainless steel hatch, fitted it and then fuelled up with fresh fuel. Always put fuel additive in since and no problems. The new fuels are prone to bug due to the eco requirements. I guess it depends what condition your tank(s) are in and what material they are made of. If they are mild steel I’d definitely change them but if they are stainless and good condition could be unnecessary cost. Also check out Patrick Laine on UA-cam, a past edition on fuel polishing, he made up his own. Have fun, fair winds, safe sailing.
Not sure what happened to your head sail, but in my limited experience, those furling headsails are prone to jamming and snagging, and always at the worst time. When you get your hardware sorted, you can improve your chances of success by: 1) making sure there isn't extra line on the spool. When the sail is fully out, there should be just enough to reach the cleat. 2) Replace the line with new, and as large a diameter as will fit your hardware. 3) Always keep light tension on the furling line as you pull the sail out... this insures that the line will spool without knotting up. I apologize if I have told you what you already know. Safe travels.
Please don't apologise, I don't know that and am glad you shared your knowledge with us, and potentially anyone else watching who may be just starting out too 🍻👌🏻👌🏻
Yes dirty fuel is a real problem always keep your tank clean, Have your fuel polished if you can or even build your own polishing system on board it costs money but well worth it. Another problem can be a blocked exhaust elbow look at that at least annually its time consuming but will give you peace of mind. Over heating or dirty fuel are usually the problem. these problems always occur just when you don't want them.
Thanks for the input, Don. I like the idea of building a fuel polishing system that takes the fuel out of the tanks, then polishing it into a new plastic tank, and then get the engine to lift from there before then taking the fuel into the primary and then secondary filters. Haven't worked out the finer details yet, but it's on the board for a winter project.
As many others have said you are a sailing vessel, use the sails. Sort out a Jerry rig with a full can of fuel so that yo can switch to that if you really need the engine. Portland is a lovely marina with the best amenity block on the south coast. If you are heading west hope to see you in Plymouth one day.
The Jerry rig back up clean diesel system is now firmly in place, I hope I never have to use it in anger, but we have back ups now and more on the way this winter as I think now we've had all the standing and running rigging replaced, this is another super safety important job going forward. Hopefully we'll see you in Plymouth and we can grab a beer 🍻⛵️
Interesting video! When things get rough I always think about my engine, sofar our Beta has not let us down (fingers crossed and touch wood...). Last July we sailed from Dover to Eastbourne and found ourselves fighting tide and wind on the nose. Eventually we gave up and motored into the chop for a few hours but made it to the harbour without any rpoblems, just very tired. An hour before Eastbourne we heard an emergency call from Solent Cost Guard on the CH16 of a yeacht outside Eastbourne harbour stating that their engine had failed and if someone could tow them in. As no one answered I replied and made mental prepartions to give them a tow. To my relief a fishing boat must have heard our conversation and offered to tow the yacht in. When I spoke to guy of the yacht the next day he said that the problem was, you guessed it, dirty fuel!! Last year I helped a member of our club to clean out his tank. Fortunately he had an inspection hatch (modern Jeanneau) and with a grabber we pulled out a large gelly like clot out of the tank, problem solved! I have never had the chance to look into our tank but I hope that when the previous owner installed the new engine they probably flushed the tank as well (again, fingers crossed). As we don't have a large tank (I think only about 70 litres on our Westerly Storm) we always carry two extra 20 litre diesel cans and we make sure the fuel is clean and using diesel bug treatment EVERY TIME. In summary, the same situatioon could happen to us anytime, but at least we won't have to transfer fuel canisters from another boat. Next winter I might drain the tank competely just to make sure the fuel is clean. Well done, and all the best for your future sailing adventures. Martin
I'm on the same page as you now. We have an extra 20 litres of fuel on board, loads of extra filters, some diesel treatment, and I'm inspecting and draining from the bottom of the second tank to get as much crud out as I can. I think there's a bit winter job in front of us now though to do something with these tanks.
You did good, I'm no sailing expert or engineer but maybe something also to think about is that you diagnosed that your fuel tank is contaminated, having drained the fuel system and replaced the filters I would have run the engine directly from the fuel container to ensure that the fuel is good. Loving your channel
Warning of the engine repair , if you get air in the system it will keep loosing power intermittently so do not count on it for at least 15 min or so after any work on the fuel system .
I was taught by an old sea dog that running a sailing school never to pack the sails away until you are safely moored as they could be the only means of propulsion in an emergency . He would tut and mutter and shake his head when he saw crews on other boats stowing the sails before motoring into a marina or picking up a buoy. It created some debate among the crew some of whom thought it looked better to enter harbour under power with sails tidied and stowed. The next day out when the advocates of the tidy approach were "skippering" they instructed the crew to stow the sails prior to motoring into the harbour. To make his point, at a critical stage in the narrow approach to the harbour, the instructor knocked the throttle into neutral as he said "your engine has just failed, now what are you going to do?". There would not have been enough time to unzip the sail bag, reattach the main halyard and hoist the sail before being pushed onto rocks. Further debate on the matter was unnecessary.
I think most people have already said it, get the sails up and sail it into a safe anchorage. Just leaving it to wind and tide to get you to a safe anchorage is a bit dodgy and too many “what if’s” for my liking. However, it worked out ok, glad your safe.
Good Film, again! There should be an inspection hatch on your fuel tank - open it up NB make sure any seal is not damaged / too old before you refit; replace as necessary - once open shine a light in to the lowest point and look for diesel bug or water/dirt and you can clean this up manually with a bucket and clean (when you start) cloth and gloves it will be right at the lowest point of the tank once the tank is settled. I did this with my brother in West Scotland once (fab cruising ground by the way) having rapidly and luckily moored to the hammer head end of a pontoon when we suffered the same problem you had, but we had low/tickover revs only! We then used a bug treatment for contamination. Thereafter we always add a bug treatment, for prevention, to our fuel and since then many thousands of miles later (touch wood/fingers crossed/whatever floats your boat... pun intended!) we have not had the issue. Early signs of the dreaded bug are obvious as small often very small amounts of black sludge in the initial filter. Polishing the fuel is a good idea I believe too, but fortunately the clean (a messy job as you can imagine), treatment to remove the bug, replacement filters and ongoing preventative treatment has so far prevented a recurrence.
I think you're right and we're going to have to tackle the cleaning of the tanks manually. I think we need new inspection hatches cut into the tanks though, as the one that's there would still make most of the tank totally inaccessible to clean the hard to reach areas.
@@CadohaAdventures Remember you normally only need to access the lowest point of the tank as that is where the dirt/diesel bug and water (all more dense than diesel) will sit; you will not likely have to clean the rest unless it is truly massively filthy since the rest of the base of the tank will sit above the lowest point - normally where the fuel pick-up pipe for the engine will be. I would be surprised if the inspection hatch you have doesn't allow access to this lowest point - so I would deal with this first and worry about major re-engineering on the tank only if you really feel it is still a mess.
Well done. Perhaps a comment is that you ought to learn how to bring your boat into harbour under sail. Accepted that in bad weather this is tricky but in normal conditions is something you will master. Engines are renown for letting you down. Love your blog - we have all been there.
We've all been there! Well done - let the coastguard know where you are and what's going on, they won't launch thunderbird 2, but you'll be monitored until you can sort the problem.
Not a bad shout. Someone also suggested a good app that lets the coastguard know of your planned movements which sounds like a good use of data on the old iPad.
it is really amazing the lack of clenliness of fuels these days ...so add that to condensation and diesel bacteria...the gross result could be just that=gross. periodical cleaning is a preventive measure. I use anti bacterial additive annually prior to haul out and wintering as a first measure. then above that and despite not gaving an integral fuel tank, [meanng tank construction is integrates with the hull structure] i still re-ricrculate fuel from the tank and back into the tank through a rough and finer filter until filtrates and water do not appear. i clean the filters after every cycle. that would eliminate water condensate as well as any solids and or sludges. i do sleep better on anchor now. i have a very small sailing boat 25 ft . perhaps it is easier in my case but in principle i find it works.
We've already added some new systems and back ups but are also looking into making the fuel system as bullet proof as possible over the winter months. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Little tip on the outboard kill cord. I was trained to always have it over two joints i.e. above elbow or knee rather than wrist or ankle - less likely to slip off like that. Really enjoying your videos - thank you.
That's a good tip. I was actually going to put a proper strap on it that then does up around my wrist for exactly that kind of scenario. But for now, elbow it is! 😬🙏🏻⛵️
Great outcome, neatly handled. A quick suggestion ... dirty fuel (or bug in tanks) is defo predictable. Dose with Fuel Set (or similar) *every* time you fill up. Keep the tank topped right up (sloshing fuel in half-empty tanks makes it more likely you’ll succumb to dirty filters). Now, either drain the tank and polish the fuel, or treat the existing tank of fuel with a really powerful anti-bug product ... I use “Marine 16”, which is also recommended by RNLI. Some tanks are easy to drain, others less so. Note that Marine 16 treats diesel bug. If your fuel is contaminated in some other way, draining and polishing is best. And a thought (for next time!) .... you could have sailed into Portland Harbour .... far better to have anchored in smoother waters .... and shallower, too. Not saying it was wrong to anchor as you did, but you’d have reduced the subsequent concern about weighing without power. And you wouldn’t have felt nauseous. Anyhow, congratulations on resolving the issue and reaching safe haven. You guys are doing a great job. Thanks for sharing everything so honestly. 👍🏼🎉
Appreciate the heads up and as well as several other systems we've now implemented, we also shelled out the eye water asking price for a large bottle of marine-16 😳⛵️ I think you're spot on about sailing into Portland Harbour and have been kicking myself ever since.
Good job for sure.. Think i would be investing in a small emergency fuel bladder and some spare lengthy fuel line until you get the main tank cleaned out like you said over 90% of breakdowns is slurried fuel in choppy conditions ....pennys for peace of mind right!
Yes we've been thinking of a system that could continually polish fuel on the go. There's some really interesting ideas on UA-cam that we're thinking of copying 😬
@@CadohaAdventures perhaps a few inline fuel filters if you have the room. there's is something on the commercial side of transport that spin filters oil and fuel came across that many moons ago as a mechanic in the transport industry
Well done for sorting it out .... had it myself crossing the channel in a gale.... now always take loads of spare filters...... another great vlog.........
Another fantastic video. When I started sailing I had similar experiences....it's the learning curve. Someday an old sailor gave to me the most important advice. "Don't use sailboats like a powerboats" When you have an opportunity try to sail only with the Genoa. It's easier to control and easier to reef. In that situation could helped to you to sail to a better place even to Portland. It's easy in my chair without pressure to solve your problems but I am just trying to help and show you if you practice to sail more and more you will be less engine dependent. Hugs from Brazil
I think that's great advice and we're almost certainly guilty of using our sail boat more as a power boat when things get tricky. We will be doing a LOT more manoeuvre practice while under sail.
You had wind, so could have sailed into the anchorage at Portland Harbour once the can of clean fuel allowed the engine to start and the anchor raised. From there, a marina yard boat would have brought you to a pontoon, if required. I hope you got your diesel tank thoroughly cleaned out and a fresh load of diesel put in to prevent a recurrence of this problem regardless of future weather conditions. Enjoyed your video and your honesty. Have subscribed and clicked on the bell. Good luck as you sail onward.
@@CadohaAdventures Just always have a plan to deploy one quickly . Usually the head sail as it is usually on a furler .Just make sure the sheets are run and stowed so they can not go overboard and foul the prop .
I have same problems. The main fuel tank is inside the keel ... I use a diesel pump to polishing the fuel through a 30 micron water separator. Here is a T-valve to feed up my day tank with 33 Liter clean fuel. From the main and the day tank is possible to suck through separate 30 micron prefilter and After through the fine filter. The „OVENTRUP“ valve between the tanks and the engine can change both lines directly. Now, with the day tank, never problems again. But during polishing, I found mud again and again. Great to see, panic is the last! Keep cool. WELL DONE! Nice haircut ,-)
Even with dirty fuel in your tank, a filter change will get you through a while before the new ones clog (always carry multiple spares!). Knowing how to change fuel filters and bleed the system even under duress is diesel boat safety 101. You did great Cap!
Well, changing filters will help IF the fuel in the line is not full of water and crud, which it looks like his was, viewing the 'sample' in the bottle.
Can’t fault your thought processes. You did exactly as you should do.. For deep anchorages I would have a couple hundred feet worth of octiplait rode woven into the chain as a back up and maybe some way to isolate your main fuel feed ( fuel tank ) and have it sucking direct from a clean source ( Jerry can ) that way any sediment is bypassed but bravo. Finally. Take sea sickness tablets as a precaution at the onset of any engine failure: bang 2 of them down straight away as you know your gonna be down below for a long long long time unless you can afford the posh sea start services or tow in fees . Again bravo on the recovery .
Well done for coming through this. Everyone’s allowed their special ´duck’ moment. Quite right to think it through before accepting the tow. It is the ability to analyse the situation, asses the risk and then take a decision that separates people. Have a look at episode 178 of Sailing into Freedom when Peter puts his cat and wife onto a reef and loses the boat. He is experienced so bad things and mistakes happen but watch how calm they are in a boat that is sinking. Take care on your learning curb.⛵️👍😉 Also episode 122of Beau and Brandy shows using the dinghy to add power to the boat.
I would suggest the following course of action. 1. Don't anchor 2. Hoist your foresail and heave to 3. call for help 4. Alternative to 3. If feasible sail into Harbour and then anchor.....
As others have said, putting out to sea under sail would have taken the pressure off but I'm glad you got yourself out of trouble (with help). How much pressure to get ashore is having the dog on board going to put you under? He's a lovely creature but as you say, he has his needs and as new sailors you don't need distractions. Not seen anyone else cross an ocean with such a big four legged friend.
Hi guys first you did all the right things from a sailing point of view you gave yourself time. sadly from a maintenance point of view not so good. for 47years as a diesel engine tech the problems your having is so common and well known the only cure for this is to remove all the fuel in the tank and clean the crap from the bottom no great no how needed if you dont do this the problem will not go away access to the tank can be difficult but try the level sensor to access the tank i use a small electric pump but manual is ok use a pipe cable tied to a steel bar 6mm dia ok and this will get you down to the bottom. do this every year as to many fuel suppliers tanks can be very poor and you pump in crap fuel sad but thats the way it is, also if you lay up the boat over winter fill it with fuel it stops Condensation forming. ps I do understand you wanted to get going but one day this could put you in a very bad place. regards to you both Jeff
Making your boat safe before attempting repairs is correct. Had the winds increased and drier takes you to shore and no good anchorage is found that’s trouble. So finding a relatively safe anchorage is correct. Then you have time and options.
Hi again, Get an anchor snubber, force 4 sell a metal chain hook for about a fiver. When you get chance practice sailing off and on to your anchor and lifting and dropping it by hand, you will have to do it sometime in the future for sure. It sounds like you have a microbial bug in your fuel, unless you've been sold some dirty fuel. Regards Mark.
I bought my old dufour about 7 years ago. She'd been sat for 4 years down in Watchet with a full tank of red. Me and a couple of mates got her back up to Lydney no problem. The first time I took her out down the Severn we had a SWesterly blowing straight up the Bristol channel (nothing new there!). I decided to motor until we got clear of the bridges (M48 and M4). We just got upstream of hen and chickens (just above the old Bridge on the Welsh side) when the bastard engine died.. The tide was running fierce over hen and chickens so we wacked that head sail out bloody sharpish! We sailed her down to Portishead and dropped the hook the mud just outside what's called the hole, we had 4 hrs to wait to be able to lock in to Portishead. I always carry spare diesel and I usually have odd bits of pipe on board. So I rigged up a 5 ltr can as a the tank, stood it in the sink - had it piped into the lift pump. Bled it through and got her running, cooked a bit of grub and opened a bottle of beer. When I was about to leave the lock and head into Portishead marina the bastard engine died again. I hadn't plumbed the return into the fuel can and it chucked the diesel back into the tank, what a tosser! I tried cleaning that tank about 3 times but every time I went out the engine packed in. I could plumb a can into that engine in minutes! At the end of the season I took the tank out - couldn't believe how much shit was in the thing
Wowzers, sounds like you had some real dramas there. I'm thinking about building a simple polishing system that takes fuels from the old tanks, polishes it, then the engine lift pump takes the fuel directly from the 'polished tank'. The old tanks have been fitted in such a way that getting them out looks pretty much impossible without either cutting them up, or, cutting a giant hole in the boat. 🧐🤨
don't beat yourself up, you succeeded , and along the way and after the fact you built a mental program of all the things you could do the next time, learning from experience, is very powerful. It is good you are having this things happen close to shore. Wait till you run up on a sand bar, or drag anchor in the middle of the night the real excitement of sailing. My favorite swear word is from Red Dwarf. Smeg, what the smeg, smegging hell. Are you following other sailing channels, eg. Sailing Nanji, they ran up on a reef in Thailand last year, but are back on the water of a 6 weeks of repairs. Bums on a Boat, just weathered super high winds in anchorage only to have dozens of boat break their moorings and drag anchors. Sailindipity , in their 1st week or two of sailing ran aground twice, and just laughed it off. That isn't to scare you but more so you can see how people work together and deal with difficult situations. I wish you fair winds and following seas
![Amateur DIY Yacht Restoration.... [Day 329]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sSLNfXWg5NM/mqdefault.jpg)
The very first thing you should have done when your engine stopped is roll out the headsail and get the boat settled down and underway. Dropping anchor in deep water on a lee shore is asking for trouble. You were quite correct in thinking you would have trouble retrieving your anchor without your engine so if you started dragging you would find yourself in all sorts of grief. Remember first and foremost you are on a yacht, always rely on your sails as your primary form of propulsion . Love your videos always look forward to them.
Premier4378 NZ it’s always great hearing feedback for possible future trouble as well!
The Lost Compass i
Under the conditions they faced, I think this is absolutely right. They had plenty of wind and reasonable sea state to get away from the shore and buy time to decide what to do. Depending on wind direction they might have been able to sail straight into Portland Harbour which is absolutely huge; as long as you have a clean tack through the entrance you would be safe to nose around for a good place to anchor.
Another piece of advice I picked up (from watching something Skip Novak was talking about actually) is not to "fully put your sails away" always have them ready to go up quickly.
A half mile to shore with a headwind and current isn’t exactly an ideal situation or a lot of time to get a sail up, and someone less experienced might would end up just pushing themselves to shore faster trying to get the sail set up. Idk, I think dropping anchor was the right choice in this case. I’m that someone with little experience so obviously my perspective is a little different, but dropping anchor is what I would have done in that situation too.
You had established the problem. Dirty fuel. Once the engine started and run for a minute you had a degree of certainty you had indeed established the problem. Assuming you know your consumption per hour you could have estimated if the replacement fuel in the separate container was adequate and then draw directly from clean fuel container I believe you made an educated decision. Don’t be too hard on yourself. A good result. Get your fuel polished.
Dave Smiddy, great minds!
Any solution that gets you safe is a good one. Don't knock yourself, you did good👍
Great video and love your storytelling.
When I was about 12 we had a similar situation, exactly the same trip (Studland to Weymouth). 5 of us on an Eygthene 24 (my parents, me, 10 yr old brother, 5 yr old sister)
Dad had underestimated the extent of the tidal race off St Albans and we got caught in the tail of it (this was 1977, years before gps, all we had was a compass). Very confused sea. I remember we dropped off one wave with an almighty crash. I was sent forward in the cabin to see if everything was ok. I said it was because the water was only on my brother's side of the v-berth (the anchor locker wasn't sealed well enough). I also remember as I was returning to the cockpit seeing a wave run along both side decks and completely fill the cockpit, drained away so fast nobody else noticed at the time.
As we came up to Weymouth, the engine stopped (might have been a similar problem but also it didn't have a gearbox, the cable adjusted the pitch of the propeller to go forwards or backwards). So we sailed into Weymouth. Wind was coming straight of the harbour so we had to beat all the way in and raft up as the outside boat about 5 deep (no pontoons in those days, seem to remember we were right next to a large brewery).
When we tried to leave the next day we discovered that the main bulkhead compass had jumped off it's bearings, presumably in the tidal race, and so was saying North as we headed South out of Weymouth :-)
I wouldn't be anxious about your decision to anchor (although it looks like it would be good to practice, in easy conditions, to see how you could get it up without the engine either manually or by increasing the battery bank). Great that you were able to sort the fuel, but these problems seem to be getting more and more common (Distant Shores had a fuel blockage on an almost brand new big Southerly last year). This is one of the reasons we are switching our 43 year old Rival 38 to an Electric Motor.
I'd join with the other comments, your greatest asset is being able to sail. Portland Harbour is huge so you could sail in and anchor in a more protected place, you don't need to be able to get to the marina under sail. Or just sail slowly out to sea to give thinking and sorting time (you could just get plenty of sea room and heave to for the night). You don't need to worry about racing performance, but experimenting with Cadoha will show you want you can do while shorthanded. For example will she make (slow) progress to windward under main only? Will she tack under main only (and in what wind speeds/wave states)? Do you need some genoa to help tack, but can you do so with only a small amount unrolled to make tacking easier? Which sail combinations make heaving to easy (and how fast will you, in what direction).
Don't start in difficult, tight spots with lots of current or tide but find a nice day and go out for a relaxed play. Build up a list of known solutions so that you know exactly what will work in a particular situation rather than trying to work it out at the time. Remember you are not needing optimum speed but control, calm and ease of handling so you might seem to have reefed more than needed.
Hope that helps. You did well and you got sorted with other options available, nobody got hurt and nothing broke - always a success.
Great advice and amusing recollection
Hey guys, let me say first of all as a very recent newcomer to your vlog, I'm hooked. You've a great way of chatting and explaining and it's highly entertaining. Thanks!
Second, what's just happened is exactly what happened to my wife and me. We bought an 18 month boat up here at Largs and as a small bonus, it had a full tank of diesel too, filled to the brim.
It transpired the guy who bought this very boat did so at the Souhthampton boat show - it's the actual bought that was on show. He bought it seemingly on a whim and then after 18 months, with only 40 hours on the engine and very little sailing, sold up..... to us, late in the season so we never got to sail much until 6 months later.
We then set out, sailed quite a bit but rarely used the engine, though we did a full service etc etc. Some months later, just as we needed the engine, cough, cough and it died. Fortunately we had sea room and so I immediately set about changing both filters etc. Turned out we had diesel bug blocking the pick up pipe.
All sorted, fortunately, but lesson was to:
1. Regularly check my fuel tank and clean out any stray gunk, much like the previous poster advises, service regularly, not skimping on the quality of the filters, and I now also routinely use Marine16 fuel additive to kill any bug.
2. Rig up a separate emergency fuel line which I can quickly and easily attach and draw fuel from my back up 20L jerry can, just in an emergency. I've also modified the attachment on my bulk head so I can very quickly change the filter if absolutely necessary.
3. Keep a small, 5L can which I can quickly dump into the tank if I've run short at a crucial point, although of course this should NEVER happen ;)
You guys are doing a great job there. It's scary when this stuff happens but I'm sure this won't happen to you again. Keep positive and be proud of how you've coped so far. Top marks to you both.
PS Our old diesel had also lost its cetane value through standing too long so it didn't want to ignite. Just a tip, but don't keep it too long like we did otherwise that's another potential issue, more so on a yacht where the diesel gets used far less.
Think you did great - have sailed same waters for 40 odd years and think perhaps a better option when the engine failed would have been to get the sails back up and sail out of trouble - anchor as a last resort. However all’s well that ends well and another great vid
You sir, are a brilliant story teller. I could actually feel the urgency as you regaled us with that tale. AWESOME.
You guys are awesome. 1st rule OF LIFE, don't panic. Keep your heads clear and your attention focused. I was in the same place as you nearly 2 years ago when I bought a boat that had been sat on the hard for nearly 18 months. Having had a very limited experience of some sailing issues I did 2 things I am really really glad about. I threw the batteries away and got new ones and then I got some diesel additive to clean whatever was in the tank. So far, cross fingers its been plain sailing ever since. Good luck with the adventure, hope it all goes well from now in. You deserve it.
This reminds me of an incident I had to deal with in Asia 15 years ago with an outdoor training organization I worked for; 12 students and two instructors anchored at night on a 24 foot ketch with no engine, just sails and oars. Middle of the night a strong wind and a poorly set anchor sent them drifting across the bay towards the far shore; what did they do? Raise the anchor and start rowing against the wind. They lost. The boat hit the rocks and was holed. Somehow everyone got out onto the rocks largely unhurt but shaken and probably put off sailing for life. Even in the cold light of day the next morning the instructors, with Yachtmaster tickets didn’t think that using the sails to do a beam reach out to sea, or to leave the anchor down as a brake were options; “We didn’t have time” they said, though the bay was a mile across, it had taken 15 minutes or more to cross it and hit the rocks and it takes a few seconds to raise sails. Panic blocks options.
As we didn’t have engines on those ketches we, the instructors became very skilled at rowing and at anchoring, weighing anchor and coming along side even in strong winds.
I’m going to polish my fuel properly and get that extra diesel Jerry can, and that big leather strap fuel filter grip I keep thinking of and add an extra inlet point for fuel. I’m also going to pretend I don’t have an engine in my Westerly Oceanranger sometimes to rediscover the mastery I once had on the ketches. Thanks for the vicarious experience.
I love your videos. Keep it up.
This episode was definitely a great learn. Thank you. I'm not a sailer (yet!) so I can't tell you if your handling of the situation could have been better but it worked and you all kept safe, didn't drag anyone else in with you and you got to safety without drama. I have reasonable experience of ending up in the brown stuff (if you don't occasionally, you need to turn up the adventure dial) so what I can say with some confidence is that getting out of the brown stuff to safety with a smile on all faces and an open mind to take the experience with you means you did superbly well. You've definitely earned a drink. Keep up the good work and hugs to Hank!
When I took ownership of my Baba 34 one of the items on my list of "must-do" was to have the fuel polished and the tanks cleaned as well I changed all hose and filters. The engine never failed me..But I must say even with the off line panic, what you showed and explained you did all (IMHO) you could have before throwing the towel in and getting towed. BRAVO AND WELL DONE.
What worked out well for us in the past few years: we bought about 5-6 of the cheapest diesel filter in a car parts store - the one you through out when it is clogged up. We intalled it in the fuel line as the first filter to clog up and placed so that we can change it easily. A replacement filter is also stored next to it. In rough seas, or before any risky maneuver, we just take a look at the filter (it has a transparent housing) and quickly change it if looks suspicious. Our main racor filter is also much cleaner ever since and we did not have sudden engine cut-off since.
I know a lot of people probably don’t see this as such a big deal, but some of us understand just how bad a situation that was and lots of ducks showing up on the boat all of a sudden is more than understood and familiar to anyone who’s been in any situation like this. Great job handling the situation like a boss.
I love the way you put your videos together with the explanations- as a non sailor very interesting! And love Hank of course!
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but you did so well in the circumstances. Never forget though that sailing boats have sails and that should be your primary propulsion!
I think this has been the biggest takeaway for me too 😳
Sailing Cadoha the thing to remember is we’ve all made the same mistakes (some of us have done a lot worse, me for one!). The main thing is to stay safe and have fun which you seem to be excelling at :)
So easy to ‘criticise’ from an armchair! Diesel ‘bug’ being stirred up is very common as you said so maybe you should have cleaned the tanks in preparation for this trip. Secondly, make searoom, you had sails and could have tacked out to sea and then made it safely into Portland harbour where you could have anchored. Don’t panic. Excellent video, you are very honest and amusing!
As so many have also mentioned NOT to forget that you are a SAILBOAT (a nice cutter) and are perfectly capable of sailing off a lee shore. The first thing that might have been done is to get those sails back up. I had that same thing happen to me just as I was passing through a swing bridge! I had to get the sail up while I was foundering within the bridge and eventually moved the boat out away from the bridge so he could close it again in rush hour traffic! I sailed down the river for a few hours until I could clean the filters and prime the lines and purge them of air. I was a newbie then and was moving the newly acquired boat from North Carolina to the Great Lakes!
It takes some planning and a little know how to set up a system to filter or "polish" your fuel. If you have the room for it in your bilge, get a small feed tank ( 3-5 Gallons) for the diesel that the injectors feed from and run lines from the main tank to it through a pump and another filter. The pickup tube in the main tank should run close to he bottom of the tank so that it will pick up the sediment and water and algae in the main tank and feed it through the additional filter to the feed tank. Plumb it so that when the feed tank is clean the output from that new filter can be run right back into the main tank to polish the main tank's fuel. It would be helpful to have a sight window on the feed tank to see the fuel that has been sitting awhile.
Why not sail into Portland harbour -you are a sailing boat. Once in, drop the hook in relative calm and sort. Don’t ever rely 100% on the engine.
I once had an accident about 30 miles from shore in the Baltic sea. It was blowing 30-35 knots and the engine didn't start, but I was able to dock the 50 foot classic yacht under sails. Alone. Well, I have been sailing for 40 yrs and much of it alone, but never in a big unfamiliar boat like this (I was hired as skipper to get the boat to a boat show), so in many ways you cans say I have sailing in my blood. On the other hand, for rookies like Dom and Carly, who is 100% true about their lack of experience, maneuvers like docking a big boat under sail in an unfamiliar harbor must seem like jumping into a hell gate. But time and persistence makes heroes.
Spot on, Ann, I totally agree
Or sail into Weymouth Bay and anchor just outside the harbour. Much more sheltered there in a SW wind and you could probably make it in one tack.
But you are sailing on to an unknown lee shore. Better to beat out to sea when trouble first occurred.
If the wind was not on the nose to get into the harbour, I agree this would be a good call. Portland harbour is *huge* and plenty of room to manouver under sail inside and sail right into a good place to anchor. If the wind was on the nose though, tacking through the harbour entrance might be tricky (and in either case, it would be important to get authorisation from the harbour authorities - there is some big traffic!)
Regardless if 1 Week, 1 Month, 1 Year or 20 Years of sailing experience - EVERY time you go out you will learn something. I would suggest a small external fuel pump that, if the situation arises, you can pump from a Jerry can. Love watching the videos and following your journey. Keep sailing - Keep Learning!
Rig what you need to run from a can by replacing its lid... and be able to leave it running unattended (in case one of you is single handed). Keep the thing assembled and clipped up in the engine bay.
You will look at this every time you wobble and realise that by making this, you have ensured you will never ever need it.
Guys, a novice myself, i think you did great, as many suggested get the sails back up, I guess you could have sailed into the harbor, although that may not always be an option, our harbor has a ruling about entering under sail, so at that point to me it would have been keep to deep water, and attempt repairs, for you that wasn't going to happen as you didn't have clean fuel, so a call for assistance would have been an option.
I recently inspected my tank, I'm glad I did, there was a fair bit of sludge in the bottom, so out came the tank, washed the tank out, filled with fresh fuel, and a drop of anti bug treatment as well, preventative maintenance is the way to go :)
Awesome video Dom, it never feels good having issues but you are learning so much from all these experiences and it will really equip you well for things to come when you travel further afield.
Dude, you are such a good story teller, I mean I'm just here for the sailing content but the story just makes it 10x more enjoyable and heart warming😂 Im still catching up after just finding you two days ago. Fair winds from Plymouth
On the evidence of that experience I am going to add a valve and T ahead of my filter so I can draw fuel from a container when things go wrong. One Twenty litre gerry can should go a fair distance. I’ll also look at a twin filter system, not to mention add inspect fuel tank interior to the work list. It sounds like a lot to do, but I’d rather do that than mow a lawn.
Bill one twenty litre would do me 2 seasons :):):) yeah sail it off!!!!! :):)
I would put a Tee Valve (L port) between the tank and filter. Change the filter and turn the Tee to suck fuel out of a fresh container via a short hose. Tee-ing in after the filter is a risk. The container may well have some muck in it and this will go straight to your engine!
Jonathan Wetherell : I think we are on the same page, Jonathan. Ahead of the filter is between the tank and the filter (flow direction). I currently use a 20 litre gerry can for my Eberspacher water heater and that is working well, but when I get to plumbing that into the main fuel line I’ll add the extra line for emergency engine supply. I may well have the same fuel gunk issue on my 19 year old boat. I haven’t run the engine enough to find out. Maybe a tank inspection.
William Bunting guys don’t for get the returned unused diesel will go back into your main tank , there fore emptying the Jerry can quicker than just the engine usage. If you T into diesel supply line you need to return unused diesel to Jerry can
Berty Worcester : Yes you are right. Requires two lines to the Jerry can.
As an emergency engine, Putting the outboard on the dinghy and attaching it to the side of your boat, you can then use that to make some slow headway.
Not sure that would work when the wind is blowing 30 kn on the nose. you'd be pushed further back than you would going forward.
Done that a few times, and it's a nice exercise to try. Works best with the dinghy strapped around the rear 1/4 to 1/3 mark. Try it somewhere calm and without much current 'cos you'll find it's good for a knot or two. In the conditions you were in it would have been both futile as you would have gone backwards, and dangerous to take to the dinghy in open water with Cadoha rolling like pig. But give it a go, so you know.
Yeah you two are probably right, I had forgotten it was 30kn on the nose .
I know the feeling. Engine refused to start in the NAB anchorage area at 2am with no wind and 30m deep . Your instinct on boat damage from the dive boat is right. You COULD have asked Sea Start and their RIB ie big black fender to follow you in. But very well done sorting it out. I have seen a motor boat lose an engine momentarily in there in a blow and nearly hit the rock wall.
Yes we just went with gut feelings and instincts at that point, luckily it worked out, although we learned plenty of lessons upon reflecting on the incident.
You did the correct thing regarding anchoring as soon as you were able to. I probably would have asked the rescue guy if he minded staying in touch on the vhf and if he would be prepared to tow you in if you only made it part of the way to the marina. You must carry 25 litres of fresh clean diesel in a spare can together with filters and tools of course. I totally agree that fuel contamination is the number one problem with Diesel engines. Never run the tank down to near empty but the problem can occur even with a tank that is nearly full due to fuel rolling around and stirring up any dirt on the bottom of the tank. You really need to clean the tank out otherwise you will continue to have the problem. I would also suggest using an anti diesel bug chemical. Diesel bug is caused mostly by infrequent use of the engine allowing the growth of an algae . Always store the boat with a full tank to cut down on inner tank condensation. On the subject of accepting a tow, always use your tow rope to avoid salvage claims!
Your fuel problem is a frequent occurance on sailboats. I had a similar problem 25 years ago, in a gale, with swells from two directions. The engine stopped, filter was clogged with "stuff". I changed filters, engine would run for a few minutes, then clog again. And the engine was an old hand crank type. Anyway, as clean filters were decreasing in number my wife asked "why don't you use one of the Jerry cans of clean fuel?" Thank God for wives. That worked, we made port, had the tanks cleaned, and proceeded on our way to Mexico. So what you did was good to my way of thinking. And the motion and fumes and heat presented me with my first and only episode of sea sickness.
You weren't lucky mate, you didn't run around flapping and began the trouble shooting process. Well done keep em coming.
The flapping was fairly minimal although there are certainly a few spots that I feel we had luck on our side just a little bit 😬
Great video. You have a good story-telling technique. All these things happened to me when I was starting off. When you have an old engine and you are still learning the ropes you get constantly bombarded by engine issues. ..ONE thing I learned very quickly was to question WHAT IF?...Each time you plan to enter a port say "What if the engine packs up again?"...and say it to yourself constantly until you are safe at anchor or in the marina...and keep learning the heck out of how your engine works and fixing/preempting the issues along the way.....By the way, I would a) Clean the full tank and fuel line; and b) make sure the tank and fuel line to the filter is fully water tight....Then you'll have just one less thing to worry about....In time you will either learn to trust your engine or you'll replace it. Another great vid....I'm pondering what you are going to do for content when things start going really well...
'What if's all that's been haunting my mind since the day this video was shot. A lot more than just dirty fuel has been illuminated and we are now making lots of plans to improve the boats systems, but also improve our sailing skills, with some additional training which has kindly been offered to us by a local sailing school, which I think we'd be crazy to turn down ☺️
There is a saying we had in the Air Force, any landing is a good landing. So getting back in a safe port or anchorage... it's all good.
My wife is from Cape Town South Africa and truly enjoys your humor. like Capt Ron said," if it's going to happen it will happen out there"
Have been reading tons of sailing books, since I was a young boy. I'm 62 now and can honestly say, when I got in Mother Natures off side with Neptune, I would remember what others did to survive the savage sea. you never stop learning and you have amazing schools in your neck of the woods. Stefan, Paper Boat Project, went thru to get his Captains License. He is a perfect example of someone with sailing experience, but wanted to tae it to the next level.
One of the long distance cruisers - Cornell, maybe - set up his boat's fuel system so that there is a permanently mounted "day tank" (a day's consumption sized) with its own filtration and water separator above engine level and fuel is always pumped to up into it by a manual activated pump, by the person on watch.
Rationale is 1) it will always gravity feed to the engine, no pumping issue, and even if you have a pumping issue there is X liters of time till the day tank gets empty 2) You can easily check, replace, treat etc your fuel in the "day tank" without having to deal with the higher amount of diesel in the main tank 3) if you always fill it manually, you can spot far sooner that something is wrong in the main tank, e.g. fuel is dirty, has lots of water in it or that the the main tank got dry (contingency for a fuel level indicator failure)
Such a "day tank" (3-4 hours worth of size) may not be so difficult to install in retrofit. Maybe with a possibility to use manual pumping, just in case.
Really love that idea and have been checking out some ideas along those lines with some far more experienced sailors than us on UA-cam 👌🏻⛵️
You did brilliantly and didn't panic. You assessed the risk and solved the problem. I take my hat off to you. However I have to say I personally would have accepted the tow immediately. I am retired now but used to be a fulltime regular coastguard in the Orkney Islands and Gt Yarmouth. The sea, no matter how calm the sea state or experienced, knowledgable and qualified a skipper is, will take no prisoners. Safety must always be king. Just a suggestion but I would also think about using what we used to call the CG66 scheme but now the RYA safetrx scheme in your passage planning.
Lots of lessons were learned from this situation. I agree with you to just take the tow and not be a hero 👌🏼
@@CadohaAdventures Thank you and I am learning from you too. You three are great.👍
Awesome bruh!!! Glad u guys made it out the situation. I believe staying calm is key 🔑
I would have went back to sailing mode immediately, head out to open water and figure out anything after I have a few miles between the boat and anything solid. Easy for me, in an armchair. Thanks for sharing, good learning for me too.
Yes in hindsight there's so many more options that we had, all a learning curve at the moment 😬
Grew up sailing and worked at a sailing club in my teens, but it has been a while. One thing I notice about a lot of sailing channels is a lack of experience sailing in tight quarters. Remember, the Pardeys sailed around the world without an engine. Practice in tight anchorages, practice beating in a narrow channel, etc. Keep a sail ready to rock even if you're motoring. My father always made me sail through the mooring area, practice picking up a mooring under sail, etc. You can sail yourself into a slip with a little practice, so you could probably have sailed out of this situation.
That said, what you did would be my second or even first choice depending on how nervous I was. The other poster made a good point about the difficulty picking up your anchor with a lee shore looming but, honestly, who cares? Worst case scenario you save the boat, call a tow, and lose the anchor. Not ideal, but at least all the people and the boat will be safe!
Hi guys, check the O ring on the deck filler is in good condition. This is where most boats get there water into the tank and its this that causes the bug. These need to be changed every second season or so and lubricated with just a smear of silicone grease. (Dont use vaseline). Sail Safe Guys, Ant, Cid & the pooch crew.
Will be sure to look into that now. Does it make a difference if the deck fitting is fitted through the teak? I read some people say that you never get a good seal on teak unless you epoxy the area that the fitting will be placed onto?
@@CadohaAdventures Hi Guys. The O ring will be on the inner lid that you unscrew just above the threaded part. This seals the outer filler tube to the cap when under compression. It stops sea water and rain getting into the filler and hose. They need to be changed every other season or so and lubricated with a light silicone grease. Don't use vaseline. The outer deck filler is best sealed to the teak with butyl so the expansion and contraction of the teak as it wets and dries is matched by the butyl. Sealants like Sika cant cope with this over time and will let water past the outer filler and possibly into the deck core or inside the boat. Check the filler inside below the deck where it meets the filler hose for signs of water ingress. (You can cet the same issues with water tank deck fillers as well so good to check them too.) As for the water in the fuel tank causing the bug; you can polish the fuel but your engine does this via the fuel return hose from the injectors. The water and bug will be at the bottom of the tank as derv floats on water when it's not all stirred up so you can get it out using your oil extractor pump.) You really need to clean the tank if you can get inside it? Top tips are; keep the fuel tank topped up, fit a disposable filter from ebay (about £3.50) in the fuel line and this will clog first and can be quickly swapped out in a few seconds for a spare. Installing will take about 10 mins. Or buy a set of bypass filters with bypass valves for about £250.00 and spend half a day or so fitting them. Hope this helps? Sail Safe Guys, Ant, Cid & the pooch crew.
These are great videos. You've done really well. I think I'd have tried to sail into Portland harbour and pick up a buoy but you troubleshooted the problem and kept yourselves safe. I have a lot of respect for what you're doing and really love being onboard with you. Safe travels!
Cheers, Chris, and yes, I'm starting to realise that dropping the anchor before trying to sail into port was likely evidence of me panicking perhaps? I'm kicking myself now, but all lessons being learned and clearly need to build more confidence in our sailing ability. 😬⛵️🙏🏻
I hope you are both having a great trip. Sailing is all about problem solving and you're good at that. You'll be fine. Stay safe :)
Thought you did a cracking job on fault finding that problem and the previous engine one. We saw a similar issue with a fellow flotilla boat several years ago due to diesel bug being churned up by choppy seas.! I reckon you earned your pay on that one. good job. Very much enjoying the channel.
Last week a young English, over 80 years old, sailing alone was saved about 300 miles, north west of the Azores(The true middle of nowhere), with a broken sail, ENGINE(WATER ON THE DIESEL), without food and almost no water, but he knew he needed to get to that distance to ask for help (the radio range), the Portuguese Navy solved the problem in the engine and gave him food, diesel, water, and and clinical, according to the legend, when he arrived on the island of Faial (and it was last week) HE said: "I'm sure the tank will be cleaned and I'll increase the radio capacity", and a few beers were drunk, laughter was given and hugs! He was lucky, others don't have it! I hope your diesel tank is already clean, because if it is not you will have more problems...
I can only hope to be that cool and collected in the future 🤞
Sailing Cadoha yep!
As usual an excellent video and admire the brutal honesty as a lot of channels just show all the glamorous parts of the sailing life. We have had some issues ourselves during our sailing and as they say "every day is a school day".
Regarding all the advice given, a lot of it is very good but at the time you did what you thought was right and it worked.
Finally, a big shout to Al for the help he provided and that is what life should be about, not all about me, me, me but alos helping others.
Yes Al was a top guy (and let's not forget the two ladies with him, one of which had a cracking throw!)
We've got a lot of sound advice now, and so systems have been implemented but a bigger project is now unfolding for the winter!
Another satisfied customer for onboard fuel polishing! What you did worked so all on board bow to the Captain.
Well done - stress levels UP.....some calm and methodical problem solving by both you and Carly found the solution and you fixed the problem....with a tiny bit of help. All a learning curve, be it vertical for a short space in time...you guys did exceptionally well. Live to sail another day.
Cheers once more.
love your channel, i'm just setting out for my yachmaster RYA etc so binge watching your channel as been ace. and seeing that you can learn to sail etc in a different route to the RYA path as been really interesting.
Great videos. Some great tricks and advice you have found. I sail a family boat 12 years old 47 feet. It’s been in the med most of its life and over the Atlantic back twice. Saw the Dazcat in Plymouth last week on a trip to Salcombe. The amount of tools and spares we carry is mind boggling. But if I can recommend one thing, a cordless angle grinder. If ever you get dis masted, bolt croppers will take 15 to 30 mins to get through rigging in weather. A cordless angle grinder will be low minutes.
Declaring a situation as an emergency is hard, but you realized that making a request for help was the best option, and then working to try to get your engine started knowing help was coming, was correct. Finding out what caused the engine out condition when in a safe place and then setting up a protocol to deal with it if it happens again is what you did...Well done.
Thanks, we're happy all are safe and well, the boat didn't come to any harm, but there's been a lot of reflection and we already have new systems in place since and we have some more extensive plans for the winter projects coming up.
As a mature novice (never too late to start anything) this is starting to feel like a really great channel as you're being so open about your mistakes alongside your passion for sailing itself. Reading the comments and advice from more experienced mariners is proving to be really useful to me as a newby. Best of luck with your adventure.
Great video and story! I had similar issue last year and learnt from it... Clean the tank with a 2nd hand wet vac... Built a duel filter system and now have two Jerry cans of clean fuel!
I was a delivery skipper for a long time. You guys did great and hind sight is 20 20 vision, as they say, but the most important piece of advice I ever got was "operate as if you have no engine." Not so easy today with modern marinas, etc, and the convenience of motoring through tight spots is very alluring, but, it is a dodgy mindset. You are sailors on a "sail boat." Your ethos for routing/passage planning should be based on having 'no' engine. I can hear people already saying well we have these great little modern engines why not use them and "drive right up to that lovely little dock, right by the bar." That's okay, let people do what they will do. But, when you are a "sailor" your mind set changes. You know one mistake can cost you your boat. I was once told the sea doesn't care. I subsequently changed my mindset to "The sea is not inert, it is actively trying to kill or maim you. You suffer from Stockholm syndrome, you have fallen in love with a murderous conniving sea. It is going to wait until you are on a lee shore with a flooding tide before it puts a lobster pot line around your prop." I have watched quite a few of your videos and send many thanks for the content, and really admire how you are thinking things through. You are doing really great. You are finding most of it is common sense, too. But there is a comment below that advised you should have pulled up the sails and got out of there, given yourself more sea room while you had wind. That was the move to make. But not easy to see when you are just finding things out and hit a snag. But consider my first piece of advice, operating as a "sailor" on a "sailing" vessel will make you sleep better. Imagine there is no motor, and when using the motor, always plan for it to fail just when you need it. Keep the sails ready to deploy until you are at the dock, then pack them. There is a sailing channel called "How to Sail Oceans" it is worth watching, he travels with no engine aboard his boat. Watch his tactics. Proper old sailor style. VERY IMPORTANT POINT: The temptation when there is a problem is always head for shore, to a dock. It is your natural instinct. Drop that temptation asap, it will get you in trouble. Beyond a hurricane the only thing that is going to harm your boat is land, rocks and docks. Never run for shore. Unless it is a medical emergency, first rule is, find sea room, stay out at sea, you have water and food and a boat that floats, stay at sea until you can work out a plan. Last point, if you do not have a sea anchor aboard make getting one your priority. Get a sea anchor and learn how to use it. I never put to sea without one. It is a massive priority. I always rig it so it is ready to deploy from the cockpit. Take a line forward, out through your bow roller and lead it back to the cockpit. Even on sunny days, the ability to stop your drift can be a life saver. You have Stockholm syndrome, remember.
Fantastic story telling and gripping - knowing this coastline, it had me on the edge. I have found there are two ways to learn sailing - the hard way through experience and the easier way through instruction, but the first is far more interesting to others. A cool head and logical thinking meant that even though your tactics are disputed, you won the day. ]
Things I prefer: Petrol outboard engines - no 'bio-gunk' - no pot marker danger: Boats small enough to sail easily and so not having to rely on the engine: Wind with less than force 5.
Thanks, Robin, and you’re right, we certainly learned an awful lot last year, and luckily got away fairly unscathed, but humbled a few times 😬
I'm sure when you entered Portland you realised you could have sailed her in, the entrance is so wide. Practice sailing without the engine when it's clear to give it a go. Start easy in good conditions and you'll start to enjoy hosting the main, pulling the anchor, pushing the boom over and silently trickling away before unfurling the head sail. Then try anchoring up under sail when you have the space. Then leaving a pontoon if you have the sea room and the wind is right (practice off an empty hammer head). Its great when you have the confidence to nail it. I was helping a friend move his boat from the S coast to Wales and the engine died for exactly the same reason entering Caernarfon. We called up the harbour master to ensure there was a decent run of dock we could approach head to wind, and sailed her in through the lock (with a massive cross current at the entrance). Practice, practice, practice, you'll value the confidence it gives you. Congratulations for dealing with it. And thanks for sharing your story! I have one of my own for Weymouth!!
Yes you'e right, Andy and I think what this all boils down to, most importantly, is perhaps the lack of confidence in my sailing ability right now. It must be that, I think, because when I felt I had lost control of a situation, my brain just did what I thought I had to get 'get control' back again.
I guess that's a form of panic, perhaps. Lots more has been learned from this already, I've done little more than think about it since and lots of sail manoeuvring practice will play a big part of day to day life going forward.
Sailing into Victoria dock sounds like fun!
@@TheFlyingPlectrum We did quite a few dummy runs to judge the tide induced leeway, deployed all fenders then aimed at the wall just upstream (/ downstream? you know what I mean) and gunned it. Full main for drive and a scrap of headsail for balance but max visibility, and so it was sufficiently out of the way while we got some lines ashore. Scandalised the main as soon as we were in and it truly went as sweet as you could imagine (and possibly a bit better than we'd imagined!). Beneteau 44CC so not the smallest or most agile yacht. Still, it did have a full professional mechanical check, engine re-commision and service before we left Southampton and was declared in excellent order...
fairplay to you both for not losing it and sorting problem it good to see how people stay positive in the hour of need
Agree with Premier4378... Getting the jib up gets you back in control, and able to steer, etc. You can very effectively jib-sail onto a mooring buoy, and in Portland Harbour they are free, and the marina staff are extremely helpful (I think we may have been there at the same time). If you're not confident jib-sailing into a marina then they'd have sent a boat out to you to help you in.
We later figured out that they are indeed a really helpful bunch and we have since been practicing sailing in close quarter situations, although I won't lie, we still need LOTS more practice 😬😬
Yet another top video. You might get yourselves in some trouble however with planing you get out of it. Love how you involve hank definitely going to be an old sea dog we even had some ducks in the video today. Keep up what you’re doing stay safe and hope your next sail will be uneventful as you deserve it
Well done guys! Very seamanlike :)) I may have sailed back into open water to fix the engine but you seem to have a trusty anchor and sometimes sailing onto an anchor is ok! You may be able to pull the anchor up yourself without a windlass? Or winch it up... but I appreciate that’s not a quick thing to do. Or worse case if you have to let your anchor go quickly (ie your getting dragged onto a Lee shore and you need to sail off quickly)- tie a fender to the end of your anchor line and let it go free. (I always carry two anchors) so one is available should you need to drop anchor again quickly). You can pick it up the next day/ later on under engine :) but I think you are both problem solvers and quick thinkers - you deserve a lot of credit here :)
If you watch patrick lane on youtube in his history he shows how to make a cheap pump and filters to clean your diesel if you cant get to your tank
True, he has got a nice setup. ☝🏽
A smooth road makes for a dull journey. Every crisis you have to deal with improves your sailing skills. Well done!
You did a wonderful job dealing with this. Even the most seasoned boaters don’t always make the best decisions. I was out boating with a friend of my father’s when I was a young teen. (I hadn’t yet completed any boating coursework). We had engine trouble and he called the Coast Guard for assistance as he was concerned for the “young people’s” safety. . After checking in with them over the course of an hour or so, the CG noticed our position was changing as an offshore breeze and current was sending us farther offshore. The Coast Guard asked the captain if he had an anchor. Quite indignantly he replied he did. The Coast Guard response was “Captain might we suggest you throw it over?” In the stress of the moment he had just forgotten the most basic step. We all learn the most from experience - you’re doing great.
You fixed it and nobody died and no boat was damaged. Great job! Now time to clean the tanks, get some spare filters and think about a fuel cleaning process as, like you said, it’s a very common problem that will return in the future.
We're all loaded up with filters and a back up 20 litres of clean diesel, and some preventative Marine 16 bug treatment for each fill. The other thing left to do is get into the talks and clean them this winter and take out and change all the pipework.
If a situation is particularly dire you can always tie your dinghy alongside amidships or on a stern quarter and use your outboard as an auxiliary!
In any sort of sea if your yacht is bow to the swell, amidships is where the motion of the yacht is likely to be least pronounced and therefore boarding a dinghy from the yacht safest.
The dinghy scenario would probably be better than nothing in many situations if you can actually maintain any headway at all on such a small motor as a location on a stern quarter will enable you to control your heading better as well.
Also it is not a bad idea to have your dinghy readily available in the water at such times anyway.
The goal was safe passage and it was achieved without injuries or damage. Success. Everything that has ever been done, could have been done more effectively and we learn from this.
Fair, although I'm my own harshest critic these days 🧐
Hope you're well.
I'd certainly have sailed (i.e with sails!) into the harbour and anchored up; it's quite a wide entrance, even if you're beating to windward you should get in on one tack or the other. If that sounds like a big ask, then I'd suggest you both take a dinghy sailing course. You'll (a) enjoy it, and (b) when you can sail a dinghy, a keelboat is a doddle - heck, they don't even capsize!
I think a lot more time actually sailing is going to be a focus, rather than just getting out in the open and pointing in long straight lines, which is essentially all we've done, when we think about it.
Did a good job with what you had. Another lesson is there aint no substitute for plenty of chain and at least two decent anchors. But remember, your boat has excellent sailing qualities. Take every opportunity to practice doing stuff without your engine in good conditions and you will find you have much more confidence in a crisis
Been there done that. My boat had 40 years of dust and fluff and stuff that had blown into the tank when it was filled with diesel. So I jet washed the interior of the tank with a home made jet wash. I used a diesel fuel transfer pump to pump diesel into a copper pipe with a nozzle on the end which produced a jet strong enough to dislodge all the crud. I then pumped the dirty diesel through some CAV filters and back into the tank. I changed the filters when they became clogged and managed to remove all the rubbish from the tank. I had to do this because the only access to the tank was via the filler pipe and I didn’t fancy cutting an inspection hatch as to do that I would have had to remove the tank. It worked. No problems since. I also add diesel bug treatment every time I fill the tank.
This may be an avenue for us to explore then was we do have 'inspection hatches' although they are in the far flung corners of the tanks and one is especially hard to get to, so we may as well not have them as far as cleaning the tanks goes.
I think you showed the right attitude of thinking through the problem and taking advantage of your opportunities but maybe it’s good to think of yourself in the first instance as a sailing boat ie: use the sails to get yourself to a place where you can anchor safely and then if necessary call for a mechanic if you can’t fix it yourself. I think you had good options in Portland Harbour and Weymouth Bay. But there will be other times and it’ll never be the same twice! Good luck.
I think our lack of sailing experience and the subsequent lack of confidence in our ability means we're likely using the engine as a crutch more often than we should. Sailing manoeuvring will be bigger part of our practice going forward 👌🏻⛵️
Another great video, big well done in sorting the problem to get you into Portland safely
Thanks, Dave. We're glad we got out of another situations unscathed, but feeling a bit like a cat with nine lives right now and have taken several lessons away from both experiences now 😬🤞⛵️
You made the right call Dom. You did the right thing going the slow safe route, giving yourself time if needed.
I think your diesel tank needs replacing or flushing though before anything else.
Have you checked it over for pin holes & rust?
I'm no boat expert, I've watched far too much UA-cam though 😆
I think the diesel tanks being replaced, along with all the pipework would be my preference going forward. But the aft tank looks like it would never come out in one piece. 😳
@@CadohaAdventures plastic tanks? No more rust. Worth the peace of mind fixing it however you do it.
Going to leave a dent in the ol wallet either way. Im in the same...boat, pretty sure there's water in the bottom of my cars tank.
Runs fine until the tank gets low and then goes into limp mode etc.
Hope you get it sorted soon 👍🏼
Wow! In a short trip you experienced two of the three classic engine/drive failures: blocked cooling and dirty diesel. And you handled them! Folks can quibble over the details, but you correctly diagnosed them and got yourselves going again! Better upgrade that dive mask, though. Now you’re due to get a crab pot line wrapped around the prop..... Cheers!
Ha ha, yes, although luckily Justin (the guy from Buccaneer) donated one of his diving masks to me 😬
Get a motorbike helmet too...better than having your skull crushed when a wave comes. A cheap one will do.
Well done, but best to get your fuel polished or if you don’t have much in the tank, dump what you have, clean the tank and refill with fresh. Probably best to use an additive each time you fill up and keep your tanks full over winter to minimise water / condensation.
Yes I think you're right. Am actually thinking about replacing the tanks and fuel lines this winter now.
Sailing Cadoha . When I had some fuel problems I waiting till the tanks were nearly empty, drained the old fuel. Cut a circular inspection hatch in the stainless tank. Cleaned the inside of the tank thoroughly, had a friend make me a stainless steel hatch, fitted it and then fuelled up with fresh fuel. Always put fuel additive in since and no problems. The new fuels are prone to bug due to the eco requirements. I guess it depends what condition your tank(s) are in and what material they are made of. If they are mild steel I’d definitely change them but if they are stainless and good condition could be unnecessary cost. Also check out Patrick Laine on UA-cam, a past edition on fuel polishing, he made up his own. Have fun, fair winds, safe sailing.
You are the most endearing sailing dolts. Proves most anyone can somehow muddle through. Best wishes.
Not sure what happened to your head sail, but in my limited experience, those furling headsails are prone to jamming and snagging, and always at the worst time. When you get your hardware sorted, you can improve your chances of success by: 1) making sure there isn't extra line on the spool. When the sail is fully out, there should be just enough to reach the cleat. 2) Replace the line with new, and as large a diameter as will fit your hardware. 3) Always keep light tension on the furling line as you pull the sail out... this insures that the line will spool without knotting up.
I apologize if I have told you what you already know. Safe travels.
Please don't apologise, I don't know that and am glad you shared your knowledge with us, and potentially anyone else watching who may be just starting out too 🍻👌🏻👌🏻
Yes dirty fuel is a real problem always keep your tank clean, Have your fuel polished if you can or even build your own polishing system on board it costs money but well worth it. Another problem can be a blocked exhaust elbow look at that at least annually its time consuming but will give you peace of mind. Over heating or dirty fuel are usually the problem. these problems always occur just when you don't want them.
Thanks for the input, Don. I like the idea of building a fuel polishing system that takes the fuel out of the tanks, then polishing it into a new plastic tank, and then get the engine to lift from there before then taking the fuel into the primary and then secondary filters. Haven't worked out the finer details yet, but it's on the board for a winter project.
As many others have said you are a sailing vessel, use the sails.
Sort out a Jerry rig with a full can of fuel so that yo can switch to that if you really need the engine.
Portland is a lovely marina with the best amenity block on the south coast. If you are heading west hope to see you in Plymouth one day.
The Jerry rig back up clean diesel system is now firmly in place, I hope I never have to use it in anger, but we have back ups now and more on the way this winter as I think now we've had all the standing and running rigging replaced, this is another super safety important job going forward.
Hopefully we'll see you in Plymouth and we can grab a beer 🍻⛵️
Interesting video! When things get rough I always think about my engine, sofar our Beta has not let us down (fingers crossed and touch wood...). Last July we sailed from Dover to Eastbourne and found ourselves fighting tide and wind on the nose. Eventually we gave up and motored into the chop for a few hours but made it to the harbour without any rpoblems, just very tired. An hour before Eastbourne we heard an emergency call from Solent Cost Guard on the CH16 of a yeacht outside Eastbourne harbour stating that their engine had failed and if someone could tow them in. As no one answered I replied and made mental prepartions to give them a tow. To my relief a fishing boat must have heard our conversation and offered to tow the yacht in. When I spoke to guy of the yacht the next day he said that the problem was, you guessed it, dirty fuel!! Last year I helped a member of our club to clean out his tank. Fortunately he had an inspection hatch (modern Jeanneau) and with a grabber we pulled out a large gelly like clot out of the tank, problem solved! I have never had the chance to look into our tank but I hope that when the previous owner installed the new engine they probably flushed the tank as well (again, fingers crossed). As we don't have a large tank (I think only about 70 litres on our Westerly Storm) we always carry two extra 20 litre diesel cans and we make sure the fuel is clean and using diesel bug treatment EVERY TIME. In summary, the same situatioon could happen to us anytime, but at least we won't have to transfer fuel canisters from another boat. Next winter I might drain the tank competely just to make sure the fuel is clean. Well done, and all the best for your future sailing adventures. Martin
I'm on the same page as you now. We have an extra 20 litres of fuel on board, loads of extra filters, some diesel treatment, and I'm inspecting and draining from the bottom of the second tank to get as much crud out as I can. I think there's a bit winter job in front of us now though to do something with these tanks.
You did good, I'm no sailing expert or engineer but maybe something also to think about is that you diagnosed that your fuel tank is contaminated, having drained the fuel system and replaced the filters I would have run the engine directly from the fuel container to ensure that the fuel is good. Loving your channel
Warning of the engine repair , if you get air in the system it will keep loosing power intermittently so do not count on it for at least 15 min or so after any work on the fuel system .
Thanks for the heads up. So much to think about and learn 😳😳
I was taught by an old sea dog that running a sailing school never to pack the sails away until you are safely moored as they could be the only means of propulsion in an emergency . He would tut and mutter and shake his head when he saw crews on other boats stowing the sails before motoring into a marina or picking up a buoy. It created some debate among the crew some of whom thought it looked better to enter harbour under power with sails tidied and stowed. The next day out when the advocates of the tidy approach were "skippering" they instructed the crew to stow the sails prior to motoring into the harbour. To make his point, at a critical stage in the narrow approach to the harbour, the instructor knocked the throttle into neutral as he said "your engine has just failed, now what are you going to do?". There would not have been enough time to unzip the sail bag, reattach the main halyard and hoist the sail before being pushed onto rocks. Further debate on the matter was unnecessary.
We're now convinced he's right too 😬😬
I think most people have already said it, get the sails up and sail it into a safe anchorage. Just leaving it to wind and tide to get you to a safe anchorage is a bit dodgy and too many “what if’s” for my liking. However, it worked out ok, glad your safe.
Appreciate the thoughts and yes, upon much reflection, I think I was too quick to be so reliant on the engine.
Good Film, again!
There should be an inspection hatch on your fuel tank - open it up NB make sure any seal is not damaged / too old before you refit; replace as necessary - once open shine a light in to the lowest point and look for diesel bug or water/dirt and you can clean this up manually with a bucket and clean (when you start) cloth and gloves it will be right at the lowest point of the tank once the tank is settled. I did this with my brother in West Scotland once (fab cruising ground by the way) having rapidly and luckily moored to the hammer head end of a pontoon when we suffered the same problem you had, but we had low/tickover revs only!
We then used a bug treatment for contamination. Thereafter we always add a bug treatment, for prevention, to our fuel and since then many thousands of miles later (touch wood/fingers crossed/whatever floats your boat... pun intended!) we have not had the issue. Early signs of the dreaded bug are obvious as small often very small amounts of black sludge in the initial filter. Polishing the fuel is a good idea I believe too, but fortunately the clean (a messy job as you can imagine), treatment to remove the bug, replacement filters and ongoing preventative treatment has so far prevented a recurrence.
I think you're right and we're going to have to tackle the cleaning of the tanks manually. I think we need new inspection hatches cut into the tanks though, as the one that's there would still make most of the tank totally inaccessible to clean the hard to reach areas.
@@CadohaAdventures Remember you normally only need to access the lowest point of the tank as that is where the dirt/diesel bug and water (all more dense than diesel) will sit; you will not likely have to clean the rest unless it is truly massively filthy since the rest of the base of the tank will sit above the lowest point - normally where the fuel pick-up pipe for the engine will be. I would be surprised if the inspection hatch you have doesn't allow access to this lowest point - so I would deal with this first and worry about major re-engineering on the tank only if you really feel it is still a mess.
Well done. Perhaps a comment is that you ought to learn how to bring your boat into harbour under sail. Accepted that in bad weather this is tricky but in normal conditions is something you will master. Engines are renown for letting you down. Love your blog - we have all been there.
We've all been there! Well done - let the coastguard know where you are and what's going on, they won't launch thunderbird 2, but you'll be monitored until you can sort the problem.
Not a bad shout. Someone also suggested a good app that lets the coastguard know of your planned movements which sounds like a good use of data on the old iPad.
it is really amazing the lack of clenliness of fuels these days ...so add that to condensation and diesel bacteria...the gross result could be just that=gross. periodical cleaning is a preventive measure. I use anti bacterial additive annually prior to haul out and wintering as a first measure. then above that and despite not gaving an integral fuel tank, [meanng tank construction is integrates with the hull structure] i still re-ricrculate fuel from the tank and back into the tank through a rough and finer filter until filtrates and water do not appear. i clean the filters after every cycle. that would eliminate water condensate as well as any solids and or sludges. i do sleep better on anchor now. i have a very small sailing boat 25 ft . perhaps it is easier in my case but in principle i find it works.
We've already added some new systems and back ups but are also looking into making the fuel system as bullet proof as possible over the winter months. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Little tip on the outboard kill cord. I was trained to always have it over two joints i.e. above elbow or knee rather than wrist or ankle - less likely to slip off like that. Really enjoying your videos - thank you.
That's a good tip. I was actually going to put a proper strap on it that then does up around my wrist for exactly that kind of scenario. But for now, elbow it is! 😬🙏🏻⛵️
Great outcome, neatly handled.
A quick suggestion ... dirty fuel (or bug in tanks) is defo predictable. Dose with Fuel Set (or similar) *every* time you fill up. Keep the tank topped right up (sloshing fuel in half-empty tanks makes it more likely you’ll succumb to dirty filters).
Now, either drain the tank and polish the fuel, or treat the existing tank of fuel with a really powerful anti-bug product ... I use “Marine 16”, which is also recommended by RNLI. Some tanks are easy to drain, others less so. Note that Marine 16 treats diesel bug. If your fuel is contaminated in some other way, draining and polishing is best.
And a thought (for next time!) .... you could have sailed into Portland Harbour .... far better to have anchored in smoother waters .... and shallower, too. Not saying it was wrong to anchor as you did, but you’d have reduced the subsequent concern about weighing without power. And you wouldn’t have felt nauseous.
Anyhow, congratulations on resolving the issue and reaching safe haven. You guys are doing a great job. Thanks for sharing everything so honestly. 👍🏼🎉
Appreciate the heads up and as well as several other systems we've now implemented, we also shelled out the eye water asking price for a large bottle of marine-16 😳⛵️
I think you're spot on about sailing into Portland Harbour and have been kicking myself ever since.
Good job for sure.. Think i would be investing in a small emergency fuel bladder and some spare lengthy fuel line until you get the main tank cleaned out like you said over 90% of breakdowns is slurried fuel in choppy conditions ....pennys for peace of mind right!
Yes we've been thinking of a system that could continually polish fuel on the go. There's some really interesting ideas on UA-cam that we're thinking of copying 😬
@@CadohaAdventures perhaps a few inline fuel filters if you have the room. there's is something on the commercial side of transport that spin filters oil and fuel came across that many moons ago as a mechanic in the transport industry
Well done for sorting it out .... had it myself crossing the channel in a gale.... now always take loads of spare filters...... another great vlog.........
Good tip and we now have loads of spare filters at the ready 😬!
Another fantastic video.
When I started sailing I had similar experiences....it's the learning curve.
Someday an old sailor gave to me the most important advice.
"Don't use sailboats like a powerboats"
When you have an opportunity try to sail only with the Genoa. It's easier to control and easier to reef.
In that situation could helped to you to sail to a better place even to Portland.
It's easy in my chair without pressure to solve your problems but I am just trying to help and show you if you practice to sail more and more you will be less engine dependent.
Hugs from Brazil
I think that's great advice and we're almost certainly guilty of using our sail boat more as a power boat when things get tricky.
We will be doing a LOT more manoeuvre practice while under sail.
You had wind, so could have sailed into the anchorage at Portland Harbour once the can of clean fuel allowed the engine to start and the anchor raised. From there, a marina yard boat would have brought you to a pontoon, if required. I hope you got your diesel tank thoroughly cleaned out and a fresh load of diesel put in to prevent a recurrence of this problem regardless of future weather conditions. Enjoyed your video and your honesty. Have subscribed and clicked on the bell. Good luck as you sail onward.
I never go out without a sail ready to go , unless I am with boating buddies and in no danger of drifting into danger .
I can assure you that those sails will never be fully 'packed away' again until we're safely docked up in future 😳😬😬
@@CadohaAdventures Just always have a plan to deploy one quickly . Usually the head sail as it is usually on a furler .Just make sure the sheets are run and stowed so they can not go overboard and foul the prop .
I have same problems. The main fuel tank is inside the keel ... I use a diesel pump to polishing the fuel through a 30 micron water separator. Here is a T-valve to feed up my day tank with 33 Liter clean fuel. From the main and the day tank is possible to suck through separate 30 micron prefilter and After through the fine filter. The „OVENTRUP“ valve between the tanks and the engine can change both lines directly.
Now, with the day tank, never problems again. But during polishing, I found mud again and again.
Great to see, panic is the last! Keep cool. WELL DONE!
Nice haircut ,-)
Even with dirty fuel in your tank, a filter change will get you through a while before the new ones clog (always carry multiple spares!). Knowing how to change fuel filters and bleed the system even under duress is diesel boat safety 101. You did great Cap!
Well, changing filters will help IF the fuel in the line is not full of water and crud,
which it looks like his was, viewing the 'sample' in the bottle.
Can’t fault your thought processes.
You did exactly as you should do..
For deep anchorages I would have a couple hundred feet worth of octiplait rode woven into the chain as a back up and maybe some way to isolate your main fuel feed ( fuel tank ) and have it sucking direct from a clean source ( Jerry can ) that way any sediment is bypassed but bravo.
Finally. Take sea sickness tablets as a precaution at the onset of any engine failure: bang 2 of them down straight away as you know your gonna be down below for a long long long time unless you can afford the posh sea start services or tow in fees .
Again bravo on the recovery .
Well done for coming through this. Everyone’s allowed their special ´duck’ moment. Quite right to think it through before accepting the tow. It is the ability to analyse the situation, asses the risk and then take a decision that separates people. Have a look at episode 178 of Sailing into Freedom when Peter puts his cat and wife onto a reef and loses the boat. He is experienced so bad things and mistakes happen but watch how calm they are in a boat that is sinking. Take care on your learning curb.⛵️👍😉 Also episode 122of Beau and Brandy shows using the dinghy to add power to the boat.
I would suggest the following course of action. 1. Don't anchor 2. Hoist your foresail and heave to 3. call for help 4. Alternative to 3. If feasible sail into Harbour and then anchor.....
As others have said, putting out to sea under sail would have taken the pressure off but I'm glad you got yourself out of trouble (with help). How much pressure to get ashore is having the dog on board going to put you under? He's a lovely creature but as you say, he has his needs and as new sailors you don't need distractions. Not seen anyone else cross an ocean with such a big four legged friend.
Hi guys first you did all the right things from a sailing point of view you gave yourself time. sadly from a maintenance point of view not so good. for 47years as a diesel engine tech the problems your having is so common and well known the only cure for this is to remove all the fuel in the tank and clean the crap from the bottom no great no how needed if you dont do this the problem will not go away access to the tank can be difficult but try the level sensor to access the tank i use a small electric pump but manual is ok use a pipe cable tied to a steel bar 6mm dia ok and this will get you down to the bottom. do this every year as to many fuel suppliers tanks can be very poor and you pump in crap fuel sad but thats the way it is, also if you lay up the boat over winter fill it with fuel it stops Condensation forming. ps I do understand you wanted to get going but one day this could put you in a very bad place. regards to you both Jeff
Making your boat safe before attempting repairs is correct. Had the winds increased and drier takes you to shore and no good anchorage is found that’s trouble. So finding a relatively safe anchorage is correct. Then you have time and options.
Hi again, Get an anchor snubber, force 4 sell a metal chain hook for about a fiver.
When you get chance practice sailing off and on to your anchor and lifting and dropping it by hand, you will have to do it sometime in the future for sure.
It sounds like you have a microbial bug in your fuel, unless you've been sold some dirty fuel.
Regards Mark.
I bought my old dufour about 7 years ago. She'd been sat for 4 years down in Watchet with a full tank of red. Me and a couple of mates got her back up to Lydney no problem. The first time I took her out down the Severn we had a SWesterly blowing straight up the Bristol channel (nothing new there!). I decided to motor until we got clear of the bridges (M48 and M4). We just got upstream of hen and chickens (just above the old Bridge on the Welsh side) when the bastard engine died.. The tide was running fierce over hen and chickens so we wacked that head sail out bloody sharpish! We sailed her down to Portishead and dropped the hook the mud just outside what's called the hole, we had 4 hrs to wait to be able to lock in to Portishead. I always carry spare diesel and I usually have odd bits of pipe on board. So I rigged up a 5 ltr can as a the tank, stood it in the sink - had it piped into the lift pump. Bled it through and got her running, cooked a bit of grub and opened a bottle of beer. When I was about to leave the lock and head into Portishead marina the bastard engine died again. I hadn't plumbed the return into the fuel can and it chucked the diesel back into the tank, what a tosser! I tried cleaning that tank about 3 times but every time I went out the engine packed in. I could plumb a can into that engine in minutes! At the end of the season I took the tank out - couldn't believe how much shit was in the thing
Wowzers, sounds like you had some real dramas there. I'm thinking about building a simple polishing system that takes fuels from the old tanks, polishes it, then the engine lift pump takes the fuel directly from the 'polished tank'.
The old tanks have been fitted in such a way that getting them out looks pretty much impossible without either cutting them up, or, cutting a giant hole in the boat. 🧐🤨
@@CadohaAdventures No inspection "hatch" on the tank?
Well done I’d say. Steps you plan are considered wel. Just signed in to your vlog and enjoying it.
already I would
don't beat yourself up, you succeeded , and along the way and after the fact you built a mental program of all the things you could do the next time, learning from experience, is very powerful. It is good you are having this things happen close to shore. Wait till you run up on a sand bar, or drag anchor in the middle of the night the real excitement of sailing. My favorite swear word is from Red Dwarf. Smeg, what the smeg, smegging hell. Are you following other sailing channels, eg. Sailing Nanji, they ran up on a reef in Thailand last year, but are back on the water of a 6 weeks of repairs. Bums on a Boat, just weathered super high winds in anchorage only to have dozens of boat break their moorings and drag anchors. Sailindipity , in their 1st week or two of sailing ran aground twice, and just laughed it off. That isn't to scare you but more so you can see how people work together and deal with difficult situations. I wish you fair winds and following seas