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Gordon
Miller of Hong Kong, asks:
Hi.
Well-done on the trip so far. A couple of questions on engine
room inspections underway. I know you do an hourly check -
but what exactly do you check? Is it a quick glance or do
you have a specific routine? Given that just after you close
the access door, something could go wrong/leak etc. What do
you think of a TV system? I looked at a 12volt 6-inch flat
colour screen system with 2 x 70 degree cameras for less than
US$150 the other day - any good? Your views would be welcome.
Dave
Harlow responds:
Good
to hear from you, Gordon (owner of N46#60, "Tiger Balm").
We were in the routine of doing an engine room inspection
every hour. This entailed getting an overall look at everything
and then really focusing on select items. Everyone has their
items that they like to check on. I was mainly concerned with
the following:
1)
Fuel filters for high vacuum or sediment that would indicate
contaminated fuel.
2) Making sure the main shaft was cool but not dripping too
much from the stuffing box.
3) Looking into the bilge for oil or fuel or excess water.
4) Anything that felt to be hotter than normal.
5) Broken belts, wire or plumbing chafes, engine and exhaust
mounts.
You
could check on these items as well as looking at a dozen more
in two or three minutes.
As
the trip continued on, we would sometimes on the night watch
just look in through the port window on the ER door and look
around so as not to wake anyone who was sleeping. This port
hole is really handy as you could just look into the ER at
any time you happen to walk by whether it be on the hour or
not.
We
had a routine of doing a very thorough noon checklist. This
list consisted of about 25 items from rudder shaft bolts to
the temperature of the house batteries. This list was completed
every day at noon and gave us a really good comfort level
each day.
As
for the video camera, I have been on several boats with this
system and I think it works out great. You don't have to leave
it on all the time but with a touch of a button you can look
in and get a feel if anything major is going bad on you. This
is not a substitute for getting in and smelling, feeling and
listening for things but it is a really good tool, especially
late at night. This is also a reassuring tool for those left
at the helm while you run down for a look into the ER.
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