Hey, did you know these boats actually sail too? You wouldn’t know it watching me over my first 4 months of ownership, but we were finally able to take Segue (soon to be renamed) out for the day.
I had a small scare when I went below to find the new exhaust riser smoking a bit when I was running around 2400 RPM and 5 knots (according to Yanmar, I should be able to cruise at 2800 with a WOT at 3600). I throttled down and tried my best to hide my anxiety from the rest of the family as they were enjoying the day. After 30 minutes at 2000 RPM, I checked again and found no smoke so I bumped it back up to 2400. The smoke was gone so I’m chocking it up to residue and other contaminants on the new riser burning off. It also wasn’t in time with the motor which I was thinking would indicate an exhaust leak at one of the joints.
Another thing I noticed was the shaft vibrating in the log above 2400 rpm. It wasn’t anything compared to the vibration we felt during the sea trial when the prop was encrusted with barnacles, but It concerned me enough to keep the engine below 2400 for the rest of the day. I’m planning on replacing the engine mounts, shaft seal, cutlass bearing, and probably the prop in September, but I was hoping to get a few months of use out of the boat before then.
I’ve been on many boats with diesel engines, but it’s different when it’s your boat. When it comes down to it, I’m a new diesel owner with very little actual experience. Every little vibration and rattle has me concerned. Is shaft vibration normal? Am I on the right track with the smoking exhaust riser? It goes against my DIY nature, but I’m thinking it might be time to invite a mechanic on board to take a look, ease my mind, and help me prioritize my projects.
I had a small scare when I went below to find the new exhaust riser smoking a bit when I was running around 2400 RPM and 5 knots (according to Yanmar, I should be able to cruise at 2800 with a WOT at 3600). I throttled down and tried my best to hide my anxiety from the rest of the family as they were enjoying the day. After 30 minutes at 2000 RPM, I checked again and found no smoke so I bumped it back up to 2400. The smoke was gone so I’m chocking it up to residue and other contaminants on the new riser burning off. It also wasn’t in time with the motor which I was thinking would indicate an exhaust leak at one of the joints.
Another thing I noticed was the shaft vibrating in the log above 2400 rpm. It wasn’t anything compared to the vibration we felt during the sea trial when the prop was encrusted with barnacles, but It concerned me enough to keep the engine below 2400 for the rest of the day. I’m planning on replacing the engine mounts, shaft seal, cutlass bearing, and probably the prop in September, but I was hoping to get a few months of use out of the boat before then.
I’ve been on many boats with diesel engines, but it’s different when it’s your boat. When it comes down to it, I’m a new diesel owner with very little actual experience. Every little vibration and rattle has me concerned. Is shaft vibration normal? Am I on the right track with the smoking exhaust riser? It goes against my DIY nature, but I’m thinking it might be time to invite a mechanic on board to take a look, ease my mind, and help me prioritize my projects.