Boating With All Your Senses

You don’t need a computer diagnostic system, to know what your boats is doing. Some of the best information is from your own senses if you know what you’re seeing, hearing and smelling.  And what they mean. Your boat and its engine is always broadcasting clues if you know what to look for.

Here are some clues:

What color is the exhaust? Unlike children, exhaust is best heard not seen, but when it shows itself, notice the color. Bluish smoke means burning oil. It’s also can indicate a dirty carb or stuck valve allowing fuel to mix with e crankcase oil. Black smoke indicates unburned fuel, which could mean a badly adjusted carburetor, or that spark plugs or plug wires need cleaning or replacing, or even worse, it can mean one or more cylinders is missing or firing intermittently.

White exhaust is can be condensing water vapor on cold mornings or high-humidity days; but if you start seeing it on warm dry days, you need to inspect.

What’s that sound? Know the normal engine and propeller sounds.  If you to notice something different, it may mean something’s wrong.

Sounds you don’t want to hear are:

• Rough running and sputtering can be a sign of overheating that can destroy an engine.
• Metal-on-metal grinding, clicking or clunks may mean broken/worn gear teeth, a bad clutch or linkage shift, failing bearings or no lubricant.
• Ringing or jingling or vibrating sounds,  can mean a loose or damaged propeller.

Odd smells can mean boat and engine problems, and gasoline odor can be a missing or loose fuel caps and/or leaking fuel lines.

Be nice to your boat and it will be nice to you. Protect your boat with high quality canvas coverings from CMC Canvas LLC to enhure you boat is always ready to sail.