A few days ago we were motoring back to the harbor after the wind died and ran across a couple of huge patches of very coarse grass floating on the water (almost looked like large pine needles).
From past experience, we knew to watch the engine temperature closely . . . and sure enough we saw it creep up just a couple of degrees. It didn’t go into a danger zone, but we knew we had to check the raw water intake as soon as we got to our mooring.
It was almost totally full of the grass.
The good thing is that the grass was coarse enough that it hadn’t totally stopped the flow of water. We’d only motored about 15 minutes after encountering it, but if we’d been going very far it might have restricted flow sufficiently to cause the engine to slowly overheat.
An hour or so after Dave had cleaned out the raw water strainer, I jumped in the water to clean the bottom of the boat. Visibility isn’t great here and all of a sudden I saw what appeared to be a tree branch sticking out of the hull. Huh??
It was a big clump of the grass that had been partially sucked into the engine water thru-hull. There was so much that it hadn’t all made its way in but had just gotten stuck there. I pulled two big fistfuls out. Yikes! The problem was even worse than we first thought and I’m very glad I just happened to decide to clean the bottom before we went out again. Note to self for future: when the sea strainer is really clogged, check the thru-hull too.
It’s also easy to suck up plastic bags. Many cruising locales have a litter problem and bags that blow into the water can cause huge difficulties for boaters. We know of numerous people who did so in the Sea of Cortez. While it can happen anywhere — all is takes is one bag — be very aware of engine temperature if you encounter a patch of litter.
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Margaret Nelson says
Really helpful blog. Thank you!
Rich Corbett says
This post would probably have been helpful a few weeks ago when I was trying to decide on “strainers” when replacing ours. I opted for the smaller considering that I regularly clean it and rarely have it full. Now I’m thinking I should have oversized it to be safe … just another thing to keep an eye on when noticing grass, etc in the water. Thanks for the excellent post … as usual.
Lupari Sue says
Good advice thanks. Where we travel it is plastic that is more likely to be a problem.
The Boat Galley says
Unfortunately it is in all too many places.
Rodney Lewis says
Does your boat have one of these? I ALWAYS see them mounted backwards, with openings facing forward, as if it’s supposed to act as a scoop. But that’s totally wrong, and why they pick up crud. They should always have the slots facing aft, so the weed will pass over the bulge as the boat moves forward. It’s the suction of the pump that pulls the water in, and it doesn’t need any help.
The Boat Galley says
Our previous boat had one but not this one. And good point about which way around they should go.
Kristine Henson says
Good advice!
Sharon Gladwin says
This is a really good reminder for me to check strainer underway especially when seagrass or debris is present. Carolyn, I always love that you don’t seem to hesitate to jump in the water !!!!
Charlotte says
Sargasso grass was really prolific this year in the western Caribbean and it doesnt just affect boaters, although we too had to clean the strainers multiple times. It smell awful when it comes on to shore and in the Belize atolls they constantly had to try and rake it off the beach. The tourists who came to a picture perfect atoll couldnt stand the smell.
Melinda Taylor says
You need a deeper intake
Carolyn Shearlock says
There’s still a lot of crud that’s 6 inches or more under the surface!
Stephen says
Easy to make assumtions or generalizations.
This information on strainers, from an industry professional, is worth a read.
Especially the section on external strainers.
http://stevedmarineconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Strainers127_02.pdf
Richard Armstrong says
Steve D’s comments directly contradict Rodney Lewis. Think I’ll go with Steve. Nothing personal, Mr. Lewis.
Peter bould says
We also use an Aqualarm water flow sensor. Has saved our engine a couple of times
Debbie DeLaune Richey says
This is good advice no matter where you boat. We see eel grass mats, driftwood chunks, etc in the PNW waters. Especially during extreme high tides and in the winter during flooding season from the rivers. During crabbing season you also need to watch out for crab pot floats. Those can be difficult to see if there is any chop in the water.
The Boat Galley says
Yes, it’s not just a #Matthew problem!
Joyce Johnson says
We saw a lot of stuff in the water in California after the Japan tsunami. Our harbor had really weird currents for several days after. Our electric boat could hardly handle the currents.
Brian Kepner says
Lesson learned.. TY
David Warbach says
I’ve not experienced this in salt water but on fresh water small sticks and twigs absolutely foul intakes/impellers. it’s a nightmare trying to clear out a stuck something on a ski especially if there’s no shore nearby.
Shelley Stevens Ruff says
Ron Gamache says
has anyone thought about a radiation detector for the pacific
Erin M Michaud says
We just experienced a first for us, moving our new to us boat from Annapolis to Norfolk, VA. We stayed two days at the NAS Patuxent River Marina. The Basin was inundated with the smallwhite/clear jellyfish (nettles). We had just finished dinner and AC quit. Checked the sea strainer, it was coated (slimed) with the jellies. All be it, the strainer hadn’t been cleaned while she was on the hard for a year. That was tough to clean. The Chesapeake Bay has seen an unusually high amount of these this year.
Joanna Sunderland says
Great article and advice! Love how you are always willing to jump in!!!!!❤️