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Preparation For The New Season

After experiencing a very cold snap in winter, it will be necessary to pay extra attention to your boat, in particular the engine when preparing for the new season.

Firstly check the water level in the header tank.  It should be 3/4 inch from the top.  If it isn’t, replenish the tank with water (50% water and 50% anti-freeze) and check for leaks.  For a Nanni Diesel Coolant Chart, please click here.

Inspect the engine pipework and coolers.  If anything does not look right or has come apart then it may be worth seeking professional advice to prevent any further damage.

Check the oil for water before and after starting the engine.  If there is any present, flush the oil through and then investigate the source of the problem.

On starting the engine, if it is slow to crank over then check the battery.  This may have failed over the winter months and trying to start the engine with a flat battery will damage the starter.  This can be a very expensive item to replace.

When the engine is up and running, carry out a thorough inspection once again for water leaks.  Don’t forget to check that water is coming out of the exhaust and not into the bilge from a split exhaust pipe or silencer.  Check the fuel-water separator and drain off any water collected in the traps. It is advisable to do this again after a few hours cruising as the water that may have accumulated in the tank due to condensation over the winter will now find its way through to the water traps.  If there is a large amount of water in the traps it may be worth draining from the bottom of the fuel tank.

Domestic Water System.  After a severe period of cold weather like we have experienced recently, the Domestic Water System can also have problems. When the water tank is re-filled for the first time, and  the water pumps are turned on, the sight of water running out of cupboards and pipes leaking into the bilge is no fun.  The sign of a water tight system is when the water pump pressure switch clicks off and stays off.  However, if the pump cuts off and on, then a leak needs to be found.  Unfortunately, there is no easy way to do this apart form looking in all the cupboards and under the floors.  More often than not though, the part that has pushed apart will be at the bottom of the pipework where the water has laid and not been able to drain off.  Once the  system is water tight it is a good time to sterilise your water tank.  This can be done with sterilising tablets put into the tank and then flushed out, this will remove any unwanted bacteria.

Anti-freeze should be replaced every two years as the inhibitors start to degrade allowing corrosion to begin to attach itself to the internal parts of your engine.  Also mixing different types of anti-freeze is not a good idea as they can react together and form a jelly that will result in overheating.  This might not become apparent until the engine is put under load.

The above are some of the main points to think about after this particularly cold winter that we have been experiencing.  However,  at this time of the year, it is also time to start thinking about carrying out a complete preparation for the new season.