What I learnt Sunday offshore!

[GMAC]

Did you get billed for the Coast Guard tow?

[scdiver]

Did you get billed for the Coast Guard tow?

I'm not sure if you do, but if it's between drifting on the open ocean and a bill, tell me what I owe!


OP, glad yall made it home safe.

[Highstrung]

I know a fella that was getting into inshore and near shore after fishing with me once years back. He moved to Charleston, bought a used boat, and bought sea tow. He set out not knowing enough.. the third or fourth time he called sea tow, they told him to get his shit working in proper order before he thought about calling them again. That was awesome.

[mudflat]

No bill from the USCG. They basically said the " we only tow if life or death is imminent" still holds true, but what other options are there than towing you home. You were denied the tow, we ain't gonna leave ya out there to die. They did have to get permission from their boss to tow us all the way in. Typically tow company takes over at 20 mile range.
I figured we would had to at least had to fill out an incident report but nothing more than a "y'all have a good day, adios amigos, we going to go to bed" when we hit the dock.

[BMAC_ducks]

No bill from the USCG. They basically said the " we only tow if life or death is imminent" still holds true, but what other options are there than towing you home. You were denied the tow, we ain't gonna leave ya out there to die. They did have to get permission from their boss to tow us all the way in. Typically tow company takes over at 20 mile range.
I figured we would had to at least had to fill out an incident report but nothing more than a "y'all have a good day, adios amigos, we going to go to bed" when we hit the dock.

Id be drop[ping off BBQ and steak dinners at the CG station after that

[Tater]

Id be drop[ping off BBQ and steak dinners at the CG station after that

Damn right. And some iced down beers for the boys and a bottle of bourbon for the old man that made the call to tow you all the way in.

[mudflat]

She made the call, yes she! What shall I get her? Lol
And I'm headed to GT Sunday night for a gator hunt, farmer from out West flies in today. They ain't got gators out there and plenty of ducks in exchange.
They will be hearing from me at the station.
And for you young fuckers " never look a gift horse in the mouth"
Google that!

[Tater]

Same. Bottle of bourbon.

[mudflat]

I was thinking White Claw but maybe not!

[MC]

And... that's why I have both. Members get served first. My yamahas failed plenty(3 different motors)- mostly electrical - been towed 4 times- trolled in from 65 miles out twice

Likewise. I saw the coverage distance changes this past spring when I went to renew my TowBoat coverage and agonized over switching to Sea Tow for about 5 minutes before thinking about just having both. The reason I have “any” tow insurance is not for the cost savings on a tow, it’s for the convenience of getting priority service if I ever need one.

Glad you made it in safe Mudflat with a good story to tell. Sounds like it went as well as you would hope it would.

[sprigdog]

If all the tow boat/boat us deny the tow. The CG obligated to tow. Have to. No if's ands or but's.
There will never ever be a charge. Ever. There will be a boarding at the end and they'll be quick to write tickets if you don't have everything.
In my neck of the woods, there is ZERO commercial salvage. CG towing in boats left and right.
I made my living 25 years ago off Mercury 2 strokes. 4 strokes ruined the salvage business

[Chuck the Duck Slayer]

This!

I have twin Yamaha 150 4 strokes with around 1800 hours. Always good to carry extra fuel water separators, injectors, fuel line etc. Broken down a lot in my time in boating On this boat and others. Having some of these gets you going most of the time.

Not much the original poster could’ve done. Lesson learned here is they were prepared with radio, food, epirb and all of the proper gear. Glad he got back safely

I carried a primer bulb and a couple of hose clamps as well.

[Fish]

You take additional injectors? Please educate me on this

Yep - I’d like to understand how this works too.

[sprigdog]

Yep - I’d like to understand how this works too.

I run twin 3208 cats in my boat.
Y'all are crazy. Changing injectors. Simple.
Run home on one engine.
Change injectors at dock. How hard can that be??
Edit: forgot the important part. Spend hours figuring out which injector need changed.

[ecu1984]

You take additional injectors? Please educate me on this

I have two spare injectors on my boat (Yamaha 250 OX66) (I didn't buy them, I had a few laying around from another motor, so threw them in the tool box)
two bolts hold the fuel rail on, small clip holds the wire on the injector, they push right in snug with good o-rings
I can put one on in less than 10 minutes.....
With all that said, I will probably never need to do this because if one went bad......by the time you knew it.....it would most likely already have cooked a cylinder
The average boat owner may not have the knowledge to trouble shoot the 4 or 5 fuel issues you may see (primer bulb, low pressure pumps, HP pump, VST tank float/trash, water separator, several different fuel filter locations and fuel pressure regulator) I know each like the back of my hand as I have done my own maintenance for many years.

[mudflat]

Well as of now it looks like it may be a lower unit. Brother pulled the plug on it and probably less than 1.5 ounces of oil spilled out. Said motor started and ran good.
So several questions need to be answered.
Why so little oil, had to been forced out, there was no water in lower gear case?
What to do with gas in main tank, approximately 70 gallons of gas with at least 2 gallons of oil? The HPDI motor didn't handle the extra oil well.
What is damaged that made it sound as if a motor bearing was going out?
The owner of towing company was contacted and he never got the call from CG. He has his own questions and plans to have answers come Monday. National headquarters has a record of them getting a call, so as of now, they have to find out where ball was dropped. They have offered a refund or free year so trying to make it right. Said they would have towed us.

[whitty]

Good to know.

[SouthernWake]

That sound could have been the lower gears running without oil but I would tear through that engine for piece of mind.

Any cracks or blown seals in the lower? Odd it would be empty with no water intrusion.

Pump that old gas out and run it in your truck. Or depending how big your tank is top it off with gas to dilute the oil.

[Bownut]

Whoever changed the water pump must have forgotten to check/refill the lower unit gear oil.

[ecu1984]

simple pressure test of lower unit will tell you
Its plausible the gears in lower unit were what you heard and not "bearings"
Most of the drain plugs are magnetic, do you have metal shavings on the drain plug?
Gas is easy enough to deal with,
I'd start with a compression test, change the plugs, drain the VST tank of the double oil (drain screw at bottom), put gear oil back in lower unit, hook a portable
gas tank to it and crank it up in the yard and see what you have