I have a huge sump! I'm not boasting, but this sump came with the boat and its allegedly reconditioned engine when I bought it (sorry, I've never been able to speak of boats using feminine pronouns). I know it's huge because each service requires sixteen litres of oil when performing an oil change and I recently discovered that the engine probably came from a repurposed cooling system. The large capacity proves quite useful because I am led to believe that if I have a huge oil well to lubricate the engine I only need one service per year, as long as I keep an eye on hoses and belt tensions, prop shaft, water and oil levels between services. This advice has served me well since the engine was finally resurrected after my first five years of ownership during which I was frequently left stranded somewhere remote in the middle of a river. During those years I met a lot of experts who knew all about boats and their engines. Some of those experts were really kind, well-informed and helpful though only rarely was a job actually finished. Once hoses were replaced I seem to recall that a new thermostat was required. After the thermostat it was the heat exchanger followed by extra cooling pipes. Once the cooling system had been "fixed" there were the fuel leaks, the oil leaks, alternator belts, the alternator itself, glow-plugs and starter motor that needed work. The list of things that needed repairing, replacing or upgrading seemed endless. I learned that my engine had things like a spill rail, injectors, a fuel lift pump and all sorts of items I knew nothing about. Eventually, completely frustrated by the results of the efforts of all my new-found and helpful friends, I took the boat to the nearest marina. Only then did things start to work, although it still took several visits to get the engine to do its thing reliably.
Although I now know more about engines than I ever imagined I would need to know I can in no way consider myself "handy". I can do some very basic fault-finding and maintenance, but anything beyond that and the boat is entrusted to the care of real experts, the ones who actually know what they are doing. It seemed reasonable to subscribe to a rescue service, an AA for the waterways, and that membership has mostly been peace of mind, a state of bliss perpetuated because I've never required their services in an emergency situation. However, in the down season, they do offer a free engine inspection and I have used their services for this purpose as well as a full engine service at a discounted rate. This arrangement has served me well for several years.
This winter's inspection and service highlighted a need for my engine mounts to be renewed. The job had actually become quite urgent. Obviously this would be the sort of job for which the boat needed another visit to the boatyard. I made an appointment and took the boat there the day following the inspection and service. The engineer at the marina wanted to check whether they had the required engine mounts in stock or whether they would need to be ordered. We decided on that Thursday that I could bring the boat back early the following week for the mounts to be replaced. In the meantime I decided not to travel far as the situation sounded so urgent. I thought to stay in town, which meant making arrangements to overstay on the town mooring, requiring nothing more than a short phone call to the local navigation officer.
I was due back in the boatyard on Monday so I decided to turn round on Sunday. I figured this would take me a couple of hours because I needed to cruise out of town to a part of the river wide enough to allow a fifty-foot boat to wind (pronounced like the air that blows) round. With the manoeuvre completed successfully I headed back towards the town. I had only gone a few yards when, with a short series of bangs and clunks, the engine cut out altogether. It would not restart, and would not even make an effort to turn over. There was nothing! The river was very quiet. I hadn't seen any river traffic for several days. I remembered the bad old days when allowing the engine some cooling down time meant I could top up the coolant and it would sometimes restart. I checked the coolant level and there was nothing to be seen. Whoops! Maybe a hose had split or a jubilee clip had worked loose? While I was checking levels of engine fluids I thought I'd check the oil. It should have been fine with the sixteen litres of new oil that had been added less than a week earlier, but not a drop of oil registered on the dipstick. There was a lot of ominously dark fluid swilling about in the bilge. It was suspicious that the screw-in cap to access the sump and the dipstick was not screwed in. It was sitting on top of the tube into which it normally screws. I never leave it like that and I discovered long ago that there is a bit of a technique to getting it the screw in firmly, which I do automatically each time I check the oil level. It never crossed my mind to check that the engineers who had changed the oil had screwed the dipstick back into place properly. I assumed they knew what they were doing. My engine never loses oil in significant enough quantities to warrant checking the level on its first trip after the service. Of course I have no proof of anyone being at fault, but my naivety was going to prove very inconvenient and VERY expensive.
NB - Having returned to this platform for the first time in a while I am finding difficulty uploading images from my photos. If I get this sorted out I shall obviously be adding images where I have some that are relevant.
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