22. This ENDED our sailing season | Sailing Cat Gem
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- čas přidán 22. 02. 2024
- Gem caught the bug. The dreaded diesel bug! As we were doing final checks before our trip to Corfu late in the season, I noticed some dirt in the fuel-water separator. It was worse than I initially thought! Diesel bug, everywhere. We were stopped in our tracks and forced to abort the plans to head up North.
Thankfully, with some advice from a local boat mechanic in Preveza, who I cannot thank enough, I was able to sort out the issue, while finding more along the way, of course!
We took Gem out for a test sail. Engine was running well! The steering was stiff. The weather trapped us in the marina for a couple of weeks. In those weeks, our steering cables seized! We were once again unable to leave the marina.
We had our season cut short! Not what we had hoped for, or expected, but we'll be back!
Join us in this video as we work through the curing and elimination of diesel bug!
Thanks as always for following us along our journey and all of the ups and downs that it presents to us.
Hinton, Danah, Saylor and Jabu
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Rough few days cuz. They say "Every day is an Adventure"........but some you could do without 😅 Well done in getting the drama sorted
Cheers bud! It was a tedious task, but little did I know what was lying ahead of me with the steering! The fun never ends with a boat!
Probably the single biggest cause of engine problems and yet it seems to surprise everyone. There must be thousands of posts on sailing channels about it.
Very true. I believe there was an existing diesel bug issue since we bought Gem, but now we are wiser. No matter how much we read about these issues, there are so many things to consider, and every now and then we are taught by experience. It definitely helps to further learn our boat and the systems though!
I didn't mention it but I ran into the situation off the North West end of Cuba. Clogged fuel line and a big lesson learned.
Nightmare mate. I know how difficult mine was to clear. Well done getting it sorted. Hopefully the steering issue is resolved now 🤞🤞
It's all fun and games mate! The steering job is about to begin also, spares have arrived, and here's to hoping it goes smoothly 😆 It's been a slow winter, but the ball seems to be rolling, albeit slowly, haha
Hope it all goes smoothly mate. As we said before, it's a good job sailing is a lot of fun 🤣🤣
This what filters are for. Yousimply change them when they block. A lot easier that removing your fuel tanks. I always carry FIVE spare filters. They are cheap and fast to change.
True, but with the state that the filter was in, and after the mechanic's inspection, I was convinced it was time to clean the system entirely, and have that piece of mind. I'm sure it's the first time the tanks have been removed and cleaned. As far as diesel tanks go, they are fairly easy to remove. I'll keep a couple of filters on hand as spares.
I had diesel bug in both my built-in stainless tanks. It was quite a major to clean but all clean now. About to put on a fuel polishing system.
I can only imagine! Did you have to remove the tanks to clean them? A polishing system is a great idea 🫡
@sailingcatgem The tanks are glassed in, and stainless steel built in, so impossible.
You also may want to put a cover over the fill. The fill can leak.
That's a great consideration. I'll look into it. In Greece, the area we are based is extremely numid during winter. I think we got caught out last season and only noticed towards the end of summer 😅
Nightmare m8. Hope you cleaned the fuel lines as well
The best I could haha. I guess we'll find out soon enough 😉
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Yip!! 🧐⛵️💎
Hi Gem ..v interesting ... Hadn't come across the bug while we sailed... Is it a build up of dirt in the raw diesel or issues in pipes. So good to know it exists if unlucky.
Impressed with your patience & sure many will find the close up detail you shared will cut down anyone's time & pain should they be in a similar boat(haha). At least problem picked up while still tied up rather than when sailing local waters. Time for a beer or 2 🍻...Well done🤞👍
@gillfaram3030 it's a bacteria which breeds in water. If the tanks are not full, condensation forms, and the bug multiplies. With an additive and topped up tanks, it's much less likely to form. I'm assuming there was already bug in the tanks for some time and it was time to deep clean everything! X
@@sailingcatgemI concur that the bug feeds on condensation or water in fuel tanks. Thanks for videoing this as I can imagine it was frustrating to film and work at the same time.