Boating Safety/Communications

I think a person needs to have a realistic picture of their skill sets,equipment and ability to get out of a jamb.Me, I know guys who grew up at the stock car races helping dad rebuild a carberator at 11 years old and other guys raised ranches where they learned to fix anything .I know those guys but I am not them.So if I push out beyond my comfort zone it is good to have friends with skills on the trip.You rely on those guys but do your part too.

I agree with Kelney - get a Spot if you need a 2nd form of communication for confidence, or run with a buddy boat (always a great idea to find someone else who you know is going to be out there and agree to monitor a specific channel with them)

and, as a 5 year former member of the inboard/outboard club (one who was never afraid to shut his engine off), and as a 30 year member of the carbureted V8 engine hot-rod crowd, I'm going to take a wild-ass guess about why your boat wouldn't restart -

if it has a carburetor, then the most likely culprit was vapor lock - leaving the engine idling for extended periods allows the fuel to vaporize in the fuel filter, the fuel line and the carburetor bowl. This is not a problem when the engine is running, because vaproized fuel is what the engine needs - However it is TERRIBLE for starting an engine, because an engine needs an extra rich air-fuel ratio when cranking (this is basically how chokes and throttle valves actually work).

This is also why your boat started normally the next morning - all and engine needs to clear a vapr lock is for the engine to cool down enough for the fuel to re-condense in the carb and the lines)

Sounds like you checked everything you could have when you were out there, except for one step: after you check all the electrical and the safety switches, disconnect the fuel line from the carb, and run the fuel pump (either turn the key "on" if it is an electric pump, or crank the engine if it is a mechanical pump) - if you get a shot of gas out of the line, then just hook everything back up, leave the engine fully vented (ie- leave the cover off it) for 20 -30 minutes, and I will bet you a bazillion dollars that it will fire right up....

also- with inboard stern drive engines, dual (or even triple) batteries, each one wired in with an isolator, is a VERY good idea.

My old Skipjack had a 15 horse Honda kicker on it, and weight was not a concern- a small kicker only weighs about 150 pounds, and they can save your bacon when you need them -- running at 7mph in the directionyou WANT to go is a lot better than drifting whereever the current wants to take you, that is for damn sure.

and I'm going to offer one other little factoid for you to noodle on - idling an engine does more wear on the top end valve train than running WOT (especially the rocker arms and valve stems) - I'm not going to criticize your choice to run your engine all day (lots of guys choose to do that), but I am going to recommend that if this is your practice, then you should change your engine oil at least every 75 hours (including idling time), or at least once per year (whichever comes first).

Stuart said:

THAT was a scary one! April 2007. Yes, pics are still up on Google Picasa. Channel 26 on the VHF was still active then. I curse the day they took it down because 26 (run by the Cholla Bay Sportsman's Club) had a repeater and you could get excellent radio contact from a long way out and everyone used it. It was key in placing the Mayday for those folks and they had EMTs standing by when we got back in. Although people will tell you to use Channel 16 (standard emergency and hailing channel), there's generally never any answer, even to simple radio checks from the harbor before heading out these days. Good luck getting someone in an emergency!

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/118378070862941628427/albums/5059064113322468945

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I agree, just trying to get a response to a simple radio check was problematic for me when I was there

Thanks to everyone above for their ideas and suggestions, appreciate all your feedback and input. Its interesting to compare how boaters do things out there. I agree with you moore-rb, (even though I have fuel injection) fuel vapor could've been the culprit due to constant idling, especially in this hotter weather. I still prefer to keep the boat running all day for safety reasons, and because I mostly reef fish in tight circles, so I'd be stopping/starting the boat about 100 times a day. I purchased a Delorme two-way satellite texting device, and try to buddy-boat if someone is available. Still don't want to purchase a secondary back-up motor mostly due to weight and I'm not sure how useful a 10-20 HP motor would be pushing my 7500 lb boat, especially in some decent sized waves/swells from some places far like Area 51. I feel secure fishing at someplace far like Area 51 knowing I have a means of contacting the guys at Safe Marina using a two-way satellite texting device like Delorme, and if I run into problems I know they'll come out and help or tow me if need be. And lastly, thanks Jerry and Terry for the phone numbers for local ponga fishermen.

Not a boat guy but I have had problems similar to yours. Shut it off when hot & then it won't start. Next day it starts & runs fine, can't find anything wrong. After several incidents it turned out to be an ignition module. Found it didn't have spark. Carried a spare after that.

I have had to use one of my 150 Yamahas to get in from 25 miles out and only got up to 9-10 mph, the same as using a 10-20 hp motor. Do yourself a favor and get a backup, you will hardly notice the x=tra weight and will enjoy telling the story about the one time u had to use it for the rest of your life, that u still will have. Gracias a dios y Honda!

dmcauley said:

I have had to use one of my 150 Yamahas to get in from 25 miles out and only got up to 9-10 mph, the same as using a 10-20 hp motor.

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Yup, I also had to run 30+ plus miles back to port on one engine last October when the oil filter in the other engine clogged and the low oil pressure sensor shut it down - I made about 12 mph the whole way in.

It was a very slow, but very comforting ride home.

Knock on wood, I've only had to trek a mile or so once into the harbor on one engine coming back from the 51. VST filter (tiny hard to get to fuel filter) clogged. My cat just wants to go around in circles on one engine because they are spread so far apart. Makes for some very tough boat driving; and you really DO have to drive it!

Or go out with another boat. Just in case. Glad u made it back! So how was the fishing?

after all ios said and done I sure would consider a larger kicker. Some tiumes you have to depend on yourself.
Slow and sure

Sorry for typing errors. I am not an early person and only one cup of coffee down.

Just got the boat out of the shop. Mechanic put in on the scope, no error messages, nothing showed up. Did the once over, couldn't find a single problem with the engine (has only 140 hours on it). I'm gonna have to go with it must've been a fuel vapor lock. Oh well, live & learn. And then go fishing again.

Well, its been a couple months since my boat broke down and I started this thread and I thought I'd just write a summation note. First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for their ideas and input, I looked at everyone's responses and considered which ideas would work for me and which wouldn't. And thanks again for all the contact numbers. Like I said in the above thread took the boat to a certified Mercury marine mechanic and he couldn't find anything wrong with it. Since then I've inspected the fuel filter and it looks fine, and replaced the spark plugs with new Iridium plugs. Took the boat out to Rocky Point last week for 5 days and stayed out on the ocean for 3 days/2 nights and it worked perfect. In Rocky Point I don't rely much on the marine VHF radio, I believe its really hit-and-miss whether you're gonna get help, you need to speak fluent Spanish when using the radio, and there just aren't a lot of boats out there. It also has limited range, especially when going out to spots like Area 51. Cell phones, even local ones, have limited range out on the water. I bought a Delorme satellite texting device, the device costs around $300 and their plans are affordable (I'm paying $12/month for an emergency plan), and tested it out on the water last week. Was able to 2-way text (versus Spot which only lets you send texts) the guys working at Safe Marina, and they have a boat that could come help in case of an emergency. Was able to text family members back in the States, overall was very satisfied with the Delorme and highly recommend it. I appreciate the advice to mount a 10-20 HP secondary motor, but I'm still not gonna do it because it would be very hard to mount one on by boat because it has a 2 foot swim platform, don't want the extra weight, it would take forever to get back from someplace like Area 51, and I feel good now that I can use my Delorme if I need help. That's just my opinion, I know many would disagree, and I respect that. Thanks again for all the replies, and safe boating!

YumaJames said:

Well, its been a couple months since my boat broke down and I started this thread and I thought I'd just write a summation note. First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for their ideas and input, I looked at everyone's responses and considered which ideas would work for me and which wouldn't. And thanks again for all the contact numbers. Like I said in the above thread took the boat to a certified Mercury marine mechanic and he couldn't find anything wrong with it. Since then I've inspected the fuel filter and it looks fine, and replaced the spark plugs with new Iridium plugs. Took the boat out to Rocky Point last week for 5 days and stayed out on the ocean for 3 days/2 nights and it worked perfect. In Rocky Point I don't rely much on the marine VHF radio, I believe its really hit-and-miss whether you're gonna get help, you need to speak fluent Spanish when using the radio, and there just aren't a lot of boats out there. It also has limited range, especially when going out to spots like Area 51. Cell phones, even local ones, have limited range out on the water. I bought a Delorme satellite texting device, the device costs around $300 and their plans are affordable (I'm paying $12/month for an emergency plan), and tested it out on the water last week. Was able to 2-way text (versus Spot which only lets you send texts) the guys working at Safe Marina, and they have a boat that could come help in case of an emergency. Was able to text family members back in the States, overall was very satisfied with the Delorme and highly recommend it. I appreciate the advice to mount a 10-20 HP secondary motor, but I'm still not gonna do it because it would be very hard to mount one on by boat because it has a 2 foot swim platform, don't want the extra weight, it would take forever to get back from someplace like Area 51, and I feel good now that I can use my Delorme if I need help. That's just my opinion, I know many would disagree, and I respect that. Thanks again for all the replies, and safe boating!

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Interesting...with that system you could text someone like my buddy in Desemboque who is on land but in contact to 6 or 7 relatives out on the water in Pangas most days....some way out....They could come in handy for a price....

From Defrente...not sure if it is available to recreational boaters Se instalan more than 500 teams system automatic identification Isa for the season of fishing for 2014-15

By: Ivan Bravo
PTO. Peñasco, they are.

For the purpose of providing greater safety in the community Fisheries Rivera the Municipality of Port peñasco as well as the Gulf of Santa Clara this beginning of season 2014-15 of the fishing of shrimp, capitanía Of Port took out the installation at least 500 teams automatic identification system ( Ais ), Informed imn Luis Castro gallant.
The headline of the office of the Secretariat of communications and transport ( sct ) Based in East port, indicated that this " Global positionning System " ( GPS ) able to give you a message satellite of the location in Altamar each one of the vessels minors, thus, we managed to avoid incidents in the sea.
' can we talk of a number Redondo 500 boats to those whom they have already supplied and installed the team system automatic identification ( Isa ) in order to ensure their use, which we already has offered 6 times the search and rescue of some of the vessels which we have been reported ', He expressed.
Thanks to the identifier we have been able to provide information relevant, where is located on sailing, yes it is static, and that we can reduce the concern of the family, relatives, then immediately we know if the ship is sailing to su is fixed, recognised.
He explained that the operation of the system of Automatic identification ( Isa ) is that the posicionador satellite sends a signal that it comes to the team installed in capitanía Of Port, what located on the boat in the case of An Emergency or call for help, so that we prevent the loss of time in tracking down to the fishermen in Altamar, because the GPS will give us the location exact each ship ', Settled in the official Federal.
Castro gallant invited to the community Maritime that came to the capitanía Of Port to regularize the red tape and documents, certificates of security, because it seeks to revise the teams of safety and safeguards that are in the recreational Coastal and height.

Expide capitanía Harbour more than 500 libretas sea generating a saving of a million pesos

A saving of approximately one million pesos has been achieved Thanks to the fact that the courses for the renewal of the notebook sea have been carried out in Port peñasco and not in the city of Guaymas, for what you already added approximately EUR 500 000 people who have received his ID for the navigation Navy without the need to travel, informed the captain of Port.
Luis Castro Gallant, Captain of the Port of this town, acknowledged that it is thanks to the understanding of the Directorate - General 80 fishermen peñasco and the Gulf of Santa Clara have not had to move to the capitanía Regional based in the Port of Guaymas to carry out this procedure, and in this way, managed to avoid important resources traslación and residence.
" an essential requirement in order to join the industry as a tripulante in recreational single scale camaronera is the notebook de sea, this is why we are once again acercarles courses of survival fishermen in Port peñasco, and at the same time, the fishermen in the Gulf of Santa Clara who managed to do the same courses for the notebook ', He expressed.
The same way pointed out, not expedirán no cartilla of pasavantes because they are not permitted, so that, during this next season of fishing for the open, only the crew I count with their libretas sea existing and renewed we will give you permission to be done to the sea.
He said that, during the month of July is when it is usual to aircraft crew in The fishing fleet major and minor came to the office of the Port to make this process, which is why we in the comfort and support to the economy of the fishermen are about the courses to the obtaining of the identification of the navigation Marina.
Finally, Castro gallant reported on the eve of the new season of shrimp 2014-15 is carried out a thorough inspection of recreational elderly and children who will be the sea and in this way to avoid any accidents.

Always let safe marina know where you are going and what time u plan on returning, carry all your safety stuff, and u should be okay. Usually there are more boats than 1 going out so always see if u can make friends and let them know where u are going also. Tight lines

Interesting new product- http://www.gotenna.com/