Tidal Grid

riversun45 · Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:46 pm Post subject: Tidal Grid

Has anyone used a tidal grid to change oil and lower unit lubricant? It seems to me that it could be a slippery mess getting out of the boat and down below the boat to do the maintenance. I plan on doing the Inside Passage after the Friday Harbor gathering and would need to do the oil and lubricant maintenance a number of times during a 3K mile run. The other alternative is to have the boat lifted out of the water and have marina folks do the job. What say you folks.
Jon

NORO LIM · Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 10:26 pm Post subject:

On each of our Inside Passage trips, I did a couple of oil changes on the water - not too difficult, really, with a suction pump. Lower unit is another question. I had the boat hauled at about the half-way point for servicing at a Yamaha dealer. I didn't consider using a tidal grid, but I suppose it could be done.

20dauntless · Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 10:42 pm Post subject:

I put 480 hours on my engine last summer doing the inside passage. Engine oil changes in the water are easy with a pump. I did this twice.

I had the boat pulled twice for top and bottom oil changes, once in Sitka and once in Ketchikan. Getting the boat hauled was easy and not terribly expensive (~$100 each as I recall). I'm in Colorado right now, but I'll give you the names of the shops next week when I'm back in Seattle.

PeterQ · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 8:43 am Post subject:

Just wondering....what is a Tidal Grid??
Question

C-Nile · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 9:34 am Post subject:

Big Mac · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 9:45 am Post subject: Oil sump pump

As long as we are on this subject, what is the sump pump of choice. We have twin Honda 40hp outboards. How much of the oil do you think is recovered using this method. It is appealing to me as it would save a mess using the conventional drip pan.

Big Mac · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 9:45 am Post subject: Oil sump pump

As long as we are on this subject, what is the sump pump of choice. We have twin Honda 40hp outboards. How much of the oil do you think is recovered using this method. It is appealing to me as it would save a mess using the conventional drip pan.

NewMoon · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 9:48 am Post subject:

I've thought about it and talked with experienced grid users a number of times during New Moon's SE AK cruises, and so far have not given it a shot. Best I can tell, there's pretty good opportunity for a beginner (especially a single-hander) to screw up.

Also talked with one of the most expert wrenches in the country on Volvo DP sterndrives (which are pretty heavily stressed by the torque of our diesel engine). He's a drag boat racer, and has pushed to the limit and rebuilt more sterndrives than you can shake a stick at. Volvo sent me to him when our sterndrive cratered early in its life, to diagnose and fix it. He determined that it had some out-of-spec parts in it from the factory. On his advice, even though it was a year out of warranty, VP gave me a new leg, which he installed and set up meticulously.

His thinking was that if the drive was in good shape and had fresh top quality all-synthetic lube in it to start, and we were not putting extra stress on it by overpropping, 300-400 hours in 2-3 months should be OK. Even though the manual says to change it after 200 hours.

I've done up to 450 hours 9 of the last 10 summers now without changing drive lube along the way, and it's worked out fine. Must say however that I do run slow (lower stress on both me and the equipment) most of the time these days.

Captains Cat · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 10:32 am Post subject:

Boat owners do it all the time near our place in Maine. With 17+ feet of tide, it's a natural! We even have several "reversing falls!

Currently in Costa Rica enjoying the warmth but miss our boats!

Charlie

B~C · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 10:40 am Post subject:

Google up "12 volt oil changer" and you'll find several, all about $30. They all suck. Those are all we use in the summer and they seem to do a pretty good job.
Grids, there is a pic of a boat on the grid in my AK 08 album. Using them is all about timing, have to have enough tide to get on the grid, have to have a low enough tide to get what you want done and you have to be sure you get what you want done before the tide rolls back in.....rain gear and boots would be the proper attire as it is a muddy slimy mess. It's not uncommon to have a waiting list to use the grid when the tides are grid friendly. With our boats, I would be tempted to just find a nice beach on a big tide, you wouldn't be able to get your engines down all the way but it would make a cool picture

One summer I awoke to a helluva racket, some yahoos had tiedto the, flooded at the time, grid pilings that evening and where trying to pull the now ,soon to be high, and dry, boat off. Their fishing day was pretty much shot

Enjoy

Sunbeam · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 10:49 am Post subject:

Interesting thread.

Just thinking out loud: With a relatively flat bottomed boat like a C-Dory, I wonder if one needs to use a grid, or whether it might be as good (or even better) to use a sandy area and just "beach" the boat (in calm water). Reason I'm thinking this is that with a deep keel (like a sailboat) you really need the grid for support and the pilings or wall to "lean" against. With the C-Dory, would it even need that? Would you gain much? And if not, maybe a sandy area would have fewer potential "scratchy bits"? (pilings, etc.).

However, I've never tried to change lower unit lube with an engine tilted up - is that possible? I also never really paid attention to how much "extra depth" below the hull bottom you would get on a grid as opposed to beaching (so you could have the engine lowered). With sailboats it's the opposite: Most everything you want to do is high up because of the keel depth. Maybe an inflatable "grid" to carry along for the beach to give extra height Very Happy

potter water · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 11:11 am Post subject:

My concern about the "sandy bottom" is that you really don't know for sure what is lurking 2 inches below the sand that may be hard an pointy, made by man or nature. Perhaps a little walk around that spot you want the boat to sit on would be a good idea, poking around with your boat hook. Just a thought.

thataway · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 11:19 am Post subject:

Roll some logs on the beach, and let the boat take the hard on the logs--one right in front of the transom, the other about where the helm station is. The logs should allow you to get the outboard all of the way down. Not a lot of sandy beaches--but plenty of logs, and rock/gravel beaches.

Sunbeam · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:15 pm Post subject:

Ted Osborne · Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:52 pm Post subject:

The upper oil extractor We have been using for yrs is the Moeller. You put the tube in and pump the thing up and go away and let it do its thing.