Adams Mobile Marine Repair

motor mount with tight nut

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  when a water pump impeller goes bad and breaks into pieces it can cause alot of different problems and it can also take a lot of time to find all of the pieces of the impeller this is why you should change the impeller every year or every 100 hours which ever comes first

here are some pics of what happens if you dont stay in the marked channels and dont watch your depth

broken gimbelring

bravo 3 drive with no prop shaft

now is the time to have your boat serviced so you can have a trouble free boating season.you should have a 100 hour or a seasonal service done now.this includes change gear lube and water pump impeller,spark plugs tune up ck spark and compression,spray engine with corriosion guard and oil and filter change,and ck al systems on the boat

Intracoastal Yacht Sales is have a Rondevous at Barefoot Resort Yacht Club the first weekend in june for more info contact doug ford at 843-340-0080 or the harbour master at barefoot resorte yacht club at 843-390-7900

Now is the time to get your boats ready for summer! Have you mantinence done now so there will be no suprises when you want to use your boat this summer.Here is a list of items that should be done every year gear lube ,water pump impeller, engine oil,spark plugs, dist cap and rotor,water sep fuel filters,spray engine with crc,have all systems on boat checked over

Before launching a boat for the first time each season, the Division of Watercraft urges boaters to complete the following checklist to reduce the chances of being unprepared while out on the waterways.

*  Check the boat registration.  Boat registrations expire on March 1 of the year displayed on the boat sticker.  For example, if your tag says “2005″ you need to renew your registration this year before you put your boat on the water.

*  Check your safety equipment.  Look at the required equipment chart in the Division of Watercraft publication SC Boat Operator’s Guide to make sure you have all the equipment needed on your boat after it has been stored.

*  Inspect your life jackets.  In addition to making sure you have a properly sized wearable life jacket for each passenger, check each life jacket for mildew, rot and tears in athe material, seams and straps.  Discard and replace any damaged life jackets.

*  Check flares and fire extinguishers.  Buy new flares if their ixpiration dates have expired, and make sure the fire extinguisher is properly charged.

*  Check the first-aid kit.  Replace any supplies that were used last season or have passed the expiration date. 

*  Check fittings.  Thru-hull fittings below the waterlin

Marine theft is a problem nationwide.  All sizes and types of boats and related equipment are vulnerable.  Millions of dollars in insurance claims are made each year due to the theft of boats, motors, trailers, and an array of associated equipment.]

What should you do if you are a victim of marine theft?  Immediately report your loss to your local law enforcement agency, the Division of Watercraft, the United States Coast Guard if on federal water, your insurance company and the marina or storage  manager.  Law enforcement agencies can enter vital information into the national L.E.A.D.S. network which could assist in the recovery of your boat.

Some tips to protect your boat and equipment from theft include:

*  When your boat is unattended, remove keys, registration and all equipment which cannot be locked inside the boat;

*  Permanently mark or engrave all equipment with your social security number;

*  Lock outboard motors and fuel tanks to the craft;

*  Use a trailer hitch lock and chain the trailer to a fixed object in a well lighted area.  If moored, secure the vessel to the dock with a steel cable and lock;

*  Photograph your boat and equipment and record the registration number, hull identification number and the serial number of all electronics equipment for your file;

*  organize a dock watch program at your marina.

Caution must be exercised when buying a boat due to the number of stolen boats.  To avoid problems, match the hull indentification number listed on the title and registration to the one attached to the boat.  Inspect the HIN on the transom to be sure it has not been altered in anyway.

Fuel that contains ethanol is causing a lot of problems in marine engines. Ethanol attracts water. The fuel will start to go bad in about 1 week. The fuel needs to be replaced every 2 weeks. If your boat does not have a water separating fuel filter you need to have one installed. Check your fuel for signs of water contamination. If there is signs of water in your fuel you need to have the contaminated fuel removed from the tank. Water in your fuel can cause a engine problems or engine failure. Fuel with ethanol can decrease efficiency by up to 40%. Avoid using any fuel additives that contains alcohol or ethanol and use 91 octane or higher fuel. Try to use a fuel that contains no ethanol. Try to use a fuel that contains valvetech. This will help.

Adam Wells
Certified Marine Mechanic
843-602-6545
Why wait?…Service today!

This is a pressing question and I think I have some insight on it.  Professor Fred Hochgraf of the University of New Hampshire has conducted testing on E10 fuel.  What he found is that E10 will draw components out of the resin in the fiberglass fuel tank.  The resin components for a black residue deposit on the engine valves which causes them to stick.  Then the usual failure mechanism takes over, the piston hits the valve(s) and stuff breaks and the engine is damaged.

Turns out the chemical in the fiberglass resin is from the “phthalates” family which is used to make the fiberglass less brittle according to Professor Hochgraf.  Of course, this did not happen to the control engine which did not have a fiberglass fuel tank or E10 fuel.

So if your boat has fiberglass fuel tanks, made before 1980, I recommend that you replace them with aluminum or stainless if you can afford it.  These tanks are not affected by the E10 fuel.  The later fiberglass fuel tanks seem to be less suceptible to this problem.  But there is no simple way to determine if your have a problem.  And the E10 fuel is probably here to stay.  Professor Hochgraf’s website is www.nhml.com.

Until next time.

Adam Wells

Certified Marine Mechanic  Why wait?…Service today!

843-602-6545

In addition, the professor found that fractions of the gasoline fuel are disolved into the fiberglass fuel tank wall.  Now when the fuel tank runs low or is empty, a dangerous situation is created since the fuel tank will be filled with air containing oxygen, creating an explosive situation.