Time to get afloat again - some maintenance questions

T

tparrent

New member
My 22 has been patiently awaiting my arrival for the past couple of years at Jordan Lake near Raleigh. I just never seemed to have the time to launch.

Fortunately, I now have time and this is my favorite time of year to get on the water because the lake is nearly empty. I also plan to finally head to the North Carolina coast and get in some overnight cruising.

I've got a couple of minor problems I hope you can help me with. For background, the boat is a 2007 model but has less than 100 hours on the Honda 90. That's a new definition of "lightly used"

1. Fuel not flowing from starboard tank. This has been a longstanding problem. The toggle between the tanks works in that it shuts off the feed from the port tank but nothing comes in from starboard.

2. Related to (1) and my general non-use of the boat - the fuel has been sitting in the tanks for YEARS. I might have put stabilizer in but I don't recall doing it. I have only had the boat out twice in the last three years and those were very short trips. How worried should I be about the fuel and what should I do about it?

3. The port stern locker has always leaked. I am not sure if the water comes in through a leaky gasket or some other way but it's always very wet inside. Any suggestions for sealing it?

4. The GPS will not power up. It always worked fine in the past and the only thing that I know has changed is the batteries. They both went dead and had to be replaced. As far as I can tell there are no blown fuses and all the connections look tight.

5. Trailer tires. The tires have very few miles on them but are approaching ten years old. Should I replace them before hitting the road?

6. Bike rack. I would like to take one or two of my full size bikes with me on my Outer Banks cruise. Has anyone put a Thule rack or similar on the cabintop? I know I could get a folding bike but I really prefer a full size model.

Thanks!

Tom
 
1. Fuel not flowing from starboard tank. This has been a longstanding problem. The toggle between the tanks works in that it shuts off the feed from the port tank but nothing comes in from starboard.
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Often the plumbing on the fuel intake valve is improperly done, or labeled from the factory. First get to the back, and be sure that you can blow air back into the line to the tank. Then check blowing air back into the tank via the output hose (to the engine). Use of a hand pump is advise.

It is possible that the fuel tubing has detiorated or collapsed.

2. Related to (1) and my general non-use of the boat - the fuel has been sitting in the tanks for YEARS. I might have put stabilizer in but I don't recall doing it. I have only had the boat out twice in the last three years and those were very short trips. How worried should I be about the fuel and what should I do about it?
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Discard the fuel. Often fire departments or public disposal stations will take hazardous waste--check with your county. You should disconnect the fuel tube from the back of the valve (part of the check above). I have a set up, which is part of my fuel polishing system, using a small automotive fuel pump to suck the fuel out of the tank. You want to get as much out as possible. It may be possible to siphon it out. You will probably need to extend the length of the tubing---and using a double hose barb fitting, which will fit into the old tubing, and a length of new tubing which takes the fuel over into containers. I use a battery and switch off the boat for that pump, and am very careful that no sparks or static electricity can build up.

3. The port stern locker has always leaked. I am not sure if the water comes in through a leaky gasket or some other way but it's always very wet inside. Any suggestions for sealing it?
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There is a better lid for the compartment, which is close to fitting, with little modification. Recommend you do both. Also seal the core around the lazarette fitting with thickened epoxy, drill out the new screw holes, and fill those with thickened epoxy also to prevent water intrusion. The proper hatch will be foundOn this Defender Marine page. Sorry I don't remember the exact dimensions, but you need to measure to be sure.

4. The GPS will not power up. It always worked fine in the past and the only thing that I know has changed is the batteries. They both went dead and had to be replaced. As far as I can tell there are no blown fuses and all the connections look tight.
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You need to take your digital volt meter and start at the panel on the back of the console, with the power to the GPS. My guess is that there is some wire which was not put in place properly when the battery was changed. Often it is a ground wire.
Do the other instruments, lights etc work? If so you have power to the main console.

5. Trailer tires. The tires have very few miles on them but are approaching ten years old. Should I replace them before hitting the road?
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Yes, Any trailer tires more than 5 years old should be replaced. Single or dual axle? When was the trailer last moved? If the trailer has single axle and not moved for some time, I would not even take the chance of moving it to a tire dealer. If you do move it even with dual--go very slowly...

6. Bike rack. I would like to take one or two of my full size bikes with me on my Outer Banks cruise. Has anyone put a Thule rack or similar on the cabintop? I know I could get a folding bike but I really prefer a full size model.
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Yes, folks have mounted the cross bars between the grab rails. If there is a "high top" Then you may need a significant spacer, but it could still be done.

Good luck--and I am sure others will fill in the details.
 
I checked on the hatch it is the Imtra So-Pac 4000 Series Rectangular Access Hatch
Item # : 900037 defender number. The Imtra number is SPA-40155. I got the color which Defender has--a white, there is also an off white which some others have used. (Dream White)
 
I'm confused. You say "your 22" but the photos show a 16. The hatch Bob is recommending is for the 22's. I would be sure and measure to see if it will fit a 16. (I guess that depends on which boat you have.

Looking at the number of hours you have on the engine and the hours per year, you probably want to be using fuel stabilizer every time you fill (or add) fuel to your tanks. My mechanic (Yamaha certified) has recommended using the blue Marine Stabil and also the Startron brand additive/stabilizer, and in low hour use situations, adding them on every fill whether you are running carbureted or fuel injected.

For the GPS, if there is power down the line, as Bob says to check, then it may have to do with wire corrosion at some of the connections and you may not be getting full power. If the batteries were left until they went dead, I would wonder if there was some minuscule drain from something maintaining a memory of something. A BatteryMinder charger will take care of that.

As to the Thule carrier. I have seen them on a 22, and maybe a 19. Can't say I would attempt it on a 16, but then YMMV.

The trailer tires need to be replaced unless you are towing from the garage to the backyard and launching there. I would pull the wheels and take them to the shop. Even with tandems (and again, I'm confused -- not thinking you would need a tandem to tow a 16), if on tire blows you could do a lot of damage by the time you get stopped and off the road. ( I have a friend who had one of a set of tandems go on an RV trailer, on the hiway at hiway speeds. Did about $15,000 damage to the trailer just getting stopped and off the hiway, (think trailer, fenders, boat hull, lower engine leg all from a tire blowing up and shredding.)

Best of luck on the trip, the getting ready and the storage in the future.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

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Hey Harvey,

Tom had a 16 first, then got a 22. And a whole bunch of sailboats before that.

He currently has a 22.

Merry Christmas!
Jim
 
That's right, I have the 22 now. Sometimes even I get confused about what's in my boat portfolio :D

Thanks for the suggestion on the hatch cover. I'm not confident in my own ability to install them but I can have a shop down by the coast that handles C Dorys look into it.

I will pull the rims and replace the tires before I head out. I do not need the drama of a roadside breakdown.
 
Thanks for straightening me out there Jim, and then Tom. Now I'm less confused :roll: :lol: about that....time will tell on all the rest of the stuff :shock: :arrow: :wink:

Tom, the hatches on the 22 are an easy do, and I know because I only do easy, and they were easy for me, less than 2 hours for both. Mine popped off easy and the sizes matched up.

Harvey
SleepyC:moon

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Hi Tom
I sure would change those tires....I bought mine from America's tires and got a 10 year warranty....you will never wear them out...but the sun will kill em..and they fall apart... I think the Goodyear trailer tires are the best...

You can drain you fuel tanks easily by removing the fuel line at the valve and hooking a coupler and a siphon hose....I drain my fuel after every trip...and use it in my pickup so my boat fuel is always fresh...but yes ..if you use Stable you want the blue Stable...

The replacement fuel valves are sometimes different than the ones that come with the boat...that is what happened to me was when I replaced my valve the decal was pointed in the wrong direction for one of the tanks to work...the switch was fine...but OFF in the position the decal was indicating something different I had to remove the decal and have a plate engraved with the proper positions marked...

I replaced my batteries with Optma batteries as they can go for long periods without recharge and can easily withstand the bouncing and vibration that boat batteries are subject to...and do not gas....easiest to do by removing the hatch cover completely for more room to insert the batteries....I never liked having the batteries in the back so I moved the Optima batteries forward of the Port-a-pot...(move the weight forward) but, that turned out to be a big job as lots of wiring had to be changed.

Yes Imtra hatches are a drop in for the old hatch covers that always leaked...I bought and shipped over 200 sets of those hatches a number of years back...at that time they cost us...(and I sold them at) wholesale for $37 a hatch to C-Dory owners here.....they sell in stores at about $65 each....Fisherman's Supply carry them in stock (I would look them up on Google)...they were imported from New Zealand and I bought them on my Salvage Company Discount...but I had to buy them in 10 set lots...(not doing that anymore)
Finally ... C-Dory agreed that they were much better than the old hatches and changed to Imtra hatches...and I retired from selling hatches... I had made my point... I used the old hatches I removed to make storage under the berths... I removed the foam filling under the new hatch area...you can not feel the hatch covers under the mattress... easy job and the extra storage is great.

Joel
SEA3PO
 
Hi Tom and good luck!
Although never advertised in the boating world, there is such a thing as a high quality, full-size, folding bike though Westmarine etc will never carry them. We got 21-speed all-aluminum versions 10 years ago. They will last a lifetime and can be adjusted and repaired, unlike that boating junk. Like so many high quality 'things', they're not cheap, but they ARE high quality. After a ride on the beach in the salt water, just hose 'em off. Both fit folded on top of each other in the forward third of the pickup bed, protected by the lid. Marine paratroopers jump out of planes with a lighter mountain version strapped on, so you know they (the bikes as well as the Marines) are tough.

https://www.montaguebikes.com/product-c ... use-bikes/

I generally agree with Bob, but when towing over 8,000 lbs I advocate changing out trailer tires at 4 years from the imprinted DOT code date of
mfg (not date of purchase). They all loose 50% of structural integrity at 3 years of mfg (probably more in the Florida heat and ozone, and since 100% are from China who knows what goes on in the factory).
Happy Boating!
John
 
John,
Rather than cutting a couple of years off the life of the tires, go for a higher rated load tire. I certainly agree with the time from date of manufacture, but unless you have an "in", it is not unusual to have a tire which is at least a year "old" when you get it. The weight of a Tom Cat is entirely different than any of the other C Dory line...

I buy my RV tires thru a Michelin program, and was able to order them directly, and they were 3 weeks post manufacture. I had gotten "new" GoodYear tires when I bought the used coach--which were 2 years post manufacture...Told that was all that was "available' sure....


The OP has a C Dory 22, and he should be fine changing at 5 years--or maybe even 6. But 10 years is a no go, unless a very short distance, at slow speeds.
 
Tparrent, I also bought a lightly used 2007 model with about 100 hours on the motor (Suzuki in my case). I too could not get fuel to flow -- from either tank in my case.

The problem on my boat was the fuel pickup tubes that drop down inside the tanks. Both tubes, as I discovered, had broken into bits from old age and exposure. Neither tube reached fuel so none was delivered. There was no way to see this from outside, but blowing air through the fuel lines didn't make any bubbling in the tanks.

Moeller made the tanks and they know this is something that happens. Moeller's telephone customer service treated me very well and sent me links to repair instructions on their website (a little awkward to navigate). Even so, I had to pray a bit before finding that the fittings on the top of the drop tubes were, in fact, screw-on models on my tanks. That made repair much less challenging than if they'd been pressed-in fittings. Removing the tanks is awkward but do-able. Replacement pickup tubes come in 2 lengths: 10 inches and 18, I think. The longer one is too long for our tanks but can be cut; the shorter one doesn't reach the tank bottom so leaves a couple inches of fuel unavailable.

When reassembling the parts I used yellow thread sealant tape, which is made for plumbing repairs on gas and solvent pipes; the label says it is also for gasoline pipes. It works like the white Teflon tape and you can get it at big box stores.

If you need them I can email photos of the repair. You can reach me via this site; I think it has links to contact each other. My boat is listed under the name "Pangur Ban" but photos of this particular repair aren't on my C-Brats photo page.

-Richard
 
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