Sea Strainers

[Chiller]

I recently purchased a 43DC. The boat had just had a bottom job and at that time the engine raw water intake screens were replaced and the sea strainers were removed. I was told that the strainers needed to be relocated anyway and this direct set up is just as good or better. Also, many newer boats don't have sea strainers? I don't know if the replacement screens are any different then original. The engines are 1993 Cummins 6BTA's. Do I need to put the strainers back on? Please advise. Thanks.

[saltshaker]

I recently purchased a 43DC. The boat had just had a bottom job and at that time the engine raw water intake screens were replaced and the sea strainers were removed. I was told that the strainers needed to be relocated anyway and this direct set up is just as good or better. Also, many newer boats don't have sea strainers? I don't know if the replacement screens are any different then original. The engines are 1993 Cummins 6BTA's. Do I need to put the strainers back on? Please advise. Thanks.

As long as they used a good size wedge strainer, you are fine. It is a better setup than the internal raw water strainers.

[REBrueckner]

Although I prefer both external and internal working, I agree with Jack. In 11 years with external hole type strainers, I never had to clean my jumbo size internal sea strainers. And they are a potential source of a leak...or freezing

But you want to be sure the external strainers are the type with many small round holes rather than a few slots. One advantage of the holes is that they seem to suppress growth inside...like mussels...the wider slotted shape seems to admit more light.

The slots also admit some stuff, like long thin eel grass, that the round hole will block. If you don't have ell grass floating around where you boat, maybe either type is ok.

I became VERY aware of eel grass in Nantucket (Mass) anchoring there several summers for about six weeks...Several people I spoke to who ran their gennys a lot had to clean their internal strainers daily...or more. (I was running an air cooled portable genny in my cockpit most of the time so avoided the eel grass mess)..

Consider external strainers for air conditioning and toilet water intakes. I had eel grass up inside a toilet, past the impeller, at the top of the bowl at a restriction orifice, that blocked the water flow around the top of the bowl...took me HOURS to find what was restricting my water flow. I NEVER had such an problem with a Raritan Crown head in 55+ years of boating until I spent extended time in Nantucket.

There have been some pretty long discussions here in the past on raw water engine intake strainers, so if you want more opinions, consider a search.

[rsmith]

(I was running an air cooled portable genny in my cockpit most of the time so avoided the eel grass mess)..

Very dangerous REB I'm very supprised you would do such a thing with the posibilitys of CO poisoning and fire from a portable generator in the cockpit.

[yachtsmanbill]

UhOh!! I had to have one when the sub ran north... the 20KW was OOC (out of commision) and we needed 110 vac for nite lites and heat. Always shut down at bedtime tho, and ALWAYS monitored the unit at hourly walkdowns... ws

[REBrueckner]

"Very dangerous REB I'm very supprised you would do such a thing with the posibilitys of CO poisoning and fire from a portable generator in the cockpit."

My middle name is "danger".

[saltshaker]

I had the eel grass strainers on the mains and the AC intakes. The generator had a round perforated external strainer over a flush mount thru hull. Never had to clean the internal strainers in the 12 years I owned the boat. New boat has large scoops and huge internal strainers. I'll see how things go but I might just add the external strainers at the next haul out.

[saltshaker]

"Very dangerous REB I'm very supprised you would do such a thing with the posibilitys of CO poisoning and fire from a portable generator in the cockpit."

My middle name is "danger".

As long as it's not Dangerfield.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp7QoR8vMW8

[sandspur1966]

Ha,

This past summer a 30-something foot searay in my marina clipped the bow of another 40-something foot searay and the two ownwers with more gold jewelry than sense got into a loud, public donneybrook.

On actually said "You scratched my anchor" and sound just like Dangerfield... still cracks me up nearly a year later.

[REBrueckner]

"As long as it's not Dangerfield."

Guilty, but not very often...

Haven't we all had at least one of those experiences!!!.

If not, then you have been hanging out dockside too much.

My MOST repeated foolishness is getting a pocket caught on a doorkob abaord and ripping a hole or a pocket in a pair of shorts or pants.