water in the engine bay bilge

[alan_fincher]

Unless it is very cheap, and you have some reseve in your budget, it would worry me, I'm afraid.

 

You haven't really pictured enough to be sure, but in a typical modern "trad", (i.e. engine at back), it would normally be very hard to get access to all that lot to really descale it I would say.

 

If you do it properly, (say with an angle grinder), it will make a phenomenal mess, (I have recent experience - it gets everywhere!).

 

I'm surprised nobody has asked why the upper feed into the skin tank is entering it nearly half way down, not at the top. There is a very good chance that the top of this skin tank is doing very little, and it may be relying on just the lower bit, which may well be inadequate.

 

Mike Heywood, whilst generally known for building a decent boat, also seems to have taken a lot of liberties with skin tank design, although I have never come across one with this particular oddity. I can't think of any good reason why it would ever have an inlet where that one is! We had to have a new skin tank built on our Heywood built boat because the original was so poor. Quite expensive, if you do.

 

EDITED TO ADD:

 

1) You have shown what is in the area under the stern tube, (and I also can't imagine why the coupling seems to be totally buried in grease :wacko: ).

 

2) You have shown what goes on in the "triangular bit" to the left of the engine looking forward.

 

3) You have not shown what is going on in the equivalent "triangular bit" to the right of the engine, (i.e. under the walkway forwards).

 

Do you know ? If it is a typical Heywood shell, all those are separately contained areas, so any can fill with water independent of another, and that bilge pump will only drain the very small area under the prop-shaft bearing.

 

If water is finding it's way onto the "uxter plate" on the right hand side, (and from the poor state of the uxter at the back that looks likely), it can travel forward under any lining that is sitting on top of the uxter. It can go a long way, and do damage to linings several feet forward, (but please don't ask me how I know this!....)

 

Given the state of the left hand side, you need to see steel exposed on the right hand side, if you haven't yet.

Edited January 24, 2012 by alan_fincher

[GBBS]

I thought it better to revive an old thread than post anew. Would you be concerned by the apparent state of this engine bay and bilge (hope the pictures post okay). We are thinking of making an offer and would also get a full survey but any initial thoughts are always appreciated. Has been on brokerage just over 3 months. 2000/03 Mike Heywood.

 

 

 

First do not stress about it too much. Use a recomended surveyor - Trevor whitling of Whitling marine 07767 888255 is very rigorous and fiercely independant.

either make a provisional offer taking into account the total cost of the survey inc. drydocking etc. or make an offer pending survey results and ask the vendor to pay for the survey that you arrange. i.e offer the asking price pending survey results if the vendor pays for the survey. If the survey comes back good job done. If not renegotiate based upon the work required to rectify the survey issues.

with regards to the photos it looks as though the uxter plate is rusting due to condensation but without a survey you are just guessing as to whether or not it is serious. as a minimum it needs to be de-rusted and painted preferably with the engine removed to faccilitate access to the base plate also. this would cost between £400 & £600 dependant upon how long it took. Whenever We sell a boat we always have the boat surveyed and then correct all of the issues identified. We also pay extra so that the survey liability can be passed to the buyer.

[alan_fincher]

with regards to the photos it looks as though the uxter plate is rusting due to condensation

I'm not a surveyor, but I'd be remarkably surprised if that can be written off as just caused by condensation.

[Alex&Derek]

Ah what to do! We were hoping to get this boat cheap enough that we could pay to have this rectified professionally (for our own peace of mind) as we really like it overall and think it has great potential as a liveaboard.

 

However, now we have thrown up another issue which is according to Jim Shead this is 55' narrowboat of unknown make not a 57' Mike Heywood as advertised!!! We seem to have knack for finding boats which are not quite what they seem (as well as with odd water / heating set ups - that's a little joke for a certain forum member who has been very helpful in our quest!).

 

We queried this and the engine bay issue and a few other things with the brokers who have come back and basically said they don't have a clue, they don't really ask any questions of the vendor it would all come out in the survey..arrrrgh!!!

[sociable_hermit]

When you find the right boat, you'll know

One where the back end doesn't look ready to fall off would be a good start.

 

Seriously, this is trouble.

 

Find out exactly what is wrong here, get a quote for the work, double it and then deduct at least that from the asking price (assuming that price is reasonably accurate - have you looked at other boats to get a feel for market value?).

 

Personally I wouldn't go anywhere near it, as it's clearly been owned by someone with no mechanical sympathy whatsoever - engines have feelings too! It looks not only damaged but also bodged.

 

For example, if the coolant hose has come off the skin tank then does this mean the engine has been allowed to run dry? And has someone been forcing excessive amounts of grease into the stern gland because the packing is knackered and it's a nightmare job to get to everything?

Edited January 24, 2012 by sociable_hermit

[Alex&Derek]

We have been following the market for some time now hermit - this is on for £34,500 and we would have been going after it for around the £30-32,000 mark. Now increasingly hesitant!

[Alex&Derek]

Back to the drawing board methinks.

[alan_fincher]

You have identified what I think is a general considerable lack of interest (and often knowledge) by staff at that particular brokerage, (assuming they haven't changed much in 7 years - I don't have recent experience).

 

Sorry, I've only just twigged which boat it is - very disappointing to find that lurking, as it didn't look too bad in the details......

 

I'm not expert enough to form a view on the "Mike Heywood" thing. Perhaps someone else can throw some light. Originally he built as Mike Heywood, but by the mid 1990s his shells (like ours) were actually "Evans and Son". I can't find ads for either in Waterways Worlds for start of 2001, so I'm not convinced boats were being built by that name at the time this claims to be. The situation is confused that a firm called Heywood Boatbuilders were advertising boats built to Mike Heywood design, maybe 5 years ago, but long after he had died, I think....)

 

To me it looks "Heywood like" but not as close to my 1995 boat as I have come to expect. The 55 foot thing may just be someone getting their licence on the cheap - a tape measure would sort that one out.

 

Don't ignore that skin tank design issue. If you go again, try and get some good shots of the entire thing, but a cooling pipes going to a vertical skin tank should connect broadly one at the top and one at the bottom. There are reasons why maybe not, but one in the middle of a tank looks plain wrong to me. (sorry!)...)

[Grace and Favour]

Back to the drawing board methinks.

 

I feel your disappointment - - but there are so many boats available - - - it really makes sense to be cautious - and keep looking

[lucyblucky]

 

1) You have shown what is in the area under the stern tube, (and I also can't imagine why the coupling seems to be totally buried in grease :wacko: ).

 

2) You have shown what goes on in the "triangular bit" to the left of the engine looking forward.

 

3) You have not shown what is going on in the equivalent "triangular bit" to the right of the engine, (i.e. under the walkway forwards).

 

Do you know ? If it is a typical Heywood shell, all those are separately contained areas, so any can fill with water independent of another, and that bilge pump will only drain the very small area under the prop-shaft bearing.

 

If water is finding it's way onto the "uxter plate" on the right hand side, (and from the poor state of the uxter at the back that looks likely), it can travel forward under any lining that is sitting on top of the uxter. It can go a long way, and do damage to linings several feet forward, (but please don't ask me how I know this!....)

 

Triangle sides! I'm struggling to work out why both sides of my triangle, also independent of the main triangle under the prop shaft area, are filled with canal water. No bilge pumps there.

 

My link about bilge water and triangle sides

 

On the off chance, Alan, ours is a 1991 Heritage Boat Builders, trad stern, similar layout to Mike H boats perhaps? Any more advice about leaking uxter plates?

 

Sorry to briefly hijack your post Alex&Derek. BTW, we bought literally the first boat we saw just because we loved it immediately. Bit nuts perhaps, because only afterwards did I find this forum! Good luck.

[sam pig]

Hi,

 

Our boat has a bilge that seems to love water. The drain on the trad stern is a little partial to getting blocked with debris and seemingly not being able to get rid of downpours quick enough. We stay on top of it but occasionally it means getting into the compartment and draining the water...

 

This is a great bit of kit for the job and stows quite easily on the boat. The price is really good at the moment but will also need a battery (not far off the cost of the vac) if you don't have any De Walt batteries that will fit on it..

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/DeWalt-DC515N-18V-Handheld-Vacuum/dp/B00109AZNM/ref=sr_1_1?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1327601274&sr=1-1

Edited January 26, 2012 by sam pig

[RLWP]

Triangle sides! I'm struggling to work out why both sides of my triangle, also independent of the main triangle under the prop shaft area, are filled with canal water. No bilge pumps there.

 

My link about bilge water and triangle sides

 

<snip>

 

 

I did wonder about your thread. Have you had a poke around to make really sure that the two side triangles are not connected to the rear one? It looks like ours aren't, until you realise that the ends of the engine mounting channel are open

 

If not, that's a crap design, get it changed - or fit two more bilge pumps

 

Richard