© 2009 Brian L Johnson

Blocked water inlet

Again, we have learnt that weeds can be a problem when cruising. The cooling system for the engine sucks in

‘raw water’ from the river and uses that to cool the engine. Because this ‘raw water’ inlet is small (it's a 1" hole),

it's easily blocked with weed and, if this happens, the engine doesn't get cooled and overheats!

If this happens, you are likely to see:

2. High water temp or low oil pressure.

3. Almost no water in the weed trap.

4. The hose from the weed-trap to the engine is collapsing.

To unblock the inlet in the bottom of the boat, you must quickly moor and turn off the engine. Then, lift the rear

port floor hatch and close the stop-cock at the bottom of the boat. Remember, it screws IN to close, OUT to

open, and it takes lots of turns. (And, currently, the handle's a bit loose.)

Once it's closed, take a screwdriver and unscrew the hose-clamp on the stop-cock. A bit of water may dribble

out of the hose, but water shouldn't rush in from underneath.

Next, we need to fasten that clear 400mm hose onto the stop-cock. Fit it over the stop-cock, tighten the hose-

clamp and slowly open the stop-cock. Open it fully. Click here to see how to clear the blockage.