Article by Capt. Steve Katz
Mid-Season Check-Up
Congratulation’s to all White Marlin Open anglers! It is a lot of hard work, preparation and expense to participate, but the comradery and rewards are a great part of the fishing experience.
By now, most of us have been fishing for a few months here in the Mid-Atlantic. With spring boat maintenance behind us, fishing is the primary thought for most captains, crew and anglers, although this part of the season is often when issues arise with on-board systems that have been in use for numerous trips and may require some needed attention.
Bilge pumps
Bilge pumps are an obvious critical component of your boat that always needs to be operating at 100%. It seems that this time of the season we often find trouble with a once good bilge pump system.
Debris tends to build up or get caught in the intake or automatic switch of the bilge pump and can lead to constant running or a jam in the pump’s impeller. It’s a good idea to inspect your bilge pumps to be sure there is no debris nearby and to be sure the float switch can easily operate both up and down.
Often a boat owner will add an additional bilge pump, which in general is a good idea, though it obviously needs to be installed properly. Each bilge pump needs its own wiring and fuse. You can not properly share existing pump wiring with a second pump. You will need to run a new, properly fused circuit.
Likewise, the pump discharge hoses cannot be shared. Each pump must have its own discharge hose and not rely on a check valve to direct the water. Check valves in the bilge pump discharges are only permitted by ABYC to eliminate pump cycling due to water draining back after the pump shuts off and causing it to cycle on again.
While you are in the bilge area, it is wise to check the proper operation of the high-water alarm, which is a requirement for any boat with an enclosed accommodation space. Test the float switch on the high-water alarm and be sure it can be heard loudly and clearly. The float switch for the high-water alarm should be installed slightly higher than the normal amount of water that can be pumped out by the bilge pump. This way if the pump fails, you get an immediate warning before the water gets too high.
Batteries
The voltage of a fully charged standard lead acid (traditional, sealed or AGM) marine battery at rest is 12.6 volts. If you have a 24-volt system, then 25.2v represents a fully charged bank. If your battery is reading 12.0 volts at rest, it is 50% discharged! If a battery remains discharged, sulfation can occur. Sulfation is a buildup of lead sulfate crystals and is the number one cause of early battery failure in lead-acid batteries. Sulfation occurs when a battery is deprived of a full charge and lead sulfate crystals build up and remain on battery plates. When too much sulfation occurs, it can impede the chemical to electrical conversion. Sulfation can be avoided by properly charging and re-charging your battery. When your engine is running or your battery charger is on, the battery voltage should be between 13.7 volts and 14.7 volts.
If your battery area smells like rotten eggs, then you have a battery problem. Batteries contain an electrolyte comprised of water and sulfuric acid. When overheated, the sulfuric acid is converted into Hydrogen Sulfide gas and it smells like rotten eggs.
Overcharging a lead acid battery can produce hydrogen sulfide. The gas is colorless, poisonous and flammable. If you smell this odor on-board your boat, turn off the charger, vent the area and stay away until the odor disappears.
Electronics
Back-up! If you do not already have a newly created back-up of your waypoints and other data from your chartplotter, take a few minutes to do this now. Numerous events can cause a loss of valuable waypoint data and the cost of a back-up data card and a few minutes of time is well spent compared to the aggravation of losing all your precious data. Most major chartplotter manufacturers have issued software updates this summer. A verified back-up should be made from your chartplotter before an update is installed on your system. Other events could cause a loss of data, such as overheating (recent problem with some Simrad products), a voltage surge or even a “friend” helping you press too many buttons on your chartplotter.
Software updates for navigation electronics - do you need them and why?
Most manufacturers provide an extensive list of the additions, changes and improvements contained in a software update. It is imperative to read the list and the accompanying instructions before you decide if a software update is good for you. Generally, if your system is working as expected and there are no changes in the new software that you need, a software update may not be required at the time. If you have a specific problem that is corrected in the newest software release or there is a new feature you need, then a software update may be a good idea. Do not attempt a software update on a Friday night before a Saturday fishing trip because if something goes wrong it will be hard to get help quickly.
Following these tips will help you have an enjoyable remainder of the fishing season.
Captain Steve Katz is the owner of Steve’s Marine Service and holds NMEA, AMEI and NMEA2000 certificates along with ABYC Master Technician certification and factory training from many manufacturers. To reach Steve, call 410-231-3191.
