E-Tec 60 @ 5mph speed limit

[Ali T]

Hi I have owned my 5m Rib for 3 yrs now and having done all I ever hoped to, out and about in the Forth, I had intended, now I have retired, to leave the waves and tides and head inshore, specifically The Union Canal.
my plan was to sell my Rib and buy another larger sib I already have a 3.1 zodiac Fastroller
I realise that once my Rib is gone She is gone forever
so

I am now considering entering the canal via Grangemouth next spring and using a 5 day permit, motoring to Fountainbridge Edinburgh

I have no aux and would want to use my 60 but worry how well she would cope

I would welcome any feedback

I would prefer to use the Rib

Cheers Ali

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Ali T

Hi I have owned my 5m Rib for 3 yrs now and having done all I ever hoped to, out and about in the Forth, I had intended, now I have retired, to leave the waves and tides and head inshore, specifically The Union Canal.
my plan was to sell my Rib and buy another larger sib I already have a 3.1 zodiac Fastroller
I realise that once my Rib is gone She is gone forever
so

I am now considering entering the canal via Grangemouth next spring and using a 5 day permit, motoring to Fountainbridge Edinburgh

I have no aux and would want to use my 60 but worry how well she would cope

I would welcome any feedback

I would prefer to use the Rib

Cheers Ali

The E-tec has been very much designed with the US Bass fishing users in mind.

At "trolling speeds" it is incredilby frugal and you will be probably using about 2-3 litres of petrol per hour at 5 knots. However like all 2 strokes they do like a good run to clear the cylinders out.

If you are going to do this then make sure you are set to run the XD100 oil and use XD 100 oil as this will help avoid too much carbon build up. THen when you get the chance give the engine a good full throttle run every few hours.

How often you need to give it a good run and how many hours you could pootle along at 5 knots is not a question I can answer. However you may find a better response here www.etecownersgroup.com

Chris

[Hightower]

I knew of someone that took their 200 Etec through the French canal system from North Brittany to South Brittany with no apparent problems.

It might well be worth considering a much finer prop, otherwise you're going to be at tickover all the way. Something else to consider is a rudder either on the outboard or next to it, because as we all know steerage is an issue at low speed.

[Poly]

Ali,

What engine do you have on your SIB - can you not move it over?

However a few things to beware of - the canal is quite bad in places for weed and in others for random rubbish dumped into it. It might be worth finding out when the canal boats are making the full trip and following within a few days of that and let them do the dregding!

I've thought about taking my little tub through the canal (as my house backs onto it so it seems odd not to!) but once your are past the falkirk wheel and the tunnel under callendar park it could get a bit dull at the (4 knot?) speed limit. I've cycled all of it a few times so there is nothing new for me to see. There are no locks - so little activity to break up the trip. Were you planning to take it out at Fountainbridge (is there a slip?) or then do it all in reverse (which would make the total trip 60+ miles at walking speed).

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by Polwart

which would make the total trip 60+ miles at walking speed.

Have you considered a trailer?

[Ali T]

Hmm I will check out the Etec owners club and see what i can find there, I do use XD100

I am thinking mebbe nows the time to finally fit an aux I already have a yam5 but it's short shaft

yes i do intend to do the whole 60 mls at walking speed but being retired I have a lot of spare time now

a new prop also seems a good idea

the French canal has always appealed to me so mebbe use the union as a warm up and if all goes well mebbe think about that

thanks again

Ali

[Pikey Dave]

No problems running the Etecs at low speeds for long periods, the fishing lads troll for hours at tickover. What you want to avoid is running them in the 1800-2000rpm ish area on a planing hull (RIB) as they can overheat as they try & climb over the hump.

[gotchiguy]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

What you want to avoid is running them in the 1800-2000rpm ish area on a planing hull (RIB) as they can overheat as they try & climb over the hump.

We have had repeated first hand experience of this Either throttle up, or throttle down, and the temp shoots straight back down. We have seen it as high as ~105deg, but AFAIK it is only at ~120 when serious issues arise.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by gotchiguy

We have had repeated first hand experience of this Either throttle up, or throttle down, and the temp shoots straight back down. We have seen it as high as ~105deg, but AFAIK it is only at ~120 when serious issues arise.

I've had it meself on both engines at the same time, coming out of the harbour in the 6kn zone, both engines went into SAFE mode. I watch for it now & avoid it. The Gurus on etec owners forum reckon it shouldn't happen but it does. My personal theory is the engine is trying to get over the hump & is working hard, but the boat speed is relatively low so the water flow is low. Also at around 2krpm the stratified fuel flow changes, so below 2000rpm ish, it's running lean so the fuel isn't cooling the pistons. At least it's predictable, so therefore avoidable.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by gotchiguy

We have had repeated first hand experience of this Either throttle up, or throttle down, and the temp shoots straight back down. We have seen it as high as ~105deg, but AFAIK it is only at ~120 when serious issues arise.

are you talking celsius?

[BogMonster]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

No problems running the Etecs at low speeds for long periods, the fishing lads troll for hours at tickover. What you want to avoid is running them in the 1800-2000rpm ish area on a planing hull (RIB) as they can overheat as they try & climb over the hump.

You learn something worth remembering every day

I haven't tried yet (cos it's dark...) but can you set a popup on the icommands to squeal above a certain temp and before the engine shuts down to safe mode?

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by BogMonster

You learn something worth remembering every day

I haven't tried yet (cos it's dark...) but can you set a popup on the icommands to squeal above a certain temp and before the engine shuts down to safe mode?

Unfortunately not, which imho is a glaring omission. You can display the temp on i-command & on your N2K chartplotter, but you can't set alarm thresholds. To be fair it's so predictable not to be a problem, & only occurs in a very narrow rpm band, which is why I think it's related to the stratified fuelling.

[BogMonster]

Ah well - must just check next time out and see what speed falls into that rev range. I might even try and reproduce it with the engine temp on the screen to see when and how quickly it happens. Water here is v cold so may not be such an issue.

[Pikey Dave]

It's easy to replicate, just ease up the throttle to the point where she's trying to take off over the hump, but hold her back. As the revs start to pick up as you start to come on to plane, just ease the throttle back to hold the revs. You'll see the temp start to rise. It will all depend on hull & prop as to exactly if & when it happens. Some people report no problems, others do. With me it's just around the 6kn mark.

[9D280]

Oil injected - should take car of itself. There's no way I'd get past the first lock without oiling up!

Other option is give your aux a good blast - it will be running nicely at that kind of speed.

Also might be worth buying a couple of cheap sheets of ply & rope to dangle them by to protect the toobs in the locks. - they were designed tohandle steel hull barges & puffers.


From memory there's an Italian alongside one of the saiths in Falkirk / Bonnybridge (Forth side of the wheel) Food is good, and panorama windows mean you can keep an eye on the boat while you eat!

Another option of course is a trip right through & join the West Coasters for a tootle round the Clyde....... F&C canal Soc run regular trips & positioning moves for charters all the time so the main canal is pretty clear.

[Pikey Dave]

Just found this Re: Etec overheats:-
Code 31 activates SHUTDOWN at 248°F (120°C) and Code 43 or 69 activates S.A.F.E. at 212°F (100°C) on 40 - 90 HP models or
194°F (90°C) on 115-250 HP 60°V & 90°V models.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by 9D280

Also might be worth buying a couple of cheap sheets of ply & rope to dangle them by to protect the toobs in the locks. - they were designed tohandle steel hull barges & puffers.

Possibly good advice but I think you are lost! No "puffer" has ever gone along the Union Canal. I also don't think you go through any original locks - in fact I think the only proper locks might be the "sea lock" and the lock from the F&C to the Falkirk Wheel basin - they are all relatively modern and there are quite nice pontoons at strategic locations along the length. Still the tunnel and the avon aqueduct are guy narrow and not exactly "tube friendly"

[9D280]

Originally Posted by Polwart

Possibly good advice but I think you are lost! No "puffer" has ever gone along the Union Canal.

Aye, but you still need to negotiate a fair few miles of the F&C to get to the Wheel, and headroom or not, in 18canteen when it was built barges were made of wood or steel. Granted I haven't travelled the Union since it was opened, but a sizeable proportion of the F&C locks are originals, apart from where the lock was near a road & they've had to move it to get rid of the need to reinstate a swing bridge.


Plenty of non condensing stuff was built built specially for the route (canal is fresh water, so can use the canal water in your boiler), but a discussion around the definition of a puffer isn't going to help the OP much.


A few canal / Puffer links for those still with us:

http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/se...AHMS&id=168536

http://www.tradboat2.co.uk/sourcepag...rce%20page.htm (first paragraph)

http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/ind...ts/ClydePuffer ("survivors" paragraph)

http://www.kintyreonrecord.co.uk/art...article_id=179

[Poly]

9d280 - thanks for your clarification - I hadn't realised there were so many locks between the river and the basin at the wheel.

However I'll stand by my claim that no "clyde puffer" (regardless of boiler type) ever transited the union canal - its too narrow, has many (original) bridges and a long tunnel. However it also has no locks...

[9D280]

Originally Posted by Polwart

However I'll stand by my claim that no "clyde puffer" (regardless of boiler type)

Ah, the power of association.......

Originally Posted by 9D280

they were designed tohandle steel hull barges & puffers.

The Clyde puffer is a whole different beast.



16 locks betwen the Forth & the wheel, and a further two once you get through the tunnel by the wheel. Once you're through there it's a clear run into town! Here's the map:

http://www.waterscape.com/media/documents/20717.pdf