PassageMaker - April 2011

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

injectors, even if they aren’t the cause of the smoking. At the very least, they should be removed, inspected, tested, and cleaned, and then reinstalled or replaced. The pencil-style injectors used in your Cats are relatively simple and not very costly, so replacement probably makes the most sense.

Finally, the appearance of steam
under load may be an indication
that your engine is on the verge of
overheating, even if the temperature
gauge appears normal, or that your
exhaust system is not receiving the
proper quantity or diffusion of raw-
water cooling. This can be tested
with an infrared pyrometer. When
the steam is visible, carefully measure
the temperature of the “wet” or hose
portions of the exhaust. Anything over
about 150°F is cause for concern,
while anything over 200°F is a clear
violation of ABYC guidelines. If your
readings are in this temperature range,
the cause needs to be identified and
rectified.—Steve D’Antonio

CO DETECTOR SAFETY

In Steve D’Antonio’s e-newsletter
article “Safety Check: Are Your CO
Detectors Working?” (Channels Jan.
2011, Vol. 1), he states: “It’s not
unusual for professional boatyards to
disable or disconnect CO detectors
during off-season storage. Doing so
has two purposes: it prevents batteries
from being drained, and it extends
the life of the detectors.”
This statement gives the
impression that the life of CO
detectors can be increased by
disconnecting them. While this may
be true, readers may get the idea
that it is acceptable to increase the
replacement or refurbishment period
of CO detectors beyond those
specified by the manufacturer.

Make no mistake about it— disabling CO detectors during off-season storage has but one goal: to prevent the vessel’s batteries from being drained. Disabling detectors during storage may or may not have an effect on their useful life. Since you have no way to determine this, play it safe and replace all CO detectors every five years, or at the manufacturer-recommended intervals.—Steve D’Antonio

To read more “Letters to the Editor,” visit the Web Extras for this issue at www.passagemaker.com.

DELTAVILLE BOATYARD

EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE

DBY techs continue to excel with help from Steve D’Antonio of Steve D’Antonio Marine Consulting and his comprehensive marine systems training program. Strict adherence to American Boat & Yacht Council systems guidelines, coupled with cutting edge expertise and ongoing education means a reliable, seaworthy, and safe vessel for you. All work performed to meet or exceed ABYC standards. TAKING TRAINING TO THE NEXT LEVEL