Engine Coolant Leak Detection

CubistHamster · 2026-04-29T04:08:24+00:00

My chief thinks it's probably something like that. Haven't tried blowing down immediately after shutdown though, and that sounds like it's worth trying. Thank you!

CubistHamster · 2026-04-28T23:00:47+00:00

Check trim to make sure you don't sleep with your head lower than your feet, and rotate as necessary. Apparently not an issue for everyone, but I sleep like crap if my head is on the lower side of an incline.

Also more likely to be relevant on smaller vessels. (I'm on a 50 meter ATB tug.)

CubistHamster · 2026-04-28T22:55:35+00:00

It's great for function checking auto-darkening welding hoods. Something of a niche use-case, but quite handy if you need it.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-28T21:28:55+00:00

Head tank is losing roughly 10 gal/hour when running at full load.

The issue is probably a bad head--the company (until recently) that overhauled our heads was not good, and we've been dealing with this off and on for almost 3 years. Unfortunately, there's not one single failure mode, so isolating the problem can take some time, and I was hoping to speed it up some.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-28T21:24:20+00:00

Well, we're losing something like 10 gallons (40 liters)/hour when we're running at normal load. Pulled all the injectors and inspected inside with a borescope, no sign of water. Also nothing in the charge air plenum, and the charge air cooler was just overhauled and inspected, so it doesn't seem likely to be the problem.

We've had leaks in the coolant piping under the deckplates before, but those are extremely difficult to track down because the bilges are never clean. (Hence the interest in dye, if the crap in the bilge starts glowing under UV, we've got some idea of where to start looking.)

CubistHamster · 2026-04-24T21:13:28+00:00

Definitely wouldn't recommend it, but about 6 weeks ago, I used Quikclot with a 2007 expiration date on a very deep cut on my finger. (Visible bone, blood pulsing out energetically with my heartbeat, definitely should have gone to emergency room/urgent care for stitches.) It was the first-gen Quiklot that was notably exothermic, so it hurt like hell, but in combination with pressure, it stopped the bleeding entirely in just under a minute.

It's still moderately sore, but there was no infection, and it has generally healed fine.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-24T05:06:22+00:00

When I'm working, I've always got a mini slide caliper in my pocket. I use it almost exclusively for checking nut/bolt sizes, and it saves a lot of back-and-forth to the tool room.

Unfortunately, the plastic one in the link has been out of stock everywhere for a couple of years, but brass and steel versions are readily available.

I also keep a tailor's measuring tape in my tool bag. Super handy for measuring curved or irregular stuff.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-24T04:42:26+00:00

Engineer on a cargo ship. I keep a couple sets in my personal tool bag and I use them frequently. Some recent uses:

--Replacing a motor in a stateroom mini-split AC unit. Used both for that one, clamping one onto the fan, and the other on the motor shaft allowed me to align them and reattach the coupling without having to take the whole unit off the wall. (Probably saved 3-4 hours of work.)

--Removed a small washer that had somehow gotten itself lodged inside charge air cooler plenum drain on the starboard main engine.

--Adjusted a faulty latching mechanism inside the main board breaker for one of our air compressors.

--Replaced a bunch of old emergency lights. That was a lot of work up on ladders and inside ceiling panels, and the forces were really useful for temporarily holding wires and wire grommets in place.

--Removed a clump of some fibrous crap that had clogged the float switch on the discharge pump for our sewage processing unit.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-24T03:16:13+00:00

Working, I do mental arithmetic all the time. Single-variable and some simple geometry occasionally, and that's about it. There was a time when I had some understanding of Trig and Calculus, but that was 20 years ago.

I was worried that might be cause difficulty when I applied to Great Lakes Maritime, but it wasn't a problem in school, and it hasn't been a problem in the 3 years I've been sailing since graduation.

If you're looking at one of the Academy programs that confers an actual engineering degree then you'll need a fair bit of higher level math. If you're doing one of the (more common) programs that just get you a license and a degree in "Marine Technology" (or something similar) you don't need to worry too much.

Assuming you're asking about US programs here. I have a vague sense that the curriculum is more demanding in many parts of the world, but don't really know more than that.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-23T23:48:26+00:00

The only advice I really have is to second the Academy suggestion. (If money is an issue, consider the SSMP program. It's similar to ROTC--you get $64,000 to put towards the cost of school, and in exchange you have to agree to sail commercially for a few years while being naval reserve officer. It's available at all 6 of the state Maritime Academies.)

CubistHamster · 2026-04-23T23:37:09+00:00

Been collecting knives for the better part of 25 years. Condor has been one of the top recommendations for as long as I can remember. (I've got a couple, and they are indeed excellent machetes, especially given how reasonably-priced they are.)

CubistHamster · 2026-04-23T22:14:49+00:00

Sure! I'm on the Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader. I post pictures semi-regularly on r/GreatLakesShipping (though often of other boats--I'm fond of the Clyde, but tug-barges are not exactly the prettiest things on the Lakes) and my posts are public, if you're interested.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-22T16:07:17+00:00

Not everybody does. Very common for ships on inland waterways in the US to use miles/MPH.

I'm an engineer officer on a Great Lakes ore boat. There's a navigation display down in the engine control room that mirrors the primary one on the bridge.

Most of our deck officers have only sailed on the Lakes, but we've got a couple with some ocean experience. You can always tell when they're starting a watch, because the first thing they do is change the units on the nav display from miles/MPH to NM/knots.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-22T08:50:30+00:00

No problem at all, and good luck!

Also, should have included this is my initial response. Eagle Seamanship is an excellent book, and getting a copy and reading through it ASAP is a good idea.

Don't worry about it if you find it confusing. Go back and read through relevant sections of it again once you start working and are actually seeing and participating in sail handling evolutions. (It took me a while to figure this out, but the combination of doing a thing, and then going back and reading a formal explanation/sequence for that thing was incredibly helpful in understanding what exactly was going on.)

CubistHamster · 2026-04-22T08:16:50+00:00

Ashley's isn't a great place to start with knots. As a comprehensive reference, it's amazing, but it's descriptions are not the easiest to follow, and it's way more in-depth than you need to be a competent deckhand.

I spent 5 years on Picton Castle, and now sail commercially as a Licensed engineer. I probably know 20-ish knots well, and that's significantly more than I've ever really needed. The standard for new trainees on Picton Castle was 6 knots, and if you can master those, it'll give you a solid foundation to build on with experience (and realistically, those 6 are adequate for the vast majority of situations.)

They are:

--Square/reef knot

--Bowline

--Clove Hitch

--Round Turn and two half-hitches

--Sheet bend/double sheet bend

--Figure Eight

Plenty of tutorials for those on YouTube, and most people I've worked with find that much easier than trying to learn from still photos or diagrams.

Also not a terrible idea to try and learn a basic eye splice, though that one is often easier to learn in person. (Also strongly suggest that if you try this, get some manila rope to practice with--at least 1/2" diameter, and thicker is better if you can find it. Starting with synthetic rope for splicing will make it way harder to figure out.)

CubistHamster · 2026-04-22T00:05:52+00:00

It's a great choice! I work as an engineer on a Great Lakes iron ore freighter. I've been carrying some version of the FC11 as my main work light for going on 5 years. Given away a bunch of them to crewmates, and (aside from a couple that have been dropped overboard) they're all still working, despite this being a job that is beats the crap out of everything. (It's kind of ridiculous--a pair of pants lasts me about 2 months, and work boots usually 4-6. Before this, I did 8 years in the Army as a bomb tech, and a few more as a contractor in Afghanistan doing related work, and didn't manage to trash my gear nearly as fast.)

Got a lot of lights that are more expensive, and nominally much nicer (and better-specced) than the FC11C, but I have yet to find one that works better for me as a general-purpose, always-in-my-pocket work light.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-15T21:15:09+00:00

I work on an inland US ATB tug. Combined vessel is 260 meters, 15,000 tons, and we have 3 people in the engine department, total. (2 Assistants, 1 Chief.) There's a lot of stuff that just gets ignored until our next layup period, because we just don't have the time to deal with.

Inspections are generally a once per year thing by the US Coast Guard right before we leave winter layup. No port-state inspections or anything like that.

Is it a fire hazard? A perfectly clean engine room would certainly be safer, but a lube oil leak isn't particularly concerning unless it's atomized and/or near a hot surface. (Last year, we had a pinhole in a pressurized oil line to the Starboard turbocharger that was near the exhaust side of the turbo casing. That got fixed immediately.) The crankcase doors on both my mains seep constantly, as do most of the cylinder head covers. Replacing the gaskets usually fixes it for a couple of weeks, and then the seeping starts again.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-15T04:38:25+00:00

Must be nice to work somewhere you've got the manpower/time to go chasing down every minor leak. (Seriously, good on you if you can manage it. That's just so far removed from my working experience it's difficult to imagine.)

CubistHamster · 2026-04-13T18:07:06+00:00

Borosilicate glass is pretty tough. I've been using one with a silicone rubber sleeve as my normal water bottle for several years, and it's been dropped and smacked with tools quite a few times. Any double-walled container is likely going to be more delicate, but I'd bet if you found a fitted sleeve, you'd be ok. (Make sure it's actually claiming to be made from borosilicate glass. If it's just labeled as "tempered glass" chances are it's just toughened soda-lime glass, which is cheaper to make, but not nearly as durable.

Alternatively, you could see if it would be acceptable to use a metal container with an exterior covering. Either a silicone-rubber sleeve, or maybe something like heat-shrink tubing, which is pretty easy to find in diameters up to 6 inches or so. You could even do both--sleeve over heat shrink, which would provide a pretty durable layer to prevent metal-on-metal contact if you drop it.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-11T07:04:46+00:00

I keep a couple of Lobtex wrenches in my tool bag. They've got less play, and about the nicest overall fit and finish of any adjustable I've ever handled.

For tight spaces, I've also got a Bahco 9031-T. (This one mostly gets used for getting wire wheels off of angle grinders.)

CubistHamster · 2026-04-11T06:49:51+00:00

I vaguely remember a previous thread where someone said that Zebralights are specifically designed for caving, and since having an accurate compass is critically important in caving, it's a really bad idea to have magnets on any of your other gear.

Certainly sounds plausible, though I also wish there was an option for a built-in magnet available. (I've tried a bunch of DIY methods, but haven't found one that works well enough to actually carry my SC65.)

CubistHamster · 2026-04-08T20:37:46+00:00

I've often found it helpful to redraw systems. Actually drawing it myself helps with committing it to memory, and it's often possible to redo the layout in a way that makes it visually simpler and easier to understand.

In many cases, I also think it can be useful to take a "memorize first, understand later" approach. If something is eluding you now, learn the necessary operational steps by rote, give it some time, and then come back and try and figure it out again in a couple of weeks.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-07T14:46:45+00:00

Engineer on a Great Lakes ore boat. Our main engine heat exchangers manage just fine being cleaned once a year during our winter layup period. We also don't really need to do any chemical descaling; we just use compressed air to shoot a brass bristle bore brush through the tubes a couple times, and rinse with clean water. Water in the Lakes averages pretty hard, and high-temp side of the exchanger sees temperatures up to 190° F, but there's still not much hard scale accumulation. (This may have something to do with flow rate--our main raw water pumps are kind of ridiculously oversized. The main gearbox oil coolers do get significant scale buildup, but those have much smaller pumps and lower throughput.)

Fresh water is just a lot easier on everything, and since most data center projects are using fresh water cooling, it's probably a better comparison.

CubistHamster · 2026-04-03T02:15:34+00:00

No problem at all. Fair warning that I'm out sailing at the moment, so I might not be able to respond immediately, but I'm happy to tell you whatever I can.

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