Water Restrictions.....

[Jethro]

Hi all

Here on the Central Coast we were moved to level 4 water restrictions. This means (amongst other things) that "all external use of town water is banned"

I phoned the council to make sure this included flushing of outboards and washing of trailer brakes... which it does...

Now the question is what to do??

Its not so much of a problem if I fish Lake Macquarie or Newcastle Harbour as the Newcastle area is not on water restrictions... But if I fish around home the boat and motor cant have a tub....

I know there are a few Coasties on here... What will you guys be doing??

[blawler]

I didnt think they could do this. Doesnt it Damage the engine not to flush it. If the council band you the use of water to flush your engine and damage ensued, then they would be liable for the repair. Maybe you should point that out to them?

It poses a safety risk.

What next, are they going to ban you from taking a shower?

Brad

[kingpig]

Jethro

I had this problem a few years ago in Ballina. I setup a wheelly bin to catch the grey water from my mum's washing machine, then rigged a small bilge pump to connect to the boat battery.

This got me enough to do the job.

The only thing is to make sure the washing detergent is nuetral PH. I was lucky because my mum was already using this water for her garden and had detergent that was OK and did not kill her flowers.

Cheers

Kingpig.

[wettingaline]

Yeah i read that in the local paper when i was in lake macquarie on the weekend, apparently the central coast water level is on par with goulburn which is F all. I guess you could go to a car detailer or a car wash and give them 5 bux to use their hose for 5 mins, they are allowed to keep using water for business purposes, other that thats the only option you have i think.

[Bashir]

I have never heard of an outboard being damaged because it wasn't flushed a few times. Geez the amount of times I've never flushed our outboard.....

[Grantm]

Yeah a few times may not be a problem but how long will it go for. If the restrictions last for the next three years and you cant flush your motor over 300 hours that would surley have an impact.

I have installed a 2000 litre raintank with pump and have 'garden hose' pressure so thats what ill be doing.

Cost my 1800 bucks but its protecting a $20,000 investment. There is also a rebate on tanks.

I know its not cheap but it was the best option for me. You can easily go smaller than me too. I needed a huge pump cause it has to pump water up a 5 meter gradient over 40 meters. Of course i can use the tank for heaps of other things so it been a good investment regardless.

I do think they should have fixed the water crisis with either desalination or whatever BEFORE it got to this stage. Our damns up here have a collective level of 14 percent.

It sux you cant flush a motor anymore

[fisherman]

I have never heard of an outboard being damaged because it wasn't flushed a few times. Geez the amount of times I've never flushed our outboard.....

not flushing your outboard with fresh water can cause all sorts of problems due to salt build up and corrosion in cooling passages. Are you still allowed to fill up buckets and tubs with grade 4 restrictions? if so find a large tub that you can fill with fresh water and submerge the lower leg of your outboard in it and then you can flush fresh water through it by running your engine that way. this is a good method for flushing your engine to avoid problems down the track.

[wettingaline]

not flushing your outboard with fresh water can cause all sorts of problems due to salt build up and corrosion in cooling passages. Are you still allowed to fill up buckets and tubs with grade 4 restrictions? if so find a large tub that you can fill with fresh water and submerge the lower leg of your outboard in it and then you can flush fresh water through it by running your engine that way. this is a good method for flushing your engine to avoid problems down the track.

you cant even do that, it has gotten so bad that there is absolutley no water to be used externally, your not even allowed to wash your car with a watering can...it must be pretty serious..

[Bashir]

fisherman I challenge you to find someone even online in a forum that has had an outboard damaged from a lack of flushing. Most commercial operators or police, coast guard etc... never flush their motors, granted they use them very regularly so corrosion never has enough time to take place, but my point was that missing the odd flush is no major drama.

[fisherman]

wow not much you can do then. maybe send the council the repair bill when your engine turns into a big salt ball....

[domza]

fisherman I challenge you to find someone even online in a forum that has had an outboard damaged from a lack of flushing. Most commercial operators or police, coast guard etc... never flush their motors, granted they use them very regularly so corrosion never has enough time to take place, but my point was that missing the odd flush is no major drama.

I always flush my motor for over 5 minutes after a trip, but it is interesting i have never heard of anyone geting outboard damage from NOT flushing..What about the boats that are moored? how do they flush their motors (inboard and outboard)

i really hope it doesnt get that bad here in sydney

[Bashir]

Domza our boat used to be moored and it was not really possible to flush the motor as the intake was half submerged even with the motor fully raised, so hence I never flushed it in the year and a half that it was moored, had it serviced since then and never had an issue. Now its on a trailer I do flush it because it takes no effort and can only be a good thing. I'm not reccomending that people do not flush their motors, just that it is only a small thing and if it gets missed a few times, no big deal.

[Guest]

Simple solution ,go freshwater fishing from time to time

Glenbawn here we come

[Guest Aron]

Domza our boat used to be moored and it was not really possible to flush the motor as the intake was half submerged even with the motor fully raised, so hence I never flushed it in the year and a half that it was moored, had it serviced since then and never had an issue. Now its on a trailer I do flush it because it takes no effort and can only be a good thing. I'm not reccomending that people do not flush their motors, just that it is only a small thing and if it gets missed a few times, no big deal.

things only corode when oxigen is present, if a boat is moored (inboard) there is no oxigen - no corosion - thats my understanding anyway

Edited October 3, 2006 by Aron

[Penguin]

I used to own a Mustang sports cruiser with twin inboard 350 chevs(mercruisers)

these motors used fresh water for cooling,sea water was pumped in to cool

the fresh water,but no sea water enters the engines,

I would assume that a lot of inboard motored boats would be the same,

if sea water didnt cause any problems then these boats would not need

to use the fresh water system that they use,one would think.

penguin

[bisso]

ah!!!! i came across the same dilemma on sunday. i read the newspaper which stated no external hoses as previously noted above. i was of the opinion that an outboard motor should be flushed and proceeded to do so. much to my amazement, within 5 minutes a council ranger arrived to my house. i queried him about the restrictions, and particulary noted the exclusion of boat flushing in the article printed, to which he informed me that i should keep note of media releases in the coming weeks to check for changes. i reiterated as to whether i am supposed to send the council the bill for salt damage on my motor, being due to the poor infrastructure our council has provided (DAM in poor location) and he sympathised and told me that i could flush the engine for a few minutes but i should install rainwater tanks ( another cost the ratepayers have to cough up). in all he was as vague on the rules as the rest of us. isnt it up to the authorities who make the rules up to notify the rest of us exactly what we can and cant do. i was lucky in this instance but next time another ranger may have me reaching for the cheque book!!!!!

Edited October 3, 2006 by bisso

[tiger_shark]

Just flush your motors guys...Just send the rangers to me, i'll sort them out...

Nah, as if anybody will fine you for doing protecting your engine. The way I look at it is if I was a ranger or a water restriction police, i wouldn't fine anyone for flushing an engine for 5 minutes.

[fisherman]

fisherman I challenge you to find someone even online in a forum that has had an outboard damaged from a lack of flushing. Most commercial operators or police, coast guard etc... never flush their motors, granted they use them very regularly so corrosion never has enough time to take place, but my point was that missing the odd flush is no major drama.

Bashir as a marine mechanic i see these problems on a weekly basis. My advise to everyone..... FLUSH YOUR ENGINES!!!!

[Jethro]

I agree that the odd time not flushing your motor wont do a great deal of harm but if this is an on going problem it cant be good for the engine....

A rain water tank would be a good solution but with my current finances its not really an option.

I fish Lake Macquarie and Newcastle harbour fairly regulary and there are not restrictions up that way and they still have taps at most ramps so I will be packing a hose...

The other issue would have to be trailer brakes.. Surely not giving these a wash down regularly would have to be a problem and may even get to the stage wher they are unsafe..

I will go and have a yarn to the rangers at lunch time and see what they have to say

Also I saw on the news last night that Sydney will probably be facing the same resrictions before Christmas... So it sounds like its going to be a bit more wide spread

Edited October 4, 2006 by Jethro

[harold]

i am lucky, my boat has the inboard flushing system from the fresh water supply on board. I feel for everyone. I thought not flushing out the outboard allowed salt to build up on the water pump impeller and that in turn would cause failure. I also thought the salt corrodes the walls of the water vanes in the motor that provide the heat exchange and thus the cooling effect. I know that when i visited the Tohatsu factory in Japan, each outboard was run in a 44 gallon drum for 10 minutes but i guess if you can't fill up an external drum thats useless information.

[netic]

Bashir i understand your experienced when it comes to boating and i understand that the odd missed flush wont do alot of harm but motors need to be flushed period.

First if you dont flush them it will void the warranty on some motors,also most moored boats do run a freshwater system that Penguin pointed out.

Corrison will occur it it is not flushed especially as soon as oxygen gets to it.

What i would do is flush it anyway, its a expensive machine and i dont feel the council has any right to tell you that you cannot maintain it.

The goverment is happy to take your rego fees for the boat and the trailer so they should allow you to keep it in top condition.

[Geoff]

fisherman I challenge you to find someone even online in a forum that has had an outboard damaged from a lack of flushing. Most commercial operators or police, coast guard etc... never flush their motors, granted they use them very regularly so corrosion never has enough time to take place, but my point was that missing the odd flush is no major drama.

Bashir The main issue is not the constant use in salt water but the salt build up inside the motor when it is stored for periods of time. Progressivly this enhances the corrosion & also effects the cooling.

On a different note , wheels , springs & brakes can be equally important & should be washed if possible.

I would be doing some research on rain tanks & pump. There are a heap to choose from both in volume & shape. They are not all that expensive & rebates are available.

Geoff

[tuffy]

Just fill a bloody plastic rubbish bin with fresh water and tell the bastards that you filled it before the restrictions were put in place in August - that'll sort 'em out!!!!!!!!

[tiger_shark]

Just fill a bloody plastic rubbish bin with fresh water and tell the bastards that you filled it before the restrictions were put in place in August - that'll sort 'em out!!!!!!!!

Or tell them its rain water....

[Bashir]

Bashir i understand your experienced when it comes to boating and i understand that the odd missed flush wont do alot of harm but motors need to be flushed period.

First if you dont flush them it will void the warranty on some motors,also most moored boats do run a freshwater system that Penguin pointed out.

Corrison will occur it it is not flushed especially as soon as oxygen gets to it.

What i would do is flush it anyway, its a expensive machine and i dont feel the council has any right to tell you that you cannot maintain it.

The goverment is happy to take your rego fees for the boat and the trailer so they should allow you to keep it in top condition.

netic, penguin is talking about inboards, not outboards, go down to any marina, you will struggle to find an outboard powered boat that gets flushed. Like I said, mine has missed many many flushes and there is nothing wrong with it - they really aren't that delicate.