BENETEAU Oceanis 41.1 2017 Owners’ Notes page 31

Interlude Owners' Notes
March 2021
When coming into our docks in strong winds, or if you'd just like a little assistance on arrival, hail "San Juan Sailing" on
VHF Channel 80. They'll be glad to offer some coaching and/or catch your lines. In fact, most marinas in the Islands will
help you if you hail them and ask for assistance. Asking for docking assistance is a sign of smart seamanship.
SAFETY REMINDER –Whenever you are departing or arriving at the dock have a crew member designated as the "roving
fender." If you are going to accidently "touch" a boat or other object, lower the fender to the point of contact.
Using the Bow Thruster
The bow thruster allows you to control bow alignment using short bursts when docking or departing (see "Bow
Thrusters" for details).
Troubleshooting Engine Problems
Yanmar engines are incredibly durable and you shouldn't have any problems on your voyage. Nevertheless, there are a
few things to watch out for.
Engine Overheating
If the engine overheat buzzer sounds while the engine is running, it's usually no more serious than eelgrass plugging up
the raw water strainer. The solution to this problem is prevention – keep an eye out for eelgrass mats, especially along
those "soapy" looking tide and eddy lines in the water, and don't run over it. When eelgrass gets sucked into the engine
cooling water intake, it collects in the raw water strainer.
To clear eelgrass from the raw water strainer, stop the engine, twist off the clear screw-top and extract the eelgrass.
Replace the lid and tighten by turning it clockwise until the lid is seated firmly on the rubber gasket. Don't over tighten
as the lid can crack. Make sure the lid's threads are not crossed as this can give the appearance of a tightened lid but the
gasket won't seal. Then restart the engine. As stated previously, care should be taken when re-installing the lid – the
black "O" ring must be carefully placed around the lid of the strainer to prevent water from leaking, which could lead to
the engine overheating.
If after restarting the engine it overheats again, check the seal between the strainer, the rubber gasket, and the lid. If the
strainer is drawing air, it won't draw water. If needed, open and then retighten the lid on the strainer and check to make
sure the rubber gasket is in place in the lid (and not lying in the bilge.)
If the above steps fail to solve the problem, call San Juan Sailing for assistance.
Loss of Oil Pressure or Coolant
If the engine loses oil pressure, the warning buzzer will sound and the oil icon warning light on the tachometer will light
up, so check which light is showing red. If it's the oil light, shut down the engine, check the oil level, and contact San Juan
Sailing.
The alarm buzzer is more likely to indicate engine overheating, and the temperature icon light will light up. Before you
shut down the engine, check for water gurgling out the exhaust. If you have a "wet exhaust," check the coolant level in
the overflow reservoir bottle. If none is seen, add enough to reach the top-level line on the bottle. After the engine cools
down, remove the cap on the engine block and add coolant. And check the bilge for a light pink liquid (coolant). If
coolant is found in the bilge, call San Juan Sailing immediately.
If the coolant reservoir bottle is full, check to see if the engine threw a belt. Without a belt on the raw water pump, the
coolant won't circulate and cool the engine. Replacement belts are in the engine spares kit. One other possibility is that
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