As a corporate member of Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club, 3C offers a winter discount up to 10% off labour rates to the members of SNSYC. December 1 thru to Feb 28
3C featured in the Business Examiner – April 2023 edition
https://www.calameo.com/businessexaminer/read/006885517567f7438a33d?page=30
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With the colder temperatures now here, we are starting to see the burning issues again with the shore power plugs. With the use of heaters in the boat, the extra draw of electricity through shore power is higher, which seems to be a catalyst in the plugs burning. There are many Internet forums that discuss this issue as it it a growing concern within the industry – especially when it is unsafe and leads to a fire.
We were recently doing an annual engine service on a boat, when we smelt the ‘burning electrical – plastic’ smell, and realized it was the shore power plug – luckily we were there to unplug it, and prevented that potential boat fire!
We have research alternatives, and the SmartPlug system appears to be the best option. They state they have solved the overheating issue with a system that:
- provides 27X more electrical contact
- maximizes electrical transfer
- has a multi-point locking system, and
- has triple weatherproof seals
The Smartplug is easier to use:
- No L-shaped pins – easy to use at night
- Plugs straight in – no twisting required
- no alignment issues
- no cross threading problems
- LED power indicator light – molded cordsets
To help with the reduction of boat fires this winter in our local waters, please contact us for a free inspection of your boat’s shore power!
∞I just finished another pre-purchase mechanical survey, and doing a blow-by test on the engines is part of our investigation. Each time, people always ask ‘What is blow-by?’
Basically ‘blow-by’ is the air and combustion gases from the cylinder, on top of the piston that escape past the piston rings into the crankcase. No engine will have perfect sealing rings, though as the rings, and cylinder wear the blow-by will increase giving an indication to the engine health.
Blow-by not only is a tell-tail on the engine health, but there are several negative effects. Blow-by not only pressurizes the crankcase but also introduces combustion gases that contain unburned fuel, particulate matter, and oxides of nitrogen emissions. They also create condensation due to the temperature differential of combustion gases and the crankcase.
Blow-by tears the oil from the piston and rings. At first it vaporizes and then it becomes an aerosol, which you see as a film or fumes around the crankcase vent tube. When mixed with engine oil, blow-by produces sludge and acids that attack all engine parts. The unburned fuel dilutes the lubricity and viscosity of the engine oil, attacking engine bearings, the valve train, and cylinder walls.
When the blow-by becomes more than the crankcase ventilation can handle, other problems start to happen, from blown out crankshaft main seals, to an engine ‘run away’, where the oil vapor becomes a fuel for the diesel engine and it then starts running on it’s own engine ‘oil fuel’, with no ‘standard way’ to shut it down – a run away engine is rare, but extremely dangerous.
Power Point presentation from the Mining Diesel Emissions Conference October 7-9th, 2014 – Retrofit Crankcase Ventilation for Diesel Engines: https://mdec.ca/2014/S6P2-Stekar.pdf
Controlling Blowby in Diesel Engines by Ray Bohacz, 3/20/2019 Successful Farming: https://www.agriculture.com/machinery/repair-maintenance/controlling-blowby-in-diesel-engines
Causes of Diesel Engine Oil Blow By by Tony Oldhand – It Still Runs https://itstillruns.com/causes-diesel-engine-oil-blow-6930901.html
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With the recent extreme freezing temperatures, we all had to pull together to help save people’s yachts. During times like these, it’s when we all appreciate a helping hand, to look after each others’ boats, to set heaters to prevent freezing, broken pipes, shovel snow, etc!
3C Yacht Services has decided to offer monitoring services to help out, and to offer the Basic monitoring package FREE to our regular local clients during times like these of extreme cold.
Package: Basic (Free for our local regular clients during freezing temp conditions)
- Monthly Visual Check – External, and Internal (more frequently depending on weather)
- Verify electrical power is ok
- Verify internal temp is ok
- Verify bilges ok
- Visual Check on snow load
- Emergency calls 24/7
Package: Plus
- Basic plus the additional
- Sign off on visit once per month
- Monthly report
- Electrical power – Documentation of Amps, and Volts
- Test Bilge Pumps once a month
- Start Engines once a month to circulate engine oil and help protect from internal corrosion
- Visual check on engines / Engine Room / Thru Hulls
Package: Custom / Additional items
- Snow Removal as required
- Addition of BRNKL boat monitoring systems
Cummins 6BTA5.9 professionally rebuilt, higher end components than OEM, new camshafts for more power, and better fuel efficiency.. Balanced, Magnafluxed (Blueprinted)! This is definitely not your average Cummins 5.9 anymore!
There is something special about when a client takes their newly powered boat out, running it up and having this huge smile, and saying:
“This is the fastest this boat has ever gone!”
Complete Amsoil treatment throughout – Amsoil Assembly lube, Amsoil break-in lubrication. Amsoil Signature Series Max-Duty 15w-40 Diesel oil, and Amsoil Filters, to give these engines the best of the best! Even the Coolant is Amsoil’s amazing Low-Toxicity, Bio-degradable coolant with specs even the US Military uses!
Paint not only makes it looks great, but with the proper paint, and applied correctly (no spray bombs here…) – it’s the best protection against corrosion on the external side of your expensive engines!!
Spring Service Promotion – 20% discount on mechanical labour until April 30, 2021 – Contact us to book your spring service.
Recommend following your engine manufacturer’s maintenance schedule based on interval hours; We will print out each manufacturers schedule and consult with you on what is suggested to be done.
We offer full maintenance, repair, rebuild, and re-power services on all makes and models, all while providing the most options available to you on each job to fit within anyone’s budget.
All work is documented within our web portal where you as the customer get Internet access to service history, and to view pictures and read the tech reports of daily work allowing you to be in control each and every day.