Who needs raw water strainers?

[P-Dogg]

I looked at a boat today that had a raw water strainer on the air-conditioning water intake, but had no strainers on the engine cooling system -- raw water cooled, not freshwater cooled. I thought that was wee bit odd. Am I deluded in thinking they are necessary? What do you think?


Since back when the Mrs. said "buy one", I've looked at just, ummm, just 11 of the 20 or so of the mid-engine centerline queen tricabs currently for sale east of the Mississippi. Even though I am a cash buyer, always bring a deposit check and contract with me, and am as ready as can be to buy a boat, every single boat I've seen has enough wrong with it that it keeps me from making an offer on the spot.

This one today is taking in water at the port underwater exhaust through-hull, but not when it is sitting, because it was just seeping, but it looks like when it is underway it leaks a lot more (same is true for the abandoned transducer that has standing water on the top of it, even though it is above the bilge waterline). Based upon the thickness of the slime growing downhill from the thru-hull, it is not a brand-new leak. It also had WIRE NUTS! on the hot water heater (which didn't appear to be tied down, had no strain relief on the conductor, and had just one layer of insulation between the conductor and the sharp edge of the sheetmetal hole it goes through). The freshwater pump was screwed down so close to the bulkhead that it sure looked like the only way to service the strainer was to unscrew the pump first. But I digress.....

I plan to make my first-ever offer on this boat after I review my notes and look at the modest 44 minute video (OK -- so I'm an anal retentive mechanical engineer) I took and see what I think it needs, then go down the list to the next best until someone accepts my offer. The only problem is, this one is relatively new to the market, and the owner hasn't been through dozens and dozens of tire kickers and years of not selling. My best friend just sold his Bertram for one-third of his original asking price (which was market price, not above it) just to get out from under it 5 years after he put it on the market, so I know it can take a while to sell a boat. Turns out, it can take a while to buy one too. Thanks so much for your help guys -- I'm soon going to have a boat!

[prowlersfish]

D) none of the above . ' The straners I asume your talking about are nice but a must have , no . I don't have them on the engines or gen set . I do have them on the A/C . I asume this is the style your talking about ? http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... +Strainers

Now that trojan and most trojans came with a straner so to speak on the thru hull '
Looks like this one http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... e+Strainer
Thats the most comon type you will find .

This is the type I am running ( mine are larger)
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... +Strainers

[prowlersfish]

BTW The leak would be my main concern

[Eddie-O]

I like them because they protect the oil cooler and the heat exchanger from getting cloged up . On my old boat did not have one and over heated because what looked like wood pulp cloged the oil cooler passages and restricted flow to raw water pump( by the way it took me some time to find the problem)

[rossjo]

Can't see any reason NOT to have them.

Absolutely essential n engines. Been on several boats offshore that would not have made it home if we did not have strainers.

[larryeddington]

when I pulled engine package from my f28 both oil coolers and hoses from seacock to cooler were full of tiny pieces of woody substance totally clogging. As reassable goes on will put inboard strainers to eliminate the problem in the future.

[DAVIDLOFLAND]

Necessity of strainers is somewhat dependent on the water you run in. I do not have strainers on the engine raw water pickups, and I have never had a problem, but I only run in super clear, clean water.

That said, strainers can't hurt, and sometimes I think about installing a couple just for extra insurance.