Coming out of (unplanned) dry dock

[cjenkins]

My boat, a 2011 Lagoon 400, has been unused since before the pandemic. It was in the water until October 2020 and dry-docked since then. I did not expect the boat to be unattended for so long and we are now preparing to go back into the water. I'm looking for advice on things to put on the checklist.

I added biocide to the almost full fuel tanks several days ago and will be careful re-starting the engines for the short move to a marina berth. Plan to change the oil and filters immediately.

I was pleased to find the interior of the boat dry and mold free. Everything needs a good cleaning, but I'm wondering what I should be on the look out for in a boat that has unexpectedly gone without use and maintenance for this long.

The rigging is being inspected today. The boat turns 10 years old this year, so I thought it was about time.

How about the water tanks? Is there anything I should do to treat water that has been sitting for 16 months?

I will check the lead acid batteries to see how they are holding up.

Any suggestions on other areas of concern?

Thanks,

Charlie

[CruiseN]

Lead acid batteries don't like being left without charge.
If they haven't been kept on a charger.
Look at fluid level and make sure plates are covered.
Charge them up.
Picture from internet.
AGM and Lead Acid have similar behaviour.
After charging. Settled voltage will give a better look at condition of battery.

[cjenkins]

CruiseN,

Thank you for the quick response.

The solar charger apparently has been working. A quick check showed the batteries at max charge. I have not yet opened them up to top of the levels. That's probably going to happen tomorrow.

I'm interested in replacing the batteries sometime in the coming year in preparation for extended cruising. Right now, I'm hoping it does not need to be done immediately.

[CruiseN]

A pleasure.
If at max charge them I wouldn't bother replacing.
That's all we do too. Just leave them on trickle of solar to keep them up (or mains at moment here but same thing via a different source). If kept charged they tend to live long.
Best wishes

[tkeithlu]

Probably best to dump the water and start over. If your municipal supply smells slightly of chlorine and there is no evident slime then simple replacement should do, if not, add 0.75 ml of common bleach per gallon with the first load.

[Hesti]

If your engine has decompression levers - let the starter turn it for say 15 seconds without compression and without Diesel (the stop cable engaged) and closed seacock. It will lubricate the bearings with no load.

[Moontide]

Might want to disinfect the entire FW system. Technique I learned from a watermaker gal is as follows


Empty tank, put 5 gallons of new water in with a cap of household bleach. Run water at each location until you smell chorline. Let it sit overnight then pump tank empty then fill and pump it out again.



Need to make sure to flush well as the chorline can attack the plastic pipes if left in.

[Apollo366]

Where did you get your Battery State of Charge chart?

It is quite a bit different from the one I got from Battery University.

Many thanks,

Wayne

[Apollo366]

I just checked Battery University & found several SOC VS VOC charts with different values!!

I've submitted a request to Trojan Battery Co. asking for their SOC VS VOC chart.

Wayne

[Apollo366]

Trojan battery's response;
AGM Batteries

% Charge VOC
100% 12.78
90% 12.66
80% 12.54
70% 12.42
60% 12.30
50% 12.18
40% 12.06
30% 11.94
20% 11.82

[JPA Cate]

Relative to you water tanks. Here is a link to thread that contains information for taking care of water and plumbing that have contamination, posted by weavis, and GILow has included a link to another thread, which contains more links!

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ks-126978.html

Ann

[Macdoug]

A friend of mine recommends putting a few bottles of red wine into each water tank and leaving it. Personally I would use the diluted bleach method and drink the wine.

[sail sfbay]

I would expect little maintenance after being unused for 8 months on the hard except bottom painting, if it has a hard paint, battery charging and a good cleaning. At 11 years old my 2004 Hunter 386 sailboat was on the hard for 3 years and when I splashed it I installed new batteries and the Yanmar diesel engine started right up. Biocide in the fuel tank, a good cleaning outside (inside was well sealed and clean) and it was sail ready.

[cjenkins]

We are back in the water now. The port side starter battery is a problem. We had to get it jumped to start the engine. The port engine ran fine after that. We ran for about an hour and the following day the engine again would not start. Could be either a bad battery or a problem with the port engine alternator. (I think those are the options.) The starboard engine fired right up and ran like a champ.

If a bad starting battery on one engine on a 10 year old boat is all I have, I'm happy.

We plan to follow the "drain the water tank, run some chlorinated water through all the lines, then fill up with fresh" plan.