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Cleaning Strainers

Discussion in 'Luhrs Yacht' started by Kenojoe, Mar 31, 2022.

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  1. Kenojoe

    Kenojoe New Member

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    34 convertible-Port seacock is very hard to reach to clean strainers.
    Open hatch in cockpit outside salon, crawl in small hatch & try to reach over port exhaust. Not easy for 67 year old who is a few cheeseburgers over "ideal" weight!

    Strainers are under salon floor at front of engines. If needed while underway, like due to seagrass ingestion, I would still have to take up salon flooring after closing seacock.
    My idea is to install Valve in 2 inch ID hoses right before line goes into strainers.
    Anyone have thoughts on this idea or what type of ball valve to install?
  2. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Or you could install “south bay strainers” outside and never have to clean baskets again.

    South Bay strainers are wedges with Bronze mesh outside the hulls which stopes anything from coming in
  3. Joe McKairnes

    Joe McKairnes Member

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    used them on my last boat - awesome! need to get them for this one...
  4. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Keep in mind these still need to be cleaned by a diver once and a while and I've seen a most divers overlook poking the holes and cleaning them.
  5. Joe McKairnes

    Joe McKairnes Member

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    Absolutely. I pull my boat once a year to check/ clean. However, they block seaweed and junk from clogging things up..
  6. Kenojoe

    Kenojoe New Member

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    Thanks for all the replies. I now have South Bay strainers on both engines, and had the port thru hull replaced.
    While on the hard I had all zines replaced and I waxed the hull sides.
    Expensive task, but I now hope to be ready for some grouper & snapper fishing next month.
    rocdiver likes this.
  7. gr8trn

    gr8trn Senior Member

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    So do South Bay external hull stainers eliminate the internal baskets? Or do folks keep those inline as a secondary for the baby eels and such?
    I just looked at the strainer and those holes are smaller than I anticipated, internal basket not required I imagine.
  8. Kenojoe

    Kenojoe New Member

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    I did not remove my internal strainers. Hopefully the south bays will make checking and cleaning them something that rarely needs to be done.
  9. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    If you have internal strainers you can keep them although you ll never have to clean them.
  10. ranger58sb

    ranger58sb Senior member

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    Are you all saying installing South Bay strainers would let me remove the internal basket strainers?

    Might declutter our engine room that way... but how does one clean South Bay strainers then? Capt J said divers... is that the plan?

    -Chris
  11. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    That’s why I do with mines. Divers just brush and clean the screens every month just like they should make sure other type of pick ups are clear like shower head style or slotty scoops.
  12. gr8trn

    gr8trn Senior Member

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    So if you or your crew or your contractors are on it, this would be a way to tidy up the engine room and save time fussing with the stupid plastic bucket screens.
    My little boat has 4 baskets, that would be cool to get rid of those. 2 motors, genset, AC intake.
    However, I have not found local divers to be, well, available. Perhaps if they were on a monthly schedule we would be onto something. Alas, Portland OR is not home to larger recreational boats. It seems that most recreational boats use sea strainer baskets as the go to when manufacturing.
    Something to put on the maybe list.
  13. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Water is probably too cold in Portland to worry about growth
  14. DOCKMASTER

    DOCKMASTER Senior Member

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    And if you are in Portland proper or anywhere close to that then you are in fresh water. You should minimal issues.
  15. gr8trn

    gr8trn Senior Member

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    @Pascal and @DOCKMASTER are correct. Minimal growth on the Columbia River. Colder water and nice and fresh:) I check my strainer baskets every trip and I can't recall the last time I pulled anything out of them.