Diesel Engine Maintenance Course

 

Seven people attended the Diesel Engine Maintenance Course on Sunday the 25th of January in Tralee Bay Sailing School, Fenit Co. Kerry. This was a one day RYA certificate course specifically aimed at boat owners. After registration and coffee the course started inside in the classroom. Two mobile diesel engines were used for demonstration purposes and practical application of theory. Course participants were taken through the RYA syllabus for the Diesel Engine Maintenance Course .The aim of the course is to teach skills and impart knowledge required to fix common problems that occur in engines on boats and also to know what tools and spares to carry on board. Many RNLI call outs would be avoided if seafaring people had these skills and knowledge.

 

 During the morning course participants were taught:

  • How to identify starter motor problems and perform a couple of tricks that might get the starter to engage/start the engine.
  • How to identify probable reasons why the engine is overheating and what can be done at sea to try and get the cooling system working again.
  • How to change and correctly tension the engine’s belts.
  • How to change fuel filters.
  • How to bleed a fuel line.
  • How to rig an emergency fuel line and what is needed to do so.
  • What engine checks are carried out daily before departure, after starting the engine, after stopping the engine and at interim periods on long trips.
  • How to care for all the mechanical equipment, the battery and other considerations that are important at the start and end of the season.

In the afternoon the group went down to the marina to try out some of the skills on different diesel engines. They encountered real problems there and discovered that a Saber Ford engine could not be switched off because of an additional mysterious fuel feeder line!

Overall feedback was positive; the course did what it said it would do. Participants felt that the pace and delivery of information was carefully considered. For those who knew nothing before coming along they felt that it had all been worthwhile. All seven participants received their RYA certificates and Tralee Bay Sailing School is looking at dates to run another such course in the not so distant future for those who are currently on the waiting list. Tralee Bay Sailing School is grateful to John Roberts who travelled to Fenit from Galway in order to run the course.