The marina has been very busy. People love to visit La Conner! And it is not just boaters, although there is certainly a lot of them, but it is also the RV park. We have had several days this month where all spots in the park have been taken. This is really something for us, and our camp hosts have done a remarkable job of keeping up with changes and managing busy arrival and departure times.

With the low tides of the summer we have had a multitude of questions about the depth of the channel. There is a lot of concern out there about hazards to navigation. Luckily most people do not have any problems, but at minus tides some deep draft boats have been impacted. The Corps of Engineers is aware of this and is still planning to dredge sometime this fall. I am always glad the “sand waves” that form in the channel are soft and not rocky.

Maintenance tip: I spend a lot of time talking with boaters about their diesel engines. Diesel engines are built for specified power output which is paired with a transmission and propeller to provide an appropriate amount of power to propel the vessel through the water. The transmission will have a reduction ratio the boat designer will use in selecting the appropriate propeller for the boat, and this power combination will propel the vessel at a designed speed.

The load on the propeller should be such that at wide open throttle the engine hits a specified rpm and stays there. If it can’t turn fast enough, the engine is said to be overloaded, and if it can surpass the rpm rating the engine might not be under enough load.

Diesels need to be worked hard at least every now and then and that means heated up to full operating temperature and operated there for a while. If a diesel engine only runs at idle it does not really heat up enough to reach operating temperature and soot build up will occur. Replacing an engine with a larger one will almost guarantee this condition, unless the boat’s use demands the larger engine.

This is true for generators as well. Heat them up with large electrical loads regularly or soot buildup will occur. This is a crucial step in making diesel engines last.

See you on the Channel!