[C320-list] neutral or in gear while under sail

[jim brown]

I agree with Martin. When sailing in reverse the transmission will be very hard to shift into neutral and forcing it will do damage to the linkage and/or tranny. The engine can, and should, be started in reverse and then shifted into neutral. Apparently this will not harm the tranny. I also learned at the Yanmar engine course that the newer engines have a lock out feature as a safety feature and cannot be started when in gear. They were getting a lot of emergency calls from people who could not start the engine and could not get it out of gear after sailing in reverse so they were "stuck". So the advisory. They said never, never sail with the tranny in forward. At least that is what they told me. 


Jim Brown



________________________________
 From: Martin Rosenberg <martinlrosenberg at gmail.com>
To: C320-List at catalina320.com 
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2014 10:16 AM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] neutral or in gear while under sail
 

Before the 2008 Service Advisory, I was always told, by Mack Boring (a
certified Yanmar facility) that the transmission would not get sufficient
lubrication when powered by the turning propeller rather than the engine
and that it should be in reverse when sailing without the engine running, I
have also found (please don't ask why) that a non-rotating propeller will
not be fouled by a spinnaker line or other stuff in the water. I have owned
2 Yanmar engines over the past 18 years and have never experienced or heard
of anyone having a problem from sailing with the transmission in reverse
gear. I have heard, however, that there is the possibility of damage if you
try to force the lever into neutral while the pressure of the water is
holding it in place. I have also heard that Yanmar is concerned because the
safest way to move the lever to neutral is after starting the engine and
they are afraid of being liable for physical damage if the engine is
started in reverse.
Martin Rosenberg
Avalon  #823




On Thu, Oct 16, 2014 at 10:29 PM, Gene Helfman <genehelfman at gmail.com>
wrote:

>  Had enough wind today to hear the prop rotating while on a reach.  Ensuing
> discussion with two fellow sailors on the boat at the time.  One maintains
> that tranny should be in reverse when under sail because turning shaft
> insufficiently lubricated when engine is not on. I've always put it in
> neutral to reduce drag and figure since the cooling water is on the drip
> drip drip should prevent any real shaft friction.
>
> Opinions? (3GM30F, Satori, #398, 1997)
>
> --
> Gene Helfman, Professor Emeritus
> Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia
> PERMANENT address:
>     498 Shoreland Dr., Lopez Is., WA 98261
>     (360) 468-2136
>    genehelfman at gmail.com
>
> "You noticed nobody gives a damn about beached minnows."
>