Muddaubers strike again

[papafu]

We had another blocked fuel vent line on our 36 Classic...the result was we couldn't add fuel to the port tanks without diesel blowing back up the fill pipe. Has anyone devised a screen or other solution to eliminate the daubers and win this war?

[RobS]

Not sure what kind of vent you have on the fuel line but can't you change it out to something that would prevent nesting?

I had never heard of a mud dauber so I looked them up on Wikipedia. It appears you're not alone!

On February 6, 1996, Birgenair Flight 301, a 757 jet flying from Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. All 13 crew members and 176 passengers were killed. A key part of the accident was a blocked pitot tube, a component which measures outside air pressure through small tubes on the outside of the aircraft and displays this as the plane's speed. Although the tubes were never recovered from the ocean floor, it was discovered that the plane had been sitting on the tarmac for almost 3 weeks with the pitot tubes not covered as they should have been. Investigators believe a colony of Black and yellow mud daubers got into the tube and built their cylindrical nests inside, causing faulty air speed readings which were a large part of the crash.

[rebuckley]

I have only gotten them during lay-up - they don't seem to bother us during the season - maybe due to the fact they live near the marshes - and not out closer to the ocean? During lay up - I just pop a piece of shrinkwrap tape over each vent. During the season...I am not sure -

[DougSea]

The vents on our 35 are similar to the ones in this link;

http://greatlakesskipper.com/en_us/brun ... nt-1757840#

They're screened and don't leave a lot of room for anything to nest in. I recall one insect trying and a quick poke with a piece of wire cleared it up.

TankVent.jpg

I also like the way they sit nearly flush to the hullsides.

[jleonard]

Just make "mud daubber removal" as one of your spring things todo.

[DougSea]

Just make "mud daubber removal" as one of your spring things todo.

That sounds inexpensive and practical Jay. What's the matter with you? These are BOAT$.

[brookesmith]

I had trouble with the vents being blocked by insects etc. I changed to a larger hose (not sure how large but like a bilge pump discharge fitting with NO screen) I never get blow back now. But now you've got me thinking the insects have NOTHING to keep from building in there now. When we cruised for 6 months this was no a problem. But now back to not using the boat enough it probably could be. I'll be checking next time I go to the boat.

ALSO I used to fly Cessna 150s and 172s. Rented whatever was available when I wanted to fly. One day i took off and noticed I was going 45mph when in fact I was more likely at 70. OK not too bad on takeoff. But landing is lots more critical on the approach speed in that you are either going to fast and will overshoot the runway or too slow and the wings stall and you fall out of the sky. At a safe altitude I slowed the plane down until the stall warning came on and listened to the wind noise. The stall warning is a separate instrument that warns you your wings are about to stall. And that was how I gauged my approach speed. Landed safely. taxied over to the parking and told the rental people about the speed indicator being off. We looked at the pitot tube and could see nothing wrong. Then I turned on the deicer for the pitot tube heating it and a wasp made a fast exit out of the end of the pitot tube. Such a simple device to cause such a problem. Again it was lack of use that allowed the wasp to build a nest in the first place. Hey everyone use your boat more.