Engine Failure At Sea In The Gulf Stream Current (No Wind! Can't Sail!) | Sailboat Story 140

[ SUPPORT THE CHANNEL ] ~ Our videos are made possible by a small group of our biggest fans.
https://patreon.com/sailboatstory | Join the crew for just $2 and help keep the cameras rolling!
https://paypal.me/sailboatstory | Make a donation and help upgrade our worn-out camera gear!

The trouble with making a Gulf Stream crossing when there isn’t any wind is that you forfeit a sailboat’s greatest strength and safety feature – it’s ability to sail. It sounds like a no-brainer to only attempt a crossing like this when there is favorable wind but weather windows seldom work around your specific schedule, needs, and circumstance.

In this case we decided to motor across the Gulf Stream from West End because we had a full day of very calm conditions that we could use for the crossing. If we were to wait for suitable wind to cross, that would mean that we would have to wait 5 days for a front to blow through. Trouble with that option is the total lack of good anchorages anywhere around West End.

Typically, motoring is something that sailboats must do from time to time. We’d rather sail, of course, but often times just GETTING THERE makes more sense than waiting on the weather for days on end. So off went motoring across the Gulf Stream current.

10 miles across we started to notice the temperature gauge creeping higher and higher. Multiple times we shut off the engine and attempted to clear out the water intake filter and lines, thinking that we had a blockage somewhere in the system. When that didn’t work, I figured that the impeller must be the culprit – which still seemed unusual because the impeller had less than 20 hours on it since replacing it.

I opened up the water pump housing and it was immediately obvious that the impeller was to blame for our overheating problems. 3 of the 6 blades were destroyed and the water pump housing itself was quite hot. So I went to work replacing the impeller as we drifted North at a rate of 3 knots per hour.

The replacement was a simple task thanks to me having gained good practice in replacing impellers through my strict engine service regimen. Within 15 minutes we had the old impeller out, the new impeller in, and we were underway once again.

By the way, Molly did a great job of running the camera while Tambi kept the boat under control and while I replaced the broken engine impeller. Thanks Molly!

The whole experience was more scary than dangerous. It’s a weird feeling knowing that you are drifting away in the Gulf Stream current and working against the clock – especially while you are still in the diagnostic stages of the repair. This is yet another example of why it’s so important to have a thorough supply of spare engine parts on hand to handle minor emergencies such as this.

Impeller replaced, we motored along to our first ICW anchorage since departing to the Bahamas over 6 months ago – Manatee Pocket.

We hope you enjoy the video!

~ Ben, Tambi, & Molly | S/V Sandflea | “SAILBOATSTORY”

[ SPONSORS ]
MANTUS MARINE ||| https://mantusmarine.com
AUTOPILOT ||| http://cptautopilot.com
COCKPIT SEATS ||| https://sportaseat.com]
POLESPEAR ||| https://gatku.com
DINGHY LADDER ||| https://up-n-out.com/
SUNGLASSES ||| https://shadyrays.com
DINGHY OARS ||| https://shawandtenney.com

[ CONNECT WITH US ]
https://facebook.com/sailboatstory

https://instagram.com/sailboatstory
https://vimeo.com/sailboatstory

[ TUNES ]
“Natural Blues” The Niceguys Remix