On our way to Charleston, SC. The day started with light winds, grey and sometimes threatening skies. As we closed in on Charleston the clouds gave way to blue skies, but the winds increased and on some stretches, so did the waves!
I noticed my port engine was running hot. Crap!! I checked everything I could think of and adjusted our speed to see if the heat responded and it did. At normal cruise (15 knots) it was too hot, but at 8 knots the engine operated within the normal temperature range.
Knowing this issue could not be ignored, I called the marina to fish for a diesel mechanic…on a Friday afternoon….if space and time are infinite, there must be a chance we get fixed without missing a day…statistically similar to Teri missing a two-for-one ice cream sale.
We must be managing our Karma right! Found a mechanic to come to the boat at 4pm. After an insane process of discovery and extreme combat with our boat, he implemented a fix and left at midnight!
It was a broken clamp (easy) and a broken water pump (evil) which needed to be replaced. In yet another impossible likelihood, 10 minutes away was the exact pump for my German engine! Simple, right. Unbolt the old pump and install the new one. Nope! One bolt couldn’t be removed because it pushed up against the engine mount :-0. A fine piece of design! At this point I had worked out the solution….new boat! You know….so little time, sooo many boats!
After a lot of negative energy, we got up the next morning and went for a slow, hour long jog around the Citadel. It was super enjoyable and more than made up for the engine issue.
Next stop – Georgetown, SC!!
