The day our sailboat engine overheated started out like any other typical sailing day in Florida. We enjoy taking friends out for a sail with us and this day was no exception. There was a light NNE wind and the temperature was going to be in the 90's.
I went through the normal procedures to get the boat ready for the day's sailing adventure. Open the through hull valve - check. Review battery charge levels - check. Start the engine and let it warm up while I go through the remaining check list - check. Observe water coming out of the exhaust manifold - check. Everything looked good.
Our guests arrived all excited about the day on the water. We made our way out of the marina and made the turn to head north up the Intercoastal Waterway. We had gone a few hundred yards when the engine overheating alarm came on. I immediately looked to see if water was still coming out of the engine but nothing was coming out now. I immediately came about and headed back to the marina since we were still a short distance away.
The next day I went under the boat and realized that when I had made my monthly cleaning of the hull I had never tried cleaning the through hulls. We’re talking 3 years! Yes there were some barnacles in the through hull, a bunch of them. Probably enough blockage to have caused the stoppage in the water intake. It is worth a mention that a plastic bag or similar item can get caught in the intake and block the water from coming in. In hind sight, I would now put the boat in neutral and shut the motor off for a moment. If after restarting the engine there continued to be signs of a blockage then I would try to get back into the marina under sail if I had been any further away.
The cleaning of the through hulls did appear to work. I have not had a problem since that day. And yes, I will remember to make sure that this is added to the list when it comes time for the next hull cleaning.
