Emergency engine maintenance or “That’s not supposed to be there”

While underway to Puerto Chiapas, after our forestay detached we reduced sail coverage, the next item on the list of immediate troubles was our engine’s cooling system. We had just recently replaced the worn impeller of our raw water pump while anchored in Acapulco, so the we figured the culprit was elsewhere.

Struggling into Chiapas, I sloshed around below deck going through every feasible bit of the cooling system to try to remedy the problem. On the raw water side I cleaned the strainer, checked the impeller, checked the heat exchanger and transmission cooler for blockage but everything looked good. On the freshwater side, I even changed the thermostat, topped up the coolant and purged the air from the circuit, but nothing helped. At 1800 RPM (well below our preferred cruising speed) we were pushing 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Occasionally, the raw water flow out of the exhaust would stop suddenly and the temperature would climb to 220F, necessitating shutting off the engine and allowing things to cool.

Once safely in port, I started from square one; checking the strainer, the impeller, the heat exchanger and pretty much all of the hoses between the intake and the outlet. Low and behold, the problem was wedged in the tiny outlet elbow of the raw water pump. A pawl from the broken impeller we had replaced in Acapulco had lodged itself firmly in this tight space and though it allowed a small amount of water through, it clearly wasn’t enough to keep things cool. So now we’re up and running again, though I still plan on flushing and refilling the coolant in the coming weeks as it is nearly due for a change anyway.

Adventures

All our maritime troubles aside, we’re quite pleased with our surroundings on land here in Marina de Chiapas. The facilities are all relatively new and very well maintained by awesome, helpful staff. Additionally the small cruiser community that has chosen this hideout for the hurricane season are all wonderful neighbors, always willing to lend a hand or share a story. The only downside thus far is the proximity to provisions. Though taxis, scooters and collectivos will take you into Tapachula for a fee, we’ve yet to venture that far from the boat. Instead, we’ve made the 3 nautical mile round trip dinghy run across the harbor and up the mangrove canal into the small town of Puerto Madero (also called Puerto Chiapas depending on who you ask).

The next episode

Our recent boat troubles, combined with an early and active Pacific hurricane season have convinced us to slow things down a bit. We’ve decided to regroup, repair and relax in the safety of a well protected and friendly harbor for at least the next month while we make repairs, catch up on maintenance and certainly explore a bit more of surrounding Chiapas, Mexico.