4/6/21 to 5/2/21: Steaming Our Way Back to Baltimore

Looking at my photo stream since April 6, I would like to see shots of pretty sunsets, spring flowers, charming watertowns. Instead, I have photos and video of water and steam being expelled out the starboard backside of our boat. It’s an issue we’ve been dealing with for weeks, but especially this past month. 

I won't bore you with all the the details but suffice to say the water you see coming out is supposed to be there. The steam is not.

That steam usually means something is impeding the flow of cooling water to the engine. This creates flashes of heated water (steam). For us the problem exhibited itself when running the boat at high speeds. Run fast over a period of time and the engine begins to overheat. Even I know an overheating engine is a very bad thing. For a long time, we just did not go fast. 

Mark spent hours researching and more hours in the engine room, testing, checking, replacing, pulling things apart and putting them back together. We involved two different mechanics, had the boat hauled out for a closer look and purchased a pricey new water pump that looks like a small space capsule. Still, steam. 

Finally Mark replaced the 12-foot length of metal-reinforced tubing that delivers the cooling water to the engine. He suspected the interior wall of the tube was delaminating and, under pressure, blocking water flow. We were told this was a rare occurrence. But it had happened to us and after weeks of messing around with this troublesome issue, there was no more steam. Yay! 

I've always known that Mark's talents and desire to build and fix have been a huge advantage  -- and gift -- over our many years together. But honestly, his solving this problem makes the highlights list for sure. He simply would not give up. 

Running at high rpms. Steam. Ugh.


The tube delivering the water was coming apart inside. I told Mark this looked like the inside of an esophagus. See the tonsils?


After the fix. No more steam!

A much happier, and relieved, captain on our first cruise post repair.



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