This is the worst phone call that a boat owner can get: your boat is low on the water…

This is how it started when Bob, our dock neighbor, friend and crew on the Pacific Cup called me last Wednesday night.Bob immediately realized that something was wrong when he came back to the marina from work. Bob was still on the parking lot, when he spotted the problem and called me right away. I was on the phone with him when he opened the boat and told me that the floor boards where under water. Forty five minutes later, I was on the boat. Another neighbor, Greg, had loaned a powerful pump and we were still looking for the source of the problem.

The problem was a loose nut in the speed sensor. Greg (the same one) had cleaned the bottom last Saturday and apparently kicked the plug. This created a small leak which triggered the bilge pump to… fail!

I spent Wednesday night and all day Thursday cleaning, drying and assessing the damage. The water was high enough to destroy the engine battery, the heater, a vacuum cleaner and many spare parts.I also changed the bilge pump switch. I am now planning to add the high water alarm that I always wanted to have…

Anyway the spirit is still high. This is a small hiccup in a big adventure. Hawaii we are still coming!

This boat was designed that way!