So Far, So Good

We are just about half way to the Bahamas and the engine seems to be running without any problems. George has frequently checked the fuel system for leaks and has not found any. We had a bit of a scare, though, when we left at 4:00 am yesterday morning. The day before—Friday—we left Brunswick Landing to motor and anchor 6 miles closer the inlet. After we pulled the anchor up yesterday morning,  shortly after revving up the engine to exit the inlet, the engine overheating alarm sounded. What!?!?!? George checked the temperatures using the infrared gun and found that the thermostat was around 170° and the sensor was around 188°. I thought that considering the cold air temperature—44°—perhaps the engine needed more time at low speed to warm the engine to enable the thermostat to open and send coolant through the system. So, we shut the engine off, turned it back on, and very slowly increased the speed while monitoring the temperatures. Once the thermostat reached 180° we increased the speed to 2000 rpm and haven’t had any problems since. Phew!

We were able to sail for the first few hours of the trip but have been motoring or motor-sailing since. We expect to arrive at West End, Grand Bahama sometime tomorrow, depending on how much current is against us. 

Sunrise this morning as we begin our exit of the Gulf Stream.