LESSONS LEARNED

1 NAVIGATION

Ensure you have a back-up in case the electronic chart system fails. We always have small scale charts and the Reeds Almanac on board, which worked fine.

2 MAINTENANCE

Gain knowledge about your engine including fuel, charging, and cooling systems as you might need it in the event of a breakdown. For that reason, it’s worth doing as much of the maintenance as possible yourself.

3 ENGINE INFORMATION

Make sure you have a properly functioning instrument panel which includes temperature, oil and voltage/charging information. Based on the panel information, I was alerted to the issue and was able to diagnose what had happened with 99% certainty. I knew we had to stop the engine to avoid overheating.

4 STRANGE SOUNDS

Be suspicious of unfamiliar sounds. We do not continuously look at the engine instrument panel, but it was the unfamiliar sound that made us do so.

5 ANCHORING

Make sure that your anchor is ready to be released at any time, especially in confined waters where you are close to land.

6 COMMUNICATION

Proactively inform the local authorities via VHF. They can assist where necessary and it avoids them starting to ask questions while you are busy solving your problems.

7 ENGINE ACCESS

It is essential you can reach the engine space easily. In our case it means that the cockpit locker must be well organised (like hanging the shore power cables and spare lines) to enable this without having to dig your way past accumulated junk.

8 SPARES

It was a good reminder that we carry the necessary spare parts including belts for good reason. It’s also worth carrying at least two of everything. Had the belt gone again, without a second spare we would have been in a much worse position.