FIRST SAIL
enough not to panic, and we calmly pumped out the bilge. We turned off the engine to search for signs of water coming in and found that the bilge remained dry. Phew! Only with the engine back on and in gear did water start to trickle in, with the flow rate increasing with higher rpm.
We followed the water stream to the stuffing box, which was unfortunately situated directly below the engine muffler. This was something better tackled in close proximity to the haulout crane in case we rapidly filled up with water. Feeling slightly more relaxed with a dry bilge once more, we motored home at 2 knots with barely any water coming in.
Safely tied up on the work dock, we took off the muffler and could examine the stuffing box, and fortunately the fix was a simple one. While the incident made for an eventful first sail on my “new” boat, overall, I felt grateful this happened close to shore and not on an ocean passage halfway to Fiji. We motored away from the work dock later that day with a reassuringly dry bilge, a better understanding of the stuffing box and a greater respect for the responsibility that comes with being a captain.