DOUBLE ENGINE FAILURE IN GALE FORCE STORM [Ep. 7]

[@kindsailing]

I'm sure someone has told you it is time to "polish" your fuel. Pump out all your fuel into 50 gallon drums, inspect your fuel tanks for gunk (growth), clean it out if you find it, polish the fuel with a double filter system, then put it back in your tanks. I would also replace all of your fuel lines and fittings. then you know when the last time it was done, since you did it! You are doing an amazing job, even with all the challenges, and you have our hearts with you.

[@sailing.supernova]

We definitely need to polish our fuel and we are going to inspect the fuel lines and fittings. Thanks for the quality advice and the very kind words :)

[@StarSloop]

My wife and I recently found your channel and are working our way through your episodes. I was so proud of you two watching you deal with multiple emergencies underway. Keep up the adventure, the experiences you are gaining are so valuable!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps for the kind words. That was definitely a tough time. It's a good thing neither of us are 'yellers' lol. Aside from losing the camera it was a really good learning experience and it gave us the confidence to sail down to Mexico. Hope you like the rest of the videos and thanks again for the nice comment :)

[@suesailor]

A knot of advice. Always have stopper knots in the ends of your sheets so they can't pull through their fairleads and blocks. One good stopper knot to use is figure eight.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the advice. We are going to make sure we have stopper knots in everything from now on. We are also going to re-run the jibsheets so they won't go in the water anymore :)

[@PaulHarris-sl1ct]

A stopper knot in a Spinnaker sheet is a bad idea. If the sail goes in the water it could bring down the rig

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the tip, we hope to get a spinnaker at some point. :-)

[@PaulHarris-sl1ct]

@@sailing.supernova don't use stoppers for the Spinnaker gear. If the kite goes in the water and gets loaded it can bring down the rig. Also if it gets away from you there's no way to unload the running gear.

[@suesailor]

By following the guidelines for the length of spinnaker sheets of two to two and one-half times the length of the boat they should be ok with stopper knots. I would recommend having a rigger go over the whole setup of all the sheets, guys and halyards@@PaulHarris-sl1ct

[@Jcozz]

Good show sailing the boat first and foremost, then trouble shoot. I was on a boat and the owner wanted to do things in the reverse order and we almost ended up on Trinidad Head N California. My self and the other crew defied his orders and set sail keeping us off the rocks. Scary stuff, you two did great!

[@sailing.supernova]

Great job on knowing what to do and saving the boat. Sometimes you have to take charge even when you're not supposed to. Thanks for the kind words. Looking back, we were happy with how we handled ourselves, and it's given us confidence to continue the adventure :)

[@widotspecial]

Well done managing the crazy circumstances - glad you got to port safely! I am so sorry about the camera, that is a heartbreaker. That you can both still smile and enjoy resting and some pizza made my day.

[@sailing.supernova]

We were very happy to get to port too lol Losing the camera did suck, but we tried to get over it quickly because we couldn't do anything about it and so many nice people have helped us get a new camera. :) and how can you not smile while eating home made pizza!

[@AbNomal621]

Thanks!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps! We will make sure to film sweet footage with the replacement camera for you! :)

[@sleeparate-bed-divider]

Love you guys and your footage! Keep going strong. Kiwi support from down under.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps! We're going to work our tails off to make sure we get the best footage we possibly can with the replacement camera! :)

[@nsamuelsson]

Danke!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps for the support, hope you are enjoying all the videos :)

[@nanoceramics2747]

Great job!I know experienced sailors that would have panicked and you did not. You both make a great team. Not matter how many years you will sail the unexpected will always happen and you handled like pros.All that matters is you are safe.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks very much for the kind words. We are happy how we acted looking back, but it was kinda scary at the time.

[@nanoceramics2747]

scared is only normal panick is when you lose control and you did not. Again well done! you will face many more challenges in your journey that is what will turn you into experienced sailings.

[@sailing.supernova]

:-)

[@svapollo6264]

I was on the edge of my seat watching this episode. Great job Handling the tense moments. I liked that you worked as a teem and did not blame one another for the mistakes made. Great TEEMWORK!! I really am enjoying watching your content. Such tense moments With the motors and the sheet in the prop and you handled it like professionals. Well done, but then crying over a camera! What the: Oh I guess you are a human That's what makes your channel so wonderful to watch. The Highs and the dreaded lows of Sailing life. Great job I sent you 200 for your new camera. Thank you keep up the great content.

[@sailing.supernova]

Glad you liked the video. Lot of mistakes were made but we got through it, the only way we could and that was working together. The camera was super upsetting because there was some amazing footage on that that we wanted to share with you. Plus we have a very limited amount of money that we've saved for this trip and all the camera gear was a last minute expense/decision. So it was really rough to lose our best camera and I felt responsible and that I had let us and you down. But I'm back to my regular self thanks to comments like yours :) Thanks heaps for the contribution towards the replacement camera. We will be sure to get some amazing footage with it to share! Looking forward to your future comments :)

[@mckenziekeith7434]

You guys are doing well. I am proud of you. Fuel problems are one of the most common issues with new boats. The tanks are usually full of gunk when you buy the boat. Best thing is to empty and clean the tank, polish the fuel and put it back in the tank (or discard it in some responsible fashion). Sometimes you have to cut access plates or whatever. Often the motor runs fine in calm water and you don't discover the problem until the first time you get into rough weather and the gunk gets churned up by the boat's motion. Usually the gunk just clogs the filter. You must have a lot more gunk, and the lines are clogged. You may be able to somehow pump all the fuel out through a filter into jerry cans, then clean the tanks and lines (maybe replace the lines). Then you can put the fuel back into the tank. Inspection plates on tanks are nice so you can periodically check the fuel for gunk. How did the gunk get in there? Via various mechanisms that people still argue about, water usually finds its way into the fuel tank. The interface between water and fuel can support growth of some type of fungus (often called algae, but it isn't). This eventually leads to huge sheets and filaments of biological material laying all over your tank. It is not a bad idea to put some kind of biocide into the fuel every time you fuel up. But start by cleaning the tanks and lines thoroughly. Good job dealing with the problem, not panicking and using a sound thought process. Of course it would have been much better to thoroughly check the fuel system before departing. But knowledge comes from experience and experience comes from making mistakes. Great job guys! Make sure you keep an eye on the fuel in the tank going forward. Make sure you both know how to replace a fuel filter and bleed the line from filter to injector. You may have to change filters under duress in the future so it would be better if you both know how to do it cold.

[@Poorehouse]

This one. Well done! Need to “polish” the fuel and what in the fuel tanks. If you can’t empty the tanks and open inspect ports, you treat the existing fuel with algicide, use a electric fuel pump on the tank output (auto parts store low pressure pump used on many older car will be fine) into a coarse fuel filter, then back into the tank, constantly circulating fuel to polish it. When output flow from the filter drops or the sound of the pump changes because it’s struggling, change the filter and keep going until all the gunk, Algae, or debris has been filtered out. Repeat for each tank. Then run through a fine filter if you have it. Blow out the lines to the engines, replace all the fuel filters, prime, and off you go. Consider a ‘day tank’ similar to what you did with the Jerry can, but adds a return the small tank. A day tank for each engine isolates fuel issues from the main storage tanks - important if you are concerned with fuel quality issues from sketchy suppliers. That can prevent your engine from being affected from issues with your primary tank(s) and adds a second layer of filtration.

[@allanedwards7756]

Hey, super effort and dont furl bad as this s*it happens. It happened to me off Cherbourg and fortunately we cleaned the filter and got in ok with engine. I feel guilty for not advising the action in the comments from others at the beginning! Sending you $$’s for camera fund.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for all of the advice. We thought we had checked the fuel system as thoroughly as we could (no access to fuel tank). We were in a pretty rough sea state on the way to Haida Gwaii a month and a bit ago and we checked the glass bowls below the fuel filters every hour and didn't find anything. There is a chance we picked up bad fuel. We are still trying to figure out how to address the situation, we have picked up some biocide and plan to use that in conjunction with polishing the fuel and we are looking at how to gain access to the fuel tank in the least destructive way possible. Darcy has shown me how to change the fuel filter and bleed the fuel system and we have a wrench on order so it will be easier to remove the fuel filters in the future. It's comments like yours that help us learn so much on here so thanks for putting so much time in to helping us! :)

[@sailing.supernova]

The plan is to treat the fuel with a biocide and polish the fuel. Thanks for your tips on how to polish the fuel. We are thinking about a day tank for each engine but it might be difficult to set up, but with enough planning anything is possible :) We will definitely be sailing with a bunch of jerry cans until we can figure out a back up.

[@Poorehouse]

@@sailing.supernova If you can't access the tank because its built in and doesnt have an access, your best bet would be to take the tank outlet line into electric pump and then into a cheap coarse filter, add biocide, get underway in choppy seas to stir things up in the tank and feed the filter outlet back into the tank through the engine return line. Let it run. Monitor the pump for sounds the filter is clogging. Replace filters as needed. Reduce filter size if it doesn't catch anything or once the coarse filter has been changed a few times. 'Polishing of the fuel is just circulating the heck out of it through finer and finer filters to catch algae and debris.

[@duffyjas1]

Hello Yvette and Darcy. Greetings once again from Germany. It's great that you are slowly becoming salty sailors (meaning making mistakes early while in range of help). Experience is your friend. A few tips, if you allow: 1) to stop a diesel engine push engine stop button first, then switch ignition off. Otherwise you risk frying the diodes in your alternator. 2) Set your boat up to sail in all conditions. e.g., prepare a small hanked-on jib, provide winch handles near sheet winches etc, Simplify, simplify, simplify. Electronics and mechanical devices will fail and are hard/impossible to repair. 3) As others commented, there is probably a good healthy layer of sludge in your diesel tank. Cleaning the tank is a priority. You don't want that brew feeding your fuel injectors. 4) Your existing traditional cutless bearings is simple and easy to adjust and repair. The dripless variety are expensive and potentially dangerous. Yvette, I had the privilege of living in Sydney (Kirribilli) for a couple of years. Very beutiful sailing but didn't fancy the Sydney funnel-web.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for all the great advice. We can definitely do better in the future. Like you sad we are happy to learn and make mistakes, but we want to make sure we only make them once. We have a plan to clean the tank but it's not ideal as tank access is non existent. We have a storm sail that we couldn't put up because the stay sail furler was not working properly but this will be fixed before we head to Mexico. We do really appreciate this comment, we learn so much when nice people like you take the time to help us, so thank you so much for that :) Darcy agrees with you about the spiders/everything poisonous in Australia lol. I don't mind them so much but that might be from growing up in Australia :)

[@klemenprezelj]

Congrats on solving the prob.on the way👍 When u did the refit, did u clean your tanks? It was really bad luck with the rope,but that can always hapen,try to get a rope cutter ,since u're having a long way to go and u can always catch floaters

[@sailing.supernova]

we didn't clean the tanks in the refit, we think it was bad fuel that we picked up 4 days before this. the line in the prop sucked but that was our fault, we want a line cutter for sure!

[@levt2156]

Oh my goodness! What a harrowing journey! My stomach was upside down. And when you lost your camera, omg, the look on your face broke my heart. I'm so glad you 2 are such a great team and got yourselves to safety. Bravo and great work!

[@sailing.supernova]

We will aim for less stressful videos in the future lol but you can also count on us to show the real sailing life without filter! Please patch up your heart as the camera replacement has now been ordered. There will be lots of great team work in future videos to come because we are constantly learning together :)

[@mollymarshall5710]

Y’all work well together. You did well! Great problem solving under pressure.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps :)

[@rogerpinnock6847]

This year has been the pits for fuel problems. E10 diesel and 30° temperatures have made diesel bug go mad - the last four times I’ve been out there have been PanPan calls for engine failure - I know of 9 boats with problems over the last 6 weeks! Well done for sorting the problems in such adverse conditions!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps for the compliment, we are very happy we didn't have to call a PanPan or Mayday. We definitely everybody's pain who has had to deal with this, but at least it is a somewhat common thing that has known fixes so we should up and running again in no time :)

[@AORD72]

A successful failure, happens to all sailors. Great video, great teamwork. Exciting stuff, what a battle.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the awesome comment, this made us smile. We definitely learned a lot! Hopefully we are better prepared for battles in the future :)

[@leehoffman3604]

I think I told you we sailed the intercoastal waterway from Juneau and had a great time fishing for salmon with Herring using gang line. I didn't tell you that I ran upon an uncharted reef, threw the Cunnins diesel into reverse, sent both my video and film camera below deck, and destroyed them both. I replaced the cameras, and the boat and the four of us were saved. So, the moral of the story is screw the cameras! This was a great video with great dramatic music. Just keep sailing, learning, and having fun.

[@sailing.supernova]

You might have left that part out! Happy you and the crew were safe, that's what matters in the end. Also happy you enjoyed the video. We will definitely keep sailing and learning along the way, and with the two of us together we will always be having fun :)

[@sailing.supernova]

We don't hide the fact that we are not really sure what we are doing, we get lots of help from people and we try to learn as much as we can. We think we got bad fuel as we have never had problems with the fuel before and we have been in bad weather. it was our fault that the line got wrapped, the boat was not set up well for sailing, we have now changed where the running rigging goes and it has fixed that problem. We just finished our first open ocean passage from Vancouver to Mexico, it went really well and we could not have done it without everything we learned in Alaska :-)

[@soraya4890]

Waw this channel is getting interesting..i was on the edge of my seat so much suspence...love it when sailors show the good and the bad. You guys are doing great! Like the sailors say sailing has their highs and lowes..

[@sailing.supernova]

We're pumped you are enjoying the videos. Our hearts were beating extra fast just editing this one lol. We will always show whats happening, regardless of good or bad :)

[@melissateebarnes8826]

Y’all are my new favorite KZbin channel. I can’t wait for your videos to come out.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps :-)

[@grahamselby3246]

Super impressed with how calm you both were in working out a solution under extreme circumstances. You live to fight another day. So sorry about your camera.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the kind words. We definitely learned a lot about each other and the boat. Probably would have been better to learn that under different circumstances lol but like you said we are still out here fighting. Losing the camera did suck but we are still going to make great videos for you :)

[@sherriecreasser4914]

You did an excellent job under pressure. You are a great team who will continue to do great things. Remember, every mistake is a learning experience and it is only a mistake if you choose not to fix it. ❤

[@sailing.supernova]

Well said! We are trying our best to make sure we learn from all of our mistakes. We are however finding that there is a lot more ways to make mistakes than anticipated lol :) but we did learn heaps from this one!

[@ringonotts]

OMG! How scary! I think you should both be very proud of yourselves. You are learning and thats what matters. Look at the big picture. You guys are having the adventure of your life and its actually happenning!!

[@sailing.supernova]

I love everything about this comment! Our goal is to try and not make the same mistake twice. So far we need to work on our goal a little bit lol but at least we are learning :)

[@Lucky_Red_Fish]

Well done , sorry you're having a run of bad luck, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Keep up the good work X

[@sailing.supernova]

We definitely learned a lot. Hopefully we can prevent situations like this in the future. Thanks for the kind words :)

[@micheljansen85]

Problem solving under pressure and working together is what makes old salts. Be proud. 😊

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks very much, would love to earn the title of old salt one day :)

[@cybinja2438]

So sorry to hear about your fuel trouble! you guys handled it like champs and should be very proud! Glad everything worked out to get you to an anchorage safely and that you were able to get docked to fix the issue properly. All the best and anxiously awaiting the next video!

[@sailing.supernova]

We are happy it all worked out too and we are happy we worked well together as a team. That was the first time we have been through something like that as a couple. Hope you like the next video :)

[@DesertDogJournal]

Good job handling the problem!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps, We are happy we were able to work it out :-) I can still taste that pizza :-)

[@SOLDOZER]

That "gunk" is diesel bug. It got stirred up in your tank when seas got rough.. Clean the filter/bowl out and run a line to the clean fuel in the jerry can

[@sailing.supernova]

That's good advice, we just got some biocide to hopefully deal with the diesel problem. Hope you enjoyed the video :)

[@ERo1972]

Wow guys you were amazing. Darcy you are a real man bro. The way you treated Yvette during all of that was a way a person should be treated and did it in style. Yvette your human attributes shone. It's just a camera but I can tell how important this journey is to you and how you want to share it with the rest of us. I can tell you I have had very similar circumstances happen but not in gale force winds like that. You both were amazing to watch. Keeping a cool head in those circumstances is hard for even the most seasoned of sailors. You two were pros completely. Fast becoming one of my favourite sailing channels. Sorry I don't have spare funds to help you out with your camera but know I am very proud of you both. Arohanui ❤

[@sailing.supernova]

Please do not apologise for the camera fund thing, we got enough to replace the camera. This is one of the best comments we've ever received. It gave us both a huge smile. We appreciate so much that you enjoy our videos enough to comment especially such an amazing comment as this one. We just want you to know how much we appreciate the time you took to write this and the thoughtful words, means heaps to us ❤ Good to know that you made it out of a similar situation safely. Not sure what else to say, we are just blushing right now. See you next Friday :)

[@patrickjames1080]

Just to piggy back - as a 1st mate on a Prout - Yes Darcy you are a natural Captain - remove emotion and always communicate direct and calmly. Always take it down a notch. You guys are awesome!!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks very much for the kind words :-)

[@johnwalker6711]

Take advantage of the mast furling system and make your mainsail a lot smaller when your in 40kt winds same with headsail take strain off rig and sails more comfortable and probably same SOG

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the advice, we are just new at this but promise to get better quickly. More comfortable would have been great in that situation! :)

[@WanderingWilfords]

Super tense out there but you did it! So sorry about the camera loss. I’ve been in and around boats and house boats and have lost many these overboard…..accidentally. Lessons learned that’s what it’s all about. Hang in there and I really enjoy your team work and adventures.

[@sailing.supernova]

Yeh it was super tense for a few hours there. We learned a ton about us and our boat, which is always the silver lining in these cases. Still looking for the silver lining about the camera lol happy you are enjoying the videos :)

[@GordonBrame-t3k]

Good job you got a good unflappably man with you , great episode

[@sailing.supernova]

Yea I'm supper lucky to have him, we make a great team :-)

[@va7dgp]

A few boaters create a 12 v pump to run fuel through filters to clean out diesel. I wonder if there were bugs in the fuel tank that shook up from rough sailing and then clogged the fuel lines. (When the main tank empty, the secondary tank is pumped via the fuel filter to clean it before it's dumped into the main. A secondary tank is used to hold fuel)

[@sailing.supernova]

We are trying to figure out a fuel polishing system but we have no access to our fuel tank and unfortunately we don't have secondary tanks. We think we got bad fuel a couple days before this happened. The rough weather certainly didn't help. We have a fuel sieve that should help now. :)

[@biggooseadventures]

Great video glad you’re both safe

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks very much, we are too lol. Hope you like the next video :)

[@ganderson7298able]

Way to stay calm and be a team. This was great for us all to see how to overcome a serious issue! Well done!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps for the very kind words. To be honest, teamwork was the only way we were getting out of that situation. Nothing about that was good, except for how we solved it in the end. We definitely learned a ton about each other and the boat. We plan on continuing to work as well as we can together and we have talked about how we can improve our teamwork in another potential emergency situation. Thanks again for the great comment, you put a smile on our face :)

[@conradlogan5201]

There are many things I’ve seen in your videos that kinda call out “ 🧐” But that’s how you educate yourselves ( hopefully with nothing too serious as to ‘discoveries’ And lots of fun along the way Sent a small contribution your way to help with the camera 🎥 Enjoying your work. Thanks!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps for help with the replacement camera! We will be sure to film some great footage for you for future videos. And if you see anything in our videos that needs to be called out please let us know, we are very knew at this and need all the help we can get. You can be sure we will do our best to learn from everybody that helps us in the comment section to avoid any 'discoveries' in the future. :)

[@simplyintranets]

Its all part of the adventure, and I'm sure we'll all help you cover the cost of that camera, so don't worry, keep going you two, stay positive 🙏

[@sailing.supernova]

It was definitely an adventure. At the end of it, it made us want to explore remote destinations even more. Thanks heaps for the support for the replacement camera, we will think of you when using it to film amazing footage! :)

[@aquasapien9275]

You both work together well, and good on ya for thinking on your feet and running off the diesel can....Not so much novice sailors now. Fair winds dear friends

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the kind words. Don't know if we can agree we aren't novices, there was a line wrapped around the prop AGAIN lol. But at least we're learning! Hopefully we have enough experience to get down to Mexico safely :)

[@simonm7375]

First time seeing you guys, handled a twitchy situation calmly, give yrselves a pat on the back. The importance of staying calm and analytical is well illustrated here. Panicking helps no-one, ever. Things go wrong at sea and they often go wrong amazingly quickly so well done guys.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for that comment, it was crazy how fast it all went south. Looking back on it, it could have been terrible if we had panicked. I guess we learned a lot about ourselves during that 48 hours. Hope we earned a return viewer :)

[@simonm7375]

@@sailing.supernova Yeah, sometimes it pays to step back and breath, which feels wrong but pays in the long run. Yeah, I'll be back for more. Best of luck with it

[@sailing.supernova]

Pumped to have you on board for the adventure :)

[@nautichunt84]

It's a good failsafe to have 2 filters setup side by side with 2 selector taps so if you block a filter you can switch to the other one while changing the blocked one

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the advice, we are looking into this. Seems like it would be easy enough to do :)

[@technopirate5050]

Ive come to anticipate that when things start to go bad in sailing its more than one thing that goes wrong im always thinking about escape routes what will i do if that happens etc i generally always keep some mainsail up right to anchor, good work under some pretty intense conditions guys

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the advice and kind words. We definitely would have been up the creek without the sails. We knew just enough to keep us safe in what was an otherwise terrible situation. Let's hope for some good days in the not too distant future :)

[@patrickjames1080]

​@@sailing.supernovayes, always remember you are a sailboat ⛵️ 😉

[@sailing.supernova]

just about got the sailing part down :-)

[@stevegreen3897]

Great video. How you kept smiling is beyond me. Good teamwork and crisis management. Just subscribed. Looking forward to seeing your videos. Well done!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps for the kind words. Pumped to have you along for the adventure. And look forward to your future comments. We hope to keep putting out great videos for you to enjoy :)

[@juannegron9672]

I love your spirit and even feel your grief regarding the Cannon. But keep with the adventure.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks very much, we will definitely keep up the adventure! So many people helped us replace the camera. So we couldn't stop now :)

[@keithfrench5626]

Wow! That would put my Heart Funning at max Beats. Congrats on being calm and fining resonable solutions

[@sailing.supernova]

We made have looked and acted calm but if we had heart rate monitors on they would have been broken lol :)

[@Susan-s4x4w]

Super job guys fixing all those problems. Sorry you lost the camera,😢 but you both are safely docked you guy rock.❤

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the very kind words. We were very sorry about the camera but a bunch of people chipped in and we have now ordered a replacement camera :) And how could we stay sad after pizza at the dock! :D

[@paulbrown2971]

Great job with keeping your cool and problem solving under duress. Donation sent.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps, we will be sure to capture some amazing footage for you! And we always appreciate your comments :)

[@pmnfernando]

im 5 minutes into the video. that boat isnt squared away to go out. that fishing rod swinging with a lure on it, was just waiting to get someones flesh and create a potential tricky injury which would have turned your attention from sailing the boat. your deck and cabin are clutered with stuff which isnt tied down creating yet more problems and losses as it may splah onto the water, creating yet more trip hazards, etc. this isnt like living in a house even if your boat is a catamaran. Maydays and Pan Pans arent to be issued lightly. you are going to put other ppl life at stake to come get you. remember that. you had sea room (from what i could gather) you had steerage because you could sail the boat and you werent in a life or death situation boat wise, injury wise. strongly recommend you enroll in some appropriate sailing tickets to Yachtmaster Offshore level. being at sea is never a joke no matter how fair the weather is.

[@sailing.supernova]

You are entirely right, the boat wasn't squared away properly and we definitely learned a hard lesson there. We don't take Maydays and Pan Pans lightly which is why we didn't call one. We got steerage of the boat with a little bit of sail which got us sea room from the land then tried to figure out the problem. More experience would have definitely helped us solve the problem faster. We were just working together to run through all possible problems/solutions and then we started with the easiest ones first. Now that we know the boat a little better we are planning to put some additional fuel lines in and a fuel polishing system. In all we know we need to be better in the future and we are working with some people from our sailing club to help us plan better and improve. Comments like yours also help us get better, so thanks very much for the feedback we appreciate it a lot! :)

[@chrisverheijdt9269]

Hey guys! Cool episode! About your diesel problem, you can try to blow the diesel back in the tank to clear the lines. The black stuf you see in the filter is a algae that grows in diesel. I believe you can get a cleaner that you can mix whit the diesel. Good luck!!! And i love your episode's

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the advice, we should have definitely tried to blow the line back into the tank first. We picked up some diesel biocide to hopefully deal with that algae stuff. Thanks for the very kind words and hope you continue to enjoy our videos :)

[@joegonzalez5422]

😅you guys rock! being able to problem solve in a critical situation makes u guys unique! God bless u

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks very much :) Looking back on it there is a bunch of things we could improve but we are happy we were able to stay calm and problem solve. Hope you are enjoying the videos :)

[@fxpthl]

You kids were amazingly calm during that very stressful period! Keeping that way helped you get back to safe harbor.

[@sailing.supernova]

When you're as inexperienced as we are, you have to work together so we really had no choice. We definitely found out a lot about each other and the boat and luckily for us it was all good :)

[@harveyg845]

Way to keep cool heads guys, panicking is a waste of energy. Hey Darcy, I noticed the lure was swinging lose in the air when the boat was being thrown around; secure the hook if the rod isn't being used. The last thing you guys' need is a fishing hook in the eye. Glad you got back safe and sound.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the compliment Harvey. Upon reflection you may be correct about the fishing rod. We are trying to figure out a better way to store it from now on but rest assured it will never be in that spot again unless we are fishing :)

[@kimvanderlaan4120]

Holy cow!! You guys are Rock stars. Safe sailing I love your videos!!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the very kind words! :) We are just out here doing the best we can and hopefully that gets better with experience :D

[@sailing.supernova]

We are trying to minimise that as much as possible but you are right lol :)

[@lotusdolphin]

This was the first time watching you guys. You guys did really well working under pressure. Those were some tense moments so be proud of yourselves for that. I’m just really grateful that you’re both OK. Could’ve dreadfully wrong.

[@sailing.supernova]

Sorry we had to meet you under these circumstances lol. We definitely understand it could've been much worse. Being new sailors might have worked to our advantage because we knew we needed to work as a team to get through it safely! Our other videos are much more cheerful :)

[@billybedlam7697]

Little tip U need to use some rubber bands for extra grip on the fuel filter or opening a jar etc 👍

[@sailing.supernova]

That's great advice thank you for that! :-)

[@bishopkinlyside8477]

Hi guys, wow what a lot of drama it was. Good to see your work as a team and not screaming and yelling at each other. That is so wonderful when you’re under pressure sometimes the Worst come out in us but praise God you guys are okay. Keep up the good work. Love your videos Cliff from Logan city Queensland Australia from the big island 🇦🇺🏝️🧑🏾‍🦽🐨🦘🌏🐬

[@sailing.supernova]

Hey Cliff, we are hoping to not have as much drama in future episodes as I'm not sure my heart can take too much more of that right away lol we definitely learned a lot about each other and it's a huge plus that neither of us are yellers. We always look forward to your comment. Hope you had a great week :)

[@damoncarlos2796]

When it rains it pours! Your a real sailor now!!!

[@sailing.supernova]

Yeh that was pretty hectic! It all seemed to happen at once, but we got out of it ok. I don't know about real sailors yet but at least we have a sailing story that everybody will think we're exaggerating lol :)

[@vraymond108]

Still can’t figure out how you got into Portage Bay without a working engine. The entrance is shallow and convoluted. But very safe when you get in. We usually anchor in the same spot.

[@sailing.supernova]

It certainly is hard especially when it is your first time and at night. It's cool that you anchor in the same spot that we did. We did get an engine running, plumbed right to a jerry can otherwise I don't think we would have attempted to go in. Aside from this problem, sailing around here has been amazing :)

[@Stepica]

The In Memoriam segment for your lost camera made me laugh out loud 🤣

[@sailing.supernova]

We thought it only proper to pay respect to the camera responsible for our best footage. The only thing we do well is humour, it helps us out of crummy situations. Glad you got a kick out of it :)

[@andersonautomotive]

Experience - Knowledge gained immediately after you needed it.

[@sailing.supernova]

So true! At least we know more now, that might help us in the future!

[@Sailing_Antrice]

That fuel issue looked to be diesel bug. A yeast-like organism that lives on diesel when there is condensation in the tank. Use an anti diesel bug additive such as startron or marine 16 when you fuel up. What happened was the rough seas stirred up the bug at the bottom of the tank until it blocked the lines and filters. You will need to clean the tanks to get the bug out and clean the fuel too a process called “polishing the fuel”. To prevent it happening again use an anti-diesel bug additive and if the boat is unused for any length of time then top the tanks to the brim so there is no space for condensation to form. You also need to carry several spare primary and secondary fuel filters.

[@Sailing_Antrice]

The other thing that will help is to fit a rope cutter on both props. The best one is called the Ambassador. You want the zigzag blade sort not the round disks which are much cheaper but don’t work nearly as well.

[@sailing.supernova]

We are looking at getting a rope cutter, it would come in handy for sure :-)

[@davehayes8812]

I was thinking that you guys were the most smiley Sailing Tubers around, but then this episode was rough and the smiles disappeared for a while. Glad you made it to safety. My first thought for the fuel problem is diesel bug, but I hope not, it can be a flamin' mongrel to get rid of.

[@sailing.supernova]

How could the smiles not come back with pizza and beer at the end! :D Generally we are pretty happy folk but that was a very serious situation that we had no experience dealing with so we were just doing our best not to panic lol We are investigating the diesel problem now and should have a solution before we head to Mexico :)

[@davehayes8812]

@@sailing.supernova thanks for the comment. Blessings for your journey!

[@sailing.supernova]

:-)

[@leeweston2531]

Testing week, but looks like u nailed it. Great video again see u next week!!!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the kind words! Hope you liked the latest video :)

[@riviera4744]

Just watching this video I noticed when you were removing the line from around the prop shaft and I noticed it appears you are missing the zinc annode that is normally fastened to the nut that holds the propeller on. If you're not yet aware what galvanic corrosion is and the role of zinc annodes are please research it asap. But well done handling the emergency, you both did great.

[@sailing.supernova]

We must have lost the anode at some point. Thanks for the reminder, we are going to replace it asap. Also thanks for the kind words, it was a crazy situation and in the end we are happy we made it out safe :)

[@roadboat9216]

Nice job, and nice to know that you can be self sufficient out there!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks very much, we are definitely proud we handled the situation without outside help. We are trying to figure out how we can prevent similar situations in the future before they get to this point :)

[@rocketqueen232]

Great team work under pressure! I would have cried losing the camera too 😭😭😭

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the kind words. I was slightly embarrassed. I'm glad someone else would have done the same thing. It definitely sucked at the time! But super nice comments like yours help make me feel better :)

[@azarellediaz4892]

Sad you had this terrible experience, I do have a suggestion for you for the event this ever happened again. Put quick connect on your fuel lines, both on the fuel supply and the fuel return. This will allow you to use two Jerry cans and prevent the fuel tank getting overfilled and possibly causing a diesel spill into ocean or coastal waters. The sheets… how are they going into the water so often? Have you considered making line holders where you can store them safely or at a later date put all lines below deck guided to the cockpit? Sad for the loss of your camera 😢😢

[@sailing.supernova]

This is all great advice. We are in the middle of figuring out a redesign for our fuel system and quick connects maybe in our near future. We also need to get better on the sheets in the water thing. The design of the boat rigging is poor, but we think we have a way to fix it. It's going to involve more work than we had hoped but it is a necessity if we want to have a long cruising career. Thanks again for the advice. And don't worry a replacement camera has been ordered :)

[@reatreatseclusion9891]

Wow you both kept so calm, just found you guys and subscribed. What a great couple looking forward to lots more adventures.😀

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the kind words. Pumped to have you on board for the adventure. There will be lots of great videos to come! :)

[@halfairbank6967]

The gunk is from a hose that is not made for fuel did you ever replace that temporary water hose you put on?

[@sailing.supernova]

We replaced that hose as soon as we got back to port, just didn't put it on video because as you saw the first video was already an hour long lol

[@cwilliamson23]

I remember seeing something on sailing sophisticated lady's channel about algae growing in the fuel tank, it could also be gunk build up from the tank sitting for a long time if the boat sat for a while. But i would def look into the algae thing too because if it is the problem will just come back.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the advice! We are looking into the cause of the problem now, it potentially could have been bad fuel that we purchased a few days before. Algae in the tank is something that we might have to deal with later on as well so we are trying to build a fuel cleaning system to help in the future :)

[@BRMCaptChaos]

Good job guys, looks like Microbiological growth (H-Resinae), which is unfortunately normal after a long period of time. It's fixable with filtering, dewatering and/or biocide, not expensive.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the advice and the kind words. We plan on following your advice with filtering, dewatering and biocide. We have no clean access to the fuel tank but are working on something to get one inch line in to help us filter the fuel faster/more efficiently. It's a bit of a bugger though. Hopefully we will be done with it soon :)

[@tip00former1]

Superb team work! 👌

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks a ton! :)

[@jenniedwards9417]

Hopefully, by now, you have sorted out your diesel bug issue and cleared the fuel lines. To mitigate this happening we use a Mr Funnel filter we got from Australia for fueling up (the big one with two filters for speed of fueling, depends where your fuel tank openings are for the diameter which will fit). I think you will need one of these as some places you may go there is debris in the fuel. Then we add diesel bug biocide to the tanks every time we fuel up (expenisve but doesn't cost much per tank as you use so little). We have a seperate tank and lines for each engine with an emergency joining line we can open between them just in case we run out at sea from one tank. Lucky to inherit the boat that was well sorted for fuel. It had had diesel bug and the owner had to get into the fuel tanks, empty them out and clean all the gunge out of the tanks. Friends of ours had to replace their fuel lines before they sorted their problems. This youtube video on fuel polishing from Catamaran Impi is worth watching too if you haven't already kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJjIhGatqMdkfbM Best of luck and hopefully you won't have any further fuel problems.

[@iancameron3970]

West Marine (damn them) sell a Baja fuel filter if you’re seeking one. Also check with Dave at Martin Marine when you’re back in Vancouver. Fair winds.

[@sailing.supernova]

We have now ordered a Mr Funnel (thanks!), and we also have biocide to put in our tank. Unfortunately we only have one fuel tank that has no access. We are still trying to figure out a way to clean our tanks. Thanks for the video link we will check it out. :)

[@sailing.supernova]

Hey Ian, we ordered a Mr Funnel. Come say hi when we get back :)

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the kind words. Happy you made it through your emergency as well. Don't feel guilty we appreciate your comments and thanks heaps for contributing to the camera fund. We will make sure to get lots of great footage for you in future videos! :)

[@brittjansen9737]

Wauw guys, good reaction! You both kept your head straight 👍

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks very much for the kind words :)

[@boyddubard4197]

Excellent seamanship! You and the Prout handled the wind and nasty chop like old sea dogs! You have been introduced to buggy diesel. I feel you pain, it is a nasty clean up with biocides. And never think you have had your last sheet wrapped around a prop. Neptune can be an tricky old bastard.

[@sailing.supernova]

We are attempted to deal with the suspected diesel bug, we have some stuff to treat the fuel. We hope you're wrong about it not being the last time wrapping a sheet on our prop lol but you're definitely right about Neptune! :)

[@deerfootnz]

You need to learn a sheet bend! Fuel flow problems are 99% of all diesel engine issues. Did you remember to plumb the fuel return into the Jerry can as well? I learned that one the hard way...

[@suesailor]

Yes, a sheet bend knot for tying two lines together can really come in handy. I would suggest you look for a nice little book of knots to add to your library. If you pass thru Sausalito on your way south I have a knot book I can give you.

[@deerfootnz]

@@suesailor I have been doing it a while. I don't need a knot book.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the advice re. sheet bend. This was a fuel issue. We did not have the right stuff to plumb the return line into the jerry can but we were aware that we would use a lot more fuel. With our measurements we figure we could get about 3 hours of fuel burn from a jerry can without the return line plumbed in. We are looking at redesigning the fuel system when we can get the parts :)

[@sailing.supernova]

We hope to make it down to Sausalito in about 3 weeks if all goes well :) We could definitely use a knot book lol

[@sailing.supernova]

With your knowledgeable advice above, I'm sure she was saying we needed a knot book rather than yourself. It's clear you know what you're talking about. Thanks for the quality advice :)

[@latizzo]

Great work under pressure! You have probably already figured this out but The fuel issue is almost certainly bio bug it grows in the fuel tank and in rough weather it gets stirred up and plugs up the fuel filters and in bad cases plug lines. The solution is polishing the fuel and cleaning out the tank and lines, it's a messy job that can be hired out or done diy. As for the melted bit of line around the prop shaft it's good you did not use that engine as it could block water from cooling the shaft bearing damaging it and potentially damaging the shaft.

[@ronb4180]

I agree, I’ve had to clean out tank on my semi, yes it def is a filthy job

[@sailing.supernova]

We are still investigating. Access to the fuel tank is less than ideal. We are trying to figure our a way to install a fuel polishing system. And we plan on removing that line asap. Good to know it could cause cooling problems, if we wrap a line in the future. Thanks for the informative comment. Comments like these really help us do better in the future! :)

[@sailing.supernova]

Sounds like we have a crummy day ahead of us lol

[@imuayachtcharter7940]

Those filters have a pump on the top...THAT knurled knob on the top must be unscrewed pumped until you hear rattling then retightheni did the same thing 40 years ago... changed filters and didnt pump the filter housing.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the tips! this was something higher up then the fuel filter, the pick up line and other pipes were blocked.

[@jackofalltrades1182]

Great job guys.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks, glad you liked the video and thanks for the support :)

[@alexanderlenina4203]

My dear. Health is all that matters. You will get a new camera in the near future, no need to be sad. Keep on the good work!

[@sailing.supernova]

This is great advice, thanks for the kind words :)

[@iancameron3970]

Well done…both sea and video skills! Talk about calm under pressure. Looking forward to your next adventures from a fellow VRC member. (Just added to your camcorder fundraising.)

[@iancameron3970]

I have a portable Racor filter system for polishing your fuel which you’re welcome to borrow if back at VRC.

[@sailing.supernova]

Hey Ian, thanks heaps for the camcorder contribution and the kind words. Don't worry we plan to raise a non-battered VRC burgee soon! :)

[@sailing.supernova]

That would be a huge help! Give me a call! :)

[@1425race]

Well done people - crisis averted. May I suggest you inspect the inside of your fuel tank and of course all the lines, there could be sludge blocking the lines and filters, also diesel bug can be a problem. I'm sure you will have it sorted quick.

[@sailing.supernova]

We are in the process of figuring out how to inspect the fuel tank. We have no access to the fuel tank currently but will figure out something soon as we need to be on our way to Mexico. Thanks for the advice and kind words :)

[@TLJH53]

Was it possible to get fuel out of the boats tank to put in Gerry can?

[@sailing.supernova]

We did not have the correct stuff to siphon the fuel from our fuel fill line. And the problem was with the main fuel line. We are planning to pick up some smaller tubing to make siphoning fuel possible from the fill line. In the future we should be able to solve fuel problems a lot faster as we now know heaps about our fuel system :)

[@MrDonJBerg]

The whole time watching this..I kept saying..."Houston...We have a problem"

[@sailing.supernova]

lol very true, luckily it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out or we would have been in trouble! :)

[@ruben151988]

Admirable what you have accomplished already there goes my little contribution to your camera

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks heaps for the contribution. We have ordered a replacement camera. We will make sure to make sure to film great footage with it for you. Also thanks for the kind words :)

[@JoaoRodrigues-mx1ub]

Espectacular. Trabalho em equipa. Sucesso. Abraços🫂 e beijinhos ❤

[@sailing.supernova]

¡Muchas gracias!

[@deborahdoyle6743]

You guys did great under stress.

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks very much :-)

[@leonaessens4399]

Well, I think it's called the "learning curve...." You've gone up another notch along that curve! I'd say you stepped up to the plate. You had a problem, you handled it, you didn't murder each other. Really not a bad day at the office, all things considered.

[@sailing.supernova]

This comment made us literally laugh out loud. If we had murdered each other we would had never made it out of that situation lol. We needed each other to find a solution and get to safety (and eat pizza). Happy you liked the video :)

[@rodneyfarrar7487]

way to step up Yvette to fix the prop mess in the ice water!

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks!.. Someone had to do it lol :)

[@malcolmadams440]

Do you think you require a heavier anchor?

[@sailing.supernova]

So far that anchor has held us in pretty heavy seas. It's the one Rocna recommended for our size boat. If I was getting it again I would probably go one size up just to be on the safe side :)

[@LostBetween]

The gunk from the tanks looks a lot like "Diesel Plague" or "Kerosene Fungus". A form of bacteria living in the fuel producing such gunk, clogging up filters and diesel lines in the process. The Catamaran has been sitting there for a long time which is not good for diesel tanks - or good for the bacteria. Maybe that caused the problem.

[@sailing.supernova]

We are still looking into it, it might have been bad diesel that already had a lot of bug in it. We have purchased some stuff to treat diesel bug :)

[@monamie2772]

Well done guys, it's all about the challenges. If you're feeling very emotional perhaps the pink stick test should be on the agenda.

[@sailing.supernova]

Definitely no kids lol have too much sailing to do!

[@edwardnigma2216]

Typically you get a bunch of crap on the bottom of your tanks after a while... The rough weather/waves stirs it all up and it gets sucked into your fuel filters and chokes out your engines. If it's bad enough, it clocks the pickup tubes too. When you get to port, take out the sending units from the tanks and suck out all the fuel/gunk. You can filter the fuel and re-use it. Sucks, but this is basic maintenance that went unattended... Really ought to check your fuel tanks and suck the crap off the bottom once a year.

[@sailing.supernova]

There is a chance we got bad fuel a few days before this. we don't have any access to the fuel take but we are going to clean the fuel and put some biocide in the tank. we have been in some rough weather before this and never had a problem, we did check the fuel lines and the glass bowl under the fuel filter before we left, everything seemed to be in good order. we have plans to up in a fuel polishing system but because of this old boat it will be a bit trickier than it should be. Thanks for the advice, keep it coming :)

[@edwardnigma2216]

@@sailing.supernova Entirely possible.. I got some pretty dark diesel in Cuba before though, and it burned through fine.. I've seen some other older boats that have mystery engine issues when the weather gets rough but run fine otherwise.. It's usually caused by years of never thinking about what's actually IN the fuel tank. Was in a marina once and I helped a guy with an 80 gallon tank empty it out and pulled about 40 gallons of super cloudy diesel and other gunk out of it. We let the diesel set for a couple days on land and eventually got about 8 gallons of water out of it. 32 gallons of diesel, 8 gallons of water.. 10% of his fuel tank was water and a good cup and a half of just sludge.. Just blew my mind... How it even ran to begin with, with that much water in the tank I'll never know... The other problem with water in the tank, if it's a steel tank, it will cause things to rust....

[@sailing.supernova]

Its an AL tank, I think we got most of the stuff out now. Crazy it even started with that much water!

[@astridrichard-cook7421]

You are not too far away from us here!

[@sailing.supernova]

It's beautiful in this part of the world.. You're lucky to be here :)

[@aaronwalker3398]

I get stressed out in a 28-foot cant imagine a big old boat like that love it so far I think you're on my side of the pond when you go by the Columbia River would love to sail out and wave at you or meet you in Astoria for a beer my channels pretty bad but I do it anyways Santana 28 restoration and sailing

[@sailing.supernova]

We may stop by Astoria, depending on the weather and we never say no to a beer with a fellow sailor! Checked out your channel and love your boat. Keep making videos :)

[@carlrosenbaum3754]

Did you check to see if it ran out of gas or got water in the engine ????

[@sailing.supernova]

the fuel line was blocked, if you watch EP 8 we find it right near the start of the video

[@sc-ez9fz]

This my first viewing of your channel. These are the times that test you and if you stick with i,t make you less apologetic and salty sailors.. You both were calm and found a solution back to safe harbor. It looks like you have dirty fuel that clogged the fuel lines. We grow as human thru the tough times not the good times.

[@sailing.supernova]

We are definitely going to stick with it. We learned a ton in 48 hours that we will carry with us for the rest of our sailing days. We're pretty sure you're bang on with the dirty fuel. We are looking at putting a fuel polishing system in. Hope you like the rest of the videos :)

[@elizaandalisa]

Well done bloke when it hits the fan eventually you didn't panic gal he's a keeper under pressure he sorted it cheers n beers guys Marty Australia

[@sailing.supernova]

Yeh I was super impressed when I looked back at the videos. I might need to keep him around for a little bit longer then you reckon? lol

[@elizaandalisa]

@@sailing.supernova I reckon Marty Qld

[@sailing.supernova]

:-)

[@olivierbesida2584]

Maybe it would be useful to put some lights outside on the bridge in order to be more comfortable to manage the sails by night.

[@sailing.supernova]

We should really do that. We have put it on the list of jobs, thanks for the tip :-)

[@biomechanique6874]

Two words: Preventative maintenance. Check critical systems regularly - especially before voyaging into open ocean where unpredictable weather conditions can and will spank you.

[@sailing.supernova]

That's good advice. We did check the fuel bowls and they were clear, also the storm wasn't forecast. If we had more experience we could have seen it building, but we are still trying to learn and will focus on as much preventative maintenance as we can. :)

[@clarksonjones6474]

You've got a bacterial growth in the fuel. MUST purge the entire system ! This is critical for safety ! When you get the fuel polished, there are additives you can use to keep the growth out. Glad you are both safe ! KEEP YOUR HARNESS hooked in short ! The nylon melted onto the shaft....should be removed at the earliest.

[@ronb4180]

Agree with bacteria growth,

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the tips, we have biocide now to treat the tank. And we will definitely stay clipped in. We are making plans to remove the nylon as soon as we can. :)

[@ianrusso8790]

Just a suggestion, your title should say real emergency at sea or something similar just cause non boating people wouldn't understand the dangers of loosing both engines in a gale. and I think many more thousands would love to watch this video. Anyway amazing job, you did real well!!! both od you

[@sailing.supernova]

Thanks for the suggestion :) We want to be very careful that we're not seen as putting clickbait in our titles (although this was a serious emergency). I don't think we understood just how serious it was until it was all over. Happy you liked the video and thanks for your support :D