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Old 02-16-2021, 06:41 PM   #1
mvweebles
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City: Saint Petersburg
Vessel Name: Weebles
Vessel Model: 1970 Willard 36 Trawler
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 7,179
Engine stopped mid passage. Why?

All the threads about redundancy got me thinking: how often does a diesel actually involuntarily stop running after its been running just fine for at least several hours?

Credible and first hand failures:

Jeff Merrill interviewed a Swede on a DD where the engine died in the middle of the pacific. Was a cracked fuel line. Took several hours but he scavenged one from elsewhere

I've had a water pump shaft break that disabled an engine

I've had an impellor shred that disabled an engine.

I've forgotten to turn fuel valves correctly and ran out of fuel (first date - she thought I did it on purpose - she's now my wife).

I've been on a power cat that picked up a crab trap. The whole line and wound the trap into his prop. That disabled the engine.

I've had electronic engines not run properly due to a bad connection in a control and hobble (but not disable) an engine.

All the above makes me wonder. What are the chances a diesel engine conks out mid ocean? With all the hand wringing over twins or a wing, what really is the risk, and to what extent can it be mitigated with spares or a small welder?

Peter
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