Vetus Waterlock

For those that are familiar with marine engines...you will notice that the exhaust pipe goes to the bildge...seems the vetus water lock, which is made of plastic, melted, as did part of the exhaust hose. Lesson #1...replace your water impeller every year if using your engine at all...or every 1.5 years if it sits at the dock. Seriously, and if used a ton (naughty, naughty for sail boats) then replace it every 6 months. Of course being of Scottish blood...I didn't. Now I carry 3 of them on board and have dated the time it was replaced.

Oh yes, the Vetus had to come from Canada and I have made a new replacement emergency system in case of any future problems.

Seems, I am not the only one to melt these units...read Reese Palley's book "Call of the Ancient Mariner" (he was going to name it something about Old Farts Sailing...but the pubisher said NO). By the way, that book is a good read for us "Old Farts"...not sure I agree with everything he says...but hey, he has sailed more than I have. Might mention, for the other Ancient Ones out there...when sailing any distance...download your GRIB files (from 2 sources if possible) and take on a crew that is at least 20 years younger than you and has some experience. I, for one, will not take my wife (even though she is 10 years younger than I) as the only crew member (she says, never on the high seas :-) but rather have at least one person that has some experience and is 40 or under in age. Well, if one has a ton of experience...then that may be different. I have been lucky with all of my crew...they have been easy to live with and most of them were vegetarians or fish and veggies...plus only one smoked and he (my nephew) was very carefull only to smoke on watch , or never, when sailing the Noe Mar.