Bill says he wasn't scared, and Alice wasn't ringing her hands, but the prospects of being adrift in open water for four hours (2 AM to 6 AM) without our engine was no fun. We had planned an overnighter from Islas Las Perlas to Bahia Honda in Western Panama. Rounding the point on the western edge of the Azuero Peninsula, Bill made sure he had the autopilot set and then turned the watch time over to Alice so he could get some sleep. At about 2 AM, she caught an odd odor and began to scan the helm controls, soon spotting the engine totally overheated! So she ran to wake up Bill, who upon opening the engine room hatch was met with billowing steam: turn off the engine! It turned out to be the culprit above: the belt for the raw water pump (a good one is on the left). Nearly all the salt water that normally cools the engine was gone, so it took about 20 gallons to get that refilled; then Bill put a fan in the engine room, gathered his tools, and went to work in a small, awkward, steamy space to take off the shredded belt and put a new one on. Meanwhile, Alice sat at the helm watching the GPS, depth finder, and radar to make sure that we were not drifting into shallow water. We did drift 3-4 miles BACKWARDS but remained in 220 feet of water, thankfully. Time for lots of prayers... we are so grateful for our Father in Heaven's constant care over us as we travel!
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