Exhaust Exhaustion

Just before the long (and hot) July 4th holiday weekend an abundance of seaweed clogged the raw water intake of our generator, which caused the generator to overheat and shutdown. After replacing the shredded impeller, my captain discovered that the water-lift (muffler) had developed a small hole – this was why the carbon monoxide alarm was going on and off over the past week! – filling the engine compartment with water. With businesses closing early for the holiday weekend, it was Monday before we could question anyone about the availability of a replacement exhaust system. It took most of a day to remove the muffler from the engine room because so many things around it had to be dismantled first.
Our exhaust (Volvo Penta) was old and made of stainless steel. These day’s marine exhaust systems are made from plastic or fiberglass, so replacing what we had is not an option. Four days later we’re still trying to locate an exhaust system that will fit and meet our generators requirements. With fingers crossed, we’ve another option on order. In the meantime we’ve had guests who were unfortunately forced to camp afloat without the basic amenities we’ve become accustomed to on the Event Horizon – no running water (try brushing your teeth and rinsing with bottled water) or cold beverages.