Middle Sea Race, retired due to engine problems
from the Middle Sea Race website:
Yes, here I am the second year in a row now having to retire Middle Sea Race.
It all happened about 2 days ago when the engine refused to start. After closer inspection we found water in the filters. We changed those, but still nothing. In the afternoon I found a mechanic to have a look at it, and after a few hours working together we had to come to the conclusion that someone must have filled the fueltanks with water!! To blame is the guy who delivered the boat from Italy to Malta. At the end of the day he admitted that he had problems with water in the filter and than later he let us know that his girlfriend might have filled the tanks with water. The thing which is unaceptable is not the fact that he, or even his girlfriend, made a mistake, but that he never let anybody know about this upon arrival, more than a week before the race. He was just trying to hide.
The verdict the night before the start was that water had corroded the fuelpump and with the engine being a Volkswagen Marine it was impossible to find a spare one here in Malta.
Our owner was very sad indeed, especially because he had some friends over from Thailand to do this race. In the morning we decided just to make the start and after the last inshore mark we retired and returned back to port, beaten like a dog.
The new pump needs to be DHL'ed from Italy. This will take a few days. Than we need to clean out the fueltanks and all pipes. If the engine is running again, I expect before friday, I will deliver the boat back to La Spezia, Italy.
The 45-footer Pasaya has already pulled out of the race due to engine problems which the crew has been trying to solve for the past three days. Schle Wood, the first owner from Thailand ever to enter the race, was very upset not to be able to race the full course but was determined to cross the start line before retiring.
We don't have the engine, so to continue would be too risky. It's very sad, very sad, we could have made it this year. I have wanted to do this race for many, many years. But these things happen in sailing, sometimes this is what sport is like. We'll be back next year, and we want to finish this race.î
Yes, here I am the second year in a row now having to retire Middle Sea Race.
It all happened about 2 days ago when the engine refused to start. After closer inspection we found water in the filters. We changed those, but still nothing. In the afternoon I found a mechanic to have a look at it, and after a few hours working together we had to come to the conclusion that someone must have filled the fueltanks with water!! To blame is the guy who delivered the boat from Italy to Malta. At the end of the day he admitted that he had problems with water in the filter and than later he let us know that his girlfriend might have filled the tanks with water. The thing which is unaceptable is not the fact that he, or even his girlfriend, made a mistake, but that he never let anybody know about this upon arrival, more than a week before the race. He was just trying to hide.
The verdict the night before the start was that water had corroded the fuelpump and with the engine being a Volkswagen Marine it was impossible to find a spare one here in Malta.
Our owner was very sad indeed, especially because he had some friends over from Thailand to do this race. In the morning we decided just to make the start and after the last inshore mark we retired and returned back to port, beaten like a dog.
The new pump needs to be DHL'ed from Italy. This will take a few days. Than we need to clean out the fueltanks and all pipes. If the engine is running again, I expect before friday, I will deliver the boat back to La Spezia, Italy.
