Perkins 4.236 Marine Engine Mystery Solved

We were fortunate to have had John Deaton from Deatons Yacht Service, come aboard Banjo and perform an inspection of our Perkins marine engine. Shannon and I have been nervous since discovering a problem with Banjo’s engine.  Since, we have been actively seeking answers to our Perkins 4.236 Marine Engine Mystery.  Today, we realized the extent of the problem and have potentially encountered a major delay in our cruising plans.  Major delay is probably an understatement as we already depleted a large amount of our cruising kitty already this year…

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Surprise Tow and Arrival in Oriental, NC

As some may remember, right before Hurricane Florence, Banjo experienced some engine problems.  We later realized she has water in her oil, which has various possible causes.  After Hurricane Florence, and subsequently Hurricane Michael which came right on Flo’s heels, we investigated some of the possible causes of our mystery.  Thanks to some friends, and a couple local contractors, we were able to rule out a couple of the possibilities.  Unfortunately, this left Banjo in a pickle.  Since the issue was not due to the possibilities checked, it left us…

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Perkins 4.236 Engine Repair: Raw Water Pump

Perkins 4.236 Marine Engine Raw Water Pump installation

I received a call from Chuck first thing this morning. He had been thinking about our engine and the possible locations where water could get into the crankcase.  Although the most obvious answer to the problem is a blown head gasket, Chuck made a recommendation to check our raw water pump.  By ruling out the raw water pump first, we could potentially avoid the costly head gasket replacement. What is a Raw Water Pump The raw water pump on Banjo is responsible for pulling sea water into the engine as…

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Fiery Sunset at Anchor

Fiery Sunset

Last night provided an amazing fiery sunset at anchor.  In fact, it was one of the most captivating I have seen since we brought Banjo to New Bern.  Having made it through Hurricane Florence, I held a deep sense of gratitude.  Sitting on deck, the horizon was brilliant as if the anchorage sky was on fire.  Wanted to share the entire sequence.  It seemed as if the moment I turned my attention away, it changed again and again.  The sky kept sneaking up on me in completely different ways. After…

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