Not that I have invented anything special. I must admit that, of all the issues surrounding the operation of shipboard life, mechanics is one aspect that I know the least. During my years in the world of work in the nautical I have learned to do maintenance motor sailing and motor dinghy, plus minor repairs. During these almost two years we travel I have been able to solve many problems both at Ju Yanmar engine and the engine 4-stroke Mercury dinghy. More than a month ago that Mercury 5 hp engine began to lose power. Without knowing why, I began to review everything so far to repair; clean the carburetor, the air inlet thereto, as well as the petrol system. The electrical system, etc. impeler The problem persisted. Asking among sailors, nobody gave me a solution or played some aspect that I had not already checked. But one day I came across a Cuban, I embarked on a sailboat that was dedicated to do what they call here backpackers (moving them from Cartagena to Panama and vice versa, due to the impossibility of doing so by land because there is no road covering this tour). He told me: It’s the fuel pump. It has a membrane that is probably broken and there is not enough pressure to the carburetor. Not only that, you probably gasoline is passing to the crankcase , and that can be dangerous-.

She was the only person who without doubt a moment to answer, she spoke to me with a certain aspect that no one had ever before. Without wasting time I dismounted the gas pump and… actually, the membrane was broken and the crankcase oil… smells like gasoline! To get the spare, we should go to Panama City and once there, order it to bring it to the United States. Definitely more than a month to get bring to Kuna Yala. In the moorings of San Blas in time of the trade winds it is difficult, if not impossible to get by rowing, so I had to find a temporary solution to dispense with the pump. Here’s the solution:

Riding a provisional deposit, which by gravity, without any hindrance carry gasoline to the carburetor. And it works!!!