We left Nanahoa a day earlier than anticipated due to aforementioned engine issues. With anchoring in unfamiliar places off the table without our engine, and the forecast calling for light winds in the coming days, we decided to head back to town early.
While sailing in the lee of Lānaʻi, I worked on troubleshooting the engine. The drain plug on the secondary Yanmar fuel filter wouldn’t seat properly, which we suspected was allowing air to enter the system and causing the engine to stall. Swapping out the filter didn’t help. A friend suggested bypassing the secondary filter entirely, routing fuel directly from the primary Racor to the injection pump. New parts are ordered, and we’ve scheduled a session with a diesel mechanic to inspect the rest of the system in the next few days.
As the day progressed, conditions in the Kaʻiwi Channel built beyond the forecast. Instead of the expected trades, we faced sustained 22–25 knots on the nose (of course) with a short period 10–15 ft north swell on our starboard beam. We were much more south than we’d have liked to be which brought us over Penguin Banks (a now-submerged shield volcano that rises to about 200 feet deep compared to the Kaʻiwi’s 2,300 feet). Great for fishing, not so much for sailing. We didn’t anticipate needing our third reef on Ciao Bella’s first ‘real’ shakedown sail, but there we were.
With an early morning ETA, we settled in for a long, wet night as Ciao Bella pounded into the wind and waves. A few unplanned saltwater showers kept us awake (and cold). As the sun dipped below the horizon, a small pod of dolphins (bottlenose, maybe?) appeared off our starboard beam. In the distance, a squall loomed over Oʻahu.
@David brewed hot coffee and hand-steered most of the way after dark.
The wind died as we entered Māmala Bay, and thankfully, this time, the engine pulled through. An improvised fix that worked, at least for now!
