We left Silva Bay as soon as we woke up, to catch the current (slack tide) through Gabriola Passage. If we missed that slack tide, we would have to wait all day for another one.

Through the pass, there is a cute bay called Degnen Bay, and some beautiful homes there, especially on Josef Point.

As we neared the pass, we had engine trouble. It was starved of fuel, so the revs started rising and falling. We feared losing our engine, but nursed it through the pass and into Trincomali Channel. Once we were drifting safely in the wide channel, we changed the Racor fuel filters. The new filters had no effect, the motor still had fuel starvation. This told us that we had a more serious problem. The vacuum gauge showed 15 PSI and climbing toward 20 as the engine started revving and sputtering. We traveled the rest of the day at low revs, so the motor would not be starved.

The trip to Ganges took longer than usual, but the current was in our favor. So we tried to relax and enjoy the sunshine. There was no wind, we were counting on our struggling engine to get us there.

When Frank and I sailed to Vancouver last month, we noticed a higher than usual fuel vacuum, and also that the filter selector valve was not operating correctly. I disassembled it at that time, to find that the internal components were damaged. So we thought that our current problems were related to that filter selection valve.

The motor was really struggling to run as we entered Ganges, and just before anchoring it sounded ready to shut down. Being between all those anchored boats without a motor could be dangerous! We managed to keep the motor running, and found a great spot between the other boats to set the anchor.

We pondered our fuel issues, called a parts supplier in Seattle, and checked the stores in Ganges to see what we may be able to source locally. Unfortunately these remote towns have very little to offer the distressed mariner. We also visited the Saturday market, and had a delicious lunch at Market Place. We'll want to eat there again in the future!

When we returned to the boat, we drew some schematics and ran some tests to determine how the boat motor and the generator have different effects on the vacuum gauge. Based on these studies, we thought the priming fuel pump was causing the trouble. Where it is located in the fuel lines relative to the filter selector valve, and how the vacuum gauge responds to different scenario, pointed to the pump as the source of fuel constriction, not the selector valve.

We removed the pump from the system, managing only to spill a half teaspoon of fuel, and not letting any air into the fuel pipes! That's some trick, if you've ever tried this operation..

Now that everything is put back together without the priming pump, the motor runs smoothly, so we will be able to enjoy our trip without a diesel mechanic dropping in by parachute! We'll still need to get the filter selection valve repaired or replaced, but this can wait until we are back in Seattle.