Sail Vessel Khalifa · video

What this video covers

Khalifa, a 38-foot sailboat, loses engine power in the middle of the Gulf Stream during a night crossing from Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale to Bimini, Bahamas.4:30 The crew — Adriano, Denise, and Alexandre — faced 28-knot headwinds on the nose and a 4-knot northward current, forcing them to tack on starboard to avoid being swept toward Canada, then run downwind at 8 knots before clawing back toward Bimini.5:07 The engine failure traced to biodiesel loaded in Recife, Brazil, seven months earlier; US red marine diesel dissolved the gelatinous residue, which then clogged the entire fuel line from tank through the Racor filter to the injectors.10:01 Adriano cleared the blockage by blowing out each section of fuel line and bleeding the system with the electric fuel pump, restoring flow without outside assistance.7:29 The crossing took roughly 20 hours; they arrived at 4 a.m. Customs clearance at Bimini cost $456 Bahamian for a Temporary Cruising Permit (covering all Bahamas for six months on a vessel under 50 feet), plus $100 for immigration — $656 total, paid by card via Wise.19:36 Biodiesel residue left in a tank for months can gel and block a diesel fuel system when mixed with high-quality petroleum diesel.10:01

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