Stella Overboardvideo

Boat Maintenance in a Foreign Country: Diesel Engine Service

28 December 2025 · 15 min · 9K views · Dranesville, United States

Camille polishes boat deck with power buffer in marina

What this video covers

Camille and Jesse aboard the monohull Stella complete a diesel engine service in Langkawi, Malaysia, while preparing for a motoring-heavy passage to Indonesia.0:53 The day begins with a failed search for engine coolant across multiple hardware and marine stores in Kuah, Langkawi — they never find the right product but determine the existing coolant is still serviceable.4:22 Back aboard, they manually drain the engine oil by pulling the bung rather than using a pump, change the oil filters, and replace the drive belt, which Jesse identifies as the most difficult step due to the tight fit in the cramped engine bay.11:47 The boat's limited engine access complicates every step.4:28 Alongside the engine service, they install a new 12V socket and replace a Spinlock clutch on the main halyard, which had been slipping since they bought the boat and forced them to leave the halyard on the main winch while sailing.13:31 A neighbour spots the propeller not spinning correctly; Jesse dives with a GoPro to inspect it.14:57 Sourcing specific engine parts — particularly coolant — in Langkawi requires visiting many stores and may still come up short.3:24

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