Velero Reginavideo
Sailing from Bequia to Martinique. I ruined the pump impeller.
13 February 2026 · 11 min · 2K views · St. Lucia, off Rodney Bay
Sailboat heeling hard under reefed sail in blue sea
What this video covers
Javi burns the raw-water pump impeller on Regina's engine after closing the seacock and motoring out of Bequia — a mistake he notices only when no cooling water exits the exhaust off the leeward side of St. Vincent.0:31 The damaged impeller also scorches the hose ends feeding the saltwater pump, causing water to leak into the bilge whenever the engine runs.3:35 He replaces the impeller at sea but uses a non-original gasket compound that needs time to cure, so he leaves the engine off and sails the rest of the passage.1:51 The leg from Bequia to Rodney Bay, St. Lucia covers rough conditions — 25 knots true wind, two-meter swells on a broad reach — sailed under three reefs and the staysail at 6 knots.3:18 St. Vincent's high mountains kill wind on the leeward side entirely; St. Lucia's lower terrain allows reasonable leeward sailing.5:05 The following day, Regina runs the 20-mile St. Lucia–Martinique leg to the Sainte-Anne anchorage at 7–8 knots under three reefs and two headsails in 23–25 knots.7:48 Closing the seacock before motoring, then forgetting to reopen it, is the single most common cause of impeller failure.
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