Time for Engine Check-Up

We could barely believe it, but our engine turned over 1,000 hours on our way to Clarence Town, near the southern end of Long Island. We've had the engine for just over three years, but most of those hours have gone on since last May. That means that we need to get out the book and see what systems need to be checked. It also means that we’re motoring way too much. We’ve actually been sailing or motor-sailing quite a bit, which is good, since it’s quieter without the engine, and it also uses less fuel. But sometimes the wind just turns on your nose, and you’ve got to fire it up. One benefit: hot water at the end of the trip for bathing.