You just need to be sure to open it.

I would have a big yellow flag I'd tie around the wheel
as a reminder when it was closed, or something of that
nature as a reminder to open it again.

I think it is a smart way to avoid loosing your engine or
boat.

In fact a boat I sailed in charter in the Caribbean was
lost on it's return north because the engine failed. What
were they using it for? There was plenty of wind?

The crew were a bunch of screw ups. They didn't have
all the right safety gear, tried to rely on the engine in
rough seas, and were helicoptered off near Cape Hatteras.
Why? Because they were sea-sick!

All they needed was to make a drogue with the three
corners of the sail tied together or drag some line, or
something.

The boat wound up on the beach wrecked. It didn't sink,
which will tell you what losers the crew were.

Every time I read a story like this, I wish the helicopter
would drop me off when they picked up the crew. I'd
like to have a free salvage boat.

Capt. Mooron wrote
"Bart Senior" wrote in message

| You are probably getting water coming in from the exhaust.
|
| It happened on a boat I taught on when in big following seas.
|
| A flapper valve on the exhaust would help. I have a gate valve on
| mine, and I'm considering putting a ball valve on it to make it
| easy to secure.

My buddy did that to his boat on the Trans Atlantic. He said the insurance
company frowned on the idea... but he installed it anyway. He used a ball
valve.

CM