Trawler Lifestyle | PassageMaker Magazine & Events

Usually associated with long distance passagemaking, keel cooling remains a viable alternative for reliable diesel engine operation. Rather than pumping raw water into your boat to cool down the engine through a heat exchanger, as is the common practice on many cruising powerboats, a keel cooler works much like the radiator in your car. Mounted on the outside of the hull a short distance from the engine, a keel cooler circulates the engine cooling circuit's hot coolant with the surrounding sea water, keeping the entire enclosed system at the proper temperature. This cooling circuit can include the engine block, the marine transmission, perhaps a cooler for lubrication oil, and a hot water heater for domestic use.

What It's All About

I guess it's no surprise that when I finally break free and get to go on vacation, I usually come up with a plan that involves going on a boat somewhere. Go figure…

This summer we offed to Alaska, joining Bruce and Joan Kessler on their passagemaker, Spirit of Zopilote, for a week-long cruise around Behm Canal and the Misty Fiords National Monument

Fun trip, cool boat, great people. My Hawaiian shirts apparently placated the sun gods, as the annual fourteen feet of rainfall took a break while we were there, and we had sunshine, warm temperatures, and long days of cloudless, blue skies. This only added to the magnificent beauty of Alaska.