Engine failure.
An engine that won't start is a problem. An engine that quits in the marina entrance is an emergency. Where matters more than why.
First — where are you?
An engine failure at sea is an inconvenience. The same failure in a marina or shipping lane is an emergency. Position decides priority.
- 1
Determine your location.
Open sea? Channel entrance? Marina? Close to other vessels? Position governs the entire procedure that follows.
- 2
Account for the crew.
Brief them. An engine failure means heightened workload — sails, thrusters, anchor, lines.
- 3
Note your drift.
Wind direction, current, nearby hazards. The engine just went away — what's moving you and where?
- 4
Check the basics before the diagnosis.
Fuel quantity. Battery state. Look for the obvious — a fouled prop or a smoking compartment.
Where you are decides what comes next.
Where did the engine quit? The procedure splits two ways.
At sea.
Open water. Time to think and rig the sails.
Go to steps ↓Marina / close quarters.
Other boats and docks. Stop the drift before anything else.
Go to steps ↓Raise sails and continue voyaging under sail.
Whatever sail combination matches the wind. The boat is a sailboat — that's what it's for.
Verify safe course in the new condition.
Without engine, your course over ground will differ. Check the new sailing track still clears hazards.
Verify you have fuel.
Look at the gauge AND sound the tank manually. Gauges fail. Empty is the #1 reason engines stop.
Verify the propeller is not obstructed.
Dive overboard or use an underwater camera. Lines, plastic, fishing nets — common at sea.
Suspect the fuel delivery system.
Check the fuel filter (water + crud), the primary lift pump, bleed the lines. Most engine failures at sea are fuel-related.
If the engine doesn't crank, suspect electrical.
Battery voltage, master switch, ignition, starter solenoid. Use a multimeter if you have one.
If you can't restore power and you're in shipping or weather threatens:
Grab anything to stop the drift.
Boathook, fenders, lines, the neighbor's pulpit. Friction and contact are your friends right now.
Drop the anchor if drifting clear.
If you're in clear water with no boats downstream, the anchor stops you while you think.
Hail another boat for help.
Voice carries in a marina. Ask a nearby vessel to tow or push you to a berth or pontoon.
Use the dinghy to tow or push.
If you have a dinghy with outboard, deploy it. Even a small outboard moves a 30-foot sailboat at a knot.
Prepare lines and fenders for docking.
Wherever you end up, you'll be coming in slow and probably bumping. Pre-rig.
If you're in active traffic or about to hit another vessel:
If you regained engine power:
Don't trust it. Run the engine at low load while you assess. Get to a port with mechanic capacity. Identify the root cause before the next passage.
If the engine failure is paired with another emergency (steering, weather, MOB):
Run the emergency that's killing you fastest first. Engine failure is rarely the immediate threat — it just removes a tool you'd use to handle the other emergency.
Gear for this moment.
The equipment we'd want aboard if this alarm went off right now. Each piece earns its place against a specific step above.
The most common fix at sea. Carry the filters that fit your engine and the wrench and pump to swap and bleed under way.
View gearTells you in seconds whether a no-crank is a flat battery, a bad switch, or a dead starter — instead of guessing.
View gearFends off, snags a dock line, and reaches the pontoon when you're drifting in with no thrust.
View gearSeaWise may earn a small commission on these links — it helps keep the procedures free. We only list gear we'd carry ourselves.
Skipper notes.
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