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Boat Briefing: Everything You Need to Know About Engines

Before you set sail, it’s important to understand a sailboat’s mechanics. Students taking ASA sailing courses at Go Sail VI always meet with a charter checkout attendant before sailing to understand how to operate the boat, ask pertinent questions, and get a refresher on the fundamentals of sailing. But it never hurts to plan ahead, which is the purpose of offering this article and video All About Engines. Use these tools to get a better understanding of boat engine basics and troubleshoot problems you may have when out at sea in the Virgin Islands. 

Understanding Sailboat Engines

Before you set sail, understanding more about the engine can help you solve common boat problems. While many monohull sailboats have a single engine, the catamarans shown in the video have 2 separate engines. Going over the different components of each with a charter manager before you set sail can save you time and headaches if you run into any problems on the water.

Take some time to do the following before sailing: 

  • Check that the “next service” date taped to the door is scheduled for after you return from your sailing trip.
  • Use the dipstick to double-check that you have enough oil.
  • Turn on all necessary breakers.
  • Turn off breakers to any appliances you don’t plan to use.
  • Check that you have enough fuel.
  • Fill the water tank on the bow of the boat (don’t mix up the water tank and the fuel tank!)
  • Locate the emergency stop switch and know how to use it—you simply pull it down.
  • Find the generator emergency shut-off switch, which is separate from the engines.
  • Have the captain, instructor, or charter manager show you where the fuel shut-offs are. For example, the fuel valves could be under the mattress in the port side cabin. 

Once you finish your in-person boat safety briefing, you’ll be ready to start your BVI or USVI sailing itinerary! 

Starboard Engine Room

If you are troubleshooting common boat problems, the starboard engine room is often the first place to look on a Fountaine Pajot catamaran. This may differ depending on what type of boat you are sailing, though. When you meet with your charter checkout attendant, captain, and instructor, they will help you get familiar with both engine rooms on a catamaran, or the single engine on a monohull. With a Fountaine Pajot, we often think of the starboard engine as the “everything” engine. Why? On most Fountaine Pajot catamarans, it powers everything from hot water to your windlass—what lowers and raises your anchor. 

The starboard engine room contains the following items you should familiarize yourself with before sailing:

  • Battery switch.
  • Windlass breaker.
  • Winch breakers.
  • Dingy platform breaker.
  • 12V appliance breakers. 

Port Engine Room

The other engine room you will see during your in-person boat briefing of a catamaran is the port engine room. On most Fountaine Pajot catamarans this side controls the 110V and 220V appliances on board. If that’s the case on the catamaran you are chartering, you’ll likely find that this engine powers:

  • Microwaves.
  • Outlets.
  • Refrigerators. 
  • CPAP Machine 
  • Other small appliances. No hair dryers or curling irons, they draw too much power. 

Sail Confidently With a Boat Safety Briefing

Now that you have learned more about the engines, breakers, and essential components of the boat, you can sail more confidently. When you plan a sailing trip with Go Sail VI, we will schedule a sailboat briefing to go over everything in person. Bookmark this article and others in our Boat Briefing Series and brush up on sailing basics before you sail! 

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