I have a bright-red tag chained to my helm wheel that's imprinted with the following words: "OPEN SEACOCK, DO NOT OVERHEAT!" I had it made after I caused the engine to overheat by neglecting to open the seacock and allow the cooling water to reach the engine. Although no real harm came to the engine, I did have to replace the impeller while in a rolling anchorage. Luckily, I carry a spare impeller and enough tools to complete the task.

Which leads me to another tip: Always have grease on hand. I didn't have any to lube up the vanes and allow the impeller to slip into place. I ended up grabbing a stick of butter and smearing it on the vanes to complete the repair.

– Bob Gomes