The engine overheating alarm is on. What should I check first?
Engine overheating alarm? The right checks depend on your engine. The Purser answers from your boat’s own manuals, with the pages cited.
Asked this very question on Shimbiri (a Volvo D3), it went straight to the Volvo D3 manual: intake-manifold temperature as a cause of overheating on page 71, fuel and charge-air checks on pages 53 and 55, and it pointed to the engine’s Fault Handling section on page 62 for the fault-message procedure.
Whatever the engine, stop it and let it cool before you open the coolant cap. On Shimbiri the Purser then named the first physical checks any overheating alarm warrants (coolant level and circulation, the raw-water intake, and the thermostat). The Purser answers from your boat’s own manuals and cites the pages, so you can open the procedure yourself.
The Purser answers from your boat’s own manuals and cites the pages, so you can open the procedure yourself.
General information for Australian operators, current as of May 2026. Rules change and recreational rules vary by state. Always confirm against the source(s) linked above (your AMSA, Australian Sailing or state maritime authority). This is not legal advice.