I was lining up my course to the inlet, returning from a perfect day of offshore mackerel fishing, when my engine developed a slight but obvious hesitation. I eased off the throttle and rpm, let the engine cool and inspected the Racor filter. My Caterpillar 3208 wasn’t due for a fuel-filter switch, but I had a hunch it’s where I’d find the problem.
Indeed, I was surprised to see a dark blotch of something floating in the Racor globe. Then, I realized that the day’s fishing conditions had been in rough water. If anything had
