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Hi Dan,

A lot depends on how much oil heads your way. If there is just a very light film on the water, then you shouldn't have too much trouble. Although, I would avoid running the water maker as oil definitely has a serious negative effect on the membranes. Remember your sea water inlets are below the water level and oil floats on the surface - - so assuming the water is not heavily fouled with oil, the rest of your systems should be OK. If the water becomes heavily fouled, then you need to take action by closing all the thru-hulls (these should be closed anyway when not in use) as filling the sea water side of your heat exchanger with an oily mess can only be bad; same with the heads and holding tanks.

Removing oil from the water line is not to much trouble, a bit of bio-degradable dish liquid will do the job fine, but my concern might be if a storm came through whilst the oil was around and blew oil onto the decks and topsides.

I recommend keeping a close eye on the situation, make sure your thru-hulls are closed, and prep the boat to haul if the situation gets really bad. I've seen the photos and to be sure it's a sad situation to have to deal with.

Best,

Captain Ian Fagg