If we thought we had had bad luck so far (illnesses, weather, etc.), then we really learned what it means to have bad luck last night.

After 1 am local time, people on watch noticed smoke coming from the engine and after shutting it down, were not able to restart it. Closer inspection revealed that cables leading to and from the starter motor solenoid had melted. This morning, we tried whatever is possible out here to get the engine started again, but without success. All other systems, including the generator, are running, so we have power and are fine and comfortable otherwise. But without engine, we cannot continue and so we changed course towards Galveston around 14:00 local time. We have been sailing at 2-3 knots for most of the time during the afternoon, but the wind has picked up a bit and we are now making 5 knots. If this continues we expect to arrive at Galveston early Saturday morning. Once there, we will determine what caused the problem and carry out the necessary repairs.