Engine Oil Leak!

When we were about 6 hours out of San Carlos, in the middle of the Sea of Cortez, Dean noticed that the oil pressure indicator was dropping. This continued for an hour or so and we finally stopped so that he could add oil to the engine. Since he had changed the oil right before we left, he thought it was due to not replacing it sufficiently. We motored on to San Juanico with no problem although the bilge was messy with oil when we arrived, and stayed there at anchor for five days. On our way to our next stop, Balandra Cove, we noticed the oil pressure dropping again after only one hour underway. It was then that Dean found a steady drip from the engine, just forward of the raw water pump. We stopped again and added oil, then continued onwards. No more leak- Whew, we thought. But then when we left Balandra, the dripping started again. Dean put a container underneath and caught as much as he could, which he added back into the engine at 20-30 minute intervals. It wasn't enough to keep up the oil pressure, so he had to add more from our engine oil supply. We limped along to Puerto Escondido, 15 miles away, where there is a boatyard, chandlery, and marina of sorts. By the time we got here, our oil stores were depleted. Dean first thought the problem was a corroded pipe leading from the engine to the raw water pump. But after a thorough investigation today, he found that the leak was coming from the raw water pump itself, likely due to a cracked seal inside. Luckily, he had a spare raw water pump onboard, but no gasket. After emails to engine experts, he made one out of cardboard and sealed it with permatex- some sort of artificial gasket. Now he is putting it all back together and hopefully the problem will be solved. More later.........