What happened
While cruising at 4,500 feet approximately 20 minutes into the flight, the pilot reported that the engine oil temperature rose rapidly into the red line. Approximately 14 minutes following this initial temperature spike, the engine began running rough, oil pressure dropped, and the pilot was unable to maintain altitude.
The pilot transmitted his position on frequency 121.5, located at 60 DME on the 120-degree radial of the Nassau VOR. To avoid a more uncontrolled descent, the pilot elected to ditch the aircraft near a nearby boat. As the aircraft reached approximately 50 feet above the water, the propeller stopped rotating. The pilot managed to glide the aircraft close to the boat before the airplane sank into the ocean.
The pilot was not injured and was rescued from the water by the occupants of the boat. The aircraft was not recovered from the ocean.