The weather report, tide condition of the boat, and need to get somewhere are the basis for the go-no go decision to travel in the boat. Since the thunderstorms, increased wind and the possibility of hail were predicted for the afternoon, and since the prediction for the rest of the week was similar. We decided to leave early with a favorable outgoing tide. We would push the boat to the limit to stay ahead of the incoming storm.
Ta Da! It worked! 2200 rpm and the bow rose into the air and pushed through the swells at 13 to 15 knots. We cruised the 53 miles to Cape Cod Canal and Sandwich Marina in 4 hours....but at what cost? It is not so much the fuel cost as it is the anxiety cost of constantly looking for and dodging the ever present lobster pots, along with the other gremlin boat problems: ie the computerized mapping system announcing that there was only 14 % power left, the inverter shutting down, the battery charger shutting down, and the port motor spraying oil around the engine room.
We outran the storm but we spent the rest of the day troubleshooting problems and cleaning not only the engine room but the entire outside of the boat which was covered in diesel soot. The air filter on the port motor had vibrated off and the turbo charger flung oil over the motor and fuel manifold. Correcting the problem was easy. We secured the air filter back in place.
The problem with the inverter/charger was not apparent. When we are charging the batteries with the generator the reset button on the inverter pops out and shuts the charger off. Resetting it multiple times, the batteries will eventually take a full charge. At the dock plugged into the 220 dock power the inverter and charger work fine...no shut down. There is a back up battery charger but it is also not functioning. We may have to find a marine technician to solve this problem. Danny and I both read the manual, changed what we thought was wrong and will watch this over the next couple of days. There is a Xantrex inverter/charger distribution center in Connecticut, so we can get help if needed.
Danny and I tackled the engine room while Beth washed clothes and started on cleaning the outside of the boat. Beth than walked 3 miles to a local store to get fresh salad, steaks and sundries. By the time we were done, all we had energy for was a few cocktails, steaks on the barbecue with corn on the cob and baked potatoes with portobello mushrooms. Dessert was a custard pie covered in kiwi, strawberries and blueberries. Yes, we eat well when cruising.
I worked on the navigation system and computer mouse problem and everything seems to be in good working order. We will find out tomorrow, if the predicted electrical storm passes us by.
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