We've talked of the 'Green Flash' in the past; well a bit of flash in our electrical system would be grand!
Southern Princess
John & Irene Hunt
Sat 17 Apr 2010 23:37
660 nm to go.
Interesting 24 hours. The 12v alternator is not fixable and replacement would be a major job in these kind of seas as to get at it we have to use an access panel in back of one of the galley cabinet's. That hole is big enough to get a head in and one arm or two arms of the fixer while the helper sits on his back and shines the torch. Must have been skinny little buggers who built/designed this part of the ship. Had a look and we would just end up dropping everything into the bilge! The seas are confused, very rolly and jerking the yacht all over the place. Not nice!
What to do? The alternator is either draining the starter motor battery, or after 6 years the battery has taken this moment to give up the ghost. We charge it up to 13 volts and a few hours later it is back to 8-9 volts and not enough to start the genset. Ian asked where our jumper leads were and I told him the boot of the car! He suggested that we had a lot more batteries on the boat and a set of jumper cables would be a lot handier here. Using a bit of cable (Ian got three core cable, stripped off each end and twisted them together so that they formed on fairly robust cable) and a couple of mole grips and we had a jumper cable.
The genset now charges the 12v system house batteries but it appears the starter motor battery has had it.
Thought the 24v alternator had gone as well which would have meant running the genset most of the time, however it seems to have corrected its self.
A weak sun is trying to break through. This high pressure area has been all clouds to date and this is the first sunshine since Friday. Nice change. The wind is coming over the port quarter at around 15knots and it really does not have enough pressure in it to keep the genoa set. We keep over sailing it so we have to motor ticking over at 1500 rpm to help. We are making around 7 knots.
Dinner last night was compliments of Gabby who had prepared a beaut beef casserole, while Ryan added potatoes, broccoli and tinned peas. I have forgotten how good tin peas tasted. Thanks Gab. All washed down with a St Clair Pinot.
Cheers
John Hunt
Southern Princess _/)
Trans Tasman
Departed NZ 15/4/10 and
expect to be in Sydney 22/4/10