11:9.2S 126:13.39E

Position at 1200, 30/07/13

So much for being ‘amp-aware’. Pull up a chair and I’ll explain.

Just before dark the wind came up a bit so I switched off the engine. Just over 3kts SOG so let’s save some fuel/money. The VHF had been off and the  house battery voltage was OK but I thought I’d top them up with the ‘EE’. I was disappointed, then petrol engine flooded and wouldn’t start so I left it a while then checked the battery voltage again. Still Ok so foolishly I thought with no VHF on the battery should be OK until morning. Wotta mistaka de maka!

About 0330 I was sailing between two gas platforms which were maybe 10nm apart. All was well and vaguely reminiscent of my time on the North Sea in the late seventies…my word where has the time gone? Anyway all was tickety-boo so I had a catnap. I’m sure you’ve woken up with the feeling that all is not well? That’s how I woke up.

The gennaker had backed. I went outside and noticed that

a) the illuminated autopilot control panel wasn’t (illuminated that is) and

b) The masthead nav lights were out.

No prizes for guessing what had happened then. First thing I got back on course and found that the wind had dropped to the square root of zilch. Engine on, or rather not actually. Insufficient ‘oomph’ in the battery. This time the ‘EE’ (Emergency Elektrikery) did spark up and as soon as I connected the extension leads to the battery the Volvo fired up. Either the starter battery wasn’t holding it’s charge or the alternator had not delivered the goods the day before. Be that as it may, we were now back on course again but with a flat house battery.

After a couple of attempts the EE kept going when I connected it to the house battery and suddenly we had lights and the autopilot control panel illuminated. I ran the EE for 45 mins then tried the autopilot. Success! The house battery voltage gradually crept up. To make a short story after 1.50 hours there were enough wiggly amps to sustain autopilot life. As a bonus the alternator now appeared to be joining in the fun and right now I have the house battery plus a standby being charged by the engine and solar. This means that three batteries are connected together and the average voltage is around 13.4 V. Whether any of them hold their charge remains to be seen of course but for the moment the radio is back on and we are proceeding to Kupang at  4.9kts although that does vary a bit. 172nm to landfall, 190-odd to the anchorage. Still might make a Thu pm check in.

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