"You won’t know, if you don’t go."
Just a note to say we’re still in Key West, which is ok, because we can think of worse places to be. 😀
All is going according to plan. New power panel is in, we should have our alternators back by Monday, and rigging should be back up by Tuesday. We’re just hoping weather holds up because there are some storm systems south of Cuba that we need to watch prior to departing for Dry Tortugas and ultimately, Mexico.
And none of the cats have disappeared thus far, which is surprising.
Just a note to say we’re still in Key West, which is ok, because we can think of worse places to be. 
All is going according to plan. New power panel is in, we should have our alternators back by Monday, and rigging should be back up by Tuesday. We’re just hoping weather holds up because there are some storm systems south of Cuba that we need to watch prior to departing for Dry Tortugas and ultimately, Mexico.
And none of the cats have disappeared thus far, which is surprising.
We sure as heck left Dry tortugas today like we were going to, but there was something else in store. Andiamo decided to blow one of the mast’s inner shrouds (those are the cables that go from the mast down to the deck of the boat in order to secure the mast) on our way out.
So we had to turn around and head back to Garden Key again. We called our rigger in Miami, who suggested that we get the boat back to Key West to get new ones put in and not go to Mexico. So it looks like we’re going to go back to Key West yet again to get this done. Which I guess is ok, because that means I’ll be able to put in a new power panel and get the alternator exchanged for one that works. So at least we’re not going back just for a broken shroud.
Comforting. Yay.
We sure as heck left Dry tortugas today like we were going to, but there was something else in store. Andiamo decided to blow one of the mast’s inner shrouds (those are the cables that go from the mast down to the deck of the boat in order to secure the mast) on our way out.
So we had to turn around and head back to Garden Key again. We called our rigger in Miami, who suggested that we get the boat back to Key West to get new ones put in and not go to Mexico. So it looks like we’re going to go back to Key West yet again to get this done. Which I guess is ok, because that means I’ll be able to put in a new power panel and get the alternator exchanged for one that works. So at least we’re not going back just for a broken shroud.
Comforting. Yay.
So, off we go to Dry Tortugas Thursday evening. We rush to get out of the marina before sunset so we can get out of their funky channel under daylight. Cruising along out of Key West under motor, I check the alternators to find that the new alternator is not quite doing what it’s supposed. It’s putting out amps, but not nearly as much as it’s supposed to. But, thanks to some new wiring I did during the reinstallation of our alternators, I manage to get the engine alternator to charge our house bank, so all is still good. We decide that we can make the 2 day trip with one fully operational alternator, and we’ll deal with getting a replacement for that new alternator in Mexico. So we keep going.
About 5 hours into the trip, more than halfway to Dry Tortugas, I wake up from a nap and go below to check our course on GPS, and some other checks. Oddly, I smell something burning, but I can’t put my finger on where it’s coming from. After some sniffing around the engine compartment, I decide that it’s not coming from there. After some probing, I think I narrow it down to the nav station area of the salon. After some more sniffing, I open the DC power panel and notice that there is some SERIOUS SMOKE coming out of it!!! This is bad.
The heart of the problem is actually where the battery power enters the panel. The terminal for those battery wires is SUPER HOT, and smoldering at this point. I put on an oven mitt, and try to pull the plug to see if I can rerig it without the need for the melting terminal. In doing so, the whole panel zaps out, and we now have NO DC power. No autopilot, no instrumentation, no running lights! This is not bad. It’s REALLY REALLY BAD.
It’s been awhile since we posted and since the boat is actually in motion and not in Miami anymore, we figured that now’s as good a time as any to bring the site up to speed.
We FINALLY left Miami the day after 4th of July. It was a momentous occasion, before leaving we got to enjoy the massive 4th fireworks going on all around us while anchored out in Biscayne Bay. Our good friends Dave and Shauna from Zia Lucia came over by dinghy with some visiting guests and we had ourselves a nice little margarita party. Probably the best night since we got to Miami more than 4 months before.
Next morning, we headed out to Key West, which was to be the first leg of our trip out of Florida. It was a good trip, with some good sailing, and lots of motoring. We made it into Stock Island’s Oceanside Marina the next evening for what was to be a couple of days’ stay… a three hour tour… (more…)
So, off we go to Dry Tortugas Thursday evening. We rush to get out of the marina before sunset so we can get out of their funky channel under daylight. Cruising along out of Key West under motor, I check the alternators to find that the new alternator is not quite doing what it’s supposed. It’s putting out amps, but not nearly as much as it’s supposed to. But, thanks to some new wiring I did during the reinstallation of our alternators, I manage to get the engine alternator to charge our house bank, so all is still good. We decide that we can make the 2 day trip with one fully operational alternator, and we’ll deal with getting a replacement for that new alternator in Mexico. So we keep going.
About 5 hours into the trip, more than halfway to Dry Tortugas, I wake up from a nap and go below to check our course on GPS, and some other checks. Oddly, I smell something burning, but I can’t put my finger on where it’s coming from. After some sniffing around the engine compartment, I decide that it’s not coming from there. After some probing, I think I narrow it down to the nav station area of the salon. After some more sniffing, I open the DC power panel and notice that there is some SERIOUS SMOKE coming out of it!!! This is bad.
The heart of the problem is actually where the battery power enters the panel. The terminal for those battery wires is SUPER HOT, and smoldering at this point. I put on an oven mitt, and try to pull the plug to see if I can rerig it without the need for the melting terminal. In doing so, the whole panel zaps out, and we now have NO DC power. No autopilot, no instrumentation, no running lights! This is not bad. It’s REALLY REALLY BAD.
So Mahi takes over the wheel and manually keeps the boat on course while I try to figure what the hell is going on. After several tries in getting the panel back up and running to no avail (and lots more smoke), I decide it’s time to start hotwiring stuff. Luckily, I installed two positive bus bars behind the panel that had more than enough capacity for all the DC stuff running on the panel. So I methodically disconnect sets of wires from each of the panel’s breakers, label them and put them on the hot bus bars to get them running again. After two hours of sorting through a HUGE jumble of wires and a smoldering panel, I manage to get most of the stuff up and running again, much to Mahi’s relief, as she was worn out trying to keep the boat on course in the dark with no instrumentation.
We manage to get to the anchorage at Dry Tortugas, and drop anchor. Only one problem. Now our WINDLASS doesn’t work either!!! So when we try to pull in some chain to adjust our scope, nothing happens. So we are now without a power panel and a windlass, but hey, we’re going to Mexico.
Luckily I have onboard an outstanding Fortress anchor. It only weighs a little over 20 lbs, but has the holding power of an anchor three times its weight. We put that one out via the dinghy and pull in our big anchor (85 lbs) using our hands and a halyard from the mast to help it along. The Fortress held beautifully. So at least we have a way to anchor in non-rough seas without having to resort to the big anchor. I also managed to clean up the remaining issues resulting from the big DC Panel debacle. Everything is now neatly labeled, terminaled, and easy to get to. We decide that despite these issues, we can still make it to Isla Mujeres, which is about 2 1/2 days away.
By the way, Dry Tortugas is really beautiful. Although it’s only 60 some odd miles from Key West, you feel like you’re a million miles from anywhere. There is an old fort on one of the islands, which are all national park land. If you ever get a chance to check it out, do it. Great sunsets here too.
More to come, next time we update, we’ll be in Mexico, we hope. We can’t post pics now because of our slow sat connection, but we will post some when we get to mexico and have access to a faster connection.
Until then…
Comment from: Brenda the Bernadette clone [Visitor]
That fire sounds scary.
You lot are starting to sound like a farry between Key West and Dry Tortugas 🙂
Comment from: ilona [Visitor]
Oh, my God!!! I just finally read your weblog. You both are NUTS. I can’t believe you are still pressing forward. Not surprisingly, Mahi is not keeping her log. Mahi, hang in there, girl!!! You married a crazy man – you are stuck with him. I am keeping you in my prayers.
Love you and miss you both,
Ilona