Nearly two weeks aboard and I got to pull a tool out.

[TomY]

With our, soon 60 year old boat, that's surprising in my experience.

We've been sitting on a mooring in NE Harbor for 4 days and haven't needed to run the engine. We did have to power over to the Asticou dock and fill the water tanks (best kep secret in NEH).

Still I noticed the house battery was only calling for a small charge load from the alternator. Our 2 GRP 27 are still happy and they are showing their age this year.

Mobo's in this harbor all rely on their main engine or generator for charging, daily. One even runs a noisy Honda though it's a medium sized trawler and likely has a generator. These boats can only go a few hours without power generation.

I'm amazed at how many sailboats need to run their main engine during the day. Most have some solar and even a few wind generators, but these don't appear to be keeping up with many sailboats.

Refrigeration is the culprit. I see some owners come aboard, check their meters and quickly dash to the ignition. I know what their meters are telling them.

We're not bothered in places like NEH, power generation is a fact of life when many transient boats are packed into a popular harbor.

We're enjoying a new era of energy conservation on Xmas. LED lights have really shaved down our power needs. And smaller devices running nav. software (phones, tablets) have made several days no problem for our small battery bank.

However another benefit may be the reason I haven't had a thing to fix on our simple boat until a reading light didn't come on. What a treat to pull out a meter and do some trouble shooting. Turns out we have a flukey STDP switch. I have a spare but just fiddling around, 'fixed' it for now.

We're sitting out a good storm that dumped tons of rain on the coast. The sky is clearing from the direction it came. We leave tomorrow after grabbing some groceries and 4 more blocks of ice.

 

[jviss]

We're sitting out a good storm that dumped tons of rain on the coast.

We had a drenching rain, high winds, and lightning in Edgartown last night. I was so happy - we had a very wet sail here, lots of green water on the decks, so the rain washed all the salt off.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Just returned from a cruise to central California where, altogether, the yacht was “at large” for 68 nights. I spent 7 contiguous nights, plus 1, plugged into shore power toward the end, and altogether 16 nights off the boat when nothing was running, but where it was not on shore power. So, let’s make it 44 nights “off the grid”, where the first 21 nights were spent continuously at anchor (except for an excursion to pump out), 19 of which at the same spot. So, close to your two weeks aboard.

During that period, I ran the diesel @ 1500 rpm on average between 30 min & 60 min (@ 30 min/run) per 24 hr. But, full 24-hr periods were sometimes skipped. In addition, I had one 85-watt solar panel plugged in when the diesel was shut down. Reefer ran its cycles throughout the period, plus I used the Espar frequently, sometimes all night long, starting around 2100. Of course, regular use of lights & stereo, and charging of cell phone, iPad, and hand-held VHFs. With that regime, I maintained the battery banks above 12.2 volts, usually much above, the entire time; the best we have ever done. For charging, I attribute the success mostly to my Balmar high-output (150 amp) alternator I learned about in this forum. For battery storage, my four true deep cycle (6 volt) house batteries wired series-parallel to make 12 volts of about 470 amp-hr.

Also, as with TomY, nothing broke down over the entire 68 nights at large, where we were actually on the boat 44 nights. The reefer worked, the heater worked, the windlass worked, the head pumps worked, the fresh-water pump worked, lights worked, the radios worked, the diesel and sail drive worked, the dinghy outboard worked, and of course, the sail plan worked when I got to use it! Boat is 20 yr old this year. Could hardly recall where the tool bag was stowed!!

 

[tfox2069]

TomY - if I read your post right you're in NE Harbor, Maine (sorry, Chesapeake sailor here). A little off topic, but I was there a week ago after helping a friend sail his Hinckley 42 Sou'West up from West Islip, NY. I jumped off the boat so he could continue to Nova Scotia with fresh crew, but that sure is a picturesque harbor. I noticed the Maine fog would roll in at any time, but particularly around dusk - novel to me since we only occasionally experience it to any great degree on the Chesapeake. I took two photos from shore less than 5 minutes apart, and our boat, actually almost all boats, disappeared in that timeframe. It impressed on me the necessity to actually take a compass bearing on your boat from the (seemingly always full) dinghy dock while you can still see your boat if you plan on heading back out at night or in the fog (or BOTH as we experienced one night coming back from the Tan Turtle Tavern). BTW, sampled way more than my fair share of fresh lobster while we cruised that area, and Frenchboro was the best!

 

[Bob S]

We can generally go a few days without needing to charge but I found running the diesel for 15 minutes generates hot water better than my Honda which I almost never use (toast and hair drying only).
We've been enjoying pretty nice weather in the NE but I did get stuck in a crazy thunderstorm entering the hurricane barrier Sunday afternoon. Rained so hard I could see the bow of my boat and the winds had me leaning 20+ degrees with no sails. Didn't last long and saved me from having to wash the boat.

 

[TomY]

TomY - if I read your post right you're in NE Harbor, Maine (sorry, Chesapeake sailor here). A little off topic, but I was there a week ago after helping a friend sail his Hinckley 42 Sou'West up from West Islip, NY. I jumped off the boat so he could continue to Nova Scotia with fresh crew, but that sure is a picturesque harbor. I noticed the Maine fog would roll in at any time, but particularly around dusk - novel to me since we only occasionally experience it to any great degree on the Chesapeake. I took two photos from shore less than 5 minutes apart, and our boat, actually almost all boats, disappeared in that timeframe. It impressed on me the necessity to actually take a compass bearing on your boat from the (seemingly always full) dinghy dock while you can still see your boat if you plan on heading back out at night or in the fog (or BOTH as we experienced one night coming back from the Tan Turtle Tavern). BTW, sampled way more than my fair share of fresh lobster while we cruised that area, and Frenchboro was the best!

The prevalence of fog increases dramatically east of Penobscot Bay. You're right, the fog that will often descend on an anchorage of harbor, often at dusk, can completely disorientate you in your dinghy. It may take a while to find it.

 

[tfox2069]

TomY - The fog can roll in so fast it actually looks like a horror movie. I was impressed. Eventually came to take it as part of the charm of the place. Fantastic dramatic photo opportunities.

 

[Will Gilmore]

TomY - The fog can roll in so fast it actually looks like a horror movie. I was impressed. Eventually came to take it as part of the charm of the place. Fantastic dramatic photo opportunities.

That is how I use to feel. Interesting, to say the least, for navigation, but I love the quiet nature of the fog.
Came up along side more than one wrong boat trying to find our mooring from the dinghy dock. Our yellow schooner was actually harder to see than a white hull in the fog.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Bob J.]

I noticed the Maine fog would roll in at any time, but particularly around dusk - novel to me since we only occasionally experience it to any great degree on the Chesapeake. I took two photos from shore less than 5 minutes apart, and our boat, actually almost all boats, disappeared in that timeframe. It impressed on me the necessity to actually take a compass bearing on your boat from the (seemingly always full) dinghy dock while you can still see your boat if you plan on heading back out at night or in the fog

Yea taking a compass bearing on your boat or the dinghy dock is a necessity up here. If you don't when it's foggy you motor around in circles. Ask me how I know this

 

[RoyS]

Anchor light helps.

 

[tfox2069]

Anchor light helps.

Always a good idea - but not helpful in fog, and in an anchorage with 75 other boats all with their anchor lights on!

 

[Will Gilmore]

What might work is a wind chime that one can pick out as the unique sound of one's boat as it rocks in the swells.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Hello Below]

What might work is a wind chime that one can pick out as the unique sound of one's boat as it rocks in the swells.

-Will (Dragonfly)

Most recent fixed VHF radios have an automatic foghorn function. One of them will be one prolonged followed by two short blasts prescribed by COLREG Rule 35(c). You neighbours won’t appreciate it but you WILL be able to find your boat.

 

[tfox2069]

Most recent fixed VHF radios have an automatic foghorn function. One of them will be one prolonged followed by two short blasts prescribed by COLREG Rule 35(c). You neighbours won’t appreciate it but you WILL be able to find your boat.

I like it. Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Good way to meet your neighbors!