Been a while since the last update of the blog. That was mainly due
to power problems. Due to a storm that had pulled over Pancake Creek
whilst we where there (it was planned, so we had shelter) we got
stuck in there for a couple of days. With the sun none present we had
some mayor power issues. S.V. Hyue does have a wind generator, but
after talking to a couple of people it seems that for all they do, a
lot of power production is not something they are accredited with. It
could also be due to Allans set up of the electric system, but I'm
not knowledgable in that department. A few blogs on the internet
explain pretty well how the electric system can be built up for
maximum efficiency. Due to the aformative mentioned power drop, my
laptop was of the grid for all the time, on that note all systems on
the boat where set back to twelve volt only. Luckily my phone and
iPad run on 12V, so I never ran out of books as Pancake Creek has
phone service, too.
Apart
from the power system the days where spent nearly all indoors in the
warmth of the boat. Or so we wished. Both Allan and me have no idea
why, but our boat seemed the most unstable of the dozen of boats
there. Hyue would line up nice and straight when the current and the
wind both had the seem bearing, but on tide changes things got
interesting. For roughly six hours every day we where on the tips of
our nerves, checking the GPS I had brought along to make sure we
where still in the good. Allans GPS Chart-plotter does have an anchor
warning which will start blaring an alarm when set up correctly, but
it is outside in the cockpit. It is a lot nicer sitting inside whilst
the wind howls outside than in the cockpit. Over the course of five
days I estimate we had to reset our anchor about ten times. The
maximum on a day was five or six times. To the start of the storm we
had a relatively good spot, but one of our neighbours upstream
started drifting down towards us. As two anchors twisted together is
not what we wanted, we pulled ours in and went a bit to the side. It
took us a good half an hour to grab their attention in darkening
twilight. After that incident we could not find a good spot anymore.
It didn't help that the anchor winch stopped working after a few
times and from then on it always had to be pulled in by hand. As
mentioned before the days where spent with nervous glances at the GPS
the whole time and as soon as the weather permitted we left the Creek
for Gladstone, the nearest city up north. On that passage I had my
first real experience with sea sailing. Motoring out of Pancake Creek
was acceptable, but as soon as we where clear, sails up and motor
off. We where heading along at a good sped of nearly six knots. Don't
know how much of that was due to the sails and how much was thanks to
the swell pushing us from behind. Some big ones in them to. On the
horizon we could see the large tankers and container ships waiting
for entry in to Gladstone, before we got to the pylons marking the
way in to the industry port.
We
followed a large tanker in and spotted some dolphins skipping out of
the water a few hundred metres away. The journey along the trench was
a bit of a battle. Until we got in to the shelter of an island in
front of Gladstone we had a wind from behind. It was pushing the boat
everywhere and the autopilot on the boat did not like that. As our
power was low anyway we turned of the pilot for a while and manually
steered it.
Closing
in to Gladstone we had to throw the motor on again, as the time was
against us for getting to the marina and lodged in. Arrived and one
of the first things we did was have a shower. Allan has got a shower
on board, but if you can't run a generator (which we couldn't in the
weather we had in Pancake Creek) you get a cold shower. Plus it is a
bit of a tight squeeze in there for a small person. Someone standing
at nearly two metres, close to impossible. Then bed and the next day
a ton of washing to do. I hadn't worn any shoes for a few days, too
(they where soged thoroughly).
As
of the current state we have spent a few days in the marina now.
Allan is looking in to getting some more solar panels, so his power
is not as problematic. His current ones are rather old. As of the
time now we have found out that the problem might be with the
alternator.
Oh,
and I have tried a bit of Pokemon Go, too.
Track at GPSies.
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