If it’s Not One Thing, it’s Another

Picton Marina, (Lat 41 17S, Lon 174 00E)

Friday 7 & Saturday 8 February 2020

After a couple of days tied up on the edge of town, we are starting to become locals.  Friday we awoke to John’s birthday and while there was no cake and candles, we did mark the occasion with a dinner at the local Thai/Chinese Restaurant – just me and John … we held off lighting any candles, people might have got the wrong idea.

Ever-generous Simon Hardgrave returned from Blenheim to help with transport, along with mechanical advice and assistance.  Our biggest task being the repair of the generator, which supplies 240 volts when out at sea. This enables us to make freshwater, speedily charge the four 200 AMP/hour batteries (house and engine) and operate our hot water system.  The hot water isn’t essential, of course, but then again, we all like a hot shower from time to time!

After a quick trip to the local chandlery to buy a few bits and pieces, (those places are amazing – so many things, so little money!) we then called the Paguro Generator agents in Australia – Seawasp Australia,  with the question … “Any ideas why she might be stuffed bro?” …

Pretty quickly, we were passed onto a guy by the name of Drew, who, after asking a few questions of his own said rather emphatically … “It would be the grey power plug that comes from the console.  There are two screws that secure it to the unit at the bottom, at the back … take them out, pull the plug away from the machine and check for loose wires”

Trouble was, the generator was NOT sitting on a test-bench in a factory somewhere.  It was mounted below the floor, under the saloon settee, in the corner of the already small engine compartment, just above the bilge, with the previously mentioned grey electrical plug up-close to the side of a fuel tank.  

We’d already had the owner of a local marine service business have a look at our problem, and what HE said about the location of the generator certainly can’t be repeated here; in fact, he said it several times for effect.    In the end, he suggested we call the New Zealand agent for Paguro in Auckland.  We did that, but unfortunately it was a Friday, and whilst yesterday (Thursday) was a national holiday, the business had made a 4-day week-end of it by closing down that day too.  So, we’d have to rely on Drew.  He seemed to know what he was talking about and there was nothing for it, but to give it a go.

Meanwhile, we called a local mast and spar rigger to see if they might be able to tension-up our new rig; which was recommended by the Melbourne rigger who had installed it just before we left a couple of weeks ago.  The rigging firm was called Hurricane Rigging and with a day’s notice the owner Matt, came down Saturday morning and went to work. 

It was necessary for John and I to take the jib and genoa off the furling system, which was a pretty straightforward thing in the still airs.   

Meanwhile, back on the generator, after much upside down fiddling and grunting, using a mirror taken from the bathroom to see the offending item, we finally gained access to the almost inaccessible grey electrical plug.  And sure enough, the red wire had corroded, parting company from socket; meaning there was no power getting through to the motor … “… dead-as bro”

Then, to my amazement, after stripping the end of the disconnected wire soldering a “work-around” lead, the motor fired up and chugged away just like new.  It was a wonderful thing!

Then, to be sure it wasn’t a fluke, we turned the machine off and, on a few times, and wouldn’t you know it, all of a sudden, the machine refused to start.  DOH!!

It was then back to the drawing board. 

The good news, however, was that we were now getting full voltage up at the control unit, proving that we’d solved the original problem, only to now face a different problem; of indeterminate cause. 

Was it another loose wire, was it the box on the side with a red button on top and full of switches and wires …   It was time to sleep on it.  It was late in the day (Friday) and so Simon went home, with the idea of doing some more web-searching, in the hope of finding a solution.   

Simon was back again on Saturday to help advance the work, and even though we could not solve the second generator problem, it was great to be able to go home with Simon for a lovely meal at their Blenheim property.

It was an early dinner because with new crew member, and fellow university flatmate, Matt Brosnahan, coming in on the evening bus from Christchurch it was necessary for us to be back to meeting him by 8:00pm.

Additional (new) crew members, and Melbourne friends, Dean, Sandy and daughter Samantha, dropped by around midnight to say hello.  They had flow into Christchuch on Friday and after hiring a car and driving as far as Kaikoura, had just arrived in Picton for a couple of nights ashore, before their planned boarding Monday morning.    

After a beautifully sunny day, the weather turned nasty in the late afternoon with freezing wind, plus on-and-off showers, well into the night.  But Matt received a warm welcome and despite the unfamiliar surroundings ended up having a solid night’s sleep.

Smooth seas fair breeze and maybe the generator will have to wait

Rob Latimer