We are back on the water taking Josie for some engine work in Deale Md. Our engine is running smoothly but David has wanted to get a complete service for some time now. Also, when he changed the impeller after our trip, he noted that one of the impeller arms had broken off and is somewhere in our cooling system. We are watching the engine temperature closely as we motor.
At the same time, we hope to get some ideas about our electric situation and thoughts about making it easier to raise and reef our mainsail. We are understanding our electric needs better after taking an online marine electronics course. We thought that lithium ion phosphate batteries would be our main solution but after pricing the conversion, we are looking for other options. There have been some advances in agm battery technology and alternator technology that could make a real impact. Our solar panels could also be upgraded. Our major need is for night passage battery life to power instruments and autopilot when we are sailing. More battery capacity and more efficient engine charging would help with this. Once the sun is up, our solar panels could potentially keep up with our needs.
After a great weekend with Austin, the band and our grandogs, we moved aboard once again. We left our slip, topped off our diesel and headed out. There was a light wind and clouds. After exiting the Cape Charles harbor, we were able to sail on a broad reach in light winds.
We sailed for about six hours but then the winds became lighter and more from behind us. Our genoa was not helpful and we were not moving fast enough. David was worried about potential approaching thunderstorms. We thought about trying the one sail that could have moved us but toward the end of the day with potential for storms and knowing our past spinnaker troubles, we decided against it. We started the engine and made our way.
We decided to anchor in a branch of Dividing Creek, south of Reedville. There are several potential anchorages there, one Hughlet’s point looks especially nice as you can dinghy to a state park with nice beach area. We chose a sheltered cove lined with lovely houses. A large power boat with a family aboard joined us in the anchorage for the night. We enjoyed watching the sky and watching the powerboat kids jump off the boat and swim at sunset. We had a light rain but no major storm.
It was quite warm as we headed to bed but not buggy. Adding a night fan to our power wishlist.