Know thy sailboat

November 21, 2012

Last night I poured some water from my boat sink to make some tea. The electric pump got in gear and started pumping water. I put the water on the stove and I sat back down. I could hear that the pump was still working. There was no water to pump so the pump should have stopped pumping. I turned the water on and off to see if the water to see if I could somehow stop the whining sound. Water came out the spout, but so did some air. I had run out of water in the tank. This meant that the pump was turning dry and would burn itself out. I wondered how come the pump did not stop automatically. I flipped the electrical board to off but the pump did not relent. This meant that the previous owner had hard wired the pump directly to the battery. I had to stop the pump before it burned itself out, so I jumped outside and buried my head under the cockpit where I knew the water tank was. Besides, that’s where the pump sound originated. I found the pump but I could not find a switch, so I took the fuse out and the pump stopped. I refilled the water tank and everything worked fine.

The day before a girl had asked me if she could use the toilet. I had to tell her that I did not know how it worked and if it was setup to work. When I opened the panels to find out how the toilet system worked I knew I would have to do some reading. I now know how it works but I’m still not sure if it’s operational.

For the past week I’ve been trying to repair or replace my manual bilge pump. It’s only today that I was able to order a new pump and I had to call the manufacturer.

Let’s not talk too long about the electrical system. I was able to install a deep cycle battery and manage to buy the correct unit for a few bucks thanks to the help of the guys at the marina. I still have no idea how I’m going to maintain them charged…

The list of challenges goes on and on. I’m a handy guy. There is no technical challenge that is beyond me but the sheer amount of systems on a modern cruising sailboat makes knowing my boat a matter of weeks, not days. I still haven’t looked at the diesel. The last time I went sailing the belt whined and whined. I had to stop the engine move the belt by hand and start again. The belt was dried out. Anyway, that’s the theory I like most. The alternative diagnosis is a bad bearing… I still have to change the oil and learn about basic maintenance.

So when does the easy cruising life start? I’m putting things in order so I can head to Miami next week. I could probably use a few weeks of live aboard discovery but I don’t want to get stuck in Tamares Marina. Melbourne would be a nice place to spend a winter but the coast is no good for Spearfishing.