Two out of twenty

The day started with a deciding what to do. No mean task when there are always about 20 times as many things to do as time to do them. So, project number one: Reinstall the Sterling Power Automatic Switch. 60 minutes outside. On a good day. Today was not a good day.

I decided to solder all the ends of the cables to seal them. When I first installed the system I did it the normal way for shore based installations. Now I realise why people solder the ends of all cables for marine use. Ah... slight problem I need power for the soldering iron in order to solder the wires for the power. Tim suggests a solution: Use the inverter.

Works like a dream until... I come to solder the wires connected to the polarity test switch, which then alarms as soon as I touch the soldering iron onto the neutral. Hmmm... just a minute there should be no voltage between the earth of the soldering iron connected to the inverter and the neutral of the power system. So, out comes the digital multi-meter. Tim says that he's happier we use the digital multi-meter than try the tongue test that you use to see if a 9 volt battery is alive!

It initially looks like there is 130 volts between the earth of the soldering iron [getting its earth from the inverter] and either the neutral or the earth of the power system.

Not good news.

Trace everything and test everything and it appears that there really is 130 volts between earth or neutral of the inverter output and earth of the power system (which is connected to the low voltage earth of the inverter). In other words, between one earth of the inverter and the other earth of the inverter there is 130 volts.

Very strange.

I will have to contact Sterling Power about that one. But for now if I bond the earth on the output of the inverter to earth on the input of the inverter everything is fine.

Obviously not a 60 minute task. Especially as Matt turns up to look at Echo and then comes aboard to look at King Malu.

Time for lunch.

Being Sunday Tim and I go home for lunch and resume just before 3pm. Tim said to call him just before I returned, but has decided to have a day break from the phone every Sunday so Erika answered. I think there might be a logic problem here...

Afternoon task was to Epidermix epoxy fill all the dings in the cabin roof so that I can finish the top coat painting during the week and then next weekend -- if its fine -- lay the Treadmaster. Well, I suppose two out of twenty is not bad.

Just as we are finishing there is a deep throaty roar of a big diesel engine starting up. One of the 'plastic fantastics' across the marina has just started its engine. Plastic fantastics are what I call the large fibreglass (ie plastic) motor yachts that cost their owners more in fuel for one day than the entire running costs of King Malu for a year.

Two kids about eight or nine are running round the deck. No lifejackets, and clothing more suitable for a theatre performance than an ocean passage. 'I wonder where they are going', I ponder aloud. 'Just out for a sunset cruise' is Tim's reply, 'across the bay and back'. They let go their mooring lines and they are off out of the marina.

We clean the utensils we used for the epoxy and check how we will mount the new battery boxes under the sink. By the time we had cleaned up and were locking King Malu the plastic fantastic was back at her mooring. Tim remarks that a 20 minute cruise was more like across the harbour and back!