Second sea trial

10 nautical miles

Target today was to calibrate the navionics. This meant we needed to do two or three very slow circles. As we started off from the marina there was a significant sea mist. We don't have radar this year so we stationed John at the bow as lookout.

Then we started the slow circles. The autopilot calibrated and we hoisted sails and started off towards Cape Pila. Yes! The autopilot was now working fine and would steer course or to wind.

Next thing was to create a compass deviation chart. So we started on that under sail.

The motor was too hot to use, but it would have been easier and quicker to do this under power. We really must find something to keep the motor cool.

With 8 deep discharge batteries, plus the power controller there is not a lot of space in the engine room.

But now this was glorious sailing. We had ice-cool watermelon while we sailed along.

We started the generator to test that under way and to recharge the batteries that we had used quite a bit for the navionics calibration. That worked perfectly. Could even run the fridge freezer at the same time as recharging the batteries.

Louis needed to be back by 1pm so we turned for home. I had hoped a sail past Larnaca Nautical Club, but time would not permit.

About half a nautical mile out from the marina we started the motor, dropped the sails and I took the helm. I had the throttle at about 40% keeping it low because I know we still have this motor heating problem and when it gets too hot the controller throttles the motor back automatically and the last thing I want is to lose power while maneuvering into the berth, especially as we want to try to berth stern to this time.

At 40% throttle we had just about 2 knots of speed. Not exactly mind blowing, but adequate. We really do need more power.  I would have liked to motor up to the marina at about 4 knots and slowed to 2 and then 1 as we entered. I felt we were just chugging along, and because of the over-heating I don't really feel I trust the motor yet.

I slow down to about a knot as we turn into our area of the marina and then slow still more as we come close to our berth... turn ready to reverse... put the throttle into reverse and... nothing... the motor died. 

Because the wind was moderate we immediately started to drift towards the other boats and the slipway which would have done significant damage to our yacht and others except for the quick thinking of Tim who jumped into the water and swam to an anchor chain and we threw him a line which he secure to that chain... and we eventually managed to berth the boat in between two others not at our own berth. 

We stayed on the yacht all afternoon worried that the real owner of the berth would return. I talked a friend Chris into a tow at 5pm when the wind had dropped. Where we were it did appear to drop. When he started to tow we realised the wind had not dropped we were just in a sheltered position. We should have taken his advice and not tried it. 

With the help of a couple of Lebanese on a power boat we managed to beth between two very big power boats.  Other than damaging our brand new gangplank no other damage was sustained to our yacht... or anyone else. Thank God.

We left her there for the night.