Working Our Way North Along Florida

The forecast for the next several days is for the winds to be from the north or northwest. There is a fixed bridge on the Intracoastal Waterway in Miami that we cannot get under, so at a minimum, we need to go out and around to Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale), but we planned to re-enter at Lake Worth and avoid 21 bridge openings over about a 44-mile stretch of the ICW. We found an opportunity for a night trip where the winds were forecast to be light and more from the west northwest. We knew the seas would be calm with the wind coming off the coast. We pulled anchor just before 6 pm. There was a cruise ship in port, so we went around behind, rather than going down the cruise ship channel. We went out about 2 ½ miles and then turned north to parallel the coast. It was perfect, and we were enjoying a nice motoring ride in very calm seas. Well, we at least thought it was perfect. Upon waking up at 3 am to take my turn at watch, I checked the battery voltage and found the bank seriously discharged. The alternator was not charging the batteries. I couldn't find a quick and easy solution, so we turned off everything except the navigation lights. Since we were running along the coast, it wasn't too difficult to steer a course holding approximately the same distance from shore. The depth was not an issue, so we felt comfortable. We turned the chart plotter on once an hour to get a fix on our position. We arrived at our planned destination, the Lake Worth inlet at just before sunrise and turned on the instruments for the few minutes it took to enter and get to a place to anchor. After getting some sleep, I diagnosed the problem to be the voltage regulator. I was able to bypass the voltage regulator and, very carefully, by controlling the engine speed, recharge the batteries at a safe voltage. Later in the day, we moved the boat to North Palm Beach, which was where we had intended to anchor before our problem. What a break, or we are living a charmed life because there is a West Marine in North Palm Beach within a short walking distance. We were able to get a replacement voltage regulator, and all is well. Knock on Wood.

Now, southern Florida is experiencing the coldest weather this season, and we are asking ourselves if we got here too soon. Just kidding, it feels good to be back in the States. It looks like we may be here a few days waiting on a break in the string of fronts sweeping down from the north and west. Posted from Dunkin Donuts, Oh yeah, we are back in America.