Pre-Cruise Maintenance

Lifting a Start/House Battery

Toting batteries a few at a time

Cleaning the Heat Exchanger

Cable Wires to Alternators

We inspected the mechanical and electrical systems on Got d’ Fever in preparation for our extended cruise down the Pacific West Coast and came up with several projects needing attention.  We decided it was time to replace the start batteries, which also serve as house batteries.  The batteries were reaching their life span and we didn’t want to experience engine failure off the Pacific Coast.  Since the type of batteries used in Got d’ Fever are supplied by a company in Seattle, it seemed a wise decision to replace them before leaving.  Got d’ Fever has a total of twelve start/house batteries, weighing 67 pounds each.  Thankfully, we were able to lift out the old batteries and place the new batteries in their housing boxes (six batteries per box) by using a carry strap provided by Dyno Battery Inc. and I am pleased to report without any damage to our maturing bodies!  A related project included replacing/upgrading the size of the cable wire which carries electrical current from the alternator to the batteries.  The alternators had been replaced in 2005, but the previous owner or maintenance people failed to upgrade the cable wire so it was overheating when the alternators charged at full capacity!  Leonard fabricated and installed the cable wire by stripping, bundling and routing the wire, and of course added protective ends.  Other important projects included cleaning out the heat exchangers for the engines.  We can now report that using wood dowelling to clean the channels in a heat exchanger isn’t the best idea - the wood can swell in size and/or break off.  Instead, we used a metal rod purchased from a local welding shop to complete the project.  The most odiferous project was replacing the duck bill valves for the toilet and cleaning out the pipes where they attach - a messy job – ugh!  Perhaps the most pleasant surprise completed on our “to-do list” was finding a slow air leak on our rib-dinghy.  We had tried to find this leak earlier as had the previous owner but without success.  One sunny day our grandchildren came to visit us and we decided this might be a fun project - something that would keep them busy and out of trouble.  We inflated the dinghy and instructed Mariah and Porter to apply a solution of soapy water and look for air bubbles.  To our chagrin, Mariah quickly found a big air bubble, then a second one, and a third; Leonard could hardly keep up with the patch work!  Yes, a lesson learned, but for whom?  Other miscellaneous maintenance items included replacing the fuel filter vacuum gauges, adding a bonding cable to the port sea-strainer; replacing the anchor shackle; and installing a new slider for the ship’s salon door.

Duckbill Valves (the clean one's!)

Grandchildren Accomplish an Important Task