How did your first shakedown/commissioning run go?

[GoneDiving]

Except for the delivery motor home I'm in the middle of our first few days on the water with my family getting to know our new to us trawler. So far I've got a sea sick wife, two bored kids ("this is just like a really long flight") and a 2 page list of to-do's. I'd call that a success. ?

On the positive side, aside from a rapidly dying house bank (a previously known fault) the vessel has behaved very well. The delivery was at 85% wot and LOUD. Loud enough that I've been considering a major remodel to add insulation and mass loaded vinyl. Slowing down to 65% has made the world of difference and has me doubting I'll go ahead with the deadener. A side benefit is after 2 days I haven't used enough fuel to be able to take a meaningful fuel level reading.

How did your first shake down cruise go?

Merry Christmas to all.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. GD. Same to you and yours. I can remember the maiden voyages of all 3 of our "big" boats. A few butt clenching moments but we survived. It's ALL good!

 

[firehoser75]

My delivery home took a couple of days (took our time). Aside from a couple of "not great" dockings because the boat handled sooooo differently than our same length sailboat that we had sold (and no damage was done so not that bad), we had a very uneventful trip.
However, the trip was a bit "painful" monetarily as we were "importing" the boat from the US into Canada. We had some fun with a very nice Customs agent who had a good laugh when I offered to pay the taxes on the value on the official "bill of sale", as it stated that I paid "$1 US and other considerations" for the boat. However, my wallet was alot lighter after leaving that dock having paid over $40,000 in taxes to our various Governments. Pretty steep tax rate based on the $1 "selling price".
To be fair, you can't avoid taxes, I only paid tax in Canada, so it really wasn't a surprise.
The boat ran great, we had a good time, and had no issues so a very successful trip all in all.
Merry Christmas back at you.

 

[MurrayM]

We ran ours at WOT only for testing purposes, and have run it since at what the PO recommended, which is a bit after the turbo kicks in and has the boat running at about 7 knots.

Our first anchoring was interesting, in that with all the new to me back of napkin depths/lengths/scope figuring while keeping in mind rocks, sand bars etc, I dropped the anchor in the best spot possible.

As we were backing down to set the anchor, with me on the bow, hand on rode to see when it got tight and I was sure the anchor was set, my wife started calling from the pilothouse, "Murray...depth sounder says 10 feet, 9 feet, 8 feet..."

We/I had dropped the anchor where we wanted the boat to be sitting with all the rode out instead of where the anchor should have been. D'Oh!

Our daughter soon found that when we got a short distance out of our small town her cell phone couldn't pick up a signal anymore. "No more drama" she'd say with a smile

Welcome aboard

 

[GFC]

I bought our boat off Lake St. Clair in Michigan, had it torn down and shipped to Portland, OR, then recommissioned. We were actively involved with waxing, cleaning, repositioning furniture, etc. We drove 200+ miles each way every weekend to work on the boat, but it was truly a labor of love so we didn't mind at all.

When the boat yard owner and I set out to do a sea trial we were leaving his dock on the Multnomah Slough. I backed it out away from the dock then turned it upstream, all by using the shifters. When we got to the Willammette River I was going to turn to port to head downriver to the Columbia. (To say I was scared sh*tless would be an understatement!).

When I turned the wheel nothing happened. I told Joe "there's no helm" and he said "keep turning, there may be an air bubble in the hydraulic steering." I did and got no response.

So here we were on a river with a fair current, heading out toward the Columbia that has a strong current and I couldn't steer the boat from the helm. He suggested I use the shifters to hold position while he went down below to add fluid to the hydraulic system. OK, I got this. No problemo, I'll just keep us in the middle of the Willammette and keep our position so we didn't end up going downstream.

After a few minutes he came back up and said to turn the wheel lock to lock several times to get the fluid pumped up. I did, it did and we were OK. After a short (3/4 mile) trip down river we ventured out into the Columbia. We cruised there for a few minutes then he said "OK, let's head back to the slip."

He was supposed to give me a check ride to satisfy my insurance company that I knew how to drive a boat this big. When I asked him about the check ride he just said "You did it. You passed when you didn't panic when the helm wouldn't work." Little did he know.

We left his slip and headed a few miles up the Columbia to a yacht club that was having a big Sea Ray Aquapalooza party. When I pulled into their docking area, adjacent to the Columbia. There were a bazillion people walking the dock so I shouted down to them to see where they wanted it. Holy CRAP, they wanted me to dock it stern to and alongside a brand new Sea Ray about the size of mine. Long story short, I nailed the docking, my wife nailed the line handling and we looked like we did this every day. Some times things work the way they are supposed to.

During the first day of 3 we were spending there the word got out that this was a new to us boat. Several people stopped us on the dock to ask about the boat and congratulate us on the docking.

 

[MYTraveler]

With our builder's encouragement, our shakedown cruise (not counting running a couple sea trials to make sure autopilot and everything else that could not be adequately tested at the dock was working, or the delivery run from San Diego to Ensenada), was an 8-day fishing trip down baja, around cabo and up to La Paz. The only issues were a stabilizer (Wesmar) shaft seal that was leaking and a crane malfunction. Our manufacturer took care of both, but only after telling me to talk to Wesmar (nope), and then that it was my fault for not following their captain's briefing instructions (nothing in writing) to tighten the bolts securing the actuators every 50 hours of use, which was BS as I was never given that instruction and Wesmar denied that was a requirement of their system. Before I took delivery, I had noted various gelcoat stress cracks and other imperfections, as well as some interior woodwork imperfections, but the manufacturer, said, knowing it was my plan to keep the boat our of California for a year (tax reasons), "you are going to get some more stress cracks during the year, jus bring it back after your year is up and we will take care of everything". Sounded very generous, but it was too good to be true. They ultimately fixed some of the stuff, but used wood putty with a red tint on the wood work. Looks like hell. Still does.

But, otherwise, the boat ran well.

 

[porman]

My first experience driving a big twin engine boat. I rode with the owner to have the boat pulled out for the survey. He was 84 years old. He drove the boat down a long fairway with yachts side tied on both sides and very little room on either side. He then had to turn the boat 45 degrees to the left and 50 feet later turn 45 degrees to the right and into the Travelift. After the survey he turned to me and said he wasn't backing the boat out and it was all mine. He then got a beer from the fridge and went to sit on the bow. I had read all the theory on handling a twin, but had never driven one. I told the guys on the dock what was going on and they got on the boats on either side with boat hooks. Very slowly I backed it out, and with a little gentle pushing from both sides they had me out in the fairway. Luckily there was no wind and I got it down the fairway and into the lake. It was a beautiful August day in Seattle and the owner sat on the bow the whole way home. I think he had a tear in his eye when he left the boat for the last time.

 

[MurrayM]

Our first romp after the keys were handed over and the PO's son stepped off the boat for the last time, saw us punching into a stiff breeze with spray flying over the pilothouse.

Had to bail trying to come into our slip, so headed out and tried again. Thankfully, I never felt any pressure from those watching to nail coming into the slip on the first try. Hasn't happened in years, but had to peel off and try again more than a few times early on.

 

[AusCan]

My boat was delivered by road from the interstate buyer. The marina I had organized didn’t have facilities to offload it so this was done at another about a 2hour cruise away. There were a few delays rigging the mast and getting set up so the my good weather window expired and my helping hand had to be back at work.

So it was just me singlehanding the new boat with a 30 knot breeze. I breathed a sigh of relief when I made it to the inlet to my new marina unscathed then through the lock with no issues. Now just into the slip.

First attempt was good, but I wasn’t quick enough to get a line on a cleat before getting blown off the dock towards my dock mate’s boat. Quick shot of reverse and try again. Oh no. I’m getting blown sideways down the fairway missing other boats by inches and trying various panic maneuvers to avoid a clash with my new neighbors. Finally made it on the third attempt with a big sigh of relief. Learned a lot that day.

 

[Barking Sands]

Our first attempt was to be our relocation from Gulfport Municipal to Tarpon Springs. We made it about 5 miles before an engine stall. Dropped anchor and got it restarted and limped back to Gulfport. Built something to polish the fuel and did so at least long enough to get a few quarts of water out of the port tank as well as discover and air leak in the fuel system. Fixed those issues and on the next good weather day made the trip very uneventful. A bit of traffic going under the Johns Pass bridge with all the jet skis that made for a tense moment or two. But other than that it was great. My wife managed to get some video. The trip starts at around 11 minutes.

 

[BruceK]

.....On the positive side, aside from a rapidly dying house bank (a previously known fault) the vessel has behaved very well. The delivery was at 85% wot and LOUD. Loud enough that I've been considering a major remodel to add insulation and mass loaded vinyl. Slowing down to 65% has made the world of difference and has me doubting I'll go ahead with the deadener. A side benefit is after 2 days I haven't used enough fuel to be able to take a meaningful fuel level reading.

Without knowing boat or engines or tankage, 2 days @ 85% WOT should have dented the fuel stores enough to get a reading. Maybe it`s super efficient on fuel. But be sure whatever is showing on gauage or glass or whatever, is accurate.

 

[Juliet 15]

I lived in the Caribbean, but had come to FL to find a boat. Our shakedown was a 2-week 1500 mile trip from the west coast (Naples) back to Rosy Roads NAS in Puerto Rico. My wife and me, and our 2 girls, with 5 GPSs, a LORAN, life boats and Satphone. We lost an engine 100 miles out of Naples due to a solenoid. I zip tied it the rest of the trip. I learned what "green water over the bow" meant crossing from the Turks/Caicos to the DomRep. Lost the searchlight on the only overnight leg. Lost my cookies trying to fix the autopilot between the DomRep and PR. It's the only time I've ever been seasick. Took me 2 days to recover, cuz we didn't touch land for those days. Stopped to refuel from a 55 Gal drum in the lee of an island. Got done, told the wife "ok" which she thot meant "go", but I thot meant "I filled her up", so she put it in gear and I went overboard. Fortunately I had time to yell. She came back for me. I always wondered... ?. We finally arrived in RRNAS on the 19th day. It was the trip of a lifetime. I'll never forget it. Learned so much. It's what turned me into a lifelong boater and planted the seed for our hoped for circumnavigation in 2022.

 

[GoneDiving]

Without knowing boat or engines or tankage, 2 days @ 85% WOT should have dented the fuel stores enough to get a reading. Maybe it`s super efficient on fuel. But be sure whatever is showing on gauage or glass or whatever, is accurate.

All of the above

The delivery was 300 ltrs used for 160nm at 1500 rpm/8kn over two days.

The last two days have been about 10 hours at 1200rpm/6kn. On 8500 ltr tanks that's a rounding error but I'd expect it to be ~half of the burn per nm above.

Not too bad for 50t of BHP steel. ?

Cheers

 

[High Wire]

Sweated some bridge clearances because actual was unknown to me. Besides that it was no problem. Ask before you leave the closing.

 

[PMF1984]

I’m not sure or the first one counts.....

I was on Cuttyhunk admiring a Wheeler, can’t remember the length, but I think is was 38 or 40 feet.

The owner mentioned it was for sale, so I said I was definitely interested and would have it inspected next week (this was a Friday.)

I called the old Fairhaven Marine about a haul-out on Monday and they asked for some info about the boat. I told them what I knew and mentioned it was moored in New Bedford Harbor, so it had to be known to them.

“Oh,” they said, “you mean the one that blew up.”

“No, no,” I replied, “I was on the boat Friday.”

‘Yeah, it blew up yesterday”

I wish that had happened to my next boat.

 

[Barking Sands]

I’m not sure or the first one counts.....

I was on Cuttyhunk admiring a Wheeler, can’t remember the length, but I think is was 38 or 40 feet.

The owner mentioned it was for sale, so I said I was definitely interested and would have it inspected next week (this was a Friday.)

I called the old Fairhaven Marine about a haul-out on Monday and they asked for some info about the boat. I told them what I knew and mentioned it was moored in New Bedford Harbor, so it had to be known to them.

“Oh,” they said, “you mean the one that blew up.”

“No, no,” I replied, “I was on the boat Friday.”

‘Yeah, it blew up yesterday”

I wish that had happened to my next boat.

Wow Did they ever say why? Gas boat?

 

[PMF1984]

Gas. So to give some context...

I was in the engine room on my hands and knees crawling around, checking things out, on the day I first saw the boat. The owner was chatting up my young bride and she asked him how the engines ran, if they were easy starters.

So without letting me know, or running the blower, he starts the engines.

Two days later the soles of his shoes were melted to the bottom of his feet.

 

[CaptGary]

My shakedown cruise/delivery was from Albany NY, down the Hudson, around Manhattan, through the east river, up Long Island Sound and into Narragansett Bay, RI. We took 5 days to do it and visited friends along the way. Because the 2001 boat only had 410 hours on it, I was concerned about old fuel in the tanks, but was assured it would be OK without polishing as the PO used treatment and high quality fuel from only one location. Additionally, he ran with a 2 micron racor filter in-line and a double racor filter setup that I could switch underway. I was somewhat nervous and pretty paranoid, but reviewed the process for switching fuel filters and changing them out while underway and felt somewhat confident I could do it easily.

Bottom line, is that the delivery was great! Except for a few minor electronics issues with some older Raymarine equipment (and the navigation chip coverage running out just before crossing under the Tappanzee Bridge entering NYC), there were absolutely no other issues. I checked the fuel filter a few times every day and even after 100 hours, there was no pressure buildup on the 2 micron filter and it looked brand new when I did finally take it out.

I learned a lot about the boat, it's creature comforts, battery capacity, little quirks and maneuverability. That 5 days confirmed I made the right choice and I am happier with it now than I was the day I bought it!

 

[backinblue]

The delivery of my boat a couple years ago, started on Lake Champlain in VT and ended in Long Island Sound in CT. Took our time of about 5 days. Included locks in the canals, Hudson river past West Point and other sights, New York City with the Statue of Liberty and Hell's Gate and into the sound to our home port. Not without issue of course, but nothing major that held us up. The grand finale was when we pulled into our slip for the first time, with me at the helm and wife with a boat hook to grab lines. Still getting used to the boat and dealing with river currents, I was a little too aggressive with the throttle which tossed my wife over the side! Could have been dangerous, but luckily she just got a cold dunk in the Spring.

 

[Bonedoc]

I had a new to me diesel cruiser arrive by truck from Maine to Long Island NY this past October. The driver dropped it in and said adios! I did not sea trial the boat due to Covid and work issues. Previously only an outboard guy- I had never even started a diesel and was left at the dock with this boat. No instructions or salesman. People gathered to complement me not knowing I had no clue.

Well I checked everything out- and turned the key- she started right up and water was flowing. No alarms went off. I pulled away and cruised the bay for a while. The bilge pumps were vigorously going off ! Is my new boat sinking? OMG what a bad feeling on the first cruise of my dream boat!!

By the time I docked the bilge was dry again. I noticed water around the sea strainer so I checked the T handle which was snug. Went out again and pumps go off again. Back to dock. Checked hoses, engine, exhaust- all good.

Relooked at sea strainer- wet again. No cracks. Nothing obvious. Started motor this time with hatch open~ water spraying from strainer top all over engine compartment.

Last person to service strainer in Maine dropped the plastic washer in bilge so the strainer cap was wobbly and loose despite the handle being tight! I fished out the washer from beneath the engine and fixed it. I then had to rinse the engine and compartment from all the saltwater spray.

I am hoping this was an honest mistake as opposed to laziness/ incompetence from the boat yard!

Anyway- all GREAT since! Counting the days until spring launch! We all have our stories!!

 

[MurrayM]

I had a new to me diesel cruiser arrive by truck from Maine to Long Island NY this past October. The driver dropped it in and said adios! I did not sea trial the boat due to Covid and work issues. Previously only an outboard guy- I had never even started a diesel and was left at the dock with this boat. No instructions or salesman. People gathered to complement me not knowing I had no clue.

Well I checked everything out- and turned the key- she started right up and water was flowing. No alarms went off. I pulled away and cruised the bay for a while. The bilge pumps were vigorously going off ! Is my new boat sinking? OMG what a bad feeling on the first cruise of my dream boat!!

By the time I docked the bilge was dry again. I noticed water around the sea strainer so I checked the T handle which was snug. Went out again and pumps go off again. Back to dock. Checked hoses, engine, exhaust- all good.

Relooked at sea strainer- wet again. No cracks. Nothing obvious. Started motor this time with hatch open~ water spraying from strainer top all over engine compartment.

Last person to service strainer in Maine dropped the plastic washer in bilge so the strainer cap was wobbly and loose despite the handle being tight! I fished out the washer from beneath the engine and fixed it. I then had to rinse the engine and compartment from all the saltwater spray.

I am hoping this was an honest mistake as opposed to laziness/ incompetence from the boat yard!

Anyway- all GREAT since! Counting the days until spring launch! We all have our stories!!

Great story

 

[rsn48]

So after a 20 month refit, much excitement on my part, the boat is splashed. Aside from myself there are three other guys on board for the sea trial. I had a new Merc gasser 6.2 L 350 hp inboard with a new stern drive Bravo 2, so two guys were from the engine install place. The other guy is from the company doing all the rest of the refit, except for the engine and leg.

So the engine guy after putting the boat through a few maneuvers has me take the wheel. We are proceeding at 20 knots, been in the water maybe 15 minutes and the boat hits a log, the stern drive comes flying up and the motor goes into high revs.

The motor is shut down, the stern drive put back into the water, dollar signs like sugar plum ferries dancing in my head. I'm a little bit shocky that this event happened so soon and so quickly. The boat is quickly taken back to shore where fortunately the trailer guy is still located, the boat taken up and inspected for damage by 5 guys. Fortunately no damage was found to the hull or engine. Probably a little bit of damage to my psyche.

You can appreciate for the next few times out I'm waiting for something wretched to go wrong with the engine, but more likely the stern drive. The only solace I can take away is that the stern drive was designed to take a hit at speed - apparently it worked.

But other than that, nothing really eventful.

 

[Gabe n Em]

Nothing exciting with our current boat. She's been a treat, knock on wood.

Our first "big" boat (we moved up from 22 to 40') was purchased in the magothy river in February a number of years ago. Our slip was in Kent narrows on the other side of the chesapeake. Unfortunately the bay was frozen solid and there was a long list of "to-do"s from the survey. Some of them glaring. So we started repairs. The marina was anxious to have us out, and we were anxious to leave, so at first ice out, we left. We had unknown aged fuel, only one of two engines worked, and neither of us had driven the boat before. We weren't even sure when the poor boat had last run (before the sea trial). Oh and this was our first time on the chesapeake, and we were going to cross it, in February, with chunks of ice floating around in it!

Luckily, our story has a boring ending: we had a safe transit to our new slip, without any docking or engine woes.

 

[Barking Sands]

People gathered to complement me not knowing I had no clue.

Thats a hilarious situation. Proud and terrified all at once! Looks like you made your way through it just fine. Great job. I cant wait for warmer weather as well.

 

[backinblue]

I had a new to me diesel cruiser arrive by truck from Maine to Long Island NY this past October. The driver dropped it in and said adios! I did not sea trial the boat due to Covid and work issues. Previously only an outboard guy- I had never even started a diesel and was left at the dock with this boat. No instructions or salesman. People gathered to complement me not knowing I had no clue.

Well I checked everything out- and turned the key- she started right up and water was flowing. No alarms went off. I pulled away and cruised the bay for a while. The bilge pumps were vigorously going off ! Is my new boat sinking? OMG what a bad feeling on the first cruise of my dream boat!!

By the time I docked the bilge was dry again. I noticed water around the sea strainer so I checked the T handle which was snug. Went out again and pumps go off again. Back to dock. Checked hoses, engine, exhaust- all good.

Relooked at sea strainer- wet again. No cracks. Nothing obvious. Started motor this time with hatch open~ water spraying from strainer top all over engine compartment.

Last person to service strainer in Maine dropped the plastic washer in bilge so the strainer cap was wobbly and loose despite the handle being tight! I fished out the washer from beneath the engine and fixed it. I then had to rinse the engine and compartment from all the saltwater spray.

I am hoping this was an honest mistake as opposed to laziness/ incompetence from the boat yard!

Anyway- all GREAT since! Counting the days until spring launch! We all have our stories!!

Good story. You are a brave man buying a boat w/o a sea trial but glad it worked out. See you on the Sound soon enough!

 

[backinblue]

My shakedown cruise/delivery was from Albany NY, down the Hudson, around Manhattan, through the east river, up Long Island Sound and into Narragansett Bay, RI. We took 5 days to do it and visited friends along the way. Because the 2001 boat only had 410 hours on it, I was concerned about old fuel in the tanks, but was assured it would be OK without polishing as the PO used treatment and high quality fuel from only one location. Additionally, he ran with a 2 micron racor filter in-line and a double racor filter setup that I could switch underway. I was somewhat nervous and pretty paranoid, but reviewed the process for switching fuel filters and changing them out while underway and felt somewhat confident I could do it easily.

Bottom line, is that the delivery was great! Except for a few minor electronics issues with some older Raymarine equipment (and the navigation chip coverage running out just before crossing under the Tappanzee Bridge entering NYC), there were absolutely no other issues. I checked the fuel filter a few times every day and even after 100 hours, there was no pressure buildup on the 2 micron filter and it looked brand new when I did finally take it out.

I learned a lot about the boat, it's creature comforts, battery capacity, little quirks and maneuverability. That 5 days confirmed I made the right choice and I am happier with it now than I was the day I bought it!

Similar to my delivery trip but started farther north and learned about the canal system. When I first looked at the boat in VT, I didn't even realize it was possible to deliver the boat by water. Sure glad I did, it was a great trip!

 

[Group9]

We had to bring our last boat from Kemah, Texas back to Mississippi, so we had a four day trip right off the bat. The trip went surprisingly well, as I figured there had to be some problems that would crop up. But, nothing bad, everything worked and it went well (although I didn't really get the radar figured out, until the last day, LOL!)

 

[NCheaven]

Thanks for great stories, TF friends!

My trawler purchase was over 700 water miles away, and my shakedown cruise was 11 days from Bristol RI to the upper reaches of the Pamlico River. The seller was wonderful, and accompanied me into the North Atlantic, through Long Island Sound, Hellsgate and offshore NJ to Cape May, with the one wrinkle, engine slightly starved for fuel, high vacuum pressure on the fuel gauge, as the mounting seas stirred up sediment in the fuel tanks, requiring flipping the RACOR dual mount to the reserve filter, and subsequent purchase and installation of a new filter before leaving Cape May. A career friend who lives on the Chesapeake met us in Cape May, and the owner's wife drove down, and we had one of those great dinners of friendship and stories, with the seller heading home the next day and my Chesapeake friend signing on. The rest of the trip was "routine", and you know what that means - some fog, some heavy rain, learning how to dock the new to me trawler, tornado warnings, heavy wind and waves directly on the stern for 6 hours on Delaware Bay, a freighter on fire in Norfolk harbor, small sailboats having a race near Thimble Shoals in very limited visibility while I was also addressing closing tugboat/barge to starboard, USCD medium endurance cutter to port, and aircraft carrier appearing through the mist, swinging toward seaward across my bow. (Thanks, USPS/USCGA for good classes ahead of this!) Then there were the segments of the Albemarle/Chesapeake Canal and the Alligator/Pungo Canal where one wonders if banjo music can be heard over the soothing drone of a diesel engine. Of course there were fabulous crab cakes at Schaffer's Canal House and at Sunset Restaurant near the mouth of the Potomac, live music on the Sassafras River marina where we stopped as well as at Schaffer's. But upon docking at home port, I stood on the dock, looked back at and literally saw a rainbow encircling Boatwright!

The next year's (2018) spring USPS-Pamlico Shakedown Cruise was even better - at Bonner Point at Bath, NC, the state's oldest town and literally a home of Blackbeard, I asked my sweetheart to marry me and to accept an Admiral's commission! (She said, "yes" without my resorting to threatening her walking the plank......That's true love!)

Suggestion from the initial shakedown cruise: I would recommend that any purchaser of a used trawler or other diesel boat have a fuel polishing performed, and a change of fuel filters at the same time before a delivery voyage. I was smart enough to have the oil and filter changed, reviewed past maintenance with the seller's mechanic, studied the survey, etc., but I was new to diesels and didn't focus on fuel and filter cleanliness. I would recommend that all of us suggest considering fuel polishing and new filters with friends planning to buy a used trawler, especially if the boat has been lightly used in the prior year or two.

 

[backinblue]

We had to bring our last boat from Kemah, Texas back to Mississippi, so we had a four day trip right off the bat. The trip went surprisingly well, as I figured there had to be some problems that would crop up. But, nothing bad, everything worked and it went well (although I didn't really get the radar figured out, until the last day, LOL!)

Funny, but I also needed/used the radar on my last day with pretty thick fog on the Sound. I know I should "practice" more on clear sunny days, but usually don't. Another issue I had in the Hudson river was my batteries weren't charging due to a tripped breaker. I didn't notice it till my GPS shut down from low voltage. Had to break out the paper charts like the good ol' days. Once we anchored for the day I was able to find and fix the problem.

 

[johnma]

Overall it went well. 320 miles over 3 days. Wildly different weather each day, from 5-6’ seas right on the nose and 20 kt wind on the beam to a nasty following sea on day three.
Learned a lot about the boat and my own capabilities on that trip.
We were unable to wait for a weather window because it was Labor Day weekend and had to be. Back at work.