Our time in Marathon's Boot Key Harbor was spent tackling repair projects and life necessities (showers laundry, groceries, and internet).
True to their word Balmar's replacement regulator arrived at 09:00 on the 18th. While Anne tackled laundry duty I went back to the boat to install the new regulator. The new unit cured our overcharging issues, but did not cure the tachometers failure to register RPM. My hunch was a faulty alternator. Next, Anne and I took the dinghy up to West Marine (they have a dinghy dock in the harbor.) After recovering from the sticker shock of new alternator prices, we inquired about the location of the nearest alternator shop. We were in luck, Sandy, at West Marine, referred us to the Battery Shack a mere 100 meters north along US 1. We caught the shop owner, Robert, just as he was calling it quits for the day. In a quick conversation we made plans to return on the 19th with our suspect alternator. We returned to West Marine and purchased a new Tachometer. By our logic we thought the only two possible places for faulty equipment now lie in either the alternator or the tachometer. If we install a new tach and it failed to solve the issue then certainly the alternator was faulty, but conversely... you get the picture... process of elimination. $101 later we departed West Marine new gauge in hand. Returning to C'est la Vie, I eagerly reviewed the installation instruction for the new tach. How about that... yes I do read instructions and the first bold typeface line of these instructions... for gasoline engines only. Who know tachometers come in gas and diesel models? We now know, and our process of elimination can to a grinding halt just in time for our evening Gin & Tonics. Ahh... despite the frustrations we are easing into island time.
Morning on the 19th found us hoofing it to the local library for their free Wi-Fi connection. The public library is only a 10 minute walk from the dinghy dock. The librarians were accommodating and free Wi-Fi in the cool air conditioned book stacks was hard to beat. Funny how priorities change why traveling aboard. Anne and I both enjoyed catching up with you all via email.
By noon we were back on C'est la Vie for lunch and to remove the alternator for our afternoon bench test at the Battery Shack. Anne and I divided and conquered. She took on shipping the faulty regulator back to Balmar and some grocery shopping. I took on the bench test and West Marine returns.
Robert's bench test revealed faulty diodes in our alternator. I purchased a rebuilt 80 amp unit from the Battery Shack and was out the door in less than 1 hour. I highly recommend Robert if you are in the area and in need of alternator / battery assistance.
During the day I contacted Stanley at Beta Marine. He assured us that the nominal operating temperature for our engine is between 170F & 190F. It seems our repair/maintenance efforts have brought the engine back to it's nominal temperatures.
As a write this entry we are now fully operational and it is on the cusp of Gin & Tonic hour here in Boot Key Harbor. Looks like Anne and I will need to discuss our next destination over tonight's G&T.