Day 12 - Wed 08 Apr 2015
Docked - Jacksonville, FL

[photo: the admiral using the laptop in the salon]

We slept well, but I had a sinking feeling that I should get up and check the batteries around 0400, and found the voltage to be 11.8, which is ridiculously low. I started the generator and charged the batteries for an hour and then went back to bed until 0700. Diane was already up and I made us a hearty egg sandwich breakfast.

We slipped the mooring at 0800 and made our way N on the ICW. At first we had the current flowing with us, but after 2 hours it was against us. It was an uneventful run, and when we joined the St. John's River, the flood tidal current was pushing us along 2 kts faster than normal. We called the new PDQ 34 owner, David Doyle, on his cell and before long we were at his doc all tied up.

It was lunchtime, so Diane suggested the boys go out to lunch to discuss boats while she nibbled on leftovers and took care of housekeeping chores. It was a good buffet lunch at the Sand Dollar waterfront and it took the better part of 2 hours with all the chatting. While we were gone, Diane took Clyde into their fenced yard for some time ashore and spent a little time in their pool to cool off.

Back at their home, David and I started the investigation into the battery bank problem. Between the two of us, we had enough experience and knowledge to make logical decisions as to what to check and how to interpret the results. Step one was to compare the voltage readings of the analog panel meter, the ProSine inverter/charger, and my handheld voltmeter.

There were small differences, but nothing too concerning. Next, we wanted to see if there were any indications on the batteries as to their installation date, but that required removing the hold-down plate, and that required removing half the terminal connections to allow that.

Before removing anything, I stated wiggling all the connections one at a time and found that several were not tight at all. We then took off what we had to in order to get access to the batteries and found nothing to indicate the installation date. Next, David had a battery load tester and we tested each one, finding nothing at all of concern. Having found several loose connections, we were hopeful that proper reconnection/tightening of all the terminals just might be the answer.

We reinstalled everything and made sure each connection was clean and tight. I started the generator to re-charge the batteries as well as run the A/C to cool the now very warm cabin. We left it running for 2 hours, at which time the cabin was well cooled and the batteries should have been mostly fully charged. I went up to their pool with a beverage and David joined me while Diane went with Barb to the local grocery store for some provisions. Within an hour, David and Barb needed to leave for a monthly meeting, so we said goodbyes for the night and will see them in the morning.

Several hours after shutting down the generator, the battery bank voltage seemed good. We enjoyed the chicken pesto meal made yesterday and I went back to the pool for more relaxation. At one point, I came back to get Clyde and we walked around the perimeter of the backyard for a bit.

It was an early night to be, as typical for us. Tomorrow, we head for Fernandina Beach, the last stop in FL.