Well we are motor-sailing still and looking for a quick stop over before we enter the Straits of Gibraltar as we do not have enough fuel to make it all the way to Palma given the forecasted light winds and anticipated head winds once we get through the Straits. I will spare you the nauseating machinations and calculations that leaves us with the engine on heading straight for our destination rather than reaching back and forth looking for wind, but we are getting lots of reading and writing done on this, the more mellow, consistent, and conservative approach. (no that is not a typo � I actually chose the more conservative straight line approach!)

We did have a bit of excitement today to report! The water maker failed. While it would run it was not putting water into the tanks. We could hear the various pumps and filters whirring away but no water� hmmm. First I noticed that the LED�s on the front panel of the unit were not lighting up, so this is where we started the troubleshooting. When I got a little closer to the unit getting ready to take it apart I smelled that familiar burnt electric smell � crap! So I pulled the cover off the unit and began my examination (scalpel, said in a Jim Carey voice). I found a diode on one of the electrical panels that was totally fried! This particular diode has something to do with the salinity sensor that opens the 3 way valve that let�s our product water go into the tanks. With this diode blown the signal was never reaching the valve to switch from overboard to tank mode. We pulled out the wiring schematic and the three engineers onboard (Todd, Ernie and Myself) review ed and came to agreement that since everything was still running and we had voltage on the inbound side of the valve switch, we were most likely making water but it was just being pumped over board rather than into the tanks. So with a final review of the diagram we hardwired the switching valve open (directly to tank mode) by simply putting the two wires together and eliminating the switch. We held our breath and powered up! With all valves closed to our house water tanks we took water samples from the overflow � bingo � desalinated water. As it turns out the culprit was a chaffed wire to the Stop switch for the desalinator. The two tiny wires ran against the fiberglass circuit board right next to this diode. Over the past 5 years of use the two wires had worn through their jackets and shorted, cooking the nearest available electrical device� the diode. Lot�s of black soot inside the cover but we are back in business!

As I have always said - captaining is 75% electrician, 20% plumber and the other 50% is sailing and people! You are spared my philosophical ramblings for another day since I can report on the water maker, so until tomorrow�.

Today�s trivia: What is the medical term for the small bump on the back of your skull?