The batteries died in Martinique
21 October 2009 | Le Marin, Martinique
Benno
After DD had taken on some diesel to fill her belly in Porlamar, Venezuela, it was time to work her way up to St. Thomas and see Island Marine Outfitters, who were holding a new set of deep cycle batteries for us to fix the house bank. To get to Grenada, our first waypoint, we would be beating into a 15 to 20 knot NE wind. Therefore we decided to do a dog leg via a waypoint close to Trinidad and using the windless night lee along Venezuela's coast. This would take us along pirate alley, but the dangerous stretch would be done in night hours with the running lights switched off. We left on the 13th Oct. 2009 and encountered no problems toward Trinidad, then changed the course to Grenada and passing it in the afternoon of the 14th Oct. while we kept going to Carriacou for a pit stop of only a few days. When we reached Martinique on the 20th Oct. the 12 Volt house bank was totally shot and had stopped working. The batteries would not hold any charge. This was bad, since Marlene had stocked up the freezer in Argentina and Uruguay with a good load of beef. While we were motoring with the main engine, the alternator had kept everything alive with 12 Volts. Then, when under anchor the solar panels were holding the 12 Volt up during the day light, but came darkness, we had to start the diesel generator and let it run all night. Good grief, this ruckus was nagging on our beauty sleep. There was no time to loose, but to head right away for St. Thomas to fix our battery problem and settle down for some serious R and R.