Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Batteries die in darkness*

Since Reboot spends months away from shore power I am always very cognizant of the battery voltage. I have noticed recently that they don't seem to be getting quite the charge they have been getting in the past. Since I recently replaced both the batteries and the solar controllers this has been a bit of concern.

This morning I had a epiphany. It's fall. We are only getting 10 1/2 hours of sunlight (here down under.) The charge cycles are shorter, the discharge cycles longer. The battery voltage reflects that. Not really a big deal. We are talking about a 0.1 volt difference. But I do notice it.

Where it does really show up is in cruising. When the electric autopilot, the multifunction display, the VHF, the AIS and the tricolor are running all night there is quite a noticeable difference. (Yes, I use the Monitor wind steering, keep the multifunction display at minimum intensity, and have LED bulbs.)

Fair winds and following seas :)

* Warning - this part gets political. Stop reading if you are only interested in sailing stuff.

The subject is a takeoff on WaPo's new tag line "Democracy Dies in Darkness." Of course the United States isn't a democracy , it's a republic. But no need for WaPo to be accurate. Their anonymous sources assure me that the United States is actually a democracy. Plus, I am protected by their (and the NYT's) paywalls. Who pays to read such crud? Certainly not me.

Frankly my mind is exploding. Each day I am assaulted with more rumors and innuendo. I would stop reading Facebook and Twitter but they have become the de facto communication community for cruising boats. So I burn endless pay by the gigabyte dollars wading through.

Although an anonymous source (I know who it is, I just don't think it appropriate to publish a name without permission) compares this to the fall of the Weinmar Republic, I think this environment is what it must have been like leading up to the Civil War. At least then the issues were semi-clear. I guess the failed coronation of Queen Hillary has created a new War of the Roses. Not reassuring.

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