Serendipity IV - Beginning of our second week

Tuesday, 24th January 2023.
We started into our second week on sea with a squall which brought a lot of rain and drenched us through. Just before this wet encounter we tried to fix our Watt’n’Sea Hydrogenerator. During the first days the pin we used to fix it down into the water broke so we used the other fixing method with a line in stead. But also this line broke yesterday, as a result it couldn’t generate energy anymore. Unfortunately, our attempts to use another pin to hold the Hydrogenerator in place failed as it was too thick for the hole. But after lunch Michael had another go as the wind and waves quieten down. Now a screwdriver acts as a fixing pin fixed with string and duck tape. It works! We hope it will hold fast for at least the next two weeks as it generates vital energy especially during the night when the solar panels obviously are asleep.
Talking about broken things. It is a known thing that there always breaks something during a crossing. We obviously hope and try to prevent these breakages but we have to accept that something will break. Or do you know of three weeks when nothing went faulty on a boat, being on passage or in the Marina? Then you aren‘t a boat owner. Anyway, we had a few things going faulty the first week.
The screws of a D-ring on deck didn‘t hold the load anymore and broke. It‘s really our fault as we put too many blocks on it. We could rearrange the blocks and lines and now it works fine again. The D-ring needs to be reattached in the Caribbean.
One morning Michael wanted to treat himself to a cooked breakfast after a tiresome watch. But he realised that there was no gas anymore. First we thought we ran out but then noticed that the magnetic solenoid switch doesn‘t work anymore. Now we have gas but can‘t get it out of the bottles. We just don‘t want to fiddle about with gas repairs on a swelly ocean. First I started to go through our menu plan to see how and what we can eat without cooking. But luckily, we have small induction plates we can use if we have enough energy.
That day we found out about the Watt‘n‘Sea not bringing enough energy because of the broken pin and when the gas issue happened wasn‘t our day. We felt down as we were just a few days into our adventure. And then another thing happened that could have ended up tragic but in hindsight we grin about us. We got all excited about a squall approaching got all dressed for the occasion and closed the companionway with washboards. The squall ended up not so bad after all. But when we wanted to go down to get the wet gear off we had a shock. The newly installed pin locks to our hatch run so smoothly now that they locked themselves with all the swaying motion. So we realised we were locked out! We tried to get in with a knife but no luck. We know now that it will keep intruders out but so it did us in this moment too. After the first paralised feeling we realised that we can get easily through a skylight and open it from inside. This showed us how important it is not to lock skylights while on passage and from now on our companionway lock holes have red tape over them so the locking pins can‘t slide in by themselves.
Altogether we have to say how amazing it is to be out here on the open ocean. The blue sky and blue water around us. Beautiful stary nights and luminescence in the water that makes the waves sparkle. We have all we need with us in our floating home and we are happy.

With warmest regards

All the best from the ‘love boat’ SERENDIPITY IV
Nina & Michael