Power To Live

Eco Friendly Power

Here we are at anchor, with the new solar panels and wind generator putting amps into the boat systems.  Just as well, because our house batteries are DEAD, having lasted exactly 4 years and 7 months.  They were Trojan AGM batteries, admittedly not too expensive, but they didn't last very long. Our first AGM batteries, made by Lifeline, lasted 8 years....

Fortunately the sun is shining and the wind is blowing in beautiful Nai Harn Bay, so the wind generator and the Kyrocera solar panels are earning their keep. Life is fairly normal, electrically speaking, during the day.

However night time is a different story.  After the evening genset run to chill down the refrigeration system we turn into amp-misers, turning off everything that we can.  Fortunately the anchor light and cockpit lighting use low current LED lamps, and the Fusion sound system draws very little.  But other creature comforts (like fans) are banned.

Sailing at Last

Phagna Bay Sailing

We went sailing last Sunday - what a joy.  There was no destination in mind, just wherever the wind would take us.

It had been 9 months since we last hoisted sail, so the thought of silently moving through the water was enough to get us all motivated early that morning.

Neil and Ray checking out the sails

Ley and Ray raised the anchor, washed off the sticky sausage of mud that coated the chain, secured the anchor and then slowly we got ready to sail.  Oops the wrong sheet was tied to the genoa in our dash to splash, so that was taken care of.

Then the wind started to blow, sucking us towards a storm front in Phagna Bay - we gladly took what it offered.

Flying towards the storm front

Flat water sailing at 8 knots on our first sail since March, good company, what more could we ask for.  All systems working, we raced towards the storm enjoying the exhilaration.

The wind increased as the storm grew. Then it started to rain over the northen end of the bay so we tacked about and headed home, back to Koh Yao Yai.  By the time we entered the anchorage the wind had died, leaving us a sweet memory of our first sail this season.