We moved the boat to Marsh Harbour Boatyard so that CJ’s Welding could repair the dinghy davits, and the boatyard could do a short haul and clean her bottom. While she was hauled, I put two new zincs on each prop shaft and also sealed the outside of both escape hatches with a heavy bead of silicone sealant. However, when we hooked up to shore power for our stay, the electrical panel still showed reverse polarity and 60+ volts at about 4+ amps. Pretty much what we had been seeing when we tried to use the generator.

We contacted Merlin’s Electronics in Marsh Harbour, and Pat McFaden, the owner, came out and checked the system. Turns out the generator was fine (sorry, Jerry), but our new Xantrex Freedom 20 (2000W inverter/charger) had a problem with its AC board. Pat thought it was a solenoid/switch on the board that had failed. When he replaced the board, everything worked fine. The part was covered by warranty, as the unit had been installed only two months prior, but due to the regulations on importing parts into the Bahamas, we had to pay $100 for Fedex shipping, a 45% duty fee, and labor on getting the unit off of the bulkhead to be worked on (the installer from SALT in Marathon, Dwight, had stripped two of the mounting screws and it took Pat and I an hour to get them drilled out so that we could remove it. Thanks once again, SALT!) So, what might have been a free repair Stateside ended up costing over $450. See why I love cruising?

The boatyard did a good job cleaning the bottom, for another $450, short haul included. When CJ’s finished their work, the job which had been estimated at $500-600 ended up costing $955. BOAT: Break Out Another Thousand. In this case, the visit to Marsh Harbour actually cost us $1855. At least everyone involved did a good job, as opposed to the folks we have paid for work that was substandard.

So, most everything on the boat is now fixed. Or, should I say, is fixed for now ;-) Engines work, Balmar alternator works, generator works, shore power works, inverter charger works. Whoever buys this boat will get a really great deal, and we will no longer lie awake at night wondering what might go wrong tomorrow, which will be a great deal for us.

Yes, we still intend to sell her when we return to the States. We plan on starting the trip back this Wednesday, moving north to Baker Bay at the north end of Great Guana Cay so that we can -hopefully- transit Whale Cay Passage Thursday morning, just prior to high tide. Then, depending on the weather, we will stop at either Green Turtle Cay for the day or continue on to Powell Cay if the winds are good for anchoring there overnight. Next we will work our way to Grand Cay in preparation for a run to West End (when the weather is settled enough for a smooth crossing of the Gulf Stream), followed by a sprint across the Stream to Ft Pierce, Florida and back into the ICW. Wish us luck.