Date: Thursday 15/05/25 - Time: 12:04 Bermuda time
Position 35:26.193N 45:25.63W
COG 80T SOG 7.2kt, Wind 318T 19
kt,
Temperatures: Air 17C, Sea 20.2 C
Barometer: 1024.8 hPa - steady
Sailed distance since departure: 1068
NM
Percentage trip: 57 %
Last 24h Sailed Distance: 159 NM
Time since departure: 7d 0h 4 m
Average Speed since departure: 6.35
kt
Average VMG since departure: 5.67
kt
Average VMG speed last 24h: 6.31 kt
Intention: sail to Flores
Distance to End on rhumb line: 719 NM
ETA : Tuesday May 20, @ 12:00
Detailed Track:
https://share.garmin.com/svBlueNote
Last night at about 3:30 am, during Andrea's watch and with a
20kts of wind and 3 meters waves, the autopilot suddenly stopped
working.
After trying without success to re-engaged it we started to hand
steer until daylight to then evaluate better the problem.
After breakfast and reading the manual, at 6 am (Bermuda time) we
started some trouble shooting.
The simple hard-reset (turn it off then back on) did not work.
Then we empty the lazarette of several items (life-raft, grab-bag,
spare life jacket, emergency tiller, buckets, several tenders)
until there was enough space to enter it to check the autopilot
computer.
No fuse broken, all contact were good and when we engaged
autopilot we checked the voltage at the contacts for the
linear-drive actuator,
and observed voltage jumping from positive to negative.
Andrea at the helm and holding the lid of the lazarette with his
foot, me inside the lazarette reaching out for voltmeter.
We then decided to put all back in lazarette and check linear
drive.
That involves entering the "engine compartment" from the hatch in
the cockpit.
I have done this several time when the boat at anchor or on the
hard, but this was the first time doing it when under sail and
beside the difficulty of entering with lots of clothes on, once
inside was relatively "calm",
With the autopilot on I could hear the electric motor turning,
with no gear crunching noise.
Looking at the contacts it looked that the one for the engine
drive were looking ok, but the one for the "clutch" looked flimsy.
We decide to remove the driver and inspect it inside the boat.
Andrea hand steering and me inside the boat, while Yael (beside
taking photos) was handing me all required tools.
The linear drive inside the boat with cover removed to check
electric motor.
The contacts from the linear drive.
The little red wire of the "clutch" wire looks very corroded and
about to fall off.
The blue one appears also to have the wire exposed and corroded
where the black cover of cable stops.
It looks like when removing the cover and exposing the two little
wires, the insulation cover of the two little wires were also cut,
then corrosion did his job. The autopilot was already installed when
I purchased boat in 2010 and I assumed it is the original autopilot
from 1998. Therefore wires lasted 27 years.
We replaced both connectors for the "clutch" reinstalled
everything and VOILA' at 10 am the autopilot was back working.
A great relief for all of us since the idea of having to hand
steering for the remaining 700+ nautical miles was not very
attractive.
Nairobi in her "feel safe" bed.
