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Chronologically Challenged Couple Cruises the South Pacific

Welcome to our blog.

Here’s an explanation of all things TwoAtSea, including the reason behind our seemingly random posts.

News

We’re thrilled to be working on a new project: a video series about cruising, specifically the way we do it on Legacy. Instead of focusing on technical aspects like sail changes or rigging designs, we’re zeroing in on how to sustainably cruise to exotic locations on a small boat over the long term.

So far, we’ve been referring to this course as “Cruising 101.” Keep an eye out for more updates as the course takes shape.

We’ve joined Patreon to seek support from our readers in two key ways: financial contributions and active engagement. We encourage our patrons to actively participate by commenting and asking questions, helping us refine our upcoming “Cruising 101” course.

Your financial contributions will enable us to invest in better equipment, dedicate more time to content creation, and cover the costs associated with producing high-quality videos and articles. This support ensures that we can continue to share our cruising lifestyle and expertise with you in a meaningful way. Your engagement, through comments and questions, will help us tailor the course to better meet your needs and interests.

chronologically-challenged-pics

Yep, We’re Still Alive

March 18, 2024

Apologies for the update hiatus—we’ve been off exploring the more wildernessy parts of Indonesia far from internet access. (Can you really call it being “alive” if you don’t have internet?)

This is the first we’ve had access since leaving Banda. Here’s what this part of our cruise has looked like…


The yellow line is what we’ve done and the blue is what we’re about to do.

Misool was absolutely amazing! Just wait ’till you see the photos and videos we hope to post soon.

Right now, we’re heading to Lembeh Island where we have to be by the end of March for our flight to Kuala Lumpur to renew our visas. We need to leave Indonesia to renew our Indonesian visas. That makes sense, right? We have to leave the county every six months. Aaargh!

Ambon Anchorages

February 20, 2024

We’ve been in Ambon harbor for over a month now. Here’s what we’ve learned about anchoring here…

Here’s an interactive Google map showing the places we’ve anchored…

Our favorite place was by the government boats. It isn’t perfect but it has a lot to offer.

Pros:

  • The holding is very good. We’re anchored in about 55 feet of what I’m sure is mud. We have had a little wind here and Legacy’s held firm.
  • It’s well protected from winds and completely protected from waves and swells.
  • There’s a great place to land our dinghy to go ashore. The crew of the government boats invited us to tie up to their swim steps.
  • It’s close to transportation. The main road is only a short walk up the driveway and there you can catch a Bemo or a rideshare with Grab or Maxim.
  • It’s kind of pretty.

Cons:

  • It’s a little noisy with at least three mosques within hearing range.
  • It’s close enough to the pier (Lipi Wharf or Dermaga Lipi) that the kids that swim and play there almost every afternoon can (and will) swim out to your boat. The first few times they did this, they climbed into our dinghy and brought quite a bit of salt water with them.
  • It’s not pristine. There is some trash in the water but usually less than most other places we’ve anchored in Indonesia.

Zulu Waterways can be found here: https://www.zuluwaterways.com/

And here’s the Wikipedia page for the bridge, including the clearance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merah_Putih_Bridge

Our favorite spot to anchor outside the government boats (Coast Guard? SAR?) is: 03° 38.445′ S, 128° 12.008′ E

Marital Discord Island (aka Thomas Island) (Cumberland Islands, Queensland, Australia)

Posted February 10, 2024
about September 21, 2022

We woke up to another somewhat foggy morning, but I knew it would soon clear into a sunny day. The anchorage had a slight roll but nothing significant. In areas like this, sheltered behind a barrier reef, high tide brings more water over the reef, resulting in increased movement. Sometimes the difference is dramatic; other times it’s subtle enough not to matter. Today was the latter, making for an overall lovely morning.

Today we planned to sail on to the next group of islands, the Lindeman Group, bypassing the Anchor Islands which didn’t seem particularly interesting. At this point we weren’t feeling rushed, but we wanted to keep up our steady northward pace. The destination was Thomas Island, lying about seven miles to the north. With intriguing anchorages on both its northern and southern shores, I wondered if it might be worthwhile to visit both sides. Below, Thomas Island . . .

Reviewing the weather forecasts proved frustrating, with breezes shifting from north to northeasterly. This meant we needed an anchorage offering shelter from both directions. My chosen anchorage would be fine for northerlies, but Rich was concerned about easterlies, specifically an easterly swell. I proposed that we could give the spot a try, and if it wasn’t good, we could move.

I checked the map for a backup location and realized the perfect spot for today’s conditions would be right here at Goldsmith! When I shared this with Rich, he made a peculiar comment, something like  “only if you want a body on the boat.” Huh? He elaborated that he’d have to kill himself if we stayed here. Huh? I should have paid more attention to this, but instead I let it pass.

In human relationships, odd comments that don’t fit in the other’s perception of the big picture can be like little ticking bombs, warning of an explosion to come. Yet their oddness is the very thing that makes them so easy to overlook.

So, we brought up the anchor and headed north. Below, a map of the area:

Today was another motoring trip. One nice thing: the current flowed only half a knot here, much less drastic than it had been on our previous trips between islands. We’d been managing to go with it so far, but if the time came we had to go against it, it would be doable. The breeze was light, and we had our cockpit water misters on for the trip.

I was studying Thomas Island’s south side through the binoculars when the bomb went off. I don’t remember what triggered it, but suddenly Rich was exclaiming how unhappy he was with our cruise since leaving Gladstone. He didn’t like the daily short hops, the crowded, rolly anchorages, the poor water quality, and the lack of things to do. Huh? Gazing at him, I wondered if an alternate version of Rich had teleported here from a parallel universe, starkly different from the one where I’d been living.

Obviously we needed to have a discussion, difficult to do when both of us were now upset. I could counter all his issues, but that would be pointless. The bottom line was his unhappiness with our present circumstances, likely stemming from a combination of issues.

One thing was that for Rich, the negatives were weighing more heavily than the positives. My attention was on the nice places: enchanting Middle Percy, delightful Keswick, and picturesque Goldsmith. Meanwhile the less appealing spots–harrowing Hexham, menacing Curlew, and ominous Brampton island–cast a longer shadow for Rich. He was ready to move on from this region, wanting to bypass the Whitsunday Islands, now just a few hours ahead of us. I protested that skipping the Whitsundays would be like visiting Anaheim and deciding to skip Disneyland because you didn’t like the wax museum along the way!

We hashed things out. I proposed we could skip the entire Lindeman Island group and head directly for the Whitsundays. Once there, we could cruise through that area as quickly as possible. Rich agreed, and we proceeded to bypass Thomas Island. Below, I did manage to get photos of the island’s south side anchorages . . .

After a time, Rich softened and said he’d be willing stop at Shaw Island, just ahead of us, for the night. I set aside my own temporary apathy, spurred by a bout of grumpiness, to grab the opportunity and began scouting the best anchorage option.

Meanwhile I thought about our situation. A while back, I’d realized Rich wasn’t exactly enamored with Queensland coastal cruising and had taken care to pick only the best spots. I thought I’d accomplished this, but I hadn’t been “reading the room” and needed to do better.

Since the Whitsunday Islands are considered the cream of the crop for this area, they should be reliably nicer than the islands we’d visited so far.  However, I’d have to be even more discerning in my selection of anchorages, bypassing places that were merely “nice.” The challenge would be greater since I’d be depending on guidebook opinions as, astonishingly, there was no cell service/internet access in these islands.

I was hesitant to share this but decided it’s pertinent. This sort of scenario can be an unavoidable part of the cruising life. It’s common for some to feel a deep connection with certain locales, while others might experience an immediate aversion to a place or individual without any clear rationale.

For those not sailing solo, navigating this dynamic is likely inevitable unless one partner completely stifles themselves in favor of the more dominant person, which sadly I’ve witnessed out here, or if one person assumes complete control, disregarding the preferences of their companions. (This last dynamic is most often seen between parents and children or, quite naturally, between older captains and their younger crew.)

The best advice I can give is to try to keep the lines of communication open, but it’s easier said than done. Coming up next, Shaw Island in the Lindeman Islands. –Cyndi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Technical Consultant

January 8, 2024

I have been struggling with a decision for a few weeks about changes in my battery charging settings. Today I asked ChatGPT for help making the decision. I asked…

Can I talk something over with you? It’s regarding my lithium batteries and charging them with my alternator and Balmar regulator. Right now, the settings on the regulator are such that the charging cuts off too early, especially when we motor long distances. The batteries get to 100 percent, but just. I am considering changing the regulator settings to force the bulk charge time to be longer and setting the absorption voltage to be the same as the bulk voltage.

On the other hand, I’m thinking if it ain’t broke… I worry that the cells in the batteries aren’t getting equalized as they spend very little time at or near 100%. I opened the batteries and measured the individual cell voltages and they are within 0.002 volts of each other after almost two years of use since the last measurement. Maybe I shouldn’t mess something that’s working?

ChatGPT’s Response to Me…

It sounds like you’re carefully considering how to optimize the charging of your lithium batteries to ensure they are maintained in top condition, especially during long motoring distances. Your concern about the batteries cutting off too early in the charging process is valid, particularly with the goal of maximizing their lifespan and performance. Here are some thoughts and considerations:

  • Bulk and Absorption Voltage Settings: Setting the absorption voltage equal to the bulk voltage can indeed ensure that the batteries are fully charged, especially if the current setup seems to cut off the charge too early. This adjustment could help in achieving a deeper charge, potentially benefiting the battery’s longevity and usable capacity.
  • Equalization and Cell Balance: Your observation about the cell voltages being within 0.002 volts of each other is a good sign of balanced cells, which is crucial for lithium battery health. This balance indicates that your current setup has not adversely affected the battery’s internal equilibrium, which is a positive outcome.
  • If It Ain’t Broke: The adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is often wise, especially in complex systems where changes can have unintended consequences. Given the batteries are showing good balance and have been performing well under the current settings, there’s an argument to be made for maintaining your current setup, especially if it has been reliably supporting your needs.
  • Risks of Adjusting Settings: While adjusting the settings might improve charging efficiency or depth, it’s important to weigh this against the risk of potentially overcharging or stressing the batteries, which could affect their lifespan. Lithium batteries have specific charging requirements, and deviations from these parameters can sometimes lead to negative outcomes.
  • Consulting Manufacturer Guidelines: If you haven’t already, reviewing the manufacturer’s guidelines or reaching out to them (or a knowledgeable community) for advice on charging settings might provide insights tailored to your specific battery type. They might offer recommendations on whether your proposed changes are safe and beneficial for your battery model.
  • Monitoring After Changes: Should you decide to adjust the regulator settings, closely monitoring the batteries’ response to these changes would be crucial. Keep an eye on cell voltage balance, any signs of overheating, or unusual behaviors. This vigilance can help you quickly revert any adjustments if adverse effects are observed.

Given the balanced state of your battery cells and your thoughtful approach to their maintenance, either decision requires weighing the benefits of potentially improved charging against the risks of altering a currently stable and effective system. Your inclination to maintain a cautious approach reflects a wise strategy in managing sophisticated marine electrical systems.

My Conclusion:

While Chat didn’t give me any direct, conclusive answers, somehow it moved me more firmly into the “If it ain’t broke” camp. I think I’ll leave it alone and check the cell balance in another year.

I posted this incase it helps someone else, maybe with some other issue. While Cyndi is brilliant, talking things like this over with her isn’t usually productive.

ChatGPT has been a great consultant for technical issues. My last conversation was about our troublesome outboard engine. Again, I didn’t get a direct, conclusive fix for the issue but the discussion helped me figure things out. Now, with a new carburetor, it runs better than new!

-Rich