At 3 am the night before, we found out that the batteries were not charging and even after shutting everything down, the engine died just after we crossed the bar going into Westport. This is because the fuel pump and solenoid need power to keep the engine running, and although there were two alternators on the engine (one for the start battery and one for the house bank), they share a regulator and because the solenoid needs power to open the fuel line and keep it open during operation. After the engine died we sailed back and forth until a boat came out to tow us in. I was tempted to sail the boat in because I know the marina well, and the wind was favorable, but fishing boats were coming and going, and the entrance was tight with poor visibility around the breakwater. This is a tough one because part of me knows I can get the boat on the dock without the tow and save the owner some money, but part of me knows that if I’m coming in and there is a collision, I’m liable as the licensed captain. Most marinas do not allow sailing in. This is the question of “can you” vs “should you”. I spoke at length with Capt Ray McCormack (link below) after he sunk a boat in Mexico about this issue exactly. It is easy to see yourself as many customers do, ie: “get a boat from A to B, whatever the risk, despite whatever stops working”. I want to help however my skills allow, but the primary reason I’m hired to move the boat is to make prudent decisions and only “cowboy” and ”jury rig” when all other options have been exhausted.

Once in we speak with an electrician at Balmar and learn that the Alternator went out of production 25 years ago. He advises us to clear the regulator’s computer by switching the battery type to lead acid and then back to lithium. This is easier said than done. To keep their regulators resistant to the marine environment, the components are encased in resin so you have to use a special Balmar screwdriver with a little magnet on the back to cycle through the menu while referring to the manual. We run a dockside test, and it appears to be charging.