Never Assume

by Christine Kling

If you are reading this post it is because I didn't make it to Green Turtle Cay in time in order to write something more substantial.  I assumed I would be out of Fort Lauderdale by now, but it is Wednesday evening and we are getting ready to leave in about an hour and I realized, I hadn't ought to assume something will be ready to go by Friday.

Here's tonight's forecast:

South southeast winds 5 to 8 knots becoming west southwest around 5 knots. Seas less than 2 feet. Dominant period 3 seconds. Intracoastal waters smooth. Slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening.

It looks like a long boring motorsail, but I'm not assuming anything.  I'll be wearing my harness and the boat is ready for higher winds and bigger seas.

I assumed my boat was ready to go last Saturday and I kissed my son good-bye and motored down to Lake Sylvia.  The boat with whom I am buddy-boating for the crossing had just broken their shift cable, so I said I would wait a day.  By Sunday afternoon, my batteries were heading south.  I called my friends and they said there was an empty slip in their little marina since one boat was in the yard and I could come in.  I assumed, I could find the source of my problem.

Well, today is Wednesday and I finally had a professional marine electrician out on the boat today.  I thought I had some kind of ground problem.  It seemed every time I motored somewhere and then anchored out, my batteries went flat all too soon.  I'd cleaned connections, replaced batteries, searched for answers.

Turns out my alternator cable was not attached so it was putting out nada.  I'd never checked that.  I'd assumed that last year when a dear friend had helped me take the starter off and have it rebuilt that things had got put back to right.  I'd just assumed that when I'd been doing all that motoring, I was charging my batteries.  I often have been helped by the kindness of friends and I appreciate it, but I can't always assume that all gets done right  – either by friends or the pros.  I'll find out later this week if the pro was right and that was my only problem.

Lesson learned.  Never assume.  It was a $200.00 lesson this time.  Ouch.

Fair winds!

Christine

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