We woke up and instantly began looking into our electrical issues. It was determined that the inverter was fried and that the alternator was not charging the batteries. So the first thing to do was set the solar panels to maximize input to the batteries.
Then we took the spare alternator which we had repaired in Barra and switched them out. David figured that there was a short coming from one of the starter batteries ( which were older) that was causing a surge in power to the house batteries.
So we took the dinghy to shore and while we were having breakfast we started up a conversation with one of the locals. Just so happens this guy was very knowledgeable and was able to recommend a place to buy new batteries (Chin Chun). We bought 2 for 2800 pesos and then received 400 pesos back once we turned in the old batteries. The batteries were hooked up and ran the engine. Things were charging at 15 Amps which seemed a bit low but we figured it was due to the fact that the house batteries were not that low to begin with.
While we were in town we scouted the place out. The town is very neat with lots of shops for tourists and markets and restaurants. We will leave more exploration for another day.
Fixing our electrical issues was our priority and a new inverter, at a cost of $2000 - $3000 delivered, was not possible at this time so we had to find a work around. Other sailors had told us that availability and costs of things in Panama are similar to those in the US so we might look into it when we get there. In the meantime we can charge the batteries, run the motor, run the refrigeration and run the water maker.
David also found a 12VDC to 115 VAC high efficiency 300 watt power inverter that came with the boat that plugs into a cigarette lighter. What the heck - let's try it. It seemed to be doing the trick so we were able to charge the phone and iPad and my Braun mixer for making smoothies! It only draws 5 A so we may be okay. The only thing it will not do is connect to shore power since the shore power comes in via the inverter to our distribution panel. But we can live with that right now because we are mostly at anchor.
So for a day that had the potential to upset both of us it turned out okay!
We celebrated with a wonderful Thai Prawn stir fry - found some wonderful fresh basil at the market - and free live music from the shore. And sat in the cockpit watching the thunder heads develop as we were entertained by another of Mother Nature's light show - but no rain!
22-Nov-14 well I guess our electrical problems are not over. The alternator seems to max out at a charging rate of 15 Amps which is not enough for our requirements. And the portable inverter is making funny noises. So back to the drawing board!
Okay - so let's deal with some of the things that we know we can deal with. We went to shore and arranged a delivery of water and fuel to the boat on Sunday.
Then we went for breakfast where we met a nice couple from Vancouver. They partner with 3 other couples on a condo. And here is where the 6 degrees of separation shows up again. They are members of the West Vancouver yacht club so David threw out a couple of names. It ends up that one of their partners used to be a business partner of David and his Dad. Anyway Don and Susan were more then generous with their offers to help us out anyway they could - checking out with a local contractor for a name of an alternator repair shop, offering us a bed, shower, laundry. They have friends coming down next week and even offered their services if we wanted to buy something in Vancouver and they would bring it down. The generosity of people is sometimes overwhelming.
We thanked them and said we would get back to them - would try the cheapest route first and see about getting the alternator rebuilt first.
There wasn't anything we could do until Monday so we decided to check out the town and the market. Check out the picture!
The market was something out. I guess when the head of the cow is bleeding out on the floor you can assume that the meat is fresh! When you ask for hamburger they trim up a piece of meat and grind it there - nothing is prepackaged. And the pork chops are cut to the desired thickness when you order them! We are having trouble finding good bread but there is no shortage of fresh fruit and vegetables!
There are some beautiful statues throughout the town, depicting it's heritage as a fishing
Town.
Zihuatanejo is a fishing village and the bay is dotted with boats of all shapes and sizes. The fisherman bring in their catch and just lay them out on the beach for you to purchase.
They bring in Marlin, yellow fin tuna, mackerel, red snapper and other unrecognizable fish. Boats range from wooden canoe type boats, to panga's, to big power boats.
Parking lot of panga's on the beach.
23-Nov-14 Sunday. We used it as a day of rest for us also. It continues to be sunny, thank goodness so we are still able to generate enough solar energy to keep our batteries up. Our water and diesel arrived at 10 o'clock as promised.
We have 4 ways of getting water on the boat - from the easiest to the most involved. The first is to attach a hose to the outlet on the dock and put the other end into the tank and fill them up. Of course, this is the way we did it in Canada and the US when the water at the dock is potable. The second is when the water is not potable (safe to drink)' we put it through our 3 part filter system and then fill the tanks. The third is to desalinate sea water which we only do when we are out of the marinas and the motor is running at a rate of 1.5 gallons per hour. And the last, which is what we did in Zihuatanejo was to have a panga deliver it in 20 liter jugs as shown in the pictures below.
The water cost 200 pesos for 200 liters and the diesel cost 1600 pesos for 100 liters. Remember to divide by 10 to get the Approximate Canadian equivalent.
Once the water was transferred in the tanks and Hilda and her gang came back to retrieve the empties and our garbage we decided to take the rest of the day off to play. We took the dinghy to Playa Ropa to swim and snorkel.
Monday 24-Nov-14
We went back to Daniel's restaurant as they have Wifi and a power outlet for me to charge my iPad. We had breakfast and then we left my iPad at the restaurant without paying the bill to find an ATM. I trusted them with my iPad and they trusted me to come back and pay the bill! I spent the next 3 hours getting it charged and reading my book and writing this blog. David had success with the alternator guy. He also found some places to buy cheap filters for the watermarker and another cigarette charger that my iPad will plug into.
We can now change an alternator in less than 45 minutes!
On Tuesday we brought the other alternator in for a check up. We also took the bus to Ixtapa. It was pretty enough and the beach was lovely but really - you could have been in Miami or Honalulu. Too touristy and upscale for us. We did check out the marina and they have begun to drege the entrance. But we still were not that impressed. It is a long way from anywhere and I think you would still end up in Zihuatanejo if you wanted to provision. The Chandlery had a few things but nothing like Manzanillo.
The second alternator was really sick and required more time to get it operational. So we called up Don and Susan and arranged to meet them for lunch. Here is the view from their condo. I swam the length of this beach the day before while David followed me in the dinghy. It was fun getting into the dinghy from out in the bay - brought back memories which I know Susan and Kelly can both remember!
We had a lovely lunch at Paty's and then walked the beach. Anyone know this beach bum? And we found out another coincidence as Don and Susan also know our friend Al!
David is off to get the repaired alternator - 1000 pesos - but better than buying a new one. We checked out at the Port Captains. And tomorrow we will head to Alcapulco where we have a name of a marine electrician shop. We are hoping to have him look over the entire system and see what he can do. Alcapulco is about 150 nm away and will be a two day trip.
All in all, we really liked it here. It still has the feeling of a fishing village. The people were kind. Even though it has grown immensely since David was here last, it is still worth a revisit.
No comments:
Post a Comment