All is not well. Putting into Bermuda for a fix and Restart

There are a number of issues – mostly electrical and electric. This department has been a problem all along and several experts have not solved it. Here are the items in order of becoming an issue since leaving St. Augustine just five days ago.

1. Main auto pilot over works and squirrels the boat. Different settings do not seem to help.

2. Loosing battery power fast despite three hydrogenators down. Last voyage just one down was usually enough to keep up the batteries. Three down makes three vulnerable to damage.

3. Clearly there is a battery drain. Steve noticed this in the day or two before I left such that when shore power was off batteries depleted fast. We have to find reason.

4. Electrical short on cockpit B and G display – can’t touch control knob without getting a shock. Also, it won’t turn off.

5. Secondary autopilot failed this morning and for a time both were inoperable causing boat to do an accidental jibe – light winds no harm done.

6. New refrigeration unit (other failed before departure) overheating and too hot to touch. Will lose most/all frozen meats.

7. Finally noticed two days ago the water ballast tanks do not hold the water, it simply drains across to the lower tank. Also, can’t dump water from port tank. This will handicap me in strong winds and limit how much sail I can carry.

The above would not be enough to stop me if I were over half way but I have barely begun. Like Dodge Morgan I shall put into Bermuda and get ready to restart. Hopefully time does not run out on this season.

P.S. Commanders Weather said that we handled the storm well and are ahead of where they thought I would be. Looks like some 12 hours ahead and that despite the above mentioned difficulties.