Hilton Head Island: .500

Batting .500 in baseball even for a short stretch is outstanding and no has batted even .400 for an entire season since Ted Williams did it the year I was born.  However .500 for tiller pilots is not so good.

I biked to GANNET this morning.  During her circumnavigation and even when in the marina in San Diego GANNET was complete, but since trucking her here a year ago I have moved much off her to store in the dock box or at the condo, so I wanted to find out if I still had essentials on board.  With the exception of a bottle of Laphroaig, which some might not consider actually to be essential and I can live without for a brief period, they are.  

I filled one 5 gallon jerry can and my four smaller day bottles with water.

I fit the Torqeedo on the stern.  It started as this one always has.  Good Torqeedo.

I brought up a tiller pilot and plugged it in.  Instead of the usual beep when it first comes on, it made a constant shrill sound and none of the controls worked.  I went down below and brought up another tiller pilot.  Plugged it in.  Same constant sound; same dysfunction.  This caused me to wonder if something had gone wrong with the wiring.  I went below, cleared bags, foul weather gear, and Avon off the starboard pipe berth, slithered aft with a headlamp.  The wires were properly attached.

I slithered back to the Great Cabin, crawled onto the v-berth and took the remaining two tiller pilots on deck.  Plugged one in.  Single beep and it worked.  Plugged the other in.  Single beep and it worked.

Of the tiller pilots, the two that don’t work date from 2019, the two that do work date from 2019 and 2015.  The one from 2015 should go in the Raymarine tiller pilot hall of fame.  The two that don’t work are still under warranty.  I have brought them up to the condo to send to Raymarine.  We should arrange a regular courier service.

After this charming exercise, I went down below and applied another coat of oil to the companionway bulkhead and the floorboards.  Closed up and biked home.

Tomorrow I go for a sail.  Although our fine weather is not accompanied by much wind—I see nothing more than eight knots for several days—it will be good to be on the water and watch the sunset at anchor somewhere.