A beautiful morning in the marsh. Clear, sunny, Skull Creek a smooth silver mirror, and 34F/1C when I walked down to GANNET at 8:30 with a feels like temperature of 27F/-3C. I was wearing a leather jacket, Polartec, and gloves and was not cold until I had to take my gloves off to open the combination lock on GANNET and go down below to disconnect the Evo battery I had left to charge overnight. As stated in the owner’s manual Evo batteries discharge to around 70% when stored. I do not know why. Torqeedo batteries did not. There was frost on grass and some plants and on the docks and GANNET’s mainsail. It was colder yesterday when Carol’s 8:30 tennis was postponed because of ice on the courts. Unheard of! She was able to play at noon.
GANNET is fully provisioned. I have yet to fill the water containers and properly arrange and tie down the bags in the forepeak, but I will not be sailing until at least January 19 and if the long range wind forecast is accurate several days later than that. The reason is not the cold, although I would prefer to wait until our temperatures return to normal. Highs on Hilton Head Island are normally 60F/5C in January. They are presently running considerably lower. I have good cold weather clothes of many layers from long underwear to two sets of foul weather gear and a dry suit. I left for Panama on a January morning with a temperature of 40F. However, I have just learned that I have been voted into the Moore 24 Hall of Fame and asked to participate in a Zoom call of the Moore Association’s end of year meeting January 18. I have agreed. I am particularly appreciative of this award because it comes from a group of sailors I respect and admire. That it gives me reason to wait a bit longer for warmth to return is a bonus.
I thank James for a link to a video about what might be the next thing after GPS, quantum navigation. I do not understand quantum physics. I read about it from time to time and seem to know the words, but the concepts and principles are beyond me. My first thought was that GPS is accurate enough. After all I navigated my first two circumnavigations with a sextant and was satisfied to know that my position was within a circle of probability five miles in diameter, so knowing it within a boat length is almost miraculous. I did immediately see the advantage of quantum navigation not being hackable, as GPS seemingly has been by governments, including probably ours, or attackable during war, and that it will work regardless of weather and even underground and water.
I don’t expect quantum navigation to become the standard in my limited remaining lifetime, but maybe yours.
1 comment:
Maybe they have the battery discharge to 70% over time to extend the life of the battery? I have an electric bike to help with my knee and I rarely charge the battery over 90% unless I'm planning a big ride the day before. And if I'm leaving time for a while or the weather is going to be bad then I try to store the battery at 60 to 80 percent charge. Not Charging to 100%, not discharging to 0% and storing at a medium charge are strategies that help a lithium battery last and maintain capacity.
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