As we add and fix things on the boat, we have to work out the kinks that come with it. For instance, learning to use the new autopilot system we installed recently. Apparently you shouldn’t select the system to “engage” before you get off of your mooring ball, dock or wherever you are starting from.
We learned this the hard way as we set out for a cruise, and ended up about 30 feet from our neighboring sailboat, with no control of the steering… yikes! The problem, as Will discovered after reversing away from our neighbor, was that the autopilot turned our rudders hard to port to “get us on course.” Of course, what the autopilot couldn’t see was the boat that was in our path… oy.
Change Of Plans
Once we understood that the autopilot was to blame for our rough start, it worked fine after that. It’s a nice feature to have on long trips, so long as there aren’t any lobster traps, sea life or boats in your planned route.
As we continued on our trip and rounded the bend into the Atlantic, we realized the seas were a bit rougher than forecasted. There was no sense in having to endure another 2-hours of rocking side to side to get to Bocca Grande, so we changed our course to a local anchorage just outside of Key West.
Testing The New Anchor
The purpose of the trip was really to test the new anchor to see how she holds. We wanted a nice sandy bottom for testing, but settled for the more clay-like bottom in Pearl Basin.
She did great! She held us through sunset, where we were able to get some cool photos of the boat. We were about to start dinner when we noticed the anchor was dragging. The current had shifted, which must have broken us loose and left us scrambling to pull up anchor. By now, it was dark, and we decided to return to the safety of our mooring ball for the night.
I’ll admit, it was a bit disappointing. The trip itself was great. The autopilot worked well, the anchor’s bridle worked well, the new dinghy bridle worked well… but we left with some reservations about the anchor itself.
The Video
Here’s some footage from our short voyage. The fate of our anchor… well, you’ll just have to tune in to the next episode to see!
1 comment
Comment by Celeste
Celeste April 3, 2020 at 10:13 pm
Love the picture quality – the sunset was amazing and WHATTT You missed Jiimmy B? Love you both and your adventures, Stay safe and well. See you on the other side of the quarantine XOXO Mom