A little run out (twice) and some almost springlike sun

Well, it seemed sad to let the lovely new coppercoat finish and all that cleaned up sterngear get grubby quickly, So, we gave the boat a very short run out. Short indeed as you can see:

More like short and confusing really, all that looping around stuff. the good news was that this warmed up the main engine oil so it could be changed when we got back. The bad news was that it was grey and gloomy for the trip. Still, it is the winter. The even worse news was that the vibration which we had noticed on our run back across the channel was worse. Much worse. No way was that just a shaft alignment issue - there had to be something around the prop or something serious going on down there. Most likely something around the prop as vibration was also evident on the steering arm. Something the rope cutter had not dealt with......

When we manoeuvred back onto the berth, plenty of chopped up fishing net was around us in the water. Could that be the cause?

Oil duly changed, a few other bits and bobs tinkered with, some time in the house sorting out a furniture fit for the toddlers and then it was time to give the boat another run to check. Fingers were firmly crossed that the fishing net was a) the cause and b) all gone. This time the sun was out and the world looked like a different place. The route was even more confusing:

Lots of loops round to check that the rudder was clear as well, then a wait for the Wightlink ferries to clear the (shallow) fairway. Lymington seems to be silting up badly now, some very shallow patches in the entrance channel. Either that or our sounder is teasing us.

The vibration - gone luckily. Still a little more movement than we would like at higher (well beyond normal cruise) rpm so the plan to get the shaft alignment checked still stands. At least we think we have avoided a lift out. Thank you spurs cutters:

At least this is how the manufacturers visualise them working. Frankly we don't care too much as long as they chop up the floating debris left by our best buddies the commercial fishing folks. If it isn't pot markers, it is discarded chunks of net.

Maintenance stuff has been progressing slowly, mainly as we've had visitors and also been doing some house things ready for the toddlers' return. We know that sounds like a pub name and whilst away in Tenerife they probably imbibe a fair quantity anyway. We did finish fitting and tidying up the wiring to a rather good current inrush limiter. Our soft start was working OK but in some marinas we can still trip the shorepower breakers when our isolation transformer fires up. The power spike it uses is enough to upset sensitive breakers on some shore systems.

So, the rather smart Norn Iron man Keith who is a proper HVAC engineer type found a suitable current inrush limiter for us. Duly fitted, it has been perfect since, in various locations and with 32 and 16 amp inlets. Thanks Keith:

The grey lump with stickers on at the bottom is part of the enormous transformer. Being electrically isolated from the shorepower and protected from all the nasty things that can happen like rapidly eroding sterngear etc is reassuring.

It was a good investment (not that expensive really) and protects the more sensitive new shorepower breakers which they are fitting, from the start-up demands of the isolation transformer. This AC power stuff is most confusing to normal mortals - the DC stuff makes much more sense. Root mean squared numbers and using calculus to work out what is happening in circuits - far too complex for our brains. As are many things now, senility must be setting in or just pure sloth. We hope it is the latter but fear the former.