Nerves of Steel



Native Village of Marktosis

 


Fog As Seen From Marktosis

 




While at Ahousat, we visited the general store and public wharf and also motored to the nearby Native village of Marktosis.  The village is perhaps one of the poorest of Native villages with dusty dirt streets and derelict houses, which reminded us of Mexico.  A beautiful new school was being built, however, and there were a few newer houses.  An elderly Native woman came out to greet us and showed us her smoke house and the old church next door.  We have found Natives to be very friendly and seem as content and happy as anyone.  We took the dinghy back to the boat and prepared to depart.  When we started the main engines, we noted a lack of charging voltage from the engine alternators.  As a temporary circumvention, we started and ran the Genset (the on-board generator) to provide needed electrical power to run the boat's engines and electronics.  The Genset is normally used to provide electricity when not connected to shore power.  In addition to the immediate electrical challenge, we also had fog, which meant attentive navigation while running the radar requiring additional electrical power.  Since we had just entered a cell phone coverage area, Leonard called “Ample Power” for technical support while I piloted the boat out of the small cove and around Flores Island avoiding other vessels with radar tracking.  “Ample Power” is the maker of the “Smart Controller” which controls the battery charging process.  They suggested various tests that would help isolate the problem.  By the time we reached Calmus Passage, the fog had lifted and we arrived at Tofino, where boat traffic was heavy and the docks appeared full.  We were told to raft up next to another boat; but as we came in, we were redirected to a different space requiring delicate maneuvering in very tight spaces.  After docking and getting our lines secure, we were told that we had to leave because the space belonged to a commercial fishing boat that would be coming in soon.  The dock attendant created another space for us by moving a moored boat back a few feet.  Once again, we had to leave the dock and enter an even tighter space; it was so tight that we only had a couple of feet to spare – Leonard skillfully maneuvered into the space while I gave distances on the hand-held radio.  We secured the lines and turned off the engines, enough challenge for one day!  After a breather, Leonard got back on the phone with “Ample Power” to continue resolving the power charging issue.  After completing the suggested electrical tests, we discovered that the source of the problem was low voltage to the “Smart Controller” and the suspect was a fuse.  The fuse was not conducting enough electricity as it should.  We replaced it with a new fuse and everything was back to normal – a sigh of relief and big smiles.  The whole day was a test of preparedness: we had spare fuses on board and a volt meter tester onboard.  We also knew we could motor using the Genset as a backup power source.  When we arrived at Tofino, we needed to use shore power to charge the batteries hence the need for dock space.  Yes, there was yet another challenge, our high precision volt meter stopped working so Leonard used our cheaper backup volt meter until he could buy a new one in town the next morning.  Poseidon seemed to be throwing challenges at us all day; and thankfully, the challenges were met, a testament to planning ahead.




Smart Controller Board

 


15 amp "Slow Blow" Fuse

 


 


Tight Fit Off Bow



Tight Fit Off Stern