Passage Log: Anders Quest (2)

Sunday, June 02 - Anacortes, WA

Unfortunately, I am writing to you from our new slip at the dock, two slips down from the first one. Back on launch day, we lost about three gallons of coolant due to a faulty radiator cap. Despite this massive leak, the system was still full a day later. Puzzled, we inspected the engine and discovered a leak between the raw water cooling system and the synthetic coolant system. Salty ocean water was getting into places it wasn’t supposed to be getting! So, we returned to the marina to address the issue.

Above, Anders inspects the heat exchanger.

While disappointing, these systems must work perfectly before we start north. Our upcoming route features many technical moves - squeezing through narrow passes and potentially fighting strong 4-5 knot currents. Having a reliable engine isn’t only a convenience, it’s a necessity. We’re also having trouble with our generator, our primary means of charging the house battery bank. The house battery bank supplies power to everything on board: navigation equipment, water pumps, lights, etc. While the engine can handle some charging if it has to, the generator is much more efficient and allows for hot showers :) 

Anders, the owner of Quest, was a heavy equipment operator and diesel mechanic in his past life. He has all the right tools and knowledge to dive into these projects successfully. Not only does he have technical competency, but his attitude around delay has also been truly impressive. Anders is a person who absorbs the information of a problem, allows himself to feel frustrated for about 10 seconds, and then immediately moves on to problem-solving. He kicks ass! It is clear how determined he is to get the boat off the dock and resume the adventure. I’m inspired by his positive attitude and amazing drive to solve problems. 

For my part, I’ve spent the past couple of days passing Ander’s a wrench or two and setting up briefings for the crew regarding safety, line handling, and emergency procedures. I’ve also designed and installed a couple of new pieces of rigging: a new reefing system on the mizzen and a pair of running backstays. I cooked a pretty great coconut curry, too.

In the evenings, we have been enjoying delicious family dinners, including lamb stew and Shepherd's pie. Crew morale remains high thanks to daily gratitudes, boat dogs, music, and the occasional game of Yahtzee!

That’s all for now! Check back in soon for some more sailing-like action (hopefully)!

// Ben