Since our last post we have been getting a lot done on the boat in preparation for our upcoming trip to Alaska in April. One of the things that we did was update the boat's power. As many of you boaters out there know a lot of the marinas are updating their power to the new ELCI- power protected power to help prevent leaking current from getting into the water and electrocuting people. While this is a good thing it is trouble for a lot of boats including ours. You have heard me mention this in past blogs and talking about having to run our generator at a dock because this ELCI power trips our breakers. Well, I'm happy to report we have no more leeks. After seven full days on the boat with two electricians they have basically rewired our entire boat to prevent any leeks. Excited, nervous and a little skeptical we wanted to put our new upgrade to the test so we headed across the Sound to one of our favorite places on Bainbridge Island - Eagle Harbor. We have been here twice before, once by ferry when we visited Seattle and once on our own boat in October where we had to dock at the end so our generator wouldn't disturb the other boaters since their power didn't work with our boat. This would be the real test.
Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island
A short 6.3 mile cruise would take us back to our peaceful spot on the dock and after an uneventful cruise we were tied up and ready to plug in. Jeff handed me the cord off the bow and I got us plugged in and flipped on the light switch sending power to the boat. Jeff went inside and turned the boat power on and just as the electricians had promised we had power. We were ecstatic. Both Jeff and I are both healthy skeptics and until we see certain things for ourselves we just don't full trust them. This was one of them.
We settled in for little lunch and then set out into town to walk one of our favorite main streets. The scene was the same and several people were walking around (all masked thank god), business were open but we did not go in. It was nice to be back in a familiar place and not anxious about not having power.
Walking into Eagle Harbor
Plugged into Power- Eagle Harbor Town Dock
Ferry at Sunset
After lunch and a nice stroll I was ready to head back to Elliott Bay in order to get there before the overnight small craft warning went into effect. Jeff on the other hand was still on a power high from our newly upgraded power that he didn't want to leave. We have made the mistake more then once embarrassingly of going out during a small craft warning and none of those experiences have been good. Crossing Lake Ontario we emptied the contents of two refrigerators. Rounding Tampa Bay we took water over the transom into the back deck. I told Jeff never again would I go out in a small craft and yet somehow he convinced me to stay saying the small craft was really more to the north of us and we would be fine. I only conceded under the caveat that if it was too bad out there we would stay a second night in Eagle Harbor. This seemed to please the captain and we settled in for the night.
The next morning was as expected for a small craft - gusting winds in the harbor and lots of chop in the Sound. While the ride back wasn't anything like Lake Ontario or Tampa Bay it just wasn't something I enjoy being in. Feeling like I'm in a washing machine and taking spray over the sides isn't a nice day of causing for me. Once back I reiterated my knowledge of not going out in a small craft warming to which I was replied, "It's good training."
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