Finally on the water!

First night at anchorage

We finally made it out of the marina on February 13th. Our first solo sail as a family. Very light winds meant that we had to motor to San Gabriel Bay on Epiritu Santos, but we were finally putting the new boat and ourselves through our paces and figuring everything out.

Like every home, there are so many systems to figure out and maintenance routines to get into. We knew that two friends would be heading our way in a few short days and we needed to see if the boat needed anything that we could order and have brought down. 

The first night we were treated to hundreds of Frigatebirds. They are really beautiful to watch in the sky. They have the greatest ratio of wingspan to body weight of any bird, catch their meals in the air, cannot swim and can spend a week or more in the air never touching down.

Those really tiny black spots in the sky are hundreds of Frigatebirds at sunset

Sunset at the anchorage, a few other boats enjoying the calm waters as well.

Finally able to get off of the boat, the kids explore the white sandy beach and extensive shoal.

Off the boat and out of the marina!

To their delight, they find numerous dead puffer fish that have washed ashore and dried, deflated, on the sand. Tide pools, long sticks and plenty of shells are all they need to begin a game of pirate explorers. 

 

 Snorkling the shallow water, we find urchin and numerous colorful fish. One special fish is all black with a brilliant blue collar lining his neck behind his gills. Still haven't found that one in the fish books.

Time to try out the new snorkel gear!

On our dinghy ride back to the boat, we swing by the Frigatebird colony in the southeast corner of the crescent shaped bay. The Frigatebirds make a spectacular racket and are really fun and beautiful to watch. There were many males puffing up their red throats around the females and many young, the size of their mothers, but different coloring, being fed mouth to mouth.

Later in the day, Mike starts the motor and finds that the voltage is not registering, seems like we are not able to recharge the 12V battery bank - bad alternator? Our plan to stay out a couple of more days is cut short and we head straight back to the marina the following morning to troubleshoot and to order a backup alternator that one of friends can bring down with him. Have a backup alternator for the 24V, but, of course, not for the 12V.

Back at the marina, after a great deal of troubleshooting by Mike (so thankful to have a mechanically inclined partner!) we discover that the alternator works if the engine is throttled up, but not in neutral. Though, it had worked fine the previous days, so intermittent? Anyway, crisis averted and backup alternator on the way just in case.