Weird sudden loss of 12V DC.

[Bycrick]

As always, the world seems to be divided into two kinds of people: those who believe that the solution to technology problems is more technology, and those who feel that in the face of technology problems, one should be able to survive without.

I’m firmly in the latter camp.

When one is isolated from support systems (eg wilderness camping or offshore cruising), one needs to understand what they have with them, how to use it, how to fix it, or how to survive without it.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Bycrick

As always, the world seems to be divided into two kinds of people: those who believe that the solution to technology problems is more technology, and those who feel that in the face of technology problems, one should be able to survive without.

I’m firmly in the latter camp.

When one is isolated from support systems (eg wilderness camping or offshore cruising), one needs to understand what they have with them, how to use it, how to fix it, or how to survive without it.

You are not alone.

[Bycrick]

A very common way for old battery switches to fail is for the spring or plastic shaft or plastic plate that support the movable contacts to break. When that happens, you might have continuity across the contacts, but it won’t carry much, if any, current.

[thinwater]

This thread sure got over complicated.
* Always know more or less where you are.
* Switch to coastal piloting. Have at least some paper charts and a hand bearing compass.


Heck, most days I don't turn the GPS on. Within a day sail of home I don't need it, and I don't go sailing to watch TV. As a result, I remain fully comfortable with simple coastal navigation, just as I was 40 years ago when I started sailing. Just enjoy the wind and all you can see.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by thinwater

This thread sure got over complicated.
* Always know more or less where you are.
* Switch to coastal piloting. Have at least some paper charts and a hand bearing compass.


Heck, most days I don't turn the GPS on. Within a day sail of home I don't need it, and I don't go sailing to watch TV. As a result, I remain fully comfortable with simple coastal navigation, just as I was 40 years ago when I started sailing. Just enjoy the wind and all you can see.

You do bearings on land features etc. instead of turning on the plotter? Or are there no hazards that require careful navigation?

I mean if you love to sail instead of watching TV as you say, then wouldn’t a quick glance at a chart plotter be better than spending 15 minutes with binoculars, bearing compass and paper charts?

[Spot]

If there was a failure at a 1-2-both-off switch, could one just attach the needed wires to the same stud or bolt them together with loose hardware to bypass the switch?

I have used jumper cables more than once to boost the engine start battery with the generator start battery of the RV. I cannot say I have a set on my one battery boat...

[rslifkin]

I never leave the dock without the plotter on, but in familiar waters I don't start up the laptop I use as a second plotter. And realistically, in familiar waters I rarely look at the plotter for more than speed and depth display. But it helps that I grew up boating with a loran, paper charts, and local knowledge as navigation methods. So if I know the area, I'm comfortable working off my knowledge more than the charts.

[Captain Bill]

On last count I had 23 GPS devices that I normally carry on my boat. Only five of which are dependent on the boat's 12V system. Granted a couple of them only give me my position, but it would take me several days to run down all of their batteries. I also keep an ample supply of disposable batteries for several of those units. I imagine that with a little care I could probably stretch my usable GPS availability to a couple of weeks.



I have also lost my house bank and had to manually connect my start bank to the house side. Of course as always when such things happen it was 0200 120 miles off shore in the gulf stream in 6-7ft seas on a new moon night and of course I had been up for 36 hours or so. Also we were in what seemed to be a fairly popular shipping lane as I could see the lights of 4 freighters and had been tracking them on radar when we went dark. My electronic battery combiner had died a couple of days before and in infinite(simally small) wisdom I had decided to replace it once we got to NC. I can't imagine going to sea without enough understanding of my boat's systems to bypass a bad switch. Also I would recommend keeping a couple of LED portable lights on board with plenty of spare batteries. It gets pretty dark in places you need to get to when all of your house lights run on your house bank that just failed.