Abrooa., Ilha Grande

Our run back to Abrooa from Angra was interesting! We decided to give Fredlet,our newly aquired back up auto pilot a test run. Anyone behind us on the water must have thought we were smoking our socks! I'd set the course, engage the pilot , press "SET", and then "1", and we would immediatly do a 180deg spin! Because of the position of the pedestal brace, and the length of the belt, the drive unit had to be mounted back to front. To compensate, I had mounted the gyro compass a matching 180 deg in reverse! But it was TOO Clever, and would not be fooled as simply as that ! It could work out where it really was, and decided to prove it! So I then took the gyro out of the bracket, and held it facing forward, as was intended, and tried again. This time we started out ok, until a small course correction was required, at which point the correction to port, generated a starboard command to the drive unit, which immediately demanded a further port correction, which resulted in an even bigger starboard command to the drive unit, until we were going 180 deg backwards again! I then tried to adjust the settings manually, which threw the whole system into a succession of ever increasing wild zig zagging adjustments. Two islands . a power boat, and a fisherman watched our unique methods of pilotage and resulting koeksister course !

Jeremy joined us on the beach for a Moqueca and beer lunch , on Mary's birthday, before we headed back to the boat ahead of the threatening cold front. We had invited Jeremy and Yvonne, and Fransisco & Petro , (who had heard it was Mary's birthday, and arrived at the boat with 2 fresh bonitos) for supper and a party! We had a "lekker jol", and sat up late, playing music, burning lights, and generally flattening our batteries! With all the overhead cloud, and little wind, we are getting no help from nature in recharging batteries, and are reliant on the genset and main engine to do so.

The next day was spent trying to persuade the genset to be reasonable, and give us some help! It had obviously been conniving with Fredlet, and the "heads", and decided not to play ball! Roy Mcbride says that Autopilots and Marine toilets are related cousins. He's right, but what he does not know, is that they were all educated by gensets ! It seems the governer adjustment has wandered to a point where the voltage and cycles are out of range of manipulation by loading all appliances, and it has once again joined Cosatu, and gone on strike! Today is the beginning of the Festival of St Pedro & St Paulus, which is yet another of the Brasilian excuses to party! The whole village of Abrooa has been decorated with flags, and stalls selling all manner of things are lining the streets. We know the music will go on to the small hours, and we a pleased, that once again we have chosen to anchor some way off! Meanwhile, we will definitely venture forth to watch and enjoy their celebrations, before having another crack at the genset tomorrow!
cheers for now .