Not sure I will ever claim to be an AC/DC Heavy Metal fan.  I did think I would be cute and try to find a nice line from a song for the title of this blog post, but I am fully assured that I am not an AC/DC fan.  However, I am growing a deep respect for alternating current and direct current.

First off, it was a hard lesson learned how to use a volt meter.  If you have ever had an opportunity to play around with one, there are so many different settings that will give you a lot of information other than what you are looking for.  Often misleading.  After needing to replace the battery switch, I thought I had done a great job and it was simple.  But I was wrong!  After sailing with John and LB one afternoon, I wanted to sleep on the boat.  When I attempted to turn on the house lights I was shocked when the lights were so faint that you could only admit to yourself something was wrong.  I wracked my brain.  I asked for help.  Grabbing the volt meter, I put it on the batteries and came up with a very disturbing number: 27 volts.

27 volts!  That is not ok.  I have a 12 volt system.  All items run off 12 volts.  How would I be getting 27 volts?  I asked for some help.  The insight was basically: “Curious” “I don’t get it.”  “There is something not right.”  Not helpful.  After 5 people tried to understand, the final person, Mike, asks if he could take look.  I was a bit at my wits end and not super excited to go through all the things I knew and understood.  Then Mike says, “Let me look at the battery again.  Your terminal is loose.  Let me tighten this down.”  Then BAM!  The lights come on!  Everything is humming and ready to go.  The Yanmar turns over and we are back in business.

My electrical system will be needing an overhaul for sure.  It appears like a few good intentioned people added their two cents to the system, without wanting to disturb the work prior to theirs.  I want to create a network of electrical in Yankee Girl that is safe, clean, and simple.  Right now all three of these qualifications are not up to snuff.  I will get there.

It is clear that Yankee Girl will help me keep on track with my theme of 2016:  Curiosity.  We will discover so much together.  I will be in a very different place with Yankee Girl this time next year.

“Curiosity is the essences of human existence and exploration has been part of humankind for a long time.  The exploration of space, like the exploration of life, if you will, is a risk.  We’ve got to be willing to take it.”  Gene Cernan, US Astronaut, the eleventh person to walk on the moon.