Sailing SV Delosvideo
What Can Go Wrong, WILL GO WRONG 😳 Sailing Vessel Delos Ep. 385
7 October 2022 · 23 min · 218K views · Gulf of Tehuantepec
What this video covers
SV Delos experiences a series of cascading electrical failures during a 220-mile passage toward Zihuatanejo, Mexico. The crew initially struggles with intermittent instrument blackouts, autopilot disconnections, and low-voltage alarms while motor-sailing into headwinds.16:17 After discovering a broken alternator belt and replacing it, the crew identifies the root cause as a shorted 24-volt to 12-volt converter.19:16 This component, which charges the starting battery, had internally melted and was intermittently drawing excessive load, causing the entire 24-volt system to fluctuate.18:17 Disconnecting the faulty converter stabilizes the navigation instruments and autopilot.19:41 The passage also includes a mid-ocean encounter with a panga of fishermen who were low on water and food, whom the crew assists with supplies.4:33 Despite the equipment challenges and adverse currents, the vessel maintains progress by tacking close to the coast to utilize favorable current shifts.7:34 Troubleshooting electrical systems requires isolating components to identify shorts that can cause secondary mechanical failures like belt wear.
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