A Miracle

The boat has been cured of it's affliction, and can sail again. I wasn't sure what to do with myself, and all the time I had on my hands yesterday. Now, when I turn the wheel, the boat turns in that direction. Previously, when I turned the wheel, the boat might some time later turn in that direction, or depending on the wind and waves, might turn in the other direction.

Electrical problems seem banished as well, despite fears that the low fluid level in the starter battery ruined it. The batteries hold a charge for much longer, and the starter worked consistently.

The engine is giving me a little trouble. It's always a little cranky (pardon the pun), when it hasn't been run for a few days. I decided that adjusting the idle speed screw would solve the problem of stalling while idling. But when I tried to turn it, the head broke off.

Also, I don't know what to do with the NWS predictions. They seem almost useless. Yesterday, they were calling for Northerly 15-20 knot winds in the morning, diminishing to 10 knots in the afternoon. Instead, the wind blew hard from about 8-9 am, then died. I motored most of the way down the coast, until the wind picked up a little from the East, and I was able to sail for about an hour.