Despite all our precautions, we got a dreaded message from our marina. We left the boat about 5 weeks ago and we had someone on their staff going aboard periodically just to check and make sure everything was working smoothly. Two days ago they checked and found all the lights and readouts off on the circuit panel, including the fridge and freezer. And the food was already starting to smell. This was one of the things that worries all boaters when they leave their boat behind to go home.
After getting with the marina staff on the phone last night (time difference), I managed to get them to restart the system. The likely start to the problem was the inverter circuit breaker was thrown (probably by the near daily monsoons bringing a lightning storm). But, one of the main circuit switches was also flipped which has never happened. Anyway, the fridge and freezer out ran the solar panels apparently. Eventually the system shut itself off to keep the batteries from being drained.
Meanwhile, the marina staff removed all our food (we had a nearly full freezer and half-full fridge – sigh), and dried up the defrost water. I’m having the re-start the watermaker auto-flush system as well. We’ll have to check the rest of the systems to make sure they didn’t get hurt by nearby lightning. But, the main systems came back up once we reset the circuits, so that’s a good sign. The marina staff was very helpful.
Too bad about the food though!
Frank and Karen,
We just read your last entry of your blog. We are so sorry to hear about the refrigerator and freezer and the loss of your food stuff. Bummer!!!! Thank goodness, though, that all can be replaced and it sounds like the marina staff were great. Anyway, put all of that behind you now and just relax and enjoy the holidays and the coming new year. We will look forward to seeing you again, sometime, someplace in 2013.
Best wishes to you both,
Dave and Mary Margaret
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year 2013 with favorable winds and good seas.