Bow Thruster Battery is Replaced

The new bow thruster battery is installed. On Thursday we tore the v-berth apart, emptied the water tank, moved the water tank, and removed the old battery. Then George put the water tank back in place, put a little bit of water in it, and put the v-berth back together. Yesterday we carried the old battery on to the ferry and rode over to Southport, on the mainland. A driver from Enterprise Car Rental picked us up at the ferry terminal. After dropping the driver at the Enterprise office we drove 1 1/4 hours to Myrtle Beach to pickup the new battery. It was a cold, rainy, and blustery day but we were happy to be warm and cozy in the heated rental car.

After we dropped off the old battery and picked up the new one we stopped at a small, local restaurant in North Myrtle Beach for lunch. Then we continued on back to Southport to buy a few fresh fruits and vegetables before turning the car in to Enterprise. Another driver took us back to the ferry dock and we arrived in time to take the 4 pm ferry. We were once again surprised by the number of people taking the ferry to Bald Head Island this time of year. Especially when the weather forecast for the entire weekend is terrible.

Once we were back on Bald Head Island, George found a dock cart to carry the battery and the groceries back to Breeze On. This morning we repeated the exercise of tearing the v-berth apart and emptying and moving the water tank. Then George installed the new battery. The battery wasn’t charging so, based on past experiences, I suggested checking the fuses. George found one blown fuse between the battery and the charger which he was able to replace. Now we can refill the water tank and put the v-berth back together. We have decided not to check the thruster until the battery is fully charged.