Day minus 4

More boat fixing
We got the repaired jib back today and completed washing and furling it. Now the only remaining work to be done on the “standing rigging” (everything above deck except the sails) is to re-attach the repaired stanchion and the lifelines that run through it.
Mark is still struggling with the alternator. When we are at sea, the power for anything electrical comes from the 12 volt batteries. There is a bank of batteries on the each side of the boat and a smaller backup battery in the bow area that can be used to start the engine.
The batteries can be charged from shore power but when we are at sea, the charge comes from the solar cells or the engine alternator. (Some boats also have a wind generator but Star is without such an device). If it is cloudy or stormy the protocol is to run the engine for an hour a day to restore the battery charge. During this process, the alternator is supposed to put out over 80 amps. Although the rating on the alternator is 100 amps, it seems to put out only about 14 amps which is not enough to fully charge the batteries. Mark and Jim Todd have had things apart several times since I got here and been unable to locate the problem. A few days ago Mark took the alternator to a shop and they determined that it was defective. He will install the back-up but we need to have a spare before we set sail and that may require a rush shipment from the U.S.
I am working on the provisions list. We will provision for 60 to 90 days although we expect to be in the Marquises in less than 30 days. Anyone who has read stories of people marooned at sea will know why we provision for more than we expect to need.
I will use a few books that Mark has collected plus my backpacking list and the suggestions from Penelope an Alex. There is a Sam’s Club and a Wal-Mart where we expect to buy most of what we need. Dave Kelly will lend his “fireman experience” to our shopping excursion. Cruising is a cooperative experience. Everyone helps those in need.
Thanks to a donation from Higher Ground Gear, I am able to work very easily on the boat. Their computer case gives me the feeling of security against water splash and some amount of impact and the rubberized bottom is very helpful in preventing the computer from sliding around. Once we get at sea, I think I will appreciate this even more.