cold tales from the frozen Pacific north west

[hank]

Howdy and happy New Year gang,

White caps breaking over the breakwater and freezing on the decks and walkways. Hold on to your hat. Miserable packing the dive gear down.
It is blowing 50 knot winds gusting to 80-- air temperature is a balmy -15C.
We have a dive job comming up and have my Rubber Ducky tied behind our big boat. Ice has formed all over the pontoons and the hull was full of water. The Honda O/B looks like a ice berg hanging out of the water.
The blge pump tried to keep the water out but 3 days of some serious icy spray has drained it flat. The battery was under water ( just barely) and smells like chlorine. The battery is a 12V marine lead acid
I removed the battery and installed another one.
I put the sunk battery on trickle charge ---2 amps.

Do you think the Battery shot or will charging it bring it back to life?.

I moved the RIB to a more sheltered location. The twin Isuzu turbo diesels in the big boat started up just like I knew they would.

we will be waiting for the wind to stop
At least the water is clear-- great visibility

think warm thoughts
hank

[Biggles]

Sounds like the real world. hard as F______k you lot.

Good on you.

Got some piccies ????

Like to see them.

[hank]

Sorry but no pictures (piccies)
to miserable to take our Canon G-5 out of the case

any thoughts if the battery is shot from sitting sea water?

hank

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by hank

Howdy and happy New Year gang,

White caps breaking over the breakwater and freezing on the decks and walkways. Hold on to your hat. Miserable packing the dive gear down.
It is blowing 50 knot winds gusting to 80-- air temperature is a balmy -15C.

think warm thoughts
hank

Gusting to 80? A mere draught!!!! more like 100+ here - quite a bit warmer though!!!!

[pettal]

Originally Posted by hank

Sorry but no pictures (piccies)
to miserable to take our Canon G-5 out of the case

any thoughts if the battery is shot from sitting sea water?

hank

Only sure way to find out if the battery is shot is by seeing what happens when it's dried off and on charge for 24hrs. If you've only got a couple of volts after 24hrs I'd chuck it.

Hope the weathers improved.......the UK's hell at the moment.......quite glad I live a bit further south!!

[Simon B]

My lead acid landrover batteries sometimes smell a little like chlorine when they are being charged and quite often pull 3 amps on trickle. It should drop down when charged. Are there still air gaps above the cells (if you can see inside) If not the sea water may have filled them up and diluted the electrolite.

[hank]

Just a update on the Rubber Ducky battery
We cleaned it off and put a slow charge for 24+ hours
it seem to be fine - I load tested it with a friends machine
We just bought the battery new at the beginning of the boating season so I didn't want to junk it
BTW our wind had mellowed out to a balmy 35knot out flow temp still -12C
No diving this week
thinking warm thoughts
hank

[hank]

Hey Biggles
here is a photo of today
the wind has switched and blowing 45 knots from southwest (means rain or snow around here) -10c

Our ice covered Honda and the Rubber Ducky
and the mighty M.V. Tow'd

keep warm
hank

[prairie tuber]

Well at least you're afloat. Around here at this time of year the only craft you'll find on the lakes come with skis and tracks.

[Alan]

Ok, If we're doing pics of Canada in Winter, here's last weekend in Newfoundland, Offroading in the snow and Ice. Mines the silver Liberty!