cold tales from the frozen Pacific north west

hank · 08 January 2005, 22:56

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 · 09 January 2005, 02:50

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

Good on you.

Got some piccies ????

Like to see them.

hank · 09 January 2005, 05:44

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 · 09 January 2005, 12:53

Quote:

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 · 09 January 2005, 22:28

Quote:

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 · 10 January 2005, 11:48

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 · 11 January 2005, 16:32

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 · 12 January 2005, 04:17

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 · 12 January 2005, 17:24

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 · 12 January 2005, 19:18

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!

codprawn · 13 January 2005, 11:56

It is not fair - I just LOVE snow - all we get are 100mph winds and rain - considering even the most southerly point of the UK is level with the Hudson Bay it is SO unfair!!!!

pettal · 13 January 2005, 12:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

It is not fair - I just LOVE snow - all we get are 100mph winds and rain - considering even the most southerly point of the UK is level with the Hudson Bay it is SO unfair!!!!

Well that is Wales in the summer fo you!

prairie tuber · 14 January 2005, 16:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

It is not fair - I just LOVE snow - all we get are 100mph winds and rain - considering even the most southerly point of the UK is level with the Hudson Bay it is SO unfair!!!!

Can't say were getting that kind of wind here today - the gusts here today are only hitting about 30km/hr - good kite flying weather. Mind you combined with todays daytime high temperature at about -29C the windchill factor is somewhere around -43C. Oh well, at least it's a little warmer than it was a couple weeks ago...

codprawn · 14 January 2005, 17:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by pettal

Well that is Wales in the summer fo you!

Hey be fair - we DID have an awesome summer - ONCE!!!!

pettal · 14 January 2005, 22:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Hey be fair - we DID have an awesome summer - ONCE!!!!

I remember that........it was 1976 wasn't it?

codprawn · 15 January 2005, 12:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by pettal

I remember that........it was 1976 wasn't it?

Don't remember that one!!!

No much more recent - 2 years ago - stunning weather - went to the Southampton show and it was 26C in September.

Last year more than made up for it though - rained almost every day!!!