Refrigeration problems.

It is a boat and I have to remind myself that problems, large and small, will always be there.  We often hear that the definition of cruising is working on your boat in exotic locations.  It is pretty true. The current challenge is the refrigeration system.  Last season it worked flawlessly.  This season has been a bit of a roller coaster.  The positive side is that we have yet to be completely without it even though we have suffered several bouts of it not working as efficiently as it should or when it quit all together it was only for a few hours.  However, the refrigeration system is not one that we really want to go without and so it is not a project we can put off until we have nothing do to at some day in the future.

After leaving San Carlos back in October it worked perfectly for about 2 months when it started being much less efficient than it should be.  Efficiency is important because it takes electricity that we have to produce ourselves in order to run it.  Over the last couple of months it has been an on again off again affair...which costs me sleep and is probably taking years off of my life from all of the anxiety and stress.

Yesterday we had a refrigeration guy onboard and he says everything is working as it should.  I know from past experience on this boat that it is NOT working as it should, no matter what all of the numbers tell him.  Today I have taken things into my own hands and am monitoring the system carefully charting the cooling rates, warming rates, amperage usage, as well as high and low pressure readings from the refrigeration guages that I borrowed and have connected to the system.  Hopefully I will be able to understand the possible problem better.

Friday we have another refer guy that will come aboard and hopefully give us a fresh and informative second opinion on what might be going on.  As for now...I monitor, stress and look forward to the day (hopefully very soon), that the refrigeration system is not one that I have to worry about on a minute to minute basis.

I will update later.  Ciao for now.

SV Liahona
Bret and Marne