Pandora main and 135LP genoa
Left Annapolis for the Potapskut Sailing Association about 0920. Little wind. Motored out for about forty minutes, when the wind rose out of the north. Shifted the engine from running at 90% to near idle quickly, too much so, stalled. Would not restart. Dead engine panel...no lights, no audible alerts. Switched to the house battery. Same condition. Sailed on, under the bridge, tacked up the shore of the Broadneck Peninsula due north into the wind. Seems that the current runs strongly south in this area, as the tacking angles are quite bad, about 130*.
Upon reaching the area north of the Little Magothy River, before closing the channel between Mountain Point and the Broadneck Peninsula, with the winds starting to weaken and speed over ground down a knot. decided to anchored the boat (second time). Having decided that the problem must be an electrical one, a disconnect somewhere between the engine panel and the common terminal of the Guest battery switch. Wondered if there might be a blown fuse (30A?) in the circuit that I had forgotten about.
Quickly found that the metal of a ring terminal connecting the starter solenoid to the engine panel had failed. The wires are a bit short and insufficient to provide the required strain relief and vibration absorbation, transferring too much of these effects to the ring terminal on the solenoid. The ring terminal failed due to metal fatigue where the ring mets the tab of metal that connects the ring to the crimped sections of the terminal. Solved the issue by cutting off the smaller ring terminal on the previously abandoned-in-place 10AWG jumper that had connected the alternator to the starter solenoid, crimping on a ring terminal to fit the larger posts on the solenoid, and connecting the new ring terminal to the solenoid. Problem fixed in about thrity minutes, including anchoring. For additional information on wiring see 2025-09-26 maintenance log.
GPX formatted track . Distance: 17.13, average speed: 3.94, estimated duration: 4:20