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Well, I think it's already been reported but anyhoo this is how it went ......
After a good days fishing with suprisingly few other boats about we found ourselves miles out in deep water 250-300ft but unfortunately instead of pulling in doubles we were just drifting with less and less bite rate as time went on .... so, we decided to head IN from the 15 mile or so we were out to get back to 200ft where our best catches of the day had been.
Our target was the adastra wreck some 8 to 10 miles off the tyne and some 5 miles west of our current point.
All was well with Slinky trickling along at the usual 18kts or so when lights sirens and squeeks from bottoms suddenly started, I looked at tony and he looked at me with both the same question "What the F--Ks that?"
A look at the inst panel had the battery light flashing and alarm sounding ... bad gen power.
Stopped the engine (after a bit of will I won't I) knowing that I had a full reserve battery so no probs in re-starting ref power and all looked well.
Started and stopped the engine again and decided it was probably some fault that may well cut our trip short but was probably easy to overcome so decided to move on again carefully with the pain of the alarm ringing.
3 minutes later saw more lights a flashing and the alarm continuous .......
this time saw the temparature light come on .......
OK no big deductions here I'm sure your well ahead of me ..... snapped fanbelt !
Normally youd ask the lady next to you for a lend of her tighs to sort this problem out, however not only no lady but Tony hadn't put his tights on today .......
Back to reality, not a problem I carry a spare (well almost a spare its the one I removed at a previous service)........
would you believe it after searching everywhere there was no sign of said belt ...... everything else and tools to fit but no sign of spare fanbelt.
Well ,that left the options as, ..... call coastguard for tow back or ....... do something. Believe me option 1 was a NO GO! no way until I`ve tried every trick in the book
A quick look through the masses of stuff on board gave us several options, the second would have been some cord, the third some thicker rope, the fourth some rubber bungee then there was fishing line, braid, underpats elastic, etc etc so lots to go at.
The idea was simply to turn the water pump to keep the engine cool the alternator didn't matter with all electrics turned off the two batteries would last forever.
however option 1 turned out to be the saviour of the day ...... cable ties, tied together with ends snipped off clean.
Although it looked a little strange they turned the water pump fine and cooled fine, the alternator slipped a bit now and again and set the alarm sounding when less than 12V being generated but other than that fine.
Being cauious we came all the 12 mile at 1000rpm which took us 1.5hrs or so but it was a nice day out so no probs
every now and then we had to stop when the rev counter showed zero and the alternator has stalled but simply pulled the ties tighter and off we went again surprisingly the one makeshift tie belt seen us all the way home and into our berth (but I had made a couple of spares just in case)
Here we are now monday evening and all is well, powerhouse had 2 belts on the shelf and I fit one tonight (and yes I bought the two )
All done and dusted, looking now to get back out and make up for the few hours we lost on a good fishing day .....
All in all an experience but never a moment of panic, I always did know we had the option to call for assistance but never ever needed it .....
as a bonus it cost a lot less in fuel travelling at that speed
just a couple of pics of before and after ......
the tie belt
the new belt
Sorted ......
All's well that ends well .................
norm
After a good days fishing with suprisingly few other boats about we found ourselves miles out in deep water 250-300ft but unfortunately instead of pulling in doubles we were just drifting with less and less bite rate as time went on .... so, we decided to head IN from the 15 mile or so we were out to get back to 200ft where our best catches of the day had been.
Our target was the adastra wreck some 8 to 10 miles off the tyne and some 5 miles west of our current point.
All was well with Slinky trickling along at the usual 18kts or so when lights sirens and squeeks from bottoms suddenly started, I looked at tony and he looked at me with both the same question "What the F--Ks that?"
A look at the inst panel had the battery light flashing and alarm sounding ... bad gen power.
Stopped the engine (after a bit of will I won't I) knowing that I had a full reserve battery so no probs in re-starting ref power and all looked well.
Started and stopped the engine again and decided it was probably some fault that may well cut our trip short but was probably easy to overcome so decided to move on again carefully with the pain of the alarm ringing.
3 minutes later saw more lights a flashing and the alarm continuous .......
this time saw the temparature light come on .......
OK no big deductions here I'm sure your well ahead of me ..... snapped fanbelt !
Normally youd ask the lady next to you for a lend of her tighs to sort this problem out, however not only no lady but Tony hadn't put his tights on today .......
Back to reality, not a problem I carry a spare (well almost a spare its the one I removed at a previous service)........
would you believe it after searching everywhere there was no sign of said belt ...... everything else and tools to fit but no sign of spare fanbelt.
Well ,that left the options as, ..... call coastguard for tow back or ....... do something. Believe me option 1 was a NO GO! no way until I`ve tried every trick in the book
A quick look through the masses of stuff on board gave us several options, the second would have been some cord, the third some thicker rope, the fourth some rubber bungee then there was fishing line, braid, underpats elastic, etc etc so lots to go at.
The idea was simply to turn the water pump to keep the engine cool the alternator didn't matter with all electrics turned off the two batteries would last forever.
however option 1 turned out to be the saviour of the day ...... cable ties, tied together with ends snipped off clean.
Although it looked a little strange they turned the water pump fine and cooled fine, the alternator slipped a bit now and again and set the alarm sounding when less than 12V being generated but other than that fine.
Being cauious we came all the 12 mile at 1000rpm which took us 1.5hrs or so but it was a nice day out so no probs
every now and then we had to stop when the rev counter showed zero and the alternator has stalled but simply pulled the ties tighter and off we went again
surprisingly the one makeshift tie belt seen us all the way home and into our berth (but I had made a couple of spares just in case)Here we are now monday evening and all is well, powerhouse had 2 belts on the shelf and I fit one tonight (and yes I bought the two
)All done and dusted, looking now to get back out and make up for the few hours we lost on a good fishing day .....
All in all an experience but never a moment of panic, I always did know we had the option to call for assistance but never ever needed it .....
as a bonus it cost a lot less in fuel travelling at that speed
just a couple of pics of before and after ......
the tie belt
the new belt
Sorted ......
All's well that ends well .................
norm
, like the old saying "No such thing as problems, only solutions". 
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