Vanguard's Journey Towards Seaworthy Status

This week marks a significant highlight in our long journey, pushing Vanguard closer to being seaworthy. As the fog of chaos clears, smaller yet crucial issues come to light and find their way onto our to-do list. We had the assistance of two excellent commissioning engineers from Praxis Automation. The long hours paid off, demonstrating the value of their expertise. So, what has been the net effect of all our efforts?

Tackling Tank Gauges: When "Full" Means "FULL!"

Tank gauges have been a source of frustration. The term "Range Anxiety" is often associated with electric vehicles in the USA, where vast distances between cities exist. We've faced a similar reaction with our tank gauges. They have proven unreliable, often inaccessible, and poorly fitted. While it's hard to understand why companies would produce such unreliable transducers, our findings suggest underlying issues.

We made a concerted effort to improve our electrical connections. We replaced two broken transducers and corrected the fit of the remaining ones. While this did improve matters, it was not enough to eliminate the anxiety we felt. During our troubleshooting, we discovered that an "empty" tank triggered a failure signal that reverted to the last known level. This was often a full one due to recent fuel transfers.

Additionally, we uncovered an incompatibility between a 3-wire transducer and our 2-wire I/O board. This incompatibility resulted in persistent earth fault indications that were difficult to address. Our workaround involved installing opto-isolators between the transducer and I/O boards. We learned to reset "stuck" transducer signals by flipping their fuse. After 12 months of struggle, we finally have operational tank gauges. Next up: checking the calibrations!

Throttle Controls and Dynamic Positioning (DP-0)

Throttle controls were revamped to minimize the lag when moving ahead or astern. We also focused on our drive lines to improve alignment and ensure stability. With enhanced reliability, we commissioned the Dynamic Positioning (DP) system. This commercial-grade functionality is typically fitted to offshore oil vessels. Unlike the Dockmates, our system governs position, speed, and rotation parameters to maintain the desired state.

For instance, if we want to change the heading at 100 degrees per minute, the thruster adjusts power from 1 kW to 15 kW, depending on current and wind forces acting on the hull. We set this for both electric and diesel propulsion systems.

Vanguard performs like a long-keel, single screw yacht. Some days, we’re tempted to use springs to assist in docking. I plan to provide further details later. We can now maneuver (slowly) sideways alongside the dock while rotating or traveling forward much slower than we could with a single idle diesel engine. This is quite an achievement, particularly without a stern thruster! The remarkable aspect of this system is the reduction in stress levels while docking.

Power Batteries and Fast Charging

Now charging at a remarkable 45kW!

Our journey with the large power batteries has not been without its issues since their commissioning. The primary problem stemmed from internal discharge due to a single cell falling below the average voltage. Testing the electric drives involved draining the batteries to force multiple charge cycles, from 5% to 100%. This process succeeded in bringing the rogue cell to average voltage, allowing the normal balancing circuits to function correctly.

Additionally, we increased the charge rate from our generators, boosting it from 25 kW to 45 kW while monitoring machinery and coolant temperatures. Pulling 80 amps at 600 VDC is substantial, especially for a yacht system. I’m pleased to report that both the system and the skin-cooled glycol tank have performed flawlessly. Charging has become impressively fast, much to the delight of my energy-hungry, silence-loving wife, Sebrina.

Pinhole in a Weld Causes an Annoying Slow Leak

Now, let’s address a long-standing issue. A single pinhole in a weld on one skeg has caused a slow and continuous leak, sending several liters of water into the engine room each day. It creates an unsightly wet environment and unpleasant odors. We attempted to seal it multiple times without success.

This leak is not a structural concern but rather an air inclusion issue. We finally decided to take corrective measures. We hauled Vanguard out, dried and cleaned the affected area, crack-tested it, and carefully drilled out the inclusion. We then applied Devcon aluminum metal repair and slow-setting epoxy internally. We replaced the ballast and backfilled the skeg with 2 gallons of slow-setting epoxy. Ensuring proper conditions during the curing process was essential, as the temperature rose. Now, after all that effort, we have dry bilges at last.

An Assault on Alarms Finally Results in Silence

This week, we focused on managing the alarm systems. We aimed to rationalize, rename, and reduce the overwhelming number of alarms. Many were merely advisory and did not warrant the term "FAILURE." Some alarms were irrelevant or could be silenced through proper equipment calibration.

The most concerning alarm indicated an intermittent failure of one of the ethernet ports, which suggested a loss of redundancy in the system. One cause stemmed from overheating due to poor ventilation, which we addressed last year. A second issue arose from a loose power supply screw terminal buried at the back of the cabinet. This kind of oversight has caused problems in multiple instances. Witnessing a blank alarm screen at the beginning of each watch is truly a thing of beauty for those of us at sea.

Today, we consistently enjoy such tranquility.

Alarms are often triggered en mass and flipped between Alarm and Normal. Eventually traced to an obscured and poor power supply connection.

Conclusion

Our time in Fort Lauderdale is drawing to a close. Vanguard now rests peacefully on her moorings, a vastly different vessel from her initial splash in the Antalya Free Zone—unfinished and abandoned. Like many men, I find myself adrift without a clear focus. However, this past year has been incredibly memorable. Working with various technicians from Turkey, Spain, and recently, the USA, along with teams visiting from the UK, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, and Ukraine, has been a privilege. Their skills, steadfastness, and humanity have brought genuine joy.

Now, we prepare to head NORTH as spring arrives.

Lastly, my heartfelt thanks go to Praxis Automation for their unwavering support and to our captain, Valeriy Kydalov, for his friendship and encouragement through our challenging times.

My Ukrainian friend, yacht captain and calm chap under pressure, Valeriy Kydalov.