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s/v Surprise: Kicking back in Bora Bora

Posted 1 month, 20 days ago

s/v Surprise: Kicking back in Bora Bora
We left you in suspense, not intentionally, about our radar unit. It had failed to work after our launch in Raiatea; the display was there, but no returns, not even next to shore. Steve contacted techie friends who concluded the problem was probably the magnetron. This piece that makes the radar function has a limited lifespan (2000+ hours; we had 1720). So like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz, our radar needed a brain transplant. We were fortunate to find the part in Papeete and thanks to Mike at Polynesian Yacht Services we had it in one day. The magnetron goes in the dome/antenna which is 8' above the deck. Steve rigged a work platform from the shower floor, braced on the pushpit. This meant we could unmount the dome and still keep all the wiring attached. . We were pretty surprised and dismayed when about a half a gallon of water poured out of our watertight antenna dome as we tipped it down to work on it and pretty skeptical it would ever function again. But there's always hope so Steve went ahead and replaced the magnetron, with no better result. Still no returns. We left it in the sun to dry out and about three hours later, voila, worked like new! Luck was with us again. We surmise the leak happened in the yard, when the radar head was left on its side as they moved the boat, so now that it's properly mounted again we're hoping it will continue to work. Full Story »

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