Repercussions

If you've been with us a while you'll know that Thistle was struck by lightning on August 11th, 2015. We were in the Kuna Yala (Caribbean side of Panama) where parts are impossible to procure, so we continued on to Cartagena and fixed what we could there. We didn't fix the wind instruments or depth sounder for three reasons: the parts are super expensive to import into Colombia; we didn't really need wind instruments; and the depth sounder at the nav station still worked.

But the repercussions from the lightning strike are still being felt here on Thistle.

We decided the time had come to replace the instruments that were damaged. Unfortunately, the new instruments all come with new gadgets that must be installed through holes in the hull, or at the top of the mast. They also have long cables that must be run down the mast and through the bilges back to the nav station.

Today we installed the transducer for the new depth sounder. First off, it's never fun to work under the boat looking up at your project, but we managed to chisel out the old transducer, clean off the old goo, and sand the mounting spot smooth. Then we slathered goo on the new transducer and I pushed it up into the hole while the Captain put the nut on inside the boat. At least that was the plan, but I let go for just a second and it fell out onto my arm spreading goo all over me. Ugh.

Nevertheless, we got it installed and here it is. Exciting, I know.

Tomorrow somebody gets to go up the mast to install the new wind instruments and snake the new cable down all 62' of mast so that it comes out the bottom where it can then be run through the bilges and up to the nav station.

Then maybe we will finally be done with these unwelcome consequences from the dreaded lightning strike.