Firefly625
Well-Known Member
On Saturday took Seabird across to Cowes, as we reached the end of the Hamble river and the 6 knot limit I pushed the button of the trim tabs down and the little bank of green and red LED lights just flickered and just one side dropped down, then with a feeling of dread pushed the up button and all the lights came on then they all went off...Oh god a trim tab problem... I had checked they were working just the week before prior to the boat going back in the water... Looked over the side, could see one side was down, other side was difficult to tell in the swell, but with the aim of a boat hook kinda thought they were only down half way.....
Back at the helm then I noticed that whenever I pushed the trim tab button (which by that time I had quite a bit..!) the rev counter would drop 500rpm/1000rpm.... oh god... what's occurring?! Then just to try something else I switched on the engine instrument lights and again the rev counter gauge dropped (engine note fine, so just an instrument issue..?!). So what is going through my mind is earthing problem / certainly power/electrical / short in the trim tabs... ??? who knows... but obviously heart sank. Motored over to Cowes, got into Island Harbour and moored up, daughter asks if she can turn the engine off... yes please I say and continue fiddling around with the springs. Then she's says the engine won't switch off... so I look up and indeed she is pushing the red kill button, but nothing happening.... WTF...
I guess most on here will have already guessed... but what I had completely failed to notice was the ignition key was in the OFF position! SWMBO had put something on the engine key ring just before we had left Mercury while I was untying the boat and by doing so had switched the ignition to "off"...
So turned ignition on and suddenly everything back working as it should!!
........ Only thing is, someone has now told me I could well have burnt my alternator out....? Anyone got any comment on this ?
Back at the helm then I noticed that whenever I pushed the trim tab button (which by that time I had quite a bit..!) the rev counter would drop 500rpm/1000rpm.... oh god... what's occurring?! Then just to try something else I switched on the engine instrument lights and again the rev counter gauge dropped (engine note fine, so just an instrument issue..?!). So what is going through my mind is earthing problem / certainly power/electrical / short in the trim tabs... ??? who knows... but obviously heart sank. Motored over to Cowes, got into Island Harbour and moored up, daughter asks if she can turn the engine off... yes please I say and continue fiddling around with the springs. Then she's says the engine won't switch off... so I look up and indeed she is pushing the red kill button, but nothing happening.... WTF...
I guess most on here will have already guessed... but what I had completely failed to notice was the ignition key was in the OFF position! SWMBO had put something on the engine key ring just before we had left Mercury while I was untying the boat and by doing so had switched the ignition to "off"...
So turned ignition on and suddenly everything back working as it should!!
........ Only thing is, someone has now told me I could well have burnt my alternator out....? Anyone got any comment on this ?
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