I broke the lockdown...and I’m pleased I did

[Solent Sailor]

After nearly six weeks of not seeing my boat, I found myself becoming increasingly anxious about it, especially as it is not in a commercial marina.

On arrival, it was rather surreal. A beautiful spring evening, a Friday at that, and not another soul to be seen. As soon as I stepped on board I realised there was no shore power on. The dehumidifier wasn’t running and there was no hum from the battery charger. I spotted that there was a warning light (for reverse polarity) in the switchboard, which immediately rang an alarm bell in my head.

After a little fault tracing, I found this inside one of the (new last year) shorepower terminals!

I never encourage people to break the lockdown, but perhaps you should consider checking your boat. I am perfectly clear that checking your boat is an essential activity. In hindsight, I wish I’d gone done a week or more earlier, but am glad I didn’t leave it another week because the boat might not still have been there.

Incidentally, I also found a small freshwater leak that I didn’t know about before. A piffling thing really, but if left for months, it could grow worse and cause some real harm. I will replace that fitting next week when checking the electrical fault is satisfactorily resolved.

 

[chrisharris]

After nearly six weeks of not seeing my boat, I found myself becoming increasingly anxious about it, especially as it is not in a commercial marina.

On arrival, it was rather surreal. A beautiful spring evening, a Friday at that, and not another soul to be seen. As soon as I stepped on board I realised there was no shore power on. The dehumidifier wasn’t running and there was no hum from the battery charger. I spotted that there was a warning light (for reverse polarity) in the switchboard, which immediately rang an alarm bell in my head.

After a little fault tracing, I found this inside one of the (new last year) shorepower terminals!

I never thought I’d be encouraging people to break the lockdown, but perhaps you should. I am perfectly clear that checking your boat is an essential activity. In hindsight, I wish I’d gone done a week or more earlier, but am glad I didn’t leave it another week because the boat might not still have been there.

Incidentally, I also found a small freshwater leak that I didn’t know about before. A piffling thing really, but if left for months, it could grow worse and cause some real harm. I will replace that fitting next week.

That looks like a timely find. Just as well you checked.

 

[Boathook]

That's why I don't leave mains electrics live on board when I'm not there. All other systems are turned off but I do have 80 watts of solar panels into 3 batteries (each 105 ah) through a 'regulator's so hopefully ok.

 

[Solent Sailor]

It’s a big boat with big battery banks (6 x 230AH) so keeping the battery charger going is essential, as is running the dehumidifier and heating in the colder months.

 

[Sticky Fingers]

...I never thought I’d be encouraging people to break the lockdown, but perhaps you should. I am perfectly clear that checking your boat is an essential activity....

No it's not. It's selfish, thoughtless and unjustifiable.

My wife, and millions of her NHS colleagues and other essential workers, put their lives on the line every day; they travel to work, to save lives, maybe yours one day. That is essential travel, but checking up on your boat is not.

'Break the lockdown'. WTF.

Justify this to me. Tell me how valuable your boat is. Explain your actions. Unless you can demonstrate a benefit to the community at large I'll show you in return an NHS colleague's death.

 

[[2068]]

The current lock down rules are a very blunt instrument, but they were needed because the message had to be simple both to understand and enforce.
I'd expect something more nuanced to be unveiled very shortly - people are making their own decisions on how to manage the risks.

 

[Elessar]

Recklessly breaking the lockdown should be where your understandable anger is directed, Scala.
I don’t see he did any harm if he didn’t see anyone.
Measures that are too extreme are more likely to be broken.
It’s no different to going to a second home and isolating there - but the rules say we can’t.
Yet the queen, Prince Charles and Boris are all at their second homes..........

A boaty friend had been in a car for an extended time with someone with the virus. So she isolated on her boat. I put food on her bathing platform. Complete isolation.

The marina made her leave. They put people at risk in order to follow rules intended to keep people safe, but didn’t apply any thought to it.

 

[Portland Billy]

Well put Elessar.
Unfortunately not everyone is sensible enough to apply the rules in a sensible manner.
Hence the somewhat draconian lockdown.

 

[oldgit]

so keeping the battery charger going is essential, as is running the dehumidifier and heating in the colder months.

How on earth do the other 99% of the boating world ie. those outside the Solent, survive without heating and dehumidifiers .

 

[Momac]

Incidentally, I also found a small freshwater leak that I didn’t know about before. A piffling thing really, but if left for months, it could grow worse and cause some real harm. I will replace that fitting next week.

Do you think travelling to fix a piffling thing is essential too?

 

[Elessar]

Do you think travelling to fix a piffling thing is essential too?

That’s missing the point. Did he do any harm?

 

[Sharky34]

Well put Elessar.
Unfortunately not everyone is sensible enough to apply the rules in a sensible manner.
Hence the somewhat draconian lockdown.

So that ethos makes it ok to break rules that don't suit them, does it?

 

[Sharky34]

That’s missing the point. Did he do any harm?

We don't know, the virus is invisible & indiscriminate.

 

[Sharky34]

Do you think travelling to fix a piffling thing is essential too?

Seems like he is going to break the rules again next week as well, this demonstrates how one step leads to yet another, bloody selfish imo.

 

[Elessar]

Seems like he is going to break the rules again next week as well, this demonstrates how one step leads to yet another, bloody selfish imo.

Abidance of fools and all that.

 

[Solent Sailor]

I knew this would be controversial but stimulating debate is what a forum is about. Rest assured, my actions were very carefully considered over a period of time.

Naturally, I am hugely sympathetic to the work of the NHS. My wife is an essential worker and whilst I might not work in the NHS I do work in the healthcare sector. I’m currently playing a small part in work developing both a vaccine and treatments that treat one of the causes of respiratory failure caused by C19.
As for for fixing the leak - on its own no. But, I will be revisiting to check the electrics, because I have a concern about whether the pontoon terminal may have caused this. I will do it in about 5 minutes whilst I’m there, alone. I will also inspect the other boats moored with us, so that others don’t have to. I will then probably drop off some supplies on an elderly relative just down the road who is in her late 70s and isolating, to avoid another trip.

 

[Sharky34]

Abidance of fools and all that.

Not so, rules are there for a purpose, not your inconvenience.

 

[Momac]

That’s missing the point. Did he do any harm?

It is not possible to determine whether any harm was done or not.

Abidance of fools and all that.

Disobedience of fools .

 

[Sharky34]

I knew this would be controversial but stimulating debate is what a forum is about. Rest assured, my actions were very carefully considered over a period of time.

Naturally, I am hugely sympathetic to the work of the NHS. My wife is an essential worker and whilst I might not work in the NHS I do work in the healthcare sector. I’m currently playing a small part in work developing both a vaccine and treatments that treat one of the causes of respiratory failure caused by C19.
As for for fixing the leak - on its own no. But, I will be revisiting to check the electrics, because I have a concern about whether the pontoon terminal may have caused this. I will do it in about 5 minutes whilst I’m there, alone. I will also inspect the other boats moored with us, so that others don’t have to. I will then probably drop off some supplies on an elderly relative just down the road who is in her late 70s and isolating, to avoid another trip.

Don't justify 2 examples of rule breaking with a visit to "an elderley relative", that ruse doesn't deserve any sympathy.

 

[Solent Sailor]

And to clarify, I may have broken the lockdown, such that it is, but I did not break any laws. Maintaing the security of property is specifically included in the examples of what constitute reasonable excuses to be away from home. My boat is my second most valuable piece of property, as I’m sure it is for many others.