Tropical Development Brewing in the Gulf?

Oct 5

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a trough of low pressure in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico that is producing widespread showers and thunderstorms.

Conditions are expected to become increasingly favorable for development later this week with the National Hurricane Center now giving a 70%) chance for development of a tropical depression later this week.

Current Gulf Conditions

A stationary frontal boundary extends across the northern Gulf (from southern Alabama to southern Texas) causing fresh to near gale-force northeast winds behind the front over the northwestern Gulf coastal waters.

Outlook

Whether this system organizes into a tropical cyclone or not, a broad low-pressure area should take shape by Tuesday night. Fresh to locally strong winds and rough seas are forecast to impact portions of the Gulf from Wednesday through Saturday night. In addition heavy rainfalls are expected across the western and northern Gulf, Gulf States and southern Georgia over the next several days.

NOAA National Hurricane Center

NOAA Ocean Prediction Center

NOAA High Seas Forecast

NOAA Offshore Forecasts

NOAA US Coastal Waters Forecasts

You’re currently a free subscriber to Fred Pickhardt’s Substack. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.

Be the first to comment!

Oct 2, 2026by: Curtis Hoff No Comments

NO LOOKING BACK – Janice Anne Wheeler, Sparring With Mother Nature

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

PART 4 – This is the final installment in a four-part pen pal exchange between Linda aboard Duende at Shellphone Chronicles and Janice Anne aboard Steadfast at Sparring with Mother Nature.

Every day, in every way, we all SPAR WITH MOTHER NATURE: our health, environment, winds, rain and sunshine. Thanks for helping this publication grow. ~J

If you have just joined our engaging little community, please read SPARS & SPARRING as an introduction to my watery world. I’m glad you climbed aboard!

NO LOOKING BACK

OPPOSITE LATITUDES PARALLEL ATTITUDES

Janice Anne Wheeler

Sep 30

Writing from different oceans on opposite sides of the globe, two women sailors exchange letters about how we came to build our lives at sea, each aboard a very different sailing vessel. Opposite Latitudes, Parallel Attitudes explores what it takes to go all in on this life—and where those choices have carried us.

Isla Espiritu Santo, Baja California Sur, Golfo de California (aka Sea of Cortez) – *original photo by LJ*.

Part 4 – Letter from Linda to Janice Anne – We’ve crossed another threshold

Dear J,

Thanks for your letter of two weeks ago, and all your interesting questions. Everyone wonders about our timeframe of years or our ‘finish’ point, and that is so hard to answer. We think about it sometimes, but right now our focus is on one voyage at a time. As I write this response, we are on another big one.

We just left the port of Kavieng on New Ireland Island in Papua New Guinea and are westbound for Biak, Indonesia. It’s a voyage of approximately 900 miles and we expect to be there in 6 days or so. This will be our last multi-day trip as the distances between destinations will be shorter over our next couple of seasons in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Last view of New Ireland

We tend to think in the way of seasons – keeping ourselves out of cyclones, typhoons, and monsoons here in this part of the world. This passage will take us into the Indonesian part of the Pacific Ocean, with the land masses of Australia and Papua New Guinea blocking us from the big ocean swells that roll relentlessly from Antarctica. I’m happy to leave the 3- and 4-meter waves behind me and enjoy some smoother sailing.

Our last trip was good, and safe, thank you for asking. It was a “spirited” sail of 3.5 days from Noro in the Solomon Islands to Kavieng in PNG, through the Solomon Sea and up the Bismark Sea along the coast of New Ireland. We stopped in Kavieng for 5 days, and our time there dispelled some of the trepidation I had about PNG. There is visible poverty, and apparently unemployment is high, but people were friendly and welcoming and we didn’t feel any danger walking around in daylight. One of the largest producing open-pit gold mines in the world is located in New Ireland, and I’m sure the revenue from this mine has a lot to do with the well paved roads and new 4×4 SUVs driving on them.

But that wealth aside, there is still extreme contrast with the ubiquity of betel nut, the everyman form of commerce. Nearly everyone chews it, and the red stains on people’s mouths and teeth, together with the red spit that literally covers the ground in some places, is hard to get accustomed to. Betel nuts literally grow on trees, so anyone can gather and sell them on the streets, a few dozen nuts spread out on a small mat, with the accompanying green beans or rolled up leaves and small containers of white lime dust made from crushed coral that make up the ritual. The combination of the three elements is what makes it all turn red when chewed.

Take a bite of betel nut, dip the green bean in the lime dust, bite that off and chew – and then spit, a lot. It’s a mild narcotic, obviously addictive, and entirely acceptable. Even government officials have red-stained and broken teeth. Betel chewing will continue to be a thing through much of western Indonesia, so I just have to get over it.

One thing that will end soon for us is the “new” names – we’ve been in New Georgia, New Britain, New Ireland, and just today we sailed past New Hanover – but from now on the names become much less colonial and more Indonesian. I need to work on my pronunciation.

You asked about how the two of us handle the rig on Duende. It’s remarkably easy – in some ways even easier for the two of us to sail than our last 50-foot boat with its hoisting main and manual winches. We have in-mast furling on our mainsail, and roller furling on our Yankee and staysail, as well as power winches, all of which are hydraulic electric. Even though we have power assist, there is a tremendous amount of force on our lines when the sails are powered up, so we tend to sail conservatively, and we make slow and calculated changes, with well-planned maneuvers. So far, so good! And we do have amazing tank capacity and filled up with diesel before we left the Solomons, so we’ll be good for fuel for the next few months.

As you said J, change is the constant thing we have in our lives afloat. The wind changes, the sea state changes, and we keep moving, so our scenery is always changing as well. It is a real privilege to explore this blue planet by sea, and we are so lucky to be able to go to so many places that few travelers visit. Many times, you can’t go where we go except by boat, and that’s even more special.

My writing desk in the middle of nowhere

I know you feel the same, and I’m curious to know what you and the Sailor on STEADFAST have in mind for your next seasons. I’m sure you are thinking of points south now that the first nor’easter of the year is blowing in – so early this year! When do you plan to cast off next? I know you are getting antsy, and I can’t wait to hear the plan. Whatever it is, it’s going to be a good one, I know that for sure.

I’m so happy to have met you and promise to keep in touch. This letter exchange has been so fun to create with you, and I’m honored to now count you as a friend. And in response to your postscript on your last letter, I do believe that connecting with you and SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE has helped bump my subscriber count and my little increase in the Travel section on Substack!

Coming back to your first question about our “finish point”, I can’t say for certain what, when, or where that is. We hope to keep doing this for years to come, Neptune willing. We often joke about carrying on “until we can’t climb aboard anymore”, and maybe that will be the day.

Until then, no looking back! We have our eyes on the horizon in front of us, open to the next adventure.

Sail on my friend,

LJ, SV Duende Underway from Kavieng, Papua New Guinea to Biak, Indonesia
Latitude: 001° 39.248’ S

Longitude: 140° 10.079’ E

Part 4: Letter from Janice Anne to Linda – We’re heading south. Soon!

Hi LJ!

I set your letter aside, briefly, and then settled down with a coffee so I could concentrate on your dynamic life. Another island nation under your keel, eh, my friend?! I had to refresh my geography on your current part of the globe and saw so many choices and things to see, the huge majority of which, I’m sure, are stunningly beautiful. Why have a plan?! As author Justin S.Bailey says, “Those Who Wander” see the most. And, as you say, some places are better explored, in some seasons more than others, it really does take a tremendous amount of planning to SPAR WITH MOTHER NATURE properly….the Nor’Easter that tested STEADFAST’s docklines is some serious weather, the type we both try to avoid and the type that cannot always be avoided. We were getting rocked by this system two days before the international announcement that it was, actually, a force to be reckoned with, one that threatened the most populous region in North America. We both know what 65 knots can accomplish. A perfect storm. It lasted six days!

Regardless of what you choose as your destinations in the years to come, I’m sure it will be tremendously educational and fulfilling. You and the Captain saw a dream and made the whole thing come true– ALL IN. I think it’s fantastic that there is no end in sight!

You inquire about our plan, and not surprisingly it’s similar to your own, not really a plan at all. Right now, we’re on a bit of a departure delay–there is a new Force10 oven in the back of Bad Bad Leroy Brown, my 200K-mileage RAM (you know the song and will now be singing it all day…!) That pickup also contains a case or two of Bermuda rum and UK gin…. provisioning is just about complete.

Speaking of gin– here’s fifteen feet of gin-clear water in the Bahamas… incredible. We call these “Looking-Glass Days” and spend every moment we can immersed.

Other tasks have reared their challenging heads but we’ll depart here before the waters cool and the leaves fall. Our destination, in this case, like yours, will be dependent on our mood, and that of Mother Nature. After two and a half years ‘on the hard,’ I’m thinking that closer, quieter, easier might be best to reunite with our love of spear-fishing, beach-combing and solitude.

Allan’s Pensacola Cay, Abaco, Bahamas. The next landfall past that breaking barrier reef is Africa. And under those dark coral heads? Lobster! We fish in the morning & eat them for lunch. Heaven on earth.

My Sailor spent all the winters of his youth in the Bahamas and summers where we are now, the Chesapeake Bay. Prior to meeting him, I had highly underestimated the beauty and diversity of that 600-island nation, but my respect and admiration has grown as we explore the more remote areas. Sounds great to me, right now, I can tell you that; I’m snugged in with Smartwool socks! It does warm back up and will be fine until we depart, that was an anomaly! (fingers crossed>>>)

On our way we’ll re-explore favorite East Coast haunts: Beaufort, North Carolina, Cumberland Island, Florida and historic St. Augustine. Looking forward to it all.

Wild horses from the anchorage, Beaufort.

Shackleford Island, North Carolina. I wasn’t walking fast enough so this one snuck up and passed me. It’s her island…!

Even known adventures are good for the soul and change is the only constant in this big, complicated world. The modern equipment that allows you two to comfortably sail that eighty-footer is a stark contrast to Miss STEADFAST, but we knew that already. I’m sure your maintenance log is extensive and hope that you have all the random spare parts you need, like that big one when you departed Fiji. I certainly related to that tale, as those items tend to go south at the most inopportune times…and most often in the dark…but there’s still no regret, and no looking back, is there?

I am lucky enough to be having breakfast with author and legendary sailor Lin Pardey (285,000 miles to her credit; at 83 she’s still living on the water, somewhere south of you, having just crossed the powerful Tasman Sea, again). She mans a booth at the Annapolis Sailboat Show in October so I inquired if we could meet and she agreed–her wooden vessel and my Sailor’s home were at the same marina quite often in the 70s and 80s. When she first sailed, half a century ago, 24ft SERAFFYN had no engine, no head, no GPS, and a dream. Like you. So with the amazing technical and communication advances, now we can stay in touch with our Starlink, work, and still wander. Way back when Lin and Larry Pardey would depart and then arrive; there was no tracking and little forecasting. This is truly striking since you and I were ‘chatting’ on zoom when this collaboration first began, as if you were across the dinette from me instead of across the planet from me!

Let’s definitely stay in touch, please– I count you as a soulmate as well as a friend! I will be following you on Shellphone Chronicles while we are both SPARRING WITH MOTHER NATURE.

May your joys and explorations outweigh your challenges, always.

We honor Neptune, too. Give respect where respect is due.

I wish you fair winds and gentle seas.

~J S/Y STEADFAST

Cambridge Harbor, Eastern Shore, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, US

Latitude 38° 34.67 North Longitude 76° 4.75 West

Attitude? Fabulous and ready for anything!

Cheers as the sun sets on a super-fun Pen Pal Series…

Thank you for this opportunity, LJ; what a pleasure!

Cat Island, Bahamas 2022

Care to catch up on the whole series? Happy to have you!

Collaborations & Publications

Serendipity and a Love of the Sea

Janice Anne Wheeler and Linda Jackson 🌏

Aug 19

This is the first installment in a four-part pen pal exchange between Linda aboard Duende at Shellphone Chronicles and Janice Anne aboard Steadfast at Sparring with Mother Nature.

Read full story

THIS LIFE IS NOT FOR EVERYONE

Janice Anne Wheeler and Linda Jackson 🌏

Sep 2

Read full story

OPPOSITE LATITUDES PARALLEL ATTITUDES

Janice Anne Wheeler

Sep 16

Read full story

I so appreciate your support of my work. Saving a piece of maritime history is far more complicated than I ever imagined!

Comment

Restack

Be the first to comment!

Oct 2, 2026by: Curtis Hoff No Comments

TS Hanna Forms over Central Atlantic – Fred Pickhardt

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

Gulf Tropical Watch

Sep 30

NOAA is indicating a 20–40% chance of tropical cyclone development in the Bay of Campeche and the western Caribbean during mid-October.

Models suggest the formation of a Central American Gyre that could trigger heavy rainfall and can sometimes spin up organized tropical systems on both the Pacific and Atlantic sides of Central America.

While a strong, ongoing El Niño typically suppresses Atlantic tropical activity, a subseasonal Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) wave moving through the Western Hemisphere may temporarily provide favorable conditions for this development.

You’re currently a free subscriber to Fred Pickhardt’s Substack. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.

Comment

Restack

Be the first to comment!

Oct 2, 2026by: Curtis Hoff No Comments 33.3735,-79.28859999

No Imminent Threats, We’ll Watch the Gulf Next Week – SCDNR

View In Chartview

No Imminent Threats, We’ll Watch the Gulf Next Week

Weather Alert – October 2, 2026

No Imminent Threats, We’ll Watch the Gulf Next Week

The Atlantic has returned to inactivity. We have no active tropical cyclones, and it’s unlikely that any will form over the next week. We’ll watch the Gulf for possible development starting later next week.

This loop of visible satellite imagery shows the features of interest across the North Atlantic and eastern United States.

The above loop of visible satellite imagery above shows features of interest across the North Atlantic and eastern U. S.:

The remnants of Fay well to the southeast of Bermuda.
Tropical waves along 74° west over the Caribbean Sea and along 38° west over the central tropical Atlantic.
A band of clouds stretching from Texas to New England along a cold front.
Disturbed weather over the eastern and central Gulf that will be drawn northward by the approaching cold front.

Image Source: University of Wisconsin RealEarth

The only current feature of interest is the remains of Tropical Storm Fay, about 500 miles southeast of Bermuda, valiantly holding on in its fight to remain dead. The National Hurricane Center gives it a 10 percent chance of resurrection. However, it will remain too far from South Carolina to affect us.

Two tropical waves are passing through the deep tropics, one south of Haiti and the other around 1500 miles east of the Windward Islands. Neither is generating much thunderstorm activity. Dry air and strong vertical wind shear will prevent the waves from developing further as they drift westward.

We’ll continue to watch cold fronts over the next week as they push through the Southeast and become stationary over the Gulf and southwestern Atlantic. Stationary fronts can become tropical cyclone breeding grounds over warm waters, and computer models indicate a low-end risk of a storm developing over the Bay of Campeche or western Gulf later next week or next weekend.

This hurricane season has been the quietest in many years (2014 was the last season with only 8 named storms) and the first in over a century with no hurricanes to date (1914 had no hurricanes; we might go without a hurricane this season). Nevertheless, we have to stay prepped. You know, it only takes one. So stay ready and visit hurricane.sc if you need prep advice.

SC Weather Highlights For the Next Week:

Our current hot spell (and perhaps the last of the year, we can only hope) will end after today, as a cold front moves in this weekend.

It’s great that we’ll cool off and, even better, we’ll see a soaking rain and thunderstorms over the weekend as a tropical air mass now over the Gulf gets pulled in by the front. Well, that’s not so great for outdoor plans you might have and for Saturday football (lightning delays are possible), but it will help with our drought.

The downside is that the heavy rain we’ll see this weekend could cause isolated flash flooding. The Weather Prediction Center’s outlooks have the entire state at level 1 of 4 for flooding rain on Saturday, then level 2 on Sunday into Sunday night. The rain will linger into Monday along the coast and perhaps farther inland; there’s some uncertainty about how long it takes for the front to sag south far enough that even the Lowcountry dries out. In fact, the front may become stationary near our coastal areas, keeping clouds and maybe even a shower or two around into Tuesday and Wednesday, especially in the coastal Lowcountry. Most areas are likely to get 1-2 inches of rain in the coming days, with some areas seeing 3-4 inches locally.

WPC's Day 3 Excessive Rainfall Outlook graphic for South Carolina, covering Sunday and Sunday night.

WPC’s Day 3 Excessive Rainfall Outlook graphic for South Carolina shows the entire state in a level 2 of 4 risk area for flooding rain Sunday and Sunday night.

We’re likely to remain dry elsewhere early next week, and across the state later next week, with the next chance of rain next weekend.

We’ll go from today’s summery warmth to early November-like temperatures behind the front. Saturday will be warm again with highs in the 80s, then near 70 in the Upstate to the low 80s in the Lowcountry on Sunday. It will be even cooler early next week; highs will be in the mid-to-upper 70s on Monday, then in the upper 60s and low 70s on Tuesday and Wednesday. Late next week looks a little warmer, but with highs still mainly in the 70s. Expect chilly mornings next week, with lows mainly in the 40s and 50s.

Frank Strait
Severe Weather Liaison
S.C. State Climate Office

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
260 D. Epting Lane
West Columbia, SC, 29172

Department Phone Numbers

Be the first to comment!

Oct 2, 2026by: Curtis Hoff No Comments
Cruisers’ Net Weekly Newsletter – October 2, 2026
Cruisers’ Net Newsletter for this week has just been emailed via Constant Contact.

If you want to view the newsletter but are not signed up to receive them automatically, you can view it at https://conta.cc/4ysCVtV or see it below.

To automatically receive our emailed Fri Weekly Newsletter and Wed Fuel Report, click:


Newsletter icons created by Freepik – Flaticon
Share:
Be the first to comment!
Sep 29, 2026by: Curtis Hoff No Comments 26.6417,-81.87629999
Legacy Harbour Marina REOPENS, Okeechobee Waterway Statute Mile 135.5

View In Chartview

Great news for the cruising community. One of my personal favorite marinas is open again four years after being destroyed by Hurricane Ian in September 2022. Legacy Harbour was a longtime CRUISERS NET SPONSOR, and we look forward to their new 131 slip marina featuring Bellingham’s wave attenuator and dock systems. Construction is expected to be completed in Spring 2026.
We’re officially open and it feels good to have boats back at Legacy Harbour Marina! ⚓
Nearly four years after Hurricane Ian, our rebuilt docks are once again welcoming boaters to the Fort Myers waterfront. With 131 wet slips for vessels from 40 to 140 feet, upgraded infrastructure and enhanced amenities, we’re ready for what’s ahead.
WINK News hit the docks as some of our first boaters arrived and spoke with harbourmaster Eric Ravenschlag about the rebuild and what it means to welcome the boating community back.
The docks are ready. The boats are arriving. And we’re just getting started.
Watch the WINK News story and read more here: https://bit.ly/4hmP8ud
#legacyharbourmarina #fortmyers #southwestflorida #boating #marina
See less
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Western Florida Marina Directory Listing For Legacy Harbour Marina
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Legacy Harbour Marina
Share:
1 Facebook Likes, 1 Facebook Reactions
Be the first to comment!

Sep 29, 2026by: Curtis Hoff No Comments

TS Hanna Forms over Central Atlantic – Fred Pickhardt

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

TS Hanna Forms over Central Atlantic

Sep 28

The disturbance previously tracked over the central subtropical Atlantic has acquired a well-defined surface circulation and center.

Current Status (1500 UTC (1100 AM AST), Mon Sep 28

Center Location: 36.6N, 50.4W (Accurate within 25 NM)
Present Movement: East (100 degrees) at 15 knots

Wind & Pressure Profile

Maximum Sustained Winds: 40 knots
Peak Gusts: 50 knots
Estimated Minimum Central Pressure: 1006 MB
Max Significant Wave Height: Estimated 4-4.5 meters (13-15 feet)

Wind Field

The strongest winds (35 to 40 knots) and deep convection are located to the east and southeast of the center, largely due to strong westerly shear. Currently, 34-knot tropical storm-force winds extend out about 80 nautical miles strictly into the southeastern quadrant..

Outlook

Hanna is expected to slow after about 24 hours, then turn toward the east-northeast. Strong west-northwesterly shear is expected to persist over the storm for the next several days, meaning little, if any, strengthening is anticipated. Within a couple of days, Hanna is expected to degenerate into a post-tropical remnant low.

NOAA National Hurricane Center

NOAA High Seas Forecast

You’re currently a free subscriber to Fred Pickhardt’s Substack. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.

Be the first to comment!

Sep 29, 2026by: Curtis Hoff No Comments
Nor’easter thrashes coast from Cape Lookout to Duck – CoastalReview


Share:
Be the first to comment!

Sep 29, 2026by: Curtis Hoff No Comments

East Coast Low Update – Fred Pickhardt

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

US East Coast Low Update

Sep 27

The large storm low off the coast yesterday has looped northwest and now is moving southwest with the center over Delaware Bay . Winds have diminished with mostly 25-40 knots winds reported within 90 nm of the center and 20-30 knot winds elsewhere.

Coastal Impacts

NOAA Ocean Prediction Center

NOAA High Seas Forecast

NOAA Offshore Forecasts

NOAA US Coastal Waters Forecasts

NOAA Weather Prediction Center

You’re currently a free subscriber to Fred Pickhardt’s Substack. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.

Be the first to comment!

Website | Facebook | Survey | City Marina

Sep 29, 2026by: Curtis Hoff No Comments

Island Packet’s Own Surveyor Told Us Our Boat ‘Wasn’t Seaworthy’ – Loose Cannon

Cruisers Net publishes Loose Cannon articles with Captain Swanson’s permission in hopes that mariners with

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more

When all else fails, try journalism.

Island Packet’s Own Surveyor Told Us Our Boat ‘Wasn’t Seaworthy’

But He Wasn’t Allowed To Share His Report

Peter Swanson

Sep 26

In preparation for yesterday’s story about a man who believes he was poisoned by his boat’s water tank, Loose Cannon contacted 35 Island Packet owners, whose emails had been obtained during research.¹ The idea was to get a sense of the room.

Only seven replied. Six loved their boats and were supportive of the factory, though it’s not clear whether all were referring to the “new Island Packet” or the Bob Johnson era. Nor could it be ascertained whether these six were sincere or indulging in the entirely natural impulse to protect the dollar value of their purchase against negative publicity.

The seventh email came from Murray and Caroline Atkinson, which you can read below, followed by criticism of the couple by Island Packet President Darrell Allen. Their account is relevant to yesterday’s story in that it speaks to the state of quality control at today’s Island Packet.

We bought Salamander in February 2023, which was the original planned delivery date. However, after paying our initial deposit (Island Packet President) Darrell Allen informed us two 349s had put theirs back (they’d actually cancelled due to price rises) and asked if we could come forward.

We agreed on December and paid the first payment. The build was supposed to start in May. They started in July.

So we took delivery in February 2023. Opening a cupboard, all the shelves fell down. The initial punch list was around 100 items. Getting all these dealt with cost us the sailing trial period.

Eventually, we left for Guatemala via Dry Tortugas. While there we discovered we had no anodes, so we went back to Florida and IP had a diver fit new ones. That was a problem with the marina electrics, it might be worth asking other owners about their early anode use.

Then we went to Guatemala and discovered we had no prop anode. The propeller also needed greasing so we hauled out.

We found patches of anti-foul had fallen off. We decided then to re-antifoul with coppercoat so got hauled out at the next yard which can do that. A third of the gel coat, not just antifoul, fell off. IP paid for the remedial work and assessed that they had done the coats with insufficient time between.

On relaunch, the bowthruster failed to work.

I found the main negative cable carrying 100 amps hadn’t been crimped into the lug. IP paid for a hydraulic crimper so I could do it myself.

A couple of other minor electrical connections also came apart.

We left Guatemala for Panama. After 300 miles, I was on deck while Caroline was sleeping in the storm bunk, which is next to the solar charging MPPT controller.

She woke and wondered why her vision was off and went to the loo. When she came back, she had woken and realised there was a fire.

I came down and we dealt with the fire. It transpired the fuse had been fitted with a stainless washer between the lug and the fuse, and this had got hot enough to ignite a cardboard box. The wrong covers had also been fitted, the correct one is designed to prevent contact between the connections and anything else while allowing airflow. The covers fitted were rubber sleeves, which added insulation.

So, we fixed that and requested IP perform a full electrical survey.

IP agreed to send both of their warranty repair guys to Panama to address several other issues and check the electrics.

In the event, only one came, and he did all the other issues but didn’t look at the electrics. We gave feedback, including that we still needed the electrics to be checked.

Then, we went through the Panama canal. Twice during this the engine went to derate mode but reset.² The process is that engines have to be on the whole time even when stationary or being towed by a partner boat as we were, so we reconciled that that had caused the derate mode, probably erroneously.

Next sail was to Hawaii, 5,000 miles from Panama.

By the time we arrived in Hawaii it was apparent the batteries were failing at 2.5 years old. We replaced them, and IP paid for the new ones. I checked all the Victron settings, and it transpired IP had left them on the default AGM settings but had fitted Lifeline top quality batteries, which have their own recommended settings. I changed the settings and the new batteries are still fine.

We again asked for an electrical survey.

From Hawaii, we went to Alaska. Alaska to California saw very little wind, and we motored most of the way with no problems, hauled out at Napa where we discovered the throttle handle had cold welded itself onto the splines and I had to cut it off. IP sent a replacement. I had to drill out the new fitting as the holes didn’t match the studs.

It might be worth asking other owners if they’ve taken this lever off.

Then we motored 40 miles towards a friend near Lodi, California. With seven miles to go the engine went to derate and shut down. We were in a main shipping channel in the river. We drifted to the edge and anchored. Port control radioed and required that we move out of the channel so we arranged a tow at around $2,000.

At the dock we contacted the local Yanmar dealer who attended and diagnosed a defective turbo. Due to circumstances, we had to be towed to a local marina for another $400 or so.

The new turbo was fitted and made no difference. The dealer ran diagnostics and diagnosed high fuel pressure. They then proceeded to change all the fuel system one part at a time. Each time the engine was fine initially then failed again. After replacing the fuel pump it seemed fine for a while, so I tested the bow thruster and the engine failed again.

The Yanmar dealer agreed it now seemed electrical. I followed advice to reduce EMI³ in the engine circuits, and the dealer provided new alternator and ECU to test. Neither made any difference, but during testing it became apparent that the problem occurred only when the batteries were at 13.5 volts. With ferrite clips everywhere this went up to 13.9 volts, confirming the EMI diagnosis.

Then Darrell arranged for a marine electrical surveyor in Long Beach to conduct a survey.

Obviously, we had to get to Long Beach and needed the engine to work, so had to prevent the batteries reaching the trigger voltage. I fitted a switch to turn the alternator off.

During this journey the engine went to derate again. I realised this was due to solar charging and thought about how to prevent the starter battery reaching the trigger voltage.

We arrived at Long Beach, and the surveyor came and examined the boat. The only thing he spotted and told me about was the defective exhaust elbow. He refused to discuss his electrical findings since IP was his client.

While arranging the survey he stated he thought the boat wasn’t seaworthy.

I asked whether the boat was still unseaworthy, and both he and IP refused to answer. Darrell stated that it was clear from the report that the changes I had made had caused the problem.

The surveyor said he had no idea how Darrell could come to that conclusion but still refused to let me see the report. Darrell also refused to send me the report and subsequent emails have gone unanswered.

I realized I didn’t need to prevent the battery reaching the trigger voltage, only control the output voltage. So after spending several thousand dollars on a turbo, etc. and $1,300 getting to the survey, a $67 part has cured the symptoms. IP still refused to discuss or contribute.

Footnote: The exhaust elbow is made locally to IP and isn’t the Yanmar part. I only found that out by sending photos to Yanmar since their part drawings didn’t match what I was seeing. We had it repaired in Long Beach, and the welder described in detail why it had failed and what the design fault is. IP sent a replacement to our home in U.K.

Allen Responds

In an audio-recorded interview, Darrell Allen first accepted and then declined an invitation to address the Atkinson email point by point. Instead, he blamed them entirely for everything that happened, saying:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. A couple from the U.K. who literally have no clue what they’re doing as well. And I just recently had a guy out of Newport beach, one of the most respected electricians in Southern California, go out and try to fix the issues that they said were wrong with the boat. And he sent me pictures of the wiring that they had modified and done to that boat.
And he said that it would take him probably 40 to 80 hours to correct all the problems that they had made on that boat. Okay? So, we’ve got plenty of proof on our side.

Unredeemed: Island Packet Owner’s Dream Turns Nightmarish

Peter Swanson

Sep 25

Read full story

Dear IP Folks,

I’m a marine journalist who writes under the Loose Cannon Substack. Before that I was an editor or the editor at several boating magazines. Before that I was an editor or investigative journalist at several newspapers.

Sorry for the form letter, but I thought this would be the best way to get the broadest spectrum of opinions about the current state of Island Packet Yachts. I have just listened to the worst warranty claim story of my entire life, and it involved an Island Packet 439. Have any of you had any bad experiences with the company regarding issues such as quality workmanship or warranty work, or has your experience been positive?

An engine derate on a Yanmar diesel system is a protective operating state triggered by the Engine Control Module (ECM) to limit power, torque, or RPM and prevent severe mechanical or emissions damage.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is unwanted electrical noise or disturbance caused by an external or internal electromagnetic field that disrupts the normal operation of electronic devices.

LOOSE CANNON covers hard news, technical issues and nautical history. Every so often he tries to be funny. Subscribe for free to support the work. If you’ve been reading for a while—and you like it—consider upgrading to paid.