We have been fairly slack at updating the blog over the last week. We sailed up to the Gold Coast last Monday (3rd July) using our Hydrovane (Harry) to help us steer. That all went reasonably well although course changes are a little more involved than using our normal autopilot.
Since arriving on Tuesday (4th) we have been up the Coomera river to visit the Jefa autopilot specialists. They took the drive out and bench tested it, concluding it was working fine. We then increasingly suspected the Raymarine Actuator Control Unit (ACU), so we ordered a new bigger unit, picked it up in Southport and installed it. A cool $3,500 later and the problem still persists.
Raymarine have run diagnostics on the boats systems and concluded that the issue is with the drive. We are now in the world of trying to convince Jefa that there really is something wrong with the drive.
In between diagnostics we have at least been ashore on South Stradbroke Island which is beautiful and it is warmer here than at home.
