" When Pigs Fly"

OK, since Anna set me up in her post I’ll tell the frustrating story of the Garmin Auto-Pilot. If you have been paying close attention you know that the Auto-Pilot, aka just plain “Otto”, has not work since the original installation. In Marathon it was discovered that the pump was defective. With the pump replaced we were able to do a successful sea trial. After the sea trial the boat returned to her slip for several weeks. She  never left her slip during that time due to the 15-20 MPH winds we were experiencing from the stalled cold front in the Gulf of Mexico. So even after Anna returned to Marathon from her 7 weeks of Midwestern snow storms we had to sit an additional week waiting on the high winds. Not that this was such bad punishment, it’s just that we were ready to move north with the rest of the snow birds.

Finally the day came, the winds laid down, the sea was calm like glass, and we pushed off from our winter home port. Just as we cleared Fanny Key and hit the deep water I removed Otto’s cover and pushed the button. Nothing happened….not quite the start we hoped for. I was able to contact Bud, the guy who had installed the new pump and performed the sea trial. Bud said the yellow wire was the problem and I should make sure the connection was good.

Anna took the helm as I started to move the dock box that sets in front of the helm, to get to this yellow wire. The dock box is very heavy. It holds just about every tool I own, along with all the extra widgets and gismos required to keep a boat afloat until a real mechanic can be found. Once I got the box moved and the electrical panel hatch off the wind began to pick up and we got a little chop in our previously calm seas. By that time I’ve crammed half my body into the 18” x 18” opening at the front of the helm like the last sardine in the can. The Pig was bouncing and bumping as Anna did her best to hold the beast steady. I finally located the yellow wire that was to solve all of Otto’s problems but it had a good connection, bummer, what next?

I called Garmin’s support desk. After being on hold for 15 minutes and my 10 minute explanation for the reason I called, I’m told to check the yellow wire and make sure the black ground is good. If that doesn’t work call us back. With that, I decided troubleshooting electrical issues on a bouncing boat wasn’t really my strong suit so I put everything back in place and took over the driving duties so I could sulk in private.

This is now the second long crossing where Otto has failed us. He would have been a great asset in traveling the open waters of the Florida Bay. We anchored that evening, I tried to look for something obvious under the helm, but I was quickly disillusioned mostly because I didn’t have the foggiest idea what I was doing.

The next day we were in Dinner Key and Otto was still eating at me so Anna and I walked to a West Marine to look at their contractor board for a serviceman. One was recommended so with high hopes we walked back to boat. I called the serviceman early Monday morning, my message went straight to voice mail. I waited all day and never did receive a return call. As we were leaving the marina for an early dinner I noticed a truck advertising electronics installation and service. I called their number and was promised a mechanic first thing Tuesday between 10 to 11:00, some first thing, huh?! The mechanic told me he was in the marina every day so I waited patiently on Tuesday until 2:00 PM when I had to call to see when/if he was coming. He hadn’t remembered my call or talking to me but he could be there on Friday. You gotta love “island time”.  We went on with our daily adventures in Miami and the Grove area with intentions to leave the next day and find a mechanic in Palm Beach.

But Otto had me pissed, this can’t be that hard. I suggested to Anna that we stay one more day so I could work with Garmin one more time. The next day I pushed everything out of the way and prepared for my phone call with Garmin. Fortunately I got someone that understood the system and he agreed to stay with me as long as it took. After two hours on the phone it was determined the screen was the defective part. But the tech, Steven, needed some information on the compass ball which I had already covered back up. So we agreed I would call him back with the info and he would then send the new part to our next stop at Old Port Cove Marina.

It took me about 20 minutes to uncover the compass ball to see the green light and call Garmin back. When I called back Steven was on another call, but Jason said he would be glad to assist me. He read my ticket information from Steven but wanted to try some other tests just to be sure they were sending the right part. After an hour and half on the phone Jason determined that the screen was still the culprit and one would be sent to Old Port Cove Marina.

I really appreciate those Garmin techs and their tenacity but I was starting to get pretty frustrated rerunning all the tests we had just done with Steven.  I’m not sure Jason understood his double check meant crawling all over the boat in and out of some pretty uncomfortable places…again. 

At Old Port Cove Marina the new Garmin screen was waiting for us just as promised. I installed the new screen and up came Otto just as promised. After leaving the marina we used Otto to guide us in the ICW and all worked as planned for about 2 hours. It was pretty neat! Then, while holding for a bridge to open, Otto went on strike again, just like that he stopped. This was becoming frustrating to say the least. I have more time logged to the service desk than Otto has worked in the last three months. I spent 2 more hours with Steve the tech who determined I may have had a bad cable from the ball to the screen. We made arrangements to have a new one shipped to our next stop.

This is where the story gets comical as well as irritating. I remembered I had cable from the new screen that was sent to OPCM and I figured out it was the same cable currently being shipped. So I was all prepared to swap cables. Here we go. I uncovered the compass ball from behind the cabinet noticing the green light wasn’t on. I knew from previous calls to Garmin the green light on the compass ball comes from power from the brains of the unit located under our bed. We pull the bed back, I looked into the darkness, and the power light on the brains wasn’t on. Ding! Ding! Ding! Did anyone check the breaker in the closet before running in circles screaming and shouting? Obviously not. Anna pushed the breaker button in and I went to the bridge to find a huge smile on Otto as he was flashing a heading and asking to be engaged.

Now we’ve run into some bad weather so it may be a couple of days before Otto gets put to the test.  We’ll be holding our breath to see if Otto’s smile will last… or if I’ll be logging more phone time with my new friend, Steven.

See ya on the water