Before setting off north I checked the systems that had been idle or unreliable. The masthead wind indicator had begun giving intermittent readings. I tested the instrument at home in Canberra, checked the cable down the mast and eventually ordered a replacement that could talk to Malua’s displays, chartplotter and Raspberry Pi.
Delivery took far longer than expected, but once the new unit arrived it worked on the bench. With help from another sailor I went up the mast and installed it. The wind readings appeared on the instruments and computer at the first test.
That was only one part of preparing Malua after the interrupted cruising years. At last the boat was ready, a weather window opened and Jim G joined me for the passage north from Bermagui.