After much Internet surfing and a few 1-800 telephone calls, I found a solution for our dead radar - buy a previously owned one for a fraction of the price of a new unit! A little background: our “classic” (read: old) electronics are no longer supported by the manufacturer. Parts are in a dwindling supply and service repair shops don’t want to spend bench time analyzing the problem. However, as boats receive equipment upgrades old working units are sold in the secondary market (read: eBay). I called Raymarine directly and they suggested I contact a company in Bellingham, WA. A guy there told me about the secondary market and gave the serial numbers I needed to pursue. I’ve been reading through all of the technical manuals trying to ensure myself that I’m searching for a totally compatible unit. The great news is I found a compatible unit in WA, confirmed compatibility with the service tech, and bam - bought it! It should be here in a week and the Walstrom guys will swap it out (fingers crossed!). I’ve been told these units are essentially a plug and play, subject to some fine tuning adjustments.

This is makes me feel much better. I’ve been boating for 20 years and have had radar. I use it in good weather so that I know how to interpret the readings in bad. It’s a great compliment / supplement to the other navigational aids on board. I am reluctant to travel too far without it. Which leads me to say that it still looks favorable for us to move on to Mackinac Island Friday morning. BTW - weather report: rain earlier today and continued cool, about 55’. Sunshine broke through this afternoon but a forecast of overnight showers. First day we’ve been able to turn off the helm heater! Yee haw! Making progress!!

Tomorrow is a re-provision and check down day.