We had originally planned to leave the Cays at 9:30AM. We were all
ready to go when Rick saw a couple of storm cells on the horizon. We
called Nativa and told them we would like to wait until the cells passed.
It was quite a while later and the clouds had still not moved any closer so we
decided to head out. Carol took the helm for most of the trip across the
South Mayreau Channel. She did very well especially since the waves were
aft of the beam causing a real good roll. We anchored and went ashore to
roam Clifton on Union Island and buy a few fresh vegetables. We met Les
and Olive on Sea Castle II (a Bayfield 36), from Ottawa. Rick made
reservations for dinner at the West Indies Restaurant in the Bougainvilla.
This was a celebration of my
quitting smoking on April 1st, two years ago.
Rick ordered King Fish, Carol had Red Snapper, and I went for the chicken in a
mushroom cream sauce. The food was all very good and the evening enjoyable
but we were laughing at each other yawning. It was well after our normal
bedtime of 8:30PM and we weren’t use to being up so late.
There are some days that things would have been better if one stayed in bed. This was one of them. It started when we went to pick up our laundry from the Anchorage Yacht Club. The laundry lady had just received it and it was nicely hanging on the clotheslines still very wet. They were very apologetic but it wouldn’t be ready until 1:30PM (no discount) because of the rain and lack of sun. Next time I think we’ll use Erika’s Laundry service with yacht pick up and delivery. With the laundry on board we departed at 2PM for PSV (Petit St. Vincent).
PSV is a beautiful small island with only a resort on it. A villa/cottage at the resort is $500U.S. a night. Once anchored, I checked the battery state before turning off the engine in case we should let it run a little longer. Oh, Oh! There were no Amps indicated on the ammeter. This happened once before and it was just a loose wire to the meter so I didn’t panic. Rick checked everything. He pulled the alternator off the engine and with all the tests it really wasn’t generating any Amps. This was the spare alternator that was just installed last month so we were SOL. The wind was strong enough that the wind generator was providing enough amps for a while. We decided that the only thing we would have to discontinue would be the email. The refrigeration, watermaker and macerator pump for the holding tank were necessities that we would continue to use.
What else?? A mooring ball that was a few boat lengths away must have had a mile long line on it. When the tide changed at about 10:30pm the current brought it right up to Wind-Borne and beat against the hull (right next to Carol’s head). We shortened our anchor rode a few times until we were finally far enough away from it.
We waited for rain clouds to pass by before leaving the boat then we dinghied over to (PM) Petite Martinique. PM is really part of Grenada not St. Vincent but the islands are so close and there is no Customs office on PSV or PM so the officials turn a blind eye. In fact some of the restaurants on PM will send a boat to pick you up from PSV for dinner on PM.
First stop was the bank to get some cash. There is no ATM. The
amount they can give you depends on how much cash they have on hand. The
teller could give me $500 EC but it would be from my visa and only with picture
ID (which was back at the boat). It was Thursday, 11:30AM, they were closing at
12PM and would not reopen until Tuesday. I decided I didn’t really need
any more cash.
We next looked around for the marine repair place that some of the charter companies use. We eventually found it but no one was home. We gave up on this place and decided to call Tyrrel Bay Yacht Haulout in Carriacou (TBYH), for help. There were two payphones on the island but neither were working. One of the phones was just outside the police station so we went inside to ask if we could use their phone. No problem.
We reached Jerry at TBYH who told us to put the alternator on the 3PM ferry to Carriacou and he would pick it up.
We had a few hours before the ferry would arrive so we wandered up to a
boutique and met up Anne and Brian (Nativa). We left the boutique and went
for lunch together at the Palm Beach Restaurant. It was an excellent
restaurant right on the beach that we hope to visit again. It was getting
close to 3PM so we walked down to the dock to wait for the ferry. When it
left, and Rick’s backpack was a lot lighter, we walked back up the beach to the
supermarket. This supermarket is famous for it’s prices since most things
are smuggled. Carol bought some beer and liquor. It was certainly
cheaper than a duty free store.
We had a wet ride back to the boat with very strong winds causing a salty spray. Almost immediately after getting aboard we had a call on the radio from Michael of Aerial Electronics. He already had our alternator and had determined it was fried. He would try and locate a new one for us and call back tomorrow.
We had steak, baked potato and cream fraiche with a veggie stir fry for dinner and then headed for bed.
The winds were very strong overnight gusting to 35 knots. Nativa
dragged a bit so had to re-anchor. The wind was keeping our batteries in
good shape.
We received a call from Roy at TBYH who had located a used alternator in Grenada and a new one in Trinidad. The new one was over a thousand dollars U.S. The used one was from Neil at Enza Marine who we know. Neil said he would put it on the ferry for us and we could try it. If it fit we could buy it if not we could put it back on the ferry and send it back to him. (I don’t know of anywhere back home where you could get a deal like that.) We chose the used alternator.
After lunch we went ashore (PSV) with Nativa. We walked down the beach
quite a distance. It was all nicely raked and there were small palm roofed
shade places along the beach with a thermos of cold water and glasses set up on
a table at each one for the paying guests. The
current and
waves were very strong so we walked back a little closer to where the boats were
anchored and swam there. John and Barb (Emerald) joined us. They
invited Carol, Rick and me back to their boat for Happy Hour. It was a
short Happy Hour because Rick had to dinghy across to Petite Martinique for the
8PM ferry. It was a nasty crossing between the islands with the wind and
waves so he wanted to travel at least one way in daylight.
When the ferry arrived and he got the alternator he called on the radio to say he was on his way back. Carol and I were sitting in the cockpit watching for his light. So were Nativa and Emerald. He returned safe and sound but soaking wet from the spray and waves. Once he put on some dry clothes and had some dinner we all went to bed.
We waited until after breakfast before opening the box containing the alternator. As soon as it was opened Rick and I knew it wouldn’t fit. The casing was much too large. We called Roy at TBYH and let him know. We decided we would order a new one from Florida by email.
The winds were still strong (good thing), and forecast to get stronger. We decided to move back to Clifton where Carol is to fly out on Monday. We would spend the rest of today and tomorrow there.
It was a very rolly ride to Clifton but didn’t take very long. Lunch was a Roti at a small local restaurant. We returned to the boat and relaxed before dinner at the Anchorage Yacht Club. Carol treated!! She and I had lobster. Rick had Red Snapper. The waitress brought us some raw fish to feed the nurse sharks in the pool beside our table.
This is Carols last full day. We took our time getting ready in the
morning and went ashore just before noon. We met the crew from Rachael
Jane at the dinghy dock. Masade and Nativa were waiting for us in town.
We all stopped for a drink at Lambi’s Restaurant and then just roamed around.
Almost everything was closed because it was Sunday. We returned to the
boat for some reading time. Carol is desperately trying to finish “The
Outlander” by Diana Gabaldon before she leaves tomorrow.
Two weeks have gone by so quickly. Carol flew home this morning but not without a little anxiety. Her flight with Mustique Airlines was canceled, as she was the only passenger. Within half and hour they had rebooked her on a TIA flight.
We had a wonderful time with Carol and she was certainly good crew. She experienced a broken engine exhaust fan, an alternator failure, a leaky stuffing box which, caused the 98 decibel bilge alarm to sound at least once a day. She put up with some rough seas, wind generator noise, cold showers and even a lack of showers when were conserving water because of no alternator. Our binoculars have been renamed the Gladys Glasses and we will think of Carol every time we use them.
We left shortly after Carol flew off but not before Rick pulled her room apart so he could tighten the stuffing box. It was a lovely sail to Carriacou. Emerald and Kiana were there to greet us when we arrived. John and Barb (Emerald), had lunch at the yacht club and heard Roy and Susan (TBYH) laughing over the phone call Susan had just received from FedEx. Our new alternator was almost sent to Curacao in the Dutch West Indies rather than Carriacou, Grenada in the West Indies. Thank heavens for someone at FedEx and Susan in Tyrrel Bay Yacht Haulout for straightening things out.
I awoke at 4AM to the sound or silence of no wind at all. I got up and turned off the fridge and anchor light. First thing in the morning we dropped off 3 bags of laundry and took the bus into Hillsborough to check in with customs and immigration. While there we picked up a C14 (customs form for duty free import of replacement boat parts) for the alternator. Before returning to Tyrrel Bay we picked up a few basic groceries.
Roy (TBYH) asked if we wanted to plug into electricity for a while. It
was an extremely nice offer. We told him we were still ok but if things
got worse we may take him up on his offer.
John and Barb (Emerald), came over for Happy Hour aboard Wind-Borne III. They arrived at the boat just as Rick was arriving back after foraging for ice cubes. Blocks are easier to get but we haven’t been buying ice in the past so we are lacking in ice knowledge. We had a nice visit with them but when they returned to their boat to barbecue lobster for dinner we lost our appetite. Either nothing we had on board seemed appealing or we weren’t hungry so we just went to bed.
Rick wasn’t feeling very well when he woke up so we got moving slower than we normally do which is already pretty slow. Eventually he disconnected the second alternator from the engine and gave it to Michael (Aerial Electronics). Michael pulled it apart and right away called to let us know that it had shorted and he didn’t have the parts to fix it. He would get it back to us first thing in the morning. Meanwhile we took another load of laundry to the Yacht Club. This was the 4th large load. We went to the internet café and checked email. I really miss not being able to send and receive the email onboard but we can’t afford the Amps just now.
We went looking for Malcolm and Margo (Kiwa), and found them on the office steps of TBYH with Roy, Susan and Jerry. It was an impromptu Happy Hour. During the conversations Roy mentioned that our new alternator would be arriving on the 8pm ferry. Jerry hadn’t told us yet. This was extremely good news, as the wind seemed to be getting lighter. I know a lot of boats go to Trinidad and other large centres when they need to be hauled out but as long as Roy and Susan are here our preference will be Tyrrel Bay Yacht Haulout. They can get almost anything shipped in and they really do care.
Rick was feeling better this morning but it was raining cats and dogs. We finally left the boat at 10AM. We were too late to get a ride into town with Susan or Jerry so we called Linky Taxi. Linky Taxi is sometimes a taxi and other times it is a bus. We rode with them as a bus the other day and met Lincoln, the driver and Lester the conductor. Lester is deaf and signs. Rick Kelly and I use to take signing lessons but we’ve forgotten most of it. Lester is a lot of fun and he’s giving us a refresher course.
We picked up our new alternator and put Neil’s alternator on the ferry to go back to Grenada. After lunch at a small local restaurant we returned to the boat. Rick installed the brand new alternator. This alternator was ordered from Electric Sales and Service in Miami. It was shipped on Monday by FedEx and arrived in Carriacou on Wednesday. Once installed we had many wonderful Amps flowing again. We ran the engine and turned on the watermaker. I then cleaned the fridge and filled the ice cube trays. Last but not least I checked email and updated my journal.
It was so nice having amps again. In the morning we had a shower, caught up with some email, made some more water and relaxed. We went to the yacht club and had a chicken Roti for lunch. After lunch we went into one of the small supermarkets where one can get their propane tanks sent out to be filled. The girl wasn’t sure about our aluminum tank so she would have to check with the man in Grenada to see if he could fill our type of tank. (We know that she sends them to the one and only place in Grenada. This is the same place we were getting them filled all last season.) She asked us to check back with her on Monday and she should know by then. No problem. Next we went to visit “In Stitches”, a canvas place that we want to do some work for us in May. We just stopped in to meet them and let them know what we wanted done. The one man working there was in the midst of fixing a sail and needed to do a long splice in a boltrope. It was twisted rather than braided rope (my specialty is braided), and although I’ve never spliced twisted rope I have a book on knots and splices. We returned to the boat and took it back to them to use.
While listening to a conversation on the radio over dinner we became quite proud of our self-sufficiency. A boat called in with a failed alternator. They had to send another boat out to bring them in. They couldn’t start their engine and couldn’t anchor because they didn’t have enough power for their electric windlass. We figure that the following things are essential with regard to the alternator.
You must have an Ammeter in order to know that the alternator is generating amps and how many amps are being generated. Your starter battery must be isolated from your house batteries with the ability to combine all batteries if necessary to start the engine. An electric windlass (which we don’t have) must have the ability to be operated manually. It is essential to have some means of charging the batteries by a means other than running engine. We had the wind generator, soon we will have solar panels and some boats also have a diesel or gas generator. As soon as an alternator problem is identified it is important to prioritize your power needs. We first eliminated the computer, HAM/SSB radio, and all entertainment things like TV and radio. The next to be eliminated was our refrigeration. Ice is not expensive. If necessary our next move would have been to replace our electric macerator pump with an old manual one we have on board. The watermaker would have been the second to last thing we would do with out. The final thing would have been cabin lights which we would replace with our oil lamp and candles. We didn’t plan ahead for this because we had a spare alternator on board. We thought we had the bases covered however we did luck out with our electrical design.
Rick started cleaning his stainless steel before breakfast this morning. He took a few minutes out to eat and then started scrubbing the cockpit. We were going to go fishing in the dinghy today but the waves seem a little high so we’re into plan B. As Rick continued to clean, I worked on web site updates. It was well after lunchtime and we decided to finally try the pizza at the Turtle Dove restaurant.
On our way we stopped to say hello to Chris Doyle who had earlier anchored with his new catamaran Ti Kanot near us. The boat name is Patois and means little canoe. Chris writes all of the cruising guides for the Caribbean. In fact, while Carol was here she was reading them religiously before we reached each island.
When we got to the Turtle Dove we found it was too late for lunch and too early for dinner, so we moved on. We dinghied over to the shore at town and went into “After Ours” which is a little supermarket. We bought a few things there and on our way out sat for a while with one of the locals who was watching CNN on the outdoor TV. We are a little more up to date on the war now. The last news we had received was about two weeks before.
It was Saturday night and on this island similar to many others, people were starting to set up the barbecues for the locals who like to eat out and party on the weekends.
Eventually we went to the Yacht Club and checked a few things on the internet before Happy Hour. It was a very small Happy Hour. Chris joined Rick and I for a pleasant conversation and that was it, no one else showed up. He has a web site www.doyleguides.com with new waypoints that can be downloaded to a GPS. The new editions of his guide books have many new locations identified. He is able to get into many places with his new catamaran that were too shallow when he had the monohull. When the sun had set we realized it was time to head back to the boat. We hadn’t expected to be out this late and hadn’t brought a torch (flashlight, to those who don’t hang out with Brits), with us.
We received a lot of rain early in the morning. We really should learn to make better use of all the fresh water on days like this. I did some hand laundry and then we spent the rest of the morning reading. Although it stopped raining well before noon, the sky remained cloudy all day. We had agreed to go snorkeling with Paul and Mary from Tarnhelm, the boat anchored beside us. We used the two dinghies and went around the island almost to the other side. There was a small bay there with reefs on each side of the bay. We saw a lot of different fish, which we just like to look at. Mary however, was on a mission. She had her Bahamian Sling with her and was hoping for a fish dinner. She ended up spearing about a half dozen fish that she said were good eating. I prefer using a line and hook to catch our fish.
After snorkeling we walked up a small hill and found ourselves on the other side of the island looking at Manchineel Bay and a few smaller islands.
When it was time to leave we helped Mary and Paul get their dinghy afloat and then climbed into our own. We started on our way back and as we watched the other dinghy go around the point of the bay, our engine stopped. Rick checked the fuel attachments because he had just filled the gas tank before leaving. After checking everything, choking the engine and pulling the cord until he was red in the face, we attached the oars to begin a very long row back. Once the oars were in place, the engine roared to life with one pull. He quickly gunned it and we raced out of the bay. We didn’t get very far and found Mary and Paul who had slowed down to wait for us when we didn’t appear to be following them. I’m glad we had used the two dinghies when going so far in open water. We did have our hand held radio with us if it had been necessary to call for help but it was much safer having a dinghy buddy.
In the morning we did a little grocery shopping in Tyrrel Bay. If we had needed a lot of groceries we would have taken the bus into Hillsborough. We tried to go to the Turtle Dove to have pizza for lunch and failed again. We made sure to arrive at noon but found they are closed on Mondays. We decided to try the Twilight Restaurant instead. There we had fish (swordfish) and chips and although it was good we felt it was a little pricey at $20 EC each. Nativa came into the bay and anchored near us in the late afternoon. We spoke with them on the radio for a while but they were a little tired so we agreed to get together tomorrow. Paul and Lynn (Kiana), invited us aboard for happy hour. They want to leave for Trinidad in the morning but are still waiting for their new dodger that’s being made by “In Stitches”.
Brian and Anne (Nativa) picked us up in their dinghy and we went ashore to get a bus into Hillsborough. We picked up some fresh bread (still warm), and hit the ATM. It was 12:30PM when we got on the bus to head back to Tyrrel Bay. We had the bus driver use his VHF radio to call the Turtle Dove Restaurant and let them know we were coming. Anne seemed to remember the pizzas as being small enough that we should each order our own. They weren’t quite that small so we each took home ½ of our pizza. They were very good and I’m glad we finally got to taste them. When we returned to the boat we could see Kiana had their new dodger being installed. It was a little later than planned but they finally got away by 5PM. They were extremely anxious to get to Trinidad to see the Australian team play Trinidad in a major Cricket match. Paul is Australian.
Rick cleaned and polished the cockpit while I attempted to replace the zipper in the dinghy. Our dinghy has a splash cover on it’s bow. The stitching in the zipper rotted in the sun and we have re-stitched it a couple of times. The zipper itself has now fallen apart. Elsie on Sea Dream II had a lot of the type of zipper I needed and gave me some a while ago. I put it in with the round-to-it jobs. I thought this was a round-to-it day but the waves convinced me otherwise. I was able to remove the old zipper but I need a few less waves to begin sewing. Rick suggested I take the dinghy ashore a sit in the shade of a tree to sew it. I would but all of the trees along the shore here are Manchineel trees. They can be worse than poison ivy so I am really cautious of them.
We read and had a siesta in the afternoon. The sunset this evening was so amazing that Rick said to keep watching because for sure the sky would soon be lit up with neon lights saying “Presented by Disney Productions”.
With the red sky last night we expected a beautiful morning but we awoke to strong winds and a bit of rain. The rain ended very early but the winds were here to stay. Brian and Anne on Nativa are really having a problem with dragging lately. They dragged again this morning and had to re anchor. We met them ashore and went to Paradise beach for the morning. It’s a lovely beach across from Sandy Island. When Anne got hungry we went to the Hard Wood Cafe. The restaurant has a good size covered deck on the beach. We had chicken and chips for lunch and could tell immediately that it was not local chicken. Although we each only got a couple of wings they were very tasty and tender. We all returned to the boats for our afternoon siesta and then had Happy Hour aboard Nativa.
The winds howled all night long. In the morning any boats that were anchored in Hillsborough or at Sandy Island moved over to join us in Tyrrel Bay where it’s much less rolly. We had talked about going fishing in the dinghy today but it was much too windy. Instead, we stayed aboard. Although the temperature was in the 90s, with wind as strong as we had today it’s very comfortable. The stores were all closed for Good Friday and we were out of bread so I baked a loaf. Since I was in a Susie Homemaker mood I also baked a batch of chocolate cookies. In the afternoon the winds and waves eased up a bit so Rick went for a swim and cleaned the waterline.
Just before dinner John, one of the boat boys stopped by to see if we would be interested in some lobster. The lobster season is over at the end of this month. In the Caribbean, lobster is available any month with the letter “R” in it. So May through August there is no lobster. We asked him to bring us each a 3-pound lobster Sunday. It would make a nice Easter Dinner.
We began our day by meeting Brian and Anne (Nativa) at the Yacht club in the morning. We used a couple of benches in the shade of one of the palm trees to cut hair. I cut Rick’s while Anne cut Brian’s. Afterward, Anne cut my hair. Many years ago she used to be a hairdresser so it’s a nice treat to have her rather than Rick cut my hair. This is certainly not to say that Rick doesn’t give me a great cut, he does. Anne’s cut is just different.
After the haircuts we dinghied over to the beach closer to town. We had a nice swim and then had the “Chicken Lady”, barbecue some chicken for the four of us for lunch. I refer to her as the “Chicken Lady” because I don’t know her name. She is able to make the local chicken taste wonderful and tender (which it’s not).
It was like old home week in Tyrrel Bay. Tundra and Scrammin arrived yesterday. Midnight pulled in and anchored next to us today. These are all “6 month cruisers” who are headed back to Grenada or Trinidad. They will soon put their boats on the hard and fly home for the hurricane season. They all joined Nativa and us for Happy Hour at the yacht club before dinner.
The only chocolate left onboard Wind-Borne III seemed to be the chips in the few remaining chocolate chip cookies. Since it was Easter, Rick finished them off. He then took the dinghy ashore and cleaned the bottom. When he returned to the boat his bottom cleaning mission continued. He scraped the growth from the bottom of the hull. I was very pleased he was already in the water with snorkel mask and fins. I was servicing the 4 self tailing winches (I am the onboard winch wench), when disassembling the last one, the black plastic sleeve that separates the two rings of bearings stuck to the winch for a minute and then tumbled overboard. The water is very clear here and the bottom is nice light sand. We’re anchored in about 12 feet so as soon as it fell overboard I called him around to the other side of the boat and pointed out where it fell and the direction of the drift. My hero had recovered the ring in less than a minute. It’s a good thing because I would have been in big trouble. He had suggested I put up the enclosure but I was confident that if I was careful, it would not be necessary. Those were my famous last words.
Later in the afternoon, our lobsters were delivered just in time for Easter dinner. They were excellent. Rick has become better than many of the restaurant chefs in preparing and cooking the spiny lobsters. They were sweet, tender and lifted easily out of the shell.
One would think that oatmeal would be an unlikely breakfast in the tropics. On Wind-Borne III we don’t have it often but after eating a big lobster dinner with garlic butter I felt I should serve a breakfast with Rick’s cholesterol in mind. I think oatmeal is supposed to be good for cholesterol so maybe the two will counteract each other.
Yesterday from noon until dark there was very loud socca music playing in town. Today we heard the same music. Simon, one of the boat boys stopped by so we asked him if there was a big party or celebration going on. He said there was lots of music but very few people so we left it at that and didn’t even go to investigate. Other than the music it was a quiet day. All of the stores and even the yacht club were closed for Easter Monday.
Just after breakfast we had a call on the radio from Graham and Ann (Rasi). They were in the Tobago Cays and hoped to be in Tyrrel Bay before the weekend. We’re looking forward to seeing them again.
We went ashore with David and Lenora (Midnight) for lunch. They picked us up in their dinghy and on our way in we stopped to say hello to another Canadian boat, Margiz II, with Kristian and Margita from Penetang. They anchored just ahead of us yesterday. They were expecting Rod and MaryAnne (Surprise) to arrive any moment who we met some time ago when we had lunch at De Reef Restaurant in Bequia.
We went to see the chicken lady for lunch but she had gone to town so wasn’t cooking today. The Turtle Dove was closed, we’re not sure why. So the only place left was the Twilight Restaurant. We had eaten there before and although the food was good we felt they overcharged us. We were very careful this time in checking the prices and repeating them when ordering. David almost got caught. He and Lenora had some pineapple juice and soda water to drink. Granted they had two glasses each but they were small. The charge for the drinks was going to be $24EC until it was challenged and became $12EC. Anyway, it was a good lunch.
We picked up some groceries, dropped off our propane tank to be filled and returned to the dinghy. On our way back to the boat, we stopped to say hello to Rod and MaryAnne who had arrived. We decided to all meet for Happy Hour at the Yacht Club.
I called the club to reserve our favourite tables and Susan from the TB Haul Out came up on the radio. She and Roy had returned from the Regatta in Bequia. We asked how Jerry on Bloody Mary did in the races. He had won everything. We noticed him sailing into the bay a while earlier and thought he was still in his racing mode, tacking all over the place. No, he had engine problems, which didn’t stop him from sailing right up to the dock.
There was almost no wind here today. A very early tropical storm (Anna) north of us may have something to do with this. Whatever the cause, it was a good opportunity to finally get back to sewing the zipper in the dinghy. While I was working on the zipper and Rick was waxing the hull, Kristian came by to see if we were interested in going out for dinner to a restaurant owned by a Swiss couple. About the only thing you can buy in most grocery stores and restaurants here is chicken or fish. I would really enjoy something different. Spatzle was the first thing that came to mind. We all met (Midnight, Surprise, Margiz II and Wind-Borne III), at 6:30PM. Linky taxi took us to The Green Roof Restaurant, which is just outside of Hillsborough. It was a lovely place, very clean with a great view and a nice ambiance. The hostess that greeted us informed us that the owners were back in Switzerland for a holiday and the Chef was in Norway. She would be our server and chef. We asked what she was serving for dinner. Wouldn’t you know it chicken or fish. The meal was very nicely cooked and presented and we had a fun time. In fact it was almost 11PM when we returned to the boat which was way past our normal bedtime.
Before leaving the boat in the morning we called Rasi on the VHF radio to find out where they were. They were under sail and about a half hour out of Hillsborough. We were on our way to catch a local bus into Hillsborough to do a little shopping. We also had to stop at the book exchange/ Internet Café. Last but not least we were to stop at a small little restaurant where Rick left his reading glasses a couple of weeks ago. We stopped in last week and they had found his glasses but since then a local elderly man borrowed them to read his newspaper and then walked out with them. Now this is a very small island so most people are extremely honest. The man phoned the restaurant from his home to let them know he would return them. So according to Rick, his glasses were not lost, they were out on loan. When we stopped in again today, it appears that they are still out on loan.
We arrived in Hillsborough and Graham and Anne (Rasi) were still in with customs. As soon as they finished with immigration we walked to a place where we could sit and have a cold drink while they filled us in on the boat problems they had endured since we last saw them. Our alternator problem was peanuts compared to their problems.
We each had a few errands to run and then Graham invited us to sail back with them rather than take a bus. It was a lovely sail since on someone else’s boat we just sat and enjoyed. When we arrived and after we watched them drop anchor they then served us champagne and nibbles. Now I don’t want any of our guests to feel deprived or wondering why we didn’t serve champagne. They are returning from Martinique where nice wine and champagne can be purchased for $1 to $2 Euro per bottle. They bought cases.
As we were sitting in the cockpit we noticed that Midnight had left but our friends Karen, Tom and Samantha were sailing in. We all waved and welcomed them.
By the time we returned to our own boat it was dinnertime but we weren’t hungry because we had eaten so much onboard Rasi. We relaxed, had a cup of tea and later hit the sack.
Petra from “In Stitches” arrived at 8:30AM to take some measurements for a new “squall proof hatch cover” that she’s making for us. She is also going to restitch all of our dodger and bimini since the thread has just melted away in the sun. She won’t do the bimini until we remove it to have our new solar panels installed in the next week or so.
We stopped to say hello to Serendipity and Rasi on our way to shore in the morning. We went in to check with Roy at the haul out (TBYH), to see if the things we ordered from Island Water World were in yet. Absolutely everything was in and it was all arriving on the evening ferry.
In the afternoon Tom, Karen and Samantha (Serendipity) came with us to the
Carriacou Maroon Music Festival. This was a big festival. The local
ladies spent all day making Maroon food which consisted of rice balls, ground
corn balls, plantain, peas, chicken and mutton. It was all cooked in the
traditional ways that the Maroons would have cooked it years ago. You
would think we have been in the islands long enough to learn that all events on
the island really don’t begin until after dark. We arrived there just
before 4PM, which is when we were told the festival was to start. The
official opening didn’t take place until 5:30PM and the music was not going to
begin until after 8 or 9PM. There were bands coming from Tobago, Grenada,
Trinidad etc. The Ballet Kouyamba from Africa (Senegal) was to perform on
Saturday. The festival was on for three days Friday through Sunday.
Well, we had some of the food and then left. Although it sounded great
there was no way we would last until the wee hours of the morning. We got
back to Tyrrel Bay just as the sun was setting and by the time the guys walked
around to get the dinghies we were heading back to the boats in the dark.
The winds have picked up again and are blowing like stink. We enjoyed the few days of light winds but it really is much more comfortable in the heat with good strong winds.
We didn’t do a lot today. Rick went into town and I cleaned the boat. Later in the day Graham and Anne (Rasi) came aboard for Happy Hour. It was fun evening.
Karen (Serendipity) called us just before noon to let us know that Sam was finished school for the day. She and Sam walked with Rick and I to Paradise Beach. The beach that is usually empty during the week was packed. The locals were having their family picnics. The younger children were playing a game of cricket. The older ones had the music loud enough that we could swim to a beat. We went to the Hard Wood Restaurant for a late lunch and the walked back to Tyrrel Bay. In the evening Karen, Tom and Sam came for Happy Hour onboard Wind-Borne III. Sam brought her tiny china tea set so that she could have a tea party with Rick and me. We had a lot of fun and it was well after dark when they left.
Graham and Anne (Rasi), came for breakfast. They wanted to taste some real Canadian pancakes with back bacon and maple syrup. In the past Anne had been making pancakes using bisquick. Breakfast lasted until almost lunchtime. So we skipped lunch and when they left, Rick went into town and I cleaned up.
Later in the afternoon Moonrise sailed into the harbour. We waved to them and shortly after they got their anchor set, Tom called us on the radio. Carol had caught a nice Dorado on the way here and they offered us a couple of steaks. Wouldn’t you know it, this was the first time in ages I had prepared and early dinner (pizza and salad). We gratefully accepted the fish but it will be tomorrow night’s dinner.
Rick began his day by waxing part of the deck. Later when I went to the dinghy dock to work on my ongoing zipper installation and he came along with me. I wasn’t sure how much I would accomplish at the dock because so many people come by. Sure enough, shortly after we tied up Karen came in with her laundry. We gabbed as I continued sewing and I got the one row of stitching finished. It’s a long zipper and I’m using the same holes in the hypalon as the previous zipper so it’ a slow process. We eventually stopped for lunch. Karen joined us at the club for a chicken roti.
Anju (Phil and Chris) pulled into the bay. They are on their way to Trinidad for engine repairs. Since there were so many Mt. Hartman Bay boats here we decided to have a Happy Hour reunion. We reserved our favourite spot on the deck and Wind-Borne III joined with Orion, Serendipity, Rasi, Anju for a fun time. It was 8PM by the time returned to the boat to cook our dorado for dinner. It was very mild and almost sweet.
It rained in the morning but as soon as it stopped I took our dirty laundry over to the Yacht Club. With the good winds we were having I knew they would have no trouble getting the laundry dry by the afternoon. I then sat at the dock and continued sewing the zipper on the splash cover of the dinghy. I was determined to finish it today which I did. Rick thinks it looks great but I’m not pleased with it. I’ll leave it until we’re back in Grenada and I can redo it in the shade.
Roy from Tyrrel Bay Yacht Haulout came down the dock while I was sewing and let me know he was ready to haul us any time now. Since tomorrow is a holiday here we decided to haul Wind-Borne III first thing Friday morning.
While I was ashore Rick wanted to work on the holding tank. The tank monitor was not working and he wanted to relocate the macerator pump. I didn’t really want to be aboard while he was working on these projects. I returned to the boat in the early afternoon and he was just about finished.
Petra and Andy from In Stitches arrived later in the afternoon for the first fitting of the squall proof hatch cover they’re making for us. Later as we were eating dinner in the cockpit Rick commented that a fire onshore smelt like a building fire not a leaf fire. It was dark and the flames were high but we were to far from the shore to see clearly what was burning. Sure enough, about 15 minutes later we heard sirens from both a fire truck and a police car. This was major excitement. I don’t think we’ve heard a siren for well over a year. We won’t find out what was burning until tomorrow when we go ashore.
