Wow! After not having a proper night sleep the night before last, we slept wonderfully last night with no roll or swell and a nice cool breeze. I'm not sure if the cooler air is because dry season has set it or because we've come a degree north in latitude, but it sure felt good. We haven't had sleeping temperatures in the mid 70's F or about 24 C for a long time. Tropical storm Epsilon has already started to send northerly swells down into the Caribbean. When the swells pass a high pressure is supposed to build to the north which will cause the wind speed to increase. We've decided to keep moving while the going is good. We will leave for Carriacou tomorrow.
After the cruisers net we had a call from (Orma and Cliff) Skylark. A few minutes after that, Jonathan from Island Waterworld called to relay a message from Brian and Anne (Nativa). John and Deb (Seawitch) called us yesterday. We received an email from Karen (Misty). Everyone wants to get together. It sure felt that we had come home with so many friends here.
Rick and I went ashore with a list of things to do and I couldn't believe that by the end of the day we had completed the list. We bought out new Honda 2000 generator from Outfitters International who delivered it to the boat. While Rick waited aboard for it to arrive, I went to Island Waterworld and then walked to the Carenage and bought a new cell phone. It's the first phone we have had in more than 4 years. I have to learn how to use all of the features that didn't exist when we last owned a cell phone. We also took the bus to the bank, went and bought some Clarke's Court rum to have on board for Christmas, did a little grocery shopping and went to the gas station for fuel. The fuel prices were almost shocking here after the prices in Venezuela. It was $10EC (approx. $5CDN) per gallon for diesel.
Brian and Anne (Nativa) moved their boat from Prickly Bay to the Lagoon so that we could get together for dinner. They also contacted John, Deb and Karen who helped to make it a welcome home party. We had sundowners at the yacht club and then just walked down the street to the Tropicana Hotel for dinner. It was a very enjoyable evening and it felt as if we had never left.
The boat anchored next to us in the lagoon came over to let us know that they would be leaving at 3AM. Sure enough, I heard the chain being raised a little after 3AM and couldn't get back to sleep afterward. Rick awoke at 4:30AM so we decided to get up and prepare to leave. At 7AM our anchor chain was probably waking everyone else. Brian and Anne (Nativa) and Lawrence (Meander) poked there head out to wave goodbye. We made our way out of the lagoon and within a few minutes realized that 5 other boats were following us.
As we made our way up the island, we were keeping an eye out for the Queen
Mary II. She was to dock in St. George's today and they had invited all of the
cruisers to be part of the welcoming committee. There had been 2 cruise ships in
port yesterday but combined they would not have the number of passengers that
will be ashore from the Queen Mary today. Although I would have liked to see the
ship, it was a good day not to be in town.
We had another comfortable passage. It was a motor sail but as long as it's comfortable we can't complain. We kept further to the west of Kick-em Jenny and Diamond Rock this time and I think that had something to do with the calmer seas. I called Roy (Windborne) to let him know that we were about 10 miles out. He was just leaving to fly to Grenada and meet Susan who was returning from a visit to the U.S. They would be back in Carriacou on Sunday.
It was 2 PM when we arrived and dropped anchor in Tyrrel Bay. Graham (Rasi), came over by dinghy to welcome us. We had a late lunch and a short siesta in the afternoon then went straight into happy hour. As we sat in the cockpit, we watched many boats arrive just before sunset. There was a good breeze and the air temperature was perfect for sleeping.
Hurricane Epsilon is now out roaming around the Atlantic. Last night Rick said it would be very nice if we could have a good rain shower to wash the salt spray off the boat before he put up the sun awning. He got his wish not once but twice overnight we had to run around and close up for some good heavy rainfall.
Rick put oil and gas in the generator so that it would be ready to use but now it may be a while before he needs it. The wind has picked up so the wind generator is happily humming away giving us nice AMPs. In addition, the solar panels are now producing as well. There is WiFi in this bay so probably as soon as we are hooked up I'll use enough AMPs that he can try out his new generator.
While Rick put up the sun awning, I washed the curtains. They dried so quickly in the breeze that I did a load of whites as well.
In the afternoon we started out in the dinghy to go and say hello to some of our friends but when we gat as far as Rasi, Graham and Anne talked us into moving the boat over near them. We returned and quickly raised the anchor so that we would claim our spot before all of the charter boats started moving in later in the afternoon.
Shortly after we were settled in our new spot, Rick (the WiFi person) came over with our name and password. After that I couldn't leave until I got things up and running.
The wind was very strong overnight and it is forecast to stay that way all week. It's a northeast wind and in Tyrrel Bay that means a good wind with no waves.
It was Sunday, not a good day to go to town and not great weather for the beach. It was a stay aboard day. Rick finally got to run the generator, I logged onto the internet using WiFi and did some laundry.
Graham and Anne invited us to Rasi for sundowners. We had a great visit and saw pictures of poor Rasi when it was blown out to sea from Mount Hartman Bay during hurricane Ivan and then later found ashore near the airport.
We still seem to be getting a lot of rain that was requested by Rick to wash the deck. We left the boat and went into town today. I picked up a little MP3 player that came free with my new cell phone. They were out of them in Grenada and said that I could pick it up in Carriacou. We walked around town and said hello to a few locals we recognized from previous visits. Before returning to the boat we went by dinghy to Tyrrel Bay Haulout to say hello to Susan and Roy.
We also picked up an external antenna for the WiFi, which greatly improved the connection.
We spent the evening onboard surfing and reading.
The weather forecast for today and the rest of the week was for strong gusty winds and rain. We stayed on board and worked on small projects while the sun shone and read while it rained.
This was not a pleasant day in Tyrrel Bay and from what I heard about the weather in Toronto, it wasn’t very nice there either. Granted we did not have minus Celsius temperatures but we sure had wind and rain.
The initial forecast here was for 25 to 30 knots of wind with gusts from now until Friday. We heard the Moorings Charter Company calling all of their boats to warn them that the forecast had changed to 35 to 40 knot winds. This warning went out as we were in a squall with exactly those conditions. The wind was so strong and the rain so heavy that we couldn’t see anything outside of the cockpit. The wind generator was stalling so often, that we finally just turned it off. During a short calm between squalls, Rick and I ran out and removed the sun awning. It normally stands up well in strong winds but this was a bit too much. We also wanted to reduce our windage as much as possible. Earlier I had hung some laundry on the clothesline under the sun awning but during one of the squalls, I lost a new pair of navy blue shorts. I had put extra clothes pegs on it but the wind ripped them off and sent my shorts flying somewhere. We rescued the rest of the laundry, which will have to wait until the winds settle down before it can be hung to dry.
Things calmed down enough for dinner but we both have our doubts as to how much sleep we’ll get tonight. The one good thing is that the wind is coming from the northeast, which means we have no waves or swells where we are anchored. Also, the holding in Tyrrel Bay is about the best we’ve found anywhere.
We had a nice surprise overnight “sleep”. The winds were still very strong but not gusting near as much. We left the wind generator turned off because the winds we so high it was stalling which it does with a load howl (It stalls at 40 knots). Without the sun awning the wind was not swinging the boat as much so all in all we had a reasonably good night sleep. The forecast now indicates that the strong winds will be with us until Sunday when they will start to diminish. Hurricane Epsilon was downgraded to a Tropical Storm today. Hopefully that should be the last hurricane of the season.
Graham and Anne (Rasi) had to leave today to pick up a couple of charter guests. They only had to go to Hillsborough and then Union Island today, which is so close the winds wouldn’t be an issue. We had asked them to let us know when they were about to leave because we were going to move into the area that they had been anchored. We were anchored a little to close to a large ferry for my liking in these winds. They waved to us when it was time to start raising the anchor and as they left, we slipped in behind them.
We were still on boat watch, something we are getting use to and just before lunchtime, we saw a 40+ ft. Amiel coming in. It slowed down as it came up along side us. It was Redonda Rhondda from Bahia Redonda. She was crewing for a single hander, Peter on his boat Asolare. Her first time sailing and she was out overnight in winds that were gusting over 40 knots. Needless to say, she looked a little green but still game for more punishment. Peter needed to get to St. Lucia in time to greet the boats that will soon arrive from Europe in the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers).
Once anchored, they went ashore for an hour, came back to our boat and we talked for a while before they left on their way to St. Lucia.
The winds were strong enough to wake us a few times in the night but we have become used to the howl so it was easy enough to fall back to sleep.
Rick went ashore in the morning to buy some bread and dump the garbage.
If we were in Trinidad or Venezuela there would be no boats moving in seas as nasty as they are here. There are many charter companies in the Grenadines and charter boats move regardless of the weather. They arrive just before dark and leave early in the morning. I’m glad we don’t have to be anywhere other than where we are.
The weather is starting to improve. This supposedly is our last day with winds gusting to gale force strength. Tomorrow they are forecast to ease off a bit.
In the morning, Rick took a jerry can with him to town for some gas. I asked him to check at the fish market for some fresh fish. He returned to the boat with fresh vegetables, gasoline but no fish. Evidently, the fishermen have not been going out in this weather. The seas have been 3.5 metres so I don’t blame them.
We both got off the boat for dinner and went to the Turtle Dove Restaurant on shore. There we met Beth and George, Americans from Grenada. Beth is attending the veterinary school in Grenada and just finished exams yesterday so came over to Carriacou for a “weekend away”.
It was Sunday, the day the winds were suppose to die off a little but there was no sign of it happening in this morning. It was still blowing like stink.
By afternoon however, it had eased enough that we saw some cruisers jump overboard for a swim.
Shortly after dinner, they had piped back up to the howling stage. The only thing that loved the higher winds was the wind generator.
Finally, I awoke to silence. The wind was not howling and the wind generator was not even turning. There was a warm, light, tropical breeze blowing through the hatches. It was the type of breeze that combined with a gentle rocking of the boat always makes me want to roll over and go back to sleep. Rick had prepared my coffee and Eric was already on the SSB providing the weather forecast so like it or not it was time to get up.
We discussed going into town today but Susan (Tyrrel Bay Haulout) called and asked if we wanted to help her deliver the Compass (http://www.caribbeancompass.com/). The Compass is a free newspaper that is mainly for and about cruisers in the Caribbean. We had helped her deliver them to the different retail outlets on Carriacou last time we were here and it was not only fun, we got to meet many of the locals and had a free tour of the island. It was almost lunchtime when we finished so we stopped and had lunch at John’s Unique Resort before returning to the Haulout.
It was siesta time when we returned to the boat. After a siesta, we sat in the cockpit and watched a few boats arrive just before sunset. We were both craving fish but all we had was some snapper from Tobago that was still in the freezer. It didn’t matter, using the snapper we made fish and chips “British style” served with malt vinegar we had brought from Bonaire.
The winds were still quite strong overnight but seemed to settle down a bit after sunrise. We went ashore in the dinghy and before we had even dropped the dinghy anchor or tied to the jetty, one of the local buses saw us and waved to ask if we were going to town. We indicated yes so the bus backed down the jetty with a full load of people and waited for us to anchor and climb ashore. We had a jerry can with us so we were dropped off at the gas station in town. We left the jerry can there to be picked up later and went on to the fish market. We had arrived a little too late in the day the last time we were there but today we made it there just after 9:30AM. They had some small fish but none that I wanted. The small fish were about one pound each or less and people were purchasing a few of them. As they were put in the scale to be weighed, they would flip their tails and flop back out onto the counter. They may have been small but there were also very fresh. A truck pulled up with a few good size barracuda that we both enjoy so I bought one large enough to give us four fillets.
We finished our shopping and it was almost lunchtime. There were too many frozen and refrigerated items in our bag to hang around in town for lunch so we went for a cold drink just next to where the buses leave. One of the bus drivers saw us and asked if we were going to Tyrrel Bay. We said yes but we needed to have a drink first. Since there was no one waiting on his bus yet he had one as well and waited for us. He took us back to the dock after stopping at the gas station to pick up our jerry can.
On our way back to the boat, we went by dinghy to see Joe and Elaine (Island Girl). We talked about the Parang that Joe is playing in this weekend and about what he was using to catch fish. We were back at our own boat for less than 30 minutes when Joe can over in his dinghy and brought us a couple of mullet fish and some fresh bait that he had netted.
Rick cleaned the fish while I put some bait on a hook and dropped the line overboard. We had lunch and a short siesta. When Rick later walked into the cockpit, he found we had a fish on the line. It was a very large puffer fish. He put on gloves and held the fish while I used the long nose pliers and removed the hook. We watched the big guy swim happily away and I didn’t put my line back into the water. Joe told me that he catches snapper at night so I’ll try again after dark.
It was a perfect day in paradise; we had nowhere we had to be and nothing we had to do. The winds were light and the sun was warm but not hot. Rick changed the oil in the generator as it had reached it’s first 20 hours of use and I washed a load of laundry.
In the afternoon Rick snorkelled and searched for my lost pair of shorts, to no avail and then he cleaned couple of thru hulls that had a few barnacles. Next, he scrubbed the bottom of the dinghy. I spent the afternoon sending some Christmas E-cards to friends and family.
Roberto, one of the boat boys came by with a couple of lobsters we had ordered. They were beautiful, about 3 lbs. each and still kicking. 3 lbs is about perfect for spiny lobster. Although it sounds huge, they have no claws and we really only eat the tail and a couple of large antennae so although it’s a generous portion there are not normally leftovers with this size of lobster.
In the afternoon, Rick had a siesta, while I watched the boats arriving in the anchorage and searching for the perfect spot to anchor.
Just before dark, Rick barbecued the lobster and we had potatoes with sour cream and green beans for dinner. We toasted Harry on his birthday with a nice glass of white wine from Simon the smuggler. The moon that was almost full, rose from behind the hills in an eastern sky that was tinted with a deep pink. At the same time, the sun set in the west and created a beautiful red sky as a backdrop for the masts of the many sailboats at anchor in Tyrrel Bay.
Susan had asked us to come and help put up Christmas decorations at her house today. I told her that we would love to and remembered that she had said that she was craving lobster. It was poor timing that we had some last night but we offered to bring lobster with us for dinner.
We got ready and went to town in the morning to get some more lobster. It’s much cheaper buying it from the fish market and there we get more to choose from. We picked out 4 perfect ones and then went looking for the makings of potato salad. The only place with potatoes was the Marketing Board. A lady on the street had spring onions but no one had celery (maybe next week).
We took the bus back to Tyrrel Bay and Susan drove down and took us up to their house. Only then did we learn that although she had many boxes of Christmas lights for outdoors, they had never been hung before. Rick saved the day because there was no way Susan and I could have managed the electrical issues with the lights. First, there were absolutely no outdoor receptacles at all. Some of the strings of lights were 110 volt and others were 220 volt. Susan found a few transformers so that we were able to use the strings of 110. Rick cut and spliced a wire to create a 220-extension cord. In the end, we left Rick to play with the lights while we placed other decorations around the living room.
The lobster was cooked, the potato salad made when Roy with perfect timing arrived home. We sat for a while before dinner under the lotus tree admiring the view that stretched from Carriacou passed many of the Grenadine islands and all the way to Grenada. The sun was still high enough that we could see the current as well as all of the reefs lying just below the water.
After dinner, which was excellent, Susan drove us back down the hill to the dock.
Rick went to town with Susan in the morning to get some electrical parts and a spotlight for the locust tree. They also were on a mission to get some beer. This weekend is a 3 day parang and according to Susan, when it’s over we won’t be able to find any beer on the island for the next six weeks.
While Rick was gone, I pulled out the sewing machine and made a new shower curtain and matching curtains for the ports in the head. I also had a chance to send a few more Christmas greetings.
In the afternoon, after our siesta we both sat in the cockpit and watched new boats arriving.
Late in the morning, we took the dirty laundry ashore to the yacht club for
their full service treatment and then went over to the haul-out to see Roy. He
joined us back at the club a little later for lunch and then we all waited for
the ferry to arrive before going up the hill to see Susan who was patiently
waiting for all of us.
I am very nervous each time we drive to their house. What they refer to as a road cannot even be compared to rock climbing paths. They both drive a 4-wheel vehicle and I have no idea how long the tires last but I feel like we are creating an advertisement to show what a 4-wheel vehicle is capable of each time we climb the hill.
Once at their house, the trek up is totally worth it for the view. Rick and Roy ran some cable outdoors so that a spotlight could be installed under the locust tree. They also ran wires along the roof of the deck for electricity and stereo speakers. Susan was extremely pleased.
We were driven back down to the dinghy, which we left at the haul-out.
Driving down the hill from the house in the daytime is bad enough but during the
dark, I just hold on for dear life and close my eyes. I offered to walk down the
next hill that leads to the haul-out but Susan insisted that she would drive us
all the way to the dock. The turn down to the yacht club is literally like
driving off a cliff. However, we have done it enough times by now that I can
just grin and bear it.
We puttered around the boat all day. This was the last day of Parang and we wanted to rest up before going out for the evening. We both had an afternoon siesta and then waited until almost 8PM to leave. The Parang was to begin at 8PM but on island time that means we’d be lucky if it started by 10PM. We arrived at the location of the Parang and there were locals already purchasing tickets so we decided to do the same. It was a very good move. This night of parang was a mixed crowd of all ages. Last night was the younger crowd and it was an evening of dancing. Tonight there was seating available and because we were early, we ended up in the front right behind the Prime Minister of Carriacou. The show began a little after 10PM but first there were many speeches. The first group to perform was Joe’s (Island Girl) group who called themselves “The Strugglers” because they have been struggling for many years but always seem to come in last place. This parang is a musical competition. There were 7 bands and they each had to play the same Christmas song with their own interpretation for the judging. When that was finished at midnight, what is called the Melee began. This is the traditional Carriacou parang where they sing Christmas songs that are a little if not very off colour. The crowd was roaring with laughter during each performance but we had trouble catching a lot of the humour due to the patois accents. The music was fantastic and the Prime Minister during his speech had said that in future years he would like to see them clean up the jokes so that the great music and songs could be put onto CD’s and marketed internationally. He was right on.
When all of the bands had finished (about 2AM), it was time for Soca Santa to arrive. The young children were still wide awake and waiting for just this event. Santa arrived on stage with a large bag of candies, which he showered on the crowd. The children were everywhere racing to get their share.
Although we wanted to hear the results, especially how “The Strugglers” placed, when I turned around in my seat and saw the crowds behind us, I knew that if we could possibly make our way to the exit we might have a chance to get a bus back to Tyrrel Bay without waiting in a huge line up. It was almost 3PM when we arrived back at the boat and obviously, we went right to bed.
I did not expect to wake up much before noon but at 6:30AM I heard the SSB and Eric giving his weather forecast. Rick had made coffee so I got up to join him and before going back to bed at 8:30AM we had a little breakfast. It was a little after 10AM when I heard Rick saying hello. Susan had dinghied over. We gabbed with her for a while and then I tried to stay up after she left. I did some email and made lunch after which I announced that I was going back to bed. Rick did the same. This time we lasted until 2 PM when I felt like a real person again.
There wasn’t a lot accomplished this day but it didn’t matter. Tomorrow’s another day.
We awoke feeling more like real people today. I began my Christmas cleaning
of the boat washing walls and floors again. Rick helped by cleaning the hatches
and fans. We finished all the cleaning we were going to do for the day by 10AM.
We both quickly got ready and took a bus into Hillsborough to pick up some groceries for Christmas. The town was packed with people and the stores shelves were almost empty. I searched everywhere for eggs and finally gave up. One store said they might have more by tomorrow. The Marketing Board closes on Tuesday afternoon, which we forgot. I needed some apples from there to make applesauce. I learned later that they only had 4 apples left but might have more on Thursday.
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When we returned to Tyrrel Bay I stopped in at Alexis
supermarket and finally found some eggs which were needed to make pumpkin pie
for Christmas day. We stopped at the boat and put away the items needing
refrigeration before going over to the yacht club to pick up our clean laundry.
There was no time for a siesta in the afternoon because we could already see a few masts on the horizon. We took up our position in the cockpit with our sundowners and watched to see what boats would arrive just before dark. When the last one was in, we got ready and went to shore again. The stores in town were closed but the restaurants were starting to open. We were going for dinner at The Lambi Queen, which is owned by Sherwin. We received a nice greeting when we entered the restaurant. Sherwin had remembered us from over two years ago. He prepared a nice meal of lambi (conch) which was extremely tender and tasty. We joined Gordon and Judy (Dream Catcher) who were already there. We remembered Gordon and Judy from Grenada in 2002. When we had finished dinner, we said goodbye to Dream Catcher who were leaving for Bequia in the morning and started walking towards L’esterre where there was a tree lighting celebration that was to start at 8PM .
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The stage and tree were set up at the 3-corner junction of the road. We got a
great spot when we arrived. Although the band was already setting up on stage
and there were many people already there, Rick managed to get me a stool to sit
on from the bar and I had a front row seat sitting behind a good-sized cement
wall of the bar. Elaine and Joe (Island Girl) arrived and not long after and we
said hello to them, Rick and Sue (La Vie Dansante) arrived and joined us. We
stayed until the Christmas lights were lit and a few of the youngest children
had finished their performances. The youngest performer was 3 years old and with
the band playing his song in the key of “G” as requested, he sang at the top of
his lungs, in tune and on beat.
Rick and Sue left with us and we strolled back to Tyrrel bay in pitch darkness. The moon had not yet risen.
It’s getting down to the Christmas crunch (no different here then it was when we were back home). In the morning, I cooked some pumpkins as part of my advanced preparations for Christmas baking. I burned some CD’s, defrosted and cleaned the refrigerator. Rick meanwhile put up the sun awning again. We had taken it down during the extremely high winds we had last week.
During the afternoon, we spoke to both iana and KaraDream on the VHF radio. They were about 7 miles off Carriacou but had to go first into Hillsborough to check-in with customs and immigration. A while later we heard that KaraDream was having engine problems. It was much later before both boats left Hillsborough and were on their way into Tyrrel Bay. Kiana anchored quickly and Paul jumped into his dinghy to help KaraDream along with Rick who was already in our dinghy to lead them to a mooring ball. KaraDream’s problem was their transmission. They were able to go forward but not reverse.
After everyone was settled, we spoke on the radio and arranged to get together tomorrow. It had been a long and hard trip from Trinidad for both boats.
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Rick went with Ralph (KaraDream) first thing in the morning to see about the
engine or transmission repairs he needed. While he was gone I prepared all of
the pastry and stored it in the frig. Then I made a batch of Chilli Con Queso
and it went in the frig as well. I was just about at the point where I needed
apples to make the applesauce when Susan called from town to say that she had
found and bought them for me. Rick went over to the Haulout to pick them up and
when he returned to the boat, we both decided that it was still much too windy
for the sun awning to be up. It took the two of us to get it down. I was
responsible to throw my body on the awning as it hit the deck to prevent the
awning and boat from taking off in flight. The generator and water
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maker were
both running and I went in for a shower. Soon I could hear Rick asking if I had
done something to the water maker. I hadn’t but there was no pressure and the
pumps had lost their prime. Rick checked the strainer at the thru-hull and sure
enough, it was blocked. In fact, it was well blocked! A tiny fish had made it’s
way almost into the strainer but got stuck part way. He cleared the fish away
and we re-primed the pumps.
It was almost 2PM and we were to meet with Kiana, KaraDream, La Vie and Susan at the yacht club for drinks. After a few drinks the party broke up. Rick and I took Karen and her sister Janice for a tour of Harvey Vale, the town in Tyrrel Bay. We made it back to the boat just before dark.
It was baking day. I first prepared and baked the mince tarts quickly
followed by the pumpkin pies while the apples went on top of the stove. Rick
cleaned the cockpit and got the boat (exterior) spick and span for Christmas. He
went ashore just before noon to pick up a black cake I had ordered. Black cake
is the traditional Christmas cake in Grenada and Trinidad. It’s full of fruit
with a lot of rum. When he came back to the boat he just dropped off the cake
and said I’ll be back with fish and chips for lunch.
In the afternoon, Rick was to pick up Petra (In Stitches) who’s dinghy is out
of commission and bring her to the boat. We need a waterproof cover for our new
generator, new fender holders and our squall proof hatch cover needs a little
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repair. As he was untying the dinghy it slipped from his hand and started
drifting away. This is when Rick the superhero normally takes over. He whipped
his hearing aids out and was pulling his shirt over his head in preparation to
dive into the water and swim for the dinghy. It was all I could do to hold him
back. Wait, I told him, there are lots of boats here I’ll have someone rescue it
with their dinghy (save the shower water). I called Kiana because they are
anchored out further than most other boats and the dinghy appeared to be headed
directly for them. Paul was quick to respond. He jumped in his dinghy and was on
his way to rescue ours when his outboard engine died. Now we had Paul adrift in
his dinghy and our dinghy merrily floating around the anchorage. I called KaraDream and
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asked him to rescue first Paul and then our dinghy. Ralph jumped
into his dinghy and by the time he reached Paul, Paul had grabbed onto another
boat and met the crew who just happened to be from New Zealand. Paul is
Australian. He waved Ralph off and told him to go for our dinghy while he spent
some time with his newfound friends. As Ralph headed for our dinghy, so did two
other dinghies. It was now a race to see who could be the dinghy hero. Al from
Blue Gull was the winner and he gently towed our dinghy back home to Wind-Borne.
When Petra had come and gone, we had a short little siesta in preparation for
going out again in the evening. We went to the Lambi Queen with Karen,
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Ralph,
Karen’s sister Janice, and her husband Ed (KaraDream), Rick, Susan (La Vie) Lynn
and Paul (Kiana) and were joined by many other cruisers as well. We had a nice
dinner, the steel band was a little to loud to talk during dinner but we enjoyed
the music. The Stick Man entertained us with his dancing and three sticks that
he manoeuvres but doesn’t juggle.
It was almost 10PM when we started back to the dinghies but Paul couldn’t
find his keys. Someone remembered seeing them on the bar back at the Lambi
Queen. It was raining a little when Paul headed back to get them and Rick and I
waited with Lynn. They weren’t sure if their outboard engine was going to get
them all the way back to their boat so we were going to follow them. They took
off racing back to their boat in the dark and we were not even going to try to
go that fast. As we neared our boat we could see a strange light flashing ahead,
sure enough, they were adrift again. Rick dropped me off and went after them,
luckily with his flashlight and hand held radio in the dinghy. Our outboard
engine started making weird sounds before stalling but he was able to start it
again and get Paul and Lynn back to their boat. Lynn then called me to say they
were keeping an eye on him to make sure he made it back to our boat. He did and
we called it a night. We had had enough dinghy excitement for one day.
In the morning, Susan called to let us know that she was at the haul-out so
we piled the baking into the dinghy being careful not to crush anything and
headed to shore. Just as we came around the corner of the dinghy dock the
outboard died again. It sounds exactly like it did when we had to
have the lower
seal replaced and the whole thing rebuilt less than a year ago. The Suzuki
outboard is a good engine but not for in the Caribbean. It’s too hard to get
parts. Roy came to the rescue and loaned us his 15 hp (Suzuki) until we can get
a new one shipped in. Roy and Rick used a wheel barrel to get the outboard to
the dock and then the two guys manhandled it into our dinghy. Rick wants to buy
a Yamaha Enduro this time. They are the outboard that all of the fishermen on
every island use which means that parts are available everywhere.
Rick and Susan (La Vie) towed us back to our boat. We raised our outboard onto the pushput where we normally store it and then used the derrick to lift Roy’s outboard onto the stern of the dinghy. It was well after lunchtime by then so we had a bite to eat and a siesta. I had time in the afternoon to wash and dry two loads of laundry in the nice strong winds. I just had to be careful that nothing was whipped off my clothesline again. Later in the afternoon when we were having our sundowners in the cockpit, we were surprised to see sails on the horizon. There were still cruisers out there trying to get to their Christmas destination. Just before the sunset, a couple of dinghies full of Christmas Carollers came by and sang a few songs for us. After that, it was a quiet Christmas eve and we settled in for the night.
Rick and I were picked up by Roy at a little after 9AM and taken up to the
house for the few last minute preparations. Susan had everything all set up and
organized so there wasn’t much to do. Rick was put in charge of making the rum
punch. I started preparing whipped cream and a few other things that couldn’t be
done in advance. Just before 11AM both Roy and Susan started their trips up and
down the mountain to transport the other guests. We were joined by Harold
(Halleluiah), Karen, Ralph, Janice, Ed (KaraDream), Lynne, Paul (Kiana) Rick,
Susan (La Vie) Shep, Sumati, (Joy), and Harry (La Nostra). It was a great group
and we had an amazing Christmas day overlooking the Caribbean Sea and all the
little islands around Carriacou. There was
so much food and it was so good that
it was impossible not to overeat. Just before dark, Susan and Roy made a couple
of trips down the mountain each with a carload of guests. Six of us chose to
walk down. It’s interesting when going down a mountain how many times we were
actually walking uphill. Rick set a pretty good pace so that we would be down
the worst of the hill before dark. It took us less than half an hour and we were
almost at the bottom when both Susan’s and Roy’s cars came by on their way back
up. When we reached the town of Harvey Vale, rather than walk all the way up and
down the hill
to the Haulout where we left the dinghies, we walked along the
beach as it was low tide.
Although we had a little rain during the day it had been a perfect tropical
Christmas celebration.
The stupid wind generator kept waking me all last night. Really it wasn’t the wind generator it was the wind, which was howling again.
By morning, it was clear and calm again. I tidied and cleaned a little before our company arrives tomorrow. We went ashore for lunch and the only place open was Scraper’s Restaurant and Bar. There we had just ordered some curried chicken when Janice and Ed showed up. They joined us for lunch and just as a food arrived, Ralph and Karen walked in. There was no more lunch available so they sat with us./p>
When Rick and I left we got into the dinghy and went boat to boat in the bay. I had made some flyers and was letting everyone know that we were having an “After Christmas Blues” party at the yacht club this Friday. Joe (Island Girl) was bringing his guitar and anyone else that had an instrument was asked to bring it as well. It was almost time for sundowners when we finished as we could see a few masts on the horizon. We returned to the cockpit of our boat and watched the newcomers arrive.
We were up at 5AM with the alarm this morning. We had a quick breakfast and
went to the airport to meet our friend Carol who arrived at a little after 8AM.
We went to the boat where we spent the rest of the morning catching up on things. Eventually she got around to emptying her suitcase. I didn’t think there was much we had asked her to bring but it ends up we now have enough coffee filters for a few years, cocktail napkins to last a life time and Jelly Bellys to make me sick and gain at least a few pounds. We all fell asleep a little after lunch and slept for at least an hour. Ralph and Karen came by and joined us for a drink but left before it was really time for sundowners. We then sat in the cockpit with our sundowners watching for incoming masts on the horizon.
We went ashore in the morning to get a new phone card and some bread. While
we were in the Alexis supermarket our friend, Fitzroy came in. It was wonderful
to see him as he had been up north visiting Baltimore and although we had
received an email from him I was afraid that we would not cross paths this time.
We then stopped by the little workshop to pick up a new calabash I had asked Ted
to put away for me. We left the main street and went by dinghy to the yacht club
where we had lunch and made a few phone calls. The businesses are all open
again. I called a place on Union Island about buying a new outboard motor. They
didn’t have what we wanted in stock but could have one shipped from St. Vincent
in the afternoon. I told them we would take it but then we had to figure out how
to get it. The three of us walked along the beach towards town again and stopped
to see Sherwin. He agreed to take a speed boat over to St Vincent and pick it up
for us. We returned to the boat where Carol had a swim and Rick cleaned the
anchor line. It was almost 5PM and we made our way in the dinghy again to Kiana.
Lynne and Paul invited us to their boat for sundowners. Lynne had prepared so
much food that sundowners lasted until after 10PM. It was a wonderful evening.
December 29, 2005, CarriacouWe were up and almost ready to go to town when Susan called and asked if we would like her to give us and Carol a driving tour of the island. We jumped at the opportunity and cancelled our shopping trip.
Before leaving, I called Unitec Motors on Union Island to make sure our outboard engine had arrived. It had, so I then called Sherwin to make sure that he would have it picked up and brought to us. When every thing was under control, we left on our driving tour.
Susan took us to some amazing areas that could only be reached with a
four-wheel drive vehicle. The view in
almost every direction was awesome. We
took many pictures but it’s impossible to capture the beauty using cameras. We
stopped for lunch at the Callaloo Restaurant in Hillsborough before heading up
the hill to Susan and Roy’s’ house which I still think has the very best view on
the island.
When we returned to the Haulout our new motor was waiting for us on the dock. Rick and I took the new motor back to the boat where we removed our old one from the motor mount and put the new one on. We gave the old motor to Roy to either have fixed or use for parts. Rick will get the new motor ready to go first thing tomorrow morning.
We sat in the cockpit for sundowners but just before the sun set we left and went to the Turtle Dove for dinner. Daniela was working and her special was lobster pizza’s that night. We all ordered the special and it was excellent. We made our way back to the boat and everyone crashed for the night.
December 30, 2005, CarriacouFirst thing in the morning Rick worked on getting our new outboard engine ready to use and on the dinghy. We had a late breakfast and Rick left to return Roy’s outboard and then he went into town to Customs and Immigration for an extension.
Carol woke up this morning with her sinuses really bothering so I recommended a Benadryl allergy capsule. Well, the Benadryl knocked Carol out for the rest of the morning and with Rick gone I just ran the generator and made wate.
Rick was back in time for a late lunch and Carol was awake. After lunch there
was no time for a siesta, we all
got ready to go to the party I had arranged at
the Yacht Club. We had a great turn out and the musicians were fantastic. Joe on
Island Girl was the hit of the party and Harry on La Nostra accompanied him on
the keyboard. There were at least five locals with their guitars and drums.
Findley who had just arrived in the anchorage brought his mandolin. Ted played
his harmonica and together they made wonderful, fun music. Trevor who owns the
yacht club, provided a great barbecued meal of chicken and fish with salad and
rice. The bar was on permanent happy hour all evening. Needless to say, the
party was a great success.
Tropical Storm Zeta formed in the mid Atlantic. Only once before has a tropical storm formed this late in the year.
Rick
offered to make us poached eggs on toast for breakfast so Carol and I relaxed in
the cockpit while we waited for our breakfast to be served
After breakfast, we left to go to Paradise Beach. As we approached the dock, Rick put out a stern anchor for the dinghy and then proceeded to drop the lock for the dinghy in the water. With a little encouragement, he went in after it. The water is so clear that it was easy to see it sitting on the bottom. Although he was sopping wet, the bus driver told him not to worry and get in. We took a bus there but had a partial tour of the island before the driver finally headed in the direction we wanted to go. We met Elaine and Joe (Island Girl) who got in the same bus on our second pass by the dinghy dock.
Carol and I went in for a dip. Rick whimped out. The water and the breeze
were both a little chilly so he chose to take pictures. Lunch was chicken and
chips at the Hardwood Bar on the beach.
We walked back to Tyrrel Bay and the boat from Paradise beach. After a quick shower, we all had a siesta. There was a large “Old Years Night” party at the Lambi Queen. We had told Sherwin and Fitzroy that we would be there after dinner. We would have liked to have had dinner there but there was no way we would last from dinner time through to midnight. As it was, we had dinner on board and poor Carol who was still stuffed up could not even finish her meal. This is the same Carol who in the past has gone for a polar bear dip with us at 2AM New Years day. We decided we would all stay and go to bed at a respectable time so that we could begin 2006 feeling good
