It was a wonderful day. A light breeze kept the boat comfortable for me to stay below and sew for most of the day. I made a new pair of Capri pants and a top for myself. I only have the hand sewing left to do.
The lagoon is almost always very flat as it was today so while I was sewing Rick was in the dinghy cleaning and sanding the starboard rub rail.
We both finished our chores in time to get ready for Friday night at Whisper Cove Marina. Henry picked us up just before 5PM. We stopped at De Big Fish in Prickly Bay to pick up a few people and found the bus was a little more than full. It was a fun ride to Whisper Cove.
Today was the first day of lobster season so many people were anxious for a lobster. Rick and I had been craving a hamburger all week so we watched the others enjoy the first catch of the season.
Henry arrived with a larger bus to take us back to our boats.
I started cutting and sewing another outfit today. The hand sewing is still to be done on the clothes I made yesterday but I would like to finish with the sewing machine so I can clean up my mess and get rid of all the paraphernalia I use while sewing. My little ironing board and iron, my sewing box and cutting pad, tracing paper, pins etc. etc. Threads are everywhere when I sew. A few more days and we can be back to normal.
Meanwhile I wasn’t as aggressive or energetic with my sewing today. It was too hot and there was no breeze. The perspiration was dripping off my arms and almost destroying the thin pattern paper. Patterns are very precious down here because nowhere in the islands have I found any. These patterns must be used many times. I am at the point that I am going to trace them onto brown wrapping paper to preserve them.
Rick worked on the stern cap rail today. He stopped just after noon and offered to dinghy ashore to the grocery store. I offered to go with him but he said it wasn’t necessary. I was so glad. He no sooner reached the shore and stepped into the grocery store when a large black cloud opened up and the downpour began. It rained steadily without wind for at least an hour. I thought he would wait it out but no, he arrived back at the boat looking like a drowned rat. I meanwhile had put my basil plant out in the rain and collected enough rainwater to keep it happy for at least a month. It doesn’t thrive on RO water.
I think the rain was part of the expanding clouds associated with a low that is passing through the island chain to the north of us. It was expected that the clouds would expand south enough to take in St. Vincent but I guess they expanded a little more than was forecast.
We are watching two other low-pressure areas closely to the east of us. At least one of them is expected to form into a tropical depression with the next couple of days.
It was another very hot day. Rick did a little more work out on deck. I sewed another pair of Capri pants. Other than that, we just sat in the shade, read, slept and tried to stay cool.
Cable and Wireless have been working on their system during the night. Normally it doesn’t cause too much inconvenience because when Jonathan arrives in the morning at Island Water World, he reboots the WiFi system. Today was Sunday and Island Water World was closed so no one was around to reboot the system so we had no WiFi. Meanwhile just before going to bed last night I had checked the satellite picture and there were three nasty storms to the east of us. The National Hurricane Centre was forecasting that they would go well to the north of us. They were still a good distance out but I still like to know what is happening. A couple of years ago, everyone forecast that Hurricane Ivan would go north of Grenada. It didn’t.
The potato famine in Carriacou/Grenada has ended!!!!
Our appointment with the eye doctor was in the morning. We had planned a few things that we wanted to do after our checkups but with drops in our eyes we were both stumbling along in the strong sun even while wearing sun glasses. We cancelled our plans to go downtown and instead walked from Grand Anse Mall to Spiceland Mall.
We have tried to avoid going into the grocery store at Spiceland Mall since we’ve been here because I knew I would spend money as soon as we got there. The grocery store “Real Value” is an IGA grocery store that the locals refer to as the ”American grocery store” because it carries a lot of imported items and it is very expensive. Well, after blowing the budget on some Elizabeth Arden moisturizer at one store, we were willing to risk all.
I bought a wonderful pork loin roast (not frozen), a broccoli-flower and a bag of potatoes. There were no potatoes on Carriacou long before we left the island and we have not found any on Grenada until today. I bought a bag of large, firm red potatoes (imported from the US). It’s silly how excited one can get over potatoes but rice and pasta work well for only so long.
We returned to the yacht club where we stopped for lunch and then made it back to the boat just before a light rain shower made it’s way through the lagoon.
Dinner was roast pork loin, with roast potatoes and fresh broccoli-flower and a bottle of white wine. It was sooooo good and we have lots of leftovers for the rest of the week.
We had no appointments today so we took our time and relaxed over breakfast. It was almost 10AM when we made our way to shore.
Our first stop was Island Water World where we asked Jonathan to deliver a gift package to the ferry with his regular delivery that goes to the Tyrrel Bay Yacht Haulout in Carriacou. The gift was for Reena who is the marina dog at the Haulout. Susan and Roy had asked us to keep an eye out for a harness for her.
Next, we took a bus to the Excel Plaza and picked up some things at the pharmacy there. We stopped for a muffin and coffee then took a bus back the way we came and went to the market area. I wanted more fabric (I’m still in a sewing mood). We picked up a couple of Bob Marley CD’s I’ve been wanting and some beautifully fresh mangos and bananas. We had lunch in town and then returned to the boat for the rest of the day.
It rained off and on overnight so we slept with the boat closed up. The relative humidity during the day is 98%, the temperature is about 95 degrees and there has been no wind. There was certainly a little perspiration flowing.
Graham and Ann (Rasi) launched today with a nice clean bottom on their boat. They came around to the lagoon and anchored near us.
There was a book exchange at Island Water World (1st Wednesday of the month). We gathered up all of the books we wanted to trade and spent a couple of hours picking out new (used) books and talking with friends.
After picking up some groceries we returned to the boat and had a siesta. It was too hot to do anything else.
It was still hot but I wanted to do some more sewing and Rick wanted to work on the outside of the boat. We both accomplished quite a bit.
I turned on the TV while sewing and found that Grenada TV is now like Bequia TV. There is only one local channel you can get without having cable or even an antenna. The local channel is switched throughout the day from TNT to CNN to Discovery and others so I got to see some shows I haven’t seen in a long time.
Graham and Ann (Rasi) called to see if we wanted to meet at the yacht club for drinks. We decided that drinks and dinner were in order. While we were there, Marjorie and Rich (North Stand) joined us and the six of us had an enjoyable evening.
We slept well last night with a little breeze. Tropical storm Florence is now north of the leeward islands and the Atlantic is quiet for a while.
I relaxed and did a little hand sewing in the morning. We both had an appointment with the dermatologist in the afternoon to have a few spots removed from our face. Afterward we both looked at each other and almost simultaneously said that it was a good thing we went out last night and had decided to remain onboard tonight. We wouldn’t want to frighten people.
This morning Rick left the boat early for an appointment to see about getting a new hearing aid. While he was gone, I finished the last of the machine sewing, mending and anything else that would require the use of the sewing machine for a while. It was time to put it away.
Graham and Ann (Rasi) invited us to their boat for sundowners in the evening. I made MA’s Chili con queso, which I haven’t made for a while. Then later, onboard Rasi I found that the crispy tortilla chips I brought to serve with it were stale. The bag was unopened but it had been onboard too long. Ann came to the rescue with some chips and crackers.
It was Sunday and we didn’t even lower the dinghy into the water. Rick cleaned and sanded the wood on the bowsprit. There was a nice strong wind all day so I turned the oven on in the afternoon and baked. The wind doesn’t make it cool but the breeze takes the heat of the oven out of the boat very quickly. Without the breeze the boat will feel like an oven if I turn it on.
We had another appointment today. This time it was at the St. Augustine Medical Centre. We have been there before a few years ago. It’s a great American style clinic (not inexpensive) that many of the cruisers use. It’s also the only place on the island that we were able to get our vaccination for Typhoid. Not that there is an outbreak of Typhoid at this time, it’s just that this vaccination only lasts five years and our time was up. All of our others are still good.
We arrived at the clinic about 9AM and we were finished before 9:30AM. We learned the reason that we could only find the Typhoid vaccine at this clinic is because it is very expensive. The health care at the hospital is free and they don’t unnecessarily give away expensive vaccine.
Rick and I both commented on the bus ride to and from the clinic. It hasn’t changed since our last visit and is one of the free Disney rides on the island. The route is straight up extremely steep hills on narrow streets with parked cars on one side and very deep ditches on the other. Once out of St. George’s, it then goes though more high hills providing a great view if you keep your eyes open. The curves are taken on two wheels passing other vehicles coming from the other direction. The roads are very narrow and appear to be only wide enough for one vehicle but they manage.
When we arrived back at the bus terminal we went to the fish market which is basically next door. We picked out a nice red snapper for dinner and had it cleaned at the market. After leaving the market we had nothing else planned so decided to walk back to the boat. We stopped on the way for a nice fresh fruit drink and then walked around the Carenage back to the lagoon.
We awoke to rain but the sky cleared and it was a nice day.
Rick worked outside while I gathered laundry and tidied inside. After lunch, Rick vacuumed for me and I did some hand laundry in the cockpit.
The boat is just about back to normal but I have a few walls to wash again and then we can relax and go swimming. Really, we could go swimming now (not in the Lagoon) but the dermatologist asked us not to swim until after she sees us again this Friday to check that everything has healed properly.
WiFi has been a little frustrating in the Lagoon. We are using a free service that when it is up and working, it’s great but it seems that the majority of evenings we are without WiFi. Last weekend it was down all day Sunday so I paid $10USD and used the Yacht club service which although it’s expensive, it’s also reliable. This evening (Tuesday) we are without Wifi again but I will wait until morning for the free service.
There were heavy thunderstorms almost all night long and when we awoke in the morning the skies were an all day grey. An active tropical wave was passing through the island chain. This was the wave that spanned hurricane Gordon which took off to the north. We haven’t have a good rain for a while and we certainly would rather put up with the tropical wave rather than the hurricane so there were no complaints coming from this boat.
Rick cleaned and polished the hatch adjusters on the large butterfly hatches. I did a little more hand laundry using the rainwater we caught. The rainwater was surprisingly cold. Usually rainwater here is warm enough to stand under and shower, but when I put my hands in this water, I immediately felt the chill.
The rest of the day, we spent reading and watching TV. It rained almost continually all day but there were no more thunderstorms.
The rain ended around dinnertime.
The hatches were left open overnight even though we expected to get rained upon sometime before morning. It didn’t happen. We had a good wind shift during the night to North and then a while later back to Southeast, which meant the axis of the wave, had passed. I got up and reset the anchor alarm with each wind shift and then went back to bed for a wonderful, almost cool, nights sleep.
At 3:00AM we were awakened by a wind surge. It was forecast to come through the island chain so of course it did it in the wee hours of the morning. The surge was similar to a very strong squall. It came suddenly and only lasted about 15 minutes. During the passage the wind and the rain was so strong that the seas were totally flat and the rain was driven horizontally across the top of the water. When it finished we returned to a quiet calm for the rest of the night.
During the morning, we did a few boat chores. We might have done a few more but we received a call from Jeff and Sue (Raggys) who were in town. We met at the Tropicana for lunch. Afterward we made a quick stop at Island Water World and then Foodland for some groceries.
We had just returned to the boat when we had a call from Judy and Brian (Ursa Minor) who we were supposed to be meeting at the yacht club later. They had arrived early and wanted to know if we could get together a little early. We had some charts and guidebooks for them so we took them into the club. It was about an hour after that when Graham and Ann (Rasi) arrived. When Ursa Minor left, Roxanne and Terry (Raven) joined us. It was a nice evening.
It was exactly 5 years ago today, that we left our dock in Toronto and headed south.
We awoke to find that Tropical Storm Helene which was to the east of us had started to move far enough to the Northwest that we no longer had to be concerned about her.
We went up to Grand Anse in the morning to do a few chores. When it was almost lunch time we went to Rick’s Restaurant in the Grand Anse Mall for lunch. There we found Deb and John (Sea Witch) and Jeff and Susan (Raggys) so joined them for lunch.
We left them to go to our follow-up appointment with the dermatologist. She gave us an all clear to go swimming again.
While in all doctors offices here there is always a sign asking people to turn off their cell phone. I did this and then found later that we had a message from Rick’s doctor to say that his new hearing aid was ready. We could pick it up today or Monday. He will get it on Monday.
We arrived back at the dinghy and went to the grocery store and picked up some groceries again.
When everything was put away on the boat we had just enough time for a quick siesta before going out for our celebratory dinner.
We took the bus to the Blue Horizon Resort where we had reservations at La Belle Creole Restaurant. The meal was wonderful and we were totally pampered by the staff.
Sometime during the night, I awoke to find I had a mosquito bite and I could hear the sound of it buzzing around. This was the perfect opportunity to try the mosquito repellent that Jonathan at Island Water World had given us to trial for him. The company wanted him to sell it in his stores.
I jumped out of bed and sprayed a bit on my legs. The overspray hit the floor and I could tell immediately that it was greasy. The smell of citronella was very strong as well. In fact it was so strong it kept Rick awake for the rest of the night.
In the morning I found not only an oil slick on the floor but on the bedding as well. The citronella smell was still overpowering. The trial is over!!!. Rick washed the floor and I washed the sheets. We both went back to bed for the rest of the morning.
I did some additional hand laundry in the afternoon since it was such a good drying day.
We watched TV, read and had a nice dinner onboard.
It was a very hot Sunday. Hurricane Helene was pulling in all of the wind and moisture. The air was very still and hot in Grenada. We talked about going by dinghy to Grand Anse beach for a swim but we never did do it. The dinghy remained in the davits and we just lazed around all day.
In the morning, Rick left to go and pick up his new hearing aid. While he was gone I got involved with a charity drive. It was an easy drive, I just emptied out my clothes closets and donated anything I hadn’t worn in the last year. Since, I have made a few new items I needed the space.
I thought that Rick would have returned within the hour but it had been more than two hours and he still wasn’t back. Finally, I heard the sound of our outboard engine approaching and saw he had returned carrying bags.
He was wearing his new hearing aid and had a bag from the hardware store and the marketing board. It was obvious that I had let him leave on his own with too much money in his pocket.
The reason he was so long was not the extra shopping but the fact he wanted chicken pies from the Marketing Board and had to get in line (before the nurses) and wait for them to arrive. The pies are normally delivered just before noon and the nurses from the nearby hospital usually line up through the store to almost outside the door for them. They are wonderful hot chicken and vegetable pies sold for about $2 CAD.
After eating the pies neither of us felt like going for a swim.
There were no excuses or reasons this morning. We were going for a swim! The seas were totally flat, there was almost no wind and it was the perfect way to cool off.
We went by dinghy over to Grand Anse beach around 10AM. The beach was almost deserted. We could see a few people in either direction but they were so far away that they didn’t count.
I floated around in the water while Rick scrubbed the bottom of the dinghy. It felt wonderful. It has been almost a month since we have been in for a swim. In Carriacou it was easy we could just jump overboard any time we wished but the water in the lagoon at St.George’s is not the cleanest. We have watched the young children all jumping and swimming in the lagoon water after racing their optimists on the weekend but it doesn’t appeal to us.
When we returned to the boat just before lunchtime, we had a nice cockpit shower and did nothing for the rest of the day. Although we both had applied #55 SPF sunscreen our skin was quite pink. When we are in the sun regularly, we don’t have this problem but we have been looking a little pale lately. I would hate to have seen what we would have looked like if we hadn’t used the sunscreen.
We wanted to stay out of the sun today so went shopping for a few items. Our first stop was at Budget Marine in Prickly Bay. Rick bought a can of Cetol so he could start working on the interior wood again. Next, we stopped at Turbulence Sails to arrange to have them replace a portion of the standing rigging. We promised to bring the boat around to Prickly Bay by the end of the month.
We left there and walked out to the end of the road were we picked up a bus and headed back towards town. We stopped at the Excel Plaza for a couple of items from the pharmacy then walked from there to the Marquis Mall. A quick lunch at La Boulangerie and then we went across the street to the Spiceland Mall.
We were looking for there a few things there. Rick got a new “trouble lamp” from the hardware store while I bought a small picture album at the stationary store.
Our friend Susan in Tyrrel Bay is coming to Grenada next week on her way back to the U.S. for a 45-year high school reunion. She asked if I would print some of the pictures of her house and the island for her to take to the reunion.
It looked as if it would rain by the time we returned to the boat. The large dark clouds drifted right over us and then just dissipated.
Rick worked on the wood of the bowsprit while I relaxed inside for the rest of the afternoon.
It was time to visit immigration in order to extend our stay in Grenada. There is a little immigration and customs office at the yacht club, but for extensions it’s necessary to go to the main office downtown.
The immigration officers in Grenada are really policemen who have been given extra training on immigration. We met with Bernard who is usually stationed at the yacht club but was filling in for a couple of days in this office. He extended our passports so that we could stay until mid December and promised to see us again soon at the club.
Before returning to the boat, we stopped at the market and picked up some mangos, papayas and bananas.
In the evening, we met Graham and Ann at the yacht club for happy hour and still made it back to the boat in time for a nice dinner.
It was time to start washing walls again, not only because they need it but also in preparation for leaving. We have a lot to do within the next month and then we want to set out sailing again. We’ve been sitting too long.
I washed the wood and fibreglass walls on almost half the boat and then it just became a little too hot to work.
Rick finished off the wood outside and started polishing stainless steel.
In the evening, we picked up Graham and Ann and went to shore. We went to the lazy Lagoon restaurant and bar for dinner. It is just across the street from our boats so we didn’t have to worry about transportation.
It was a very pleasant evening and true to form, we were all yawning a little after 8PM.
I cleaned the rest of the boat interior and Rick continued with the exterior stainless steel. There was a good breeze today so it didn’t seem as hot inside. Well not until I turned the oven on. I roasted a big load of chicken legs so although we had to put up with the heat today we have some great leftovers for the next couple of days.
It was Sunday and for some reason we have become very lazy on Sundays.
I had plans to clean my oven (no it’s not self cleaning) but I just never got around to it.
Rick washed all of the fans, I made some potato salad and 3-bean salad and that was it. We just relaxed and tried to stay cool all day.
We picked up Ann (Rasi) and went down to the market area. Ann was looking for a new mirror, I wanted to get some more fabric to take away with us just in case I get in the sewing mood again.
When we finished in the market area, we took a bus to Tempe and visited Deco Industries, a large t-shirt manufacturing company. Ann and I both bought a few new tank tops. We stopped at the Tempe bakery before leaving and picked up a few items.
The bus driver saw us and drove down the street to pick us up. I really do love the buses in the islands. They are privately owned and must follow some rules (dress codes etc.). They can play whatever type of music they prefer but I have seen them turn the volume down when requested or when elderly people get aboard. Most drivers play reggae or gospel and many passengers sing along. The most fun thing about the buses is how many people they hold. Recognise that they are large vans with a driver and conductor. They all hold “just one more”. They love to have a full bus and the conductor will get out at busy stops and call to people “one more, room for one more”. We never seem to wait for a bus, they arrive one after the other. In fact, we have seen conductors compete with each other to get you to come on their bus. The drivers will vary the route to accommodate passenger’s needs.
Oh oh! For the last couple of weeks, each night as I have gone to bed, I reminded my self that I really hadn’t had much water to drink that day and I must drink more tomorrow. A couple of weeks of this in the temperatures we have had is not good. Pop, beer, wine and juice do not replace the water that the body needs. I awoke knowing I had blown it. I had all the symptoms of a urinary tract infection.
I took a ciprofloxin and spent the day drinking water. Rick pampered me with a little dry toast for dinner.
After dinner, I felt well enough to print some pictures for Susan who is arriving tomorrow on her way to the U.S.
I slept well and felt better when I awoke but not well enough to give up my pampering yet. Rick made me some nice dry toast again, this time for breakfast rather than dinner.
I gathered laundry and Rick took it ashore.
He went to town during the day while I just lazed around. By dinnertime, I had improved enough to eat some warmed up pizza.
Although I’m not 100% yet, I was well enough to toast some bagels for breakfast. I still let Rick pamper me for the rest of the day.
We had a phone call from Grenadian friends Joyce and Jim asking if we wanted
to go to Gouyave for the Friday night fish fry. This fish fry is something new
that the town is doing every Friday night. Gouyave is a major fishing village so
the fish fry idea seemed quite appropriate.
We went grocery shopping in the morning and did such a major shop that we had to take a taxi back to the yacht club. As usual, it was perfect timing. After many trips up and down the stairs to the dinghy dock with all of the bags of groceries, we made it back to the boat and got everything below just before a good downpour came through.
When the groceries were all inventoried and put away, it was time to get
changed to go to the yacht club. The 4PM Oprah Winfrey show had
Morgan Freeman
on discussing a new cookbook he created to raise funds for Grenada. We met
Morgan and his wife Myrna when they use to keep their boat on the same dock as
us in Mount Hartman, Grenada a few years ago. Morgan is also Ann’s (Rasi) idol
so the four of us all wanted to see the show.
We left Graham and Ann just before 6PM to meet the bus that was taking us to Gouyave. I think it was after 8PM when we finally arrived which was good because everyone was hungry. The fish fry comprised of two streets that were closed to traffic and had tents and booths set up. I had a lobster stir-fry while Rick had a shrimp stir-fry. Not because I was still hungry but because it looked so good, I also tried a shrimp cabob. The food ranged from fish pizza, whole lobster and fish dinners to homemade ice cream, baked items and more. We ate our way through the town of Gouyave. It was a fun evening and almost midnight by the time we returned to the boat.
We had planned to sail over to Prickly Bay this morning but shortly after we awoke, a tropical wave brought thunder, lightening and heavy rain. We’ll leave tomorrow instead.
The rain cooled the air enough that it was comfortable down below. We just relaxed and stayed dry.
