The weather hasn’t changed. The wind and swells are still coming from the north and even the north west at times.
The transmission was on the morning ferry which was still coming into Tyrrel Bay rather than Hillsborough. This saved us or really Rick a trip into town. He met the ferry, signed for the transmission, put it in the dinghy and brought it back to the boat. We secured it on the foredeck with ropes as neither of us wanted to lose it overboard with the rolling.
The swells seemed to be trying to settle down a little in the late afternoon but we just made ourselves as comfortable as possible and waited them out.
At 5:30PM after rescuing a couple in a dinghy (Magique) who we learned were Canadian as we towed them back to their boat, we picked up Ulricka and Glen (Bird of Passage) and when to the haulout dinghy dock. Everyone walked the exercise hill and down the road to Lambi Queen. The steel band was playing tonight and there was a good crowd. People are arriving for Carnival next week so there were some new faces.
May arrived with my costume she made for me. It’s florescent purple and yellow with sparkly squares glued onto it. It will definitely not be too small and she promised to teach me to “jig” in the parade.
After a nice dinner and great entertainment we made our way back up and down the hill again to the dinghy dock.
The wind and waves were all over the place overnight. It was about 1AM when I went out and released the stern anchor which I think was now making the boat roll worse.
When daylight arrived we had finally turned facing the northeast which is a normal angle for this bay. The swell was almost gone and Rick said that it was smooth enough that we install the new transmission. First however, we had to lift and remove the stern anchor. Rick got it into the dinghy then I fed it back onto the anchor locker onboard the boat.
Since it was now safe to land the dinghy at the jetty, Rick took our laundry into shore.
The dodger was taken down so that a come-along using the (boom-vang) could be rigged from the boom to help lower the transmission into place. The aft cabin was pulled apart and the galley was wrecked but it was all for a good cause.
We had the ropes attached to the transmission and we were just about to lower it into place when Edwin and Frances (Cigarette and Punto are their island names) pulled up with a huge snapper for us. I passed them a pail, thanked them and we put the fish in the shade while we continued with the task at hand.
By 1PM Rick had the transmission attached to the engine, the prop shaft coupler attached to the transmission, transmission fluid in the transmission. The only thing left to do was to attach the linkage but he needed a small part from our old transmission that was used to connect the type of linkage we have.
We called Jutta to see if they were home so Rick could go into the workshop and get the small part. The timing was perfect. I made a quick lunch and Rick headed ashore just as the Amelia ferry was arriving with our new circulating pump for the refrigerator. To install it the aft cabin needs to be pulled apart and since it was already in that condition, it would be great if that could be done as well.
Everything came together nicely. Rick was looking totally exhausted but I think this is the first time ever that not a bolt washer screwdriver or flashlight was dropped into the bilge. It was time for the big test with the engine running. Oops, it didn’t want to start. There was a loose connection on the fuel pump. I think he identified and fixed it with an electrical connector in about three minutes flat. The engine then started beautifully and I shifted into reverse and then forward. The shifting was stiff at first but relaxed after a couple of shifts.
So…. The engine is running in both forward and reverse, the refrigeration has water circulating by the compressor, the swells are down, the sun is shining we have clean clothes and it’s time to play Carnival. What more could a person want. Oh yes, I forgot. The fish needed to be cleaned and scaled. We were both too tired to really enjoy it tonight so once it was cleaned it went into the fridge for tomorrow night. We both then retired to the cockpit for sundowners.
I am sure glad we got so much done yesterday because today was literally a wash out. It rained all day from the time we got up until just before dinner stopping long enough for us to enjoy our poached eggs in the cockpit for breakfast and a nice salad at lunch.
We both remained below. Rick made his famous (in our house) carrot soup and just to show that he remembers how to multi-task he had a pot of tomato sauce simmering on the second burner.
I backed up the computer and did a little knitting.
I baked the red snapper for dinner using garlic, onions, olive oil and green seasoning. The green seasoning that everyone uses here to season chicken and fish is made locally and there is a brand (Baron) imported from St. Lucia. It is sold in a bottle and contains water, eschallot of celery, thyme, onion, garlic, sweet peppers, basil, parsley, vinegar, salt and green colouring. So it’s not spicy it’s just a nice seasoning.
The fish was so large that I gave it an hour in the oven. It came out perfectly cooked and because it was so large I was able to lift off and serve fillets of snapper with no bones. Rick and I devoured one side of the fish. The other side was put away for fish dip and salad.
We awoke to a perfect day of tropical weather. The winds were strong but warm, the sun was shining and there was no swell.
It was a great day for mast climbing. So great in fact that Rick went up it three times. The first was to find out why the anchor light wasn’t working again and while up there the first time he knocked off the wind indicator. It ended up that the connectors for the anchor light just needed adjusting and then the wind indicator needed a little JB Weld.
Finally after seven years he now trusts me enough on the winch to lower him down off the mast rather than climbing down using the steps.
Everything was fixed by noon and we had even run the engine, (played with forward and reverse a few times) and let the water maker run for a couple of hours.
Rick rested while I warmed up the creamy carrot soup he made yesterday.
At 3PM I dressed in costume and we headed ashore. I had been instructed to meet at the Callaloo parking lot in Hillsborough before 4PM. When I arrived I was please to see that most of our band were ladies my age or older. I wouldn’t have to shake my booty (Pirate talk) too much. We had a queen and a DJ on a truck with massive speakers blaring Island music for us to dance our way along the streets.
We started off on time and went along Back Street to the tennis courts. I don’t think the tennis courts have ever been used for tennis but it’s an enclosed area in the centre of town that is used as a small stadium for Parang and Carnival.
We entered the courts following our DJ and truck through the large gates where we found an audience and judges waiting for our performance.
Each band arrived one at a time, ours was the smallest and the oldest but we made up for the difference with enthusiasm. When all bands had arrived each was introduced and we had to dance our way around the stadium in front of the audience and judges for an unbelievable amount of time. I didn’t hear the announcement of the winning band. I know we didn’t come in first but since there were only three bands we could do no worse than third place.
I was talking with another of the pirate ladies and I commented that the young people (8 to 14 years old) could really move their hips and bodies bumping and grinding to the music. She said that that was because they were still young. When I told her that even when I was their age, I couldn’t make my body move like they are able to, she said, “Dear, even if you could have, back then you wouldn’t have been allowed to move the way they do today”. So true.
It was now time to exit the stadium back onto the street. I thought the evening was over but we headed away from our gathering spot rather than towards it. I realized that we were making our way around and through town. The streets were lined with people and we were moving along at minus 5 kilometers per hour. We had to shake out booty for at least another hour making our way along the main street that we could have walked in less than 10 minutes.
We again did not turn toward our meeting place but headed to Back Street and the tennis courts again. By now it was very dark and much of our band had disappeared. In fact other than our Queen and flag carrier (Troy) who were young, there were really only the leaders, myself and banner carriers left. I asked May where we were headed now and she said we’re going around again. That would mean at least 60 to 90 minutes. I didn’t think my booty, legs or feet could make it around again. As we passed Norbert’s bus that was parked of to the side of Back Street I slipped away. To my surprise I found the rest of our band already inside the van and waiting to return home.
It was a fun day but I was exhausted and needed to rest before the big parade tomorrow.
We awoke to another beautiful day. Rick said that I slept so soundly last night he had to check to see if I was still breathing. I guess fresh air and exercise is exhausting.
The wind is strong and the seas are high but all of our plans are land based today. Norbert called us on the VHF to see if we wanted to go to the Shakespeare Mas this morning but we passed. Rick did a little cetoling, I did some knitting and we both relaxed and rested for the afternoon parade.
At 3PM we quickly got ready and left to go into town. Norbert arrived at the jetty while we were just getting out of the dinghy. Along the way we picked many young children in costume going to the parade as well.
When we arrived at out meeting place there weren’t many other pirates. It appeared as though a lot of people were going to be late but at the last minute they arrived and were ready to go. I brought Vaseline and another lady brought the sparkles. We were decorated appropriately to “play Mas at Carnival”.
Our band needed another banner carrier and Rick was conscripted. It was nice he was able to help but that meant no pictures of today’s events. We had a few pictures from yesterday so that would do us.
Initially it appeared as though our band would be the lead band in the parade which meant that we could set the pace. We danced along Back Street but then met up with the band we did not want to be behind. They led the way which then took us almost 3 hours to make our way around town which is normally a 10 to 15 minute walk. We all found it more tiring when the band was stationary and we had to dance on the spot. As we started into the second time around town, Rick and I bailed out and I noticed that many other pirates did the same. My knees and hips were aching to just sit for a few minutes. Rick suggested that we have dinner in town but I wanted to get back to the boat so I could remove my sparkles and sit.
We did exactly that and had pasta with Rick’s homemade sauce for dinner.
I think that my muscles and bones have seized so that they are almost immobile. The wind was strong what else is new, and there was a northern swell in the morning which was giving me a little difficulty manoeuvring throughout the boat. It was best to just sit with a book and relax. Rick did much the same after he finished applying a little cetol.
Today is the official Independence Day in Grenada. Carriacou celebrated last week which allowed the Grenadians to attend the celebrations here. Today Kayaks with family in Grenada will be able to join them for the celebrations there.
Everything was closed for the day but Sonny’s “The Bayside Bar” offered a traditional island meal with chicken, fish, lobster, pork, rice, cou cou, pumpkin, plantain, Callaloo, etc. etc. buffet for $25EC per person (less than $10CAD). Needless to say almost everyone attended. It was a nice get together and a good way to celebrate Independence Day.
It was a beautiful day although still very windy. Rick changed the engine oil in the morning. I tidied the aft cabin since the engine work is now complete it is no longer required as a workshop storage area.
In the afternoon we went for a walk to Paradise beach. We stopped first to see Sandra who is the artist for Fidel Productions. She designs beautiful Caribbean T-shirts that are sold up and down the island chain. We had been asked to deliver a couple of boxes to Bequia on our way up island. We arranged for Sandra to drop them off with Trevor at the yacht club for us.
We left Sandra’s and went next door to the Hardwood Bar to see Miss Joy. She gave us a pleasant welcome and we found our friend Kathy there with Peggy from the Grenada SPCA having a snack.
It was a gorgeous walk day for a walk along the beach. We hadn’t worn our bathing suits so we just waded along the shore. When we arrived at Hope’s Cottage we stopped for a beer because rumour has it they have opened a new restaurant. It was well worth the stop. The beer was served ice cold in frosted mugs. The restaurant was nicely decorated Caribbean style and very clean. We told Somara and Elizabeth we would be back a little after 6PM for dinner. I chose chicken and Rick wanted the Lambi (conch).
Off we wandered a little further along the beach where we normally stop for a rest at the Paradise Inn. There was no option, they have one of the most spectacular views from the deck. We sat there in the shade of the almond tree and just enjoyed it all.
There was another place we had to visit today a little further along the beach. A new beach bar. It’s very close to Paradise in but not visible as the beach makes a little turn there and it’s hidden behind the trees.
It is a great little beach bar called “Off the Hook Bar & Grill” They have cleared the sand nicely and made paths with conch shells and garden lights. There are colourful Adirondack chairs with beach umbrellas for the guests to use. There is a huge barbecue area where they grill chicken or fish for dinner and best of all, because it is so unusual, they have a large drive in movie screen. There are no vehicles, they just show movies on the screen after dark and people can sit at the bar or in the chairs to watch it.
The bartenders when we were there were Dawn who went serenading with us on New Year’s Day, and Lily who is a Norwegian lady we see regularly on the bus into Hillsborough. The owner who was there for a while is Curtis and his wife Allison. After he left we learned that he was also the barber at the roadside above. He and Allison are Kayaks who lived in New York for 20 years and returned to Carriacou about a year ago. We had been told that because he lived in New York he had learned how to cut straight hair and we were anxious to have him cut ours. He agreed to cut it for us tomorrow morning at 9AM.
We returned to Hope’s Restaurant a little before 6PM and we could smell our dinner being cooked. The different aromas that were emanating from the kitchen were driving us crazy.
Finally the homemade garlic bread was brought to our table and we had to restrain ourselves from gobbling it all down. Our main dishes arrived beautifully presented and although they consisted of local foods the style was definitely not local.
My meal was boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked with fresh ginger, garlic, honey and soy sauce. Rick’s curried lambi was mild and tender. We both received a stuffed green pepper, pumpkin, broccoli and rice with mixed vegetables. It was well worth the wait and a wonderful surprise.
After dinner we made our way back along the beach and out to the road where we walked back to Harvey Vale with a quick stop at the Lambi Queen to say hello to friends and listen to the steel band.
We were up and out bright and early this morning arriving at the barber shop (The Cutting Edge) a little early. Curtis arrived a little late but that’s island life.
I was a little nervous when I sat in the chair and he started with clippers rather than scissors. In fact, I didn’t see any scissors only multiple electric clippers. Sure enough, similar to other island haircuts I have tried, I got scalped. Rick got scalped more than I did. In fact his head was just plain shaved.
I had been having a bad hair week anyway. Lately my reading glasses are making my hair turn green where the metal on the arms touch my hair. I think it’s time for a hat.
We returned to Harvey Vale and had a roti bake for lunch and then a siesta on the boat before our afternoon adventure.
The Tyrrel Bay Junior Sailing Club was having a festival on the beach in the afternoon. Rick was to supply a dinghy and provide knee boarding for the children. I was the tug of war organizer. They had relay races which included running and swimming as well as a couple of sailing races. When they weren’t involved in a race they were jumping on the floating trampoline.
It was almost 6PM when we returned to the boat for another little siesta. We had a party to go to at 9PM at Frances and Hans place on the other side of Hillsborough. When we awoke, Rick said he just couldn’t make it to the party tonight. He was totally exhausted.
We started the day with our traditional Sunday morning poached eggs. Rick did a little cetoling and I made some stewed pork. Beverley at the supermarket was selling young pig yesterday and I bought a few pieces. I cooked it island style using sugar and oil to brown it then added the onions, garlic, green seasoning and later the vegetables.
We talked about walking to Paradise Beach again but the wind was howling so much I just felt like staying on board.
The winds abated a little but it was still blowing 20 knots. The sky was very gray in appearance and looked more like a Canadian winter sky than a tropical Caribbean one.
Brian (Skitter Scamp) went by in his dingy getting soaked with the waves. He laughed and said that this is better than snow. I agreed but right now it doesn’t seem all that much better.
The forecast is for the winds to increase again to 25 knots and remain so for at least another 4 to 5 days. The sea is rough with waves of 12 to 13 feet and an additional north east swell to go along with the waves.
A couple of boats left and headed north, the same direction we are waiting to go, but they returned a few hours later very beat up. It’s not fun to sail in those conditions so we’ll just hang in here and relax. Did I say the word relax, forget it.
Rick reassembled the screens for the butterfly hatches and installed them. The hatch and screens look brand new. Now he is stripping the wood in the cockpit (combings, engine panel and propane locker) so that I can apply more Cetol. Oops, the fridge is acting up. It was just the thermostat and Rick said he might be able to fix it. I suggested that he dig out the spare, just in case. Sure enough, he was able to adjust the spring and fix it temporarily but it refused to cycle properly shortly after dark.
He was willing to wake up throughout the night to manually turn it off and on. I instead suggested that there wasn’t a lot of meat in the freezer so we could just let it thaw and I would cook it up tomorrow.
I guess that either the air temperature is much cooler than normal or our fridge is very well insulated. The meat was all still frozen hard when we awoke in the morning. After breakfast, task number one was to install a new thermostat. As soon as that was done I cleaned the bottom of the fridge, turned it on and moved on to the wood working project. (How can people ask “What do you do all day?”)
Although it was only Wednesday we were running short on a few things and needed to go grocery shopping. It was just after 8:30AM when we went ashore and sure enough before we walked the length of the jetty, Norbert was driving down it to pick us up. Great timing but we wanted to go to Sonny’s for breakfast. Norbert said he would watch and pick us up on his next time through Harvey Vale.
Sonny’s which is really the Bay Side Bar and Grill we are now calling Latasha’s. Latasha is always the one running the place. She made us Bake and Eggs. Bake is a homemade bun that we first tried and loved in Trinidad. Not many people here make them and Latasha’s are great. I asked for orange juice but she offered fresh squeezed gospo juice which was a nice change from orange.
Norbert’s timing is amazing. We had just finished eating when he pulled up with his bus. There was only one other person onboard so Norbert picked up some bake and salt fish for his breakfast. As we drove by Paradise Beach I had him stop so I could run in and pick up a more recent Chris Doyle guide book for the Windward Islands. Ours is ancient.
As we were going store to store shopping in town, Norbert drove by. He stopped so I passed him my groceries so far and told him we would probably be ready to go on his next run which we were of course after a few beers at Cuthberth’s.
Once we returned to the boat and put things away, we headed to shore again to pick up some of the bulky things in Harvey Vale rather than carry them all the way from Hillsborough. On our way back to the boat this time we notice a small fishing boat rowing out of the bay with his outboard raised. Rick asked if they needed a tow which they did, all the way to the point. On our way back from delivering them, our outboard overheated.
We called Gus and asked if he would change the impellor on the Yamaha for us. He agreed and said he would come out tomorrow morning. I suggested that we could bring the boat to shore but he said it wouldn’t be necessary.
The weather forecast is improving. It looks like we may be able to leave next Tuesday.
Gus arrived about 8:45AM. He climbed aboard and we were talking when I finally got around asking him how we were going to do this impellor change out here. He laughed because he had thought we needed the impellor changed on the Yanmar engine not the Yamaha. He and Rick left with the dinghy and went ashore. I reclaimed the interior of our boat. It is no longer a workshop so I started washing walls.
When Rick returned we had lunch then sat in the cockpit and relaxed. There are many more boats starting to move. The wind is still strong and the seas are rough but at least the sun is shining and the water has returned to the nice turquoise blue colour. The inexperienced boaters are back on the water. We watched one boat with six people onboard. They first tried to anchor on top of a boat behind us with enough rode out that the anchor just might have been able to touch the bottom. When the other boat told them they were too close, they moved. To our dismay the headed right for us. No one in the boat ever looked behind to see what they were anchoring on they only looked forward. As they started to drop their anchor this time right on top of ours, I let them know that their boat would definitely hit ours if they dropped it there. The people were very nice and very British. They politely moved ahead a little further and proceeded to anchor on top of another boat.
We went for dinner just before 6PM which is early for most people here. As we were sitting in the Lazy Turtle watching boats that were still arriving trying to find their perfect spot when we noticed another charter boat doing strange things. It was backing through the anchorage and as it came to a spot where we thought it might anchor, it stopped, paused and then moved forward for a while. They repeated this manoeuvre many times but never attempting to drop an anchor. Finally while backing too close to one of the boats they caught and anchor line around their rudder which swung them around and locked the stern to bow with the other boat. Luckily the owner was sitting at the Lambi Queen and saw what happened. He hurried out to his boat just in time because the charter boaters were about to cut the line that wrapped around their rudder. It took almost 2 hours to get them untangled and then the charter boat started on it’s forward and reverse manoeuvring around the bay again. Finally I picked up my cell phone and called Troy to come out and put this boat on a mooring before they wiped out another boat.
It was dark and we had finished dinner so we went for a walk through Harvey Vale to see how the Valentines parties were going at the other restaurants. Sonny’s (Latasha’s) was packed. The Old Rum Shop was full of 8 charter boats that were travelling together. There were a few people at the Lambi Queen so we stopped in there for a few minutes. Eventually we made our way back to the Lazy Turtle where we had left the dinghy and headed back to the boat.
Rick applied a little more Cetol on the wood in the cockpit first thing in the morning. I did a little hand laundry and other than that we relaxed.
It is still a little too chilly to go swimming. The only people we see jumping into the water are the people on charter boats who think this is warm Caribbean weather. Yah right, even the locals are wearing jackets at night.
Since it was Friday night we went ashore to the Lambi Queen for dinner and the steel pan band. It was iffy as to whether we would make it ashore as the sky looked very dark and we waited out two rain showers before blue sky appeared and then we quickly raced for shore. Doug and Sandy (Triumph III) arrived at the dinghy dock and together we walked the exercise hill into town. The Lambi Queen was only a hundred yards away when the next rain shower appeared over the hills. It was a lovely evening with a big crowd but there were a couple of very strong squalls that went through during the early evening that had us wondering whether we should be onboard rather than ashore.
We went to town in the morning picked up a few things and then stopped at the Hardwood Bar on Paradise Beach. Miss Joy made her famous chicken and chips (best on the island) for us. As we sat looking over the beach we watched as a young man and a young boy prepared a wood fire under the shade tree and then proceeded to pare and cut dasheen, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, carrots, green bananas etc. to cook over the fire. We find it interesting how the men and boys on this island are good cooks. It’s not that the girls or women don’t cook, they do, cooking is something that both genders do and do well.
We returned to the boat and Rick took off to work on the outboard. He had noticed that the timing or linkage or something was not right with the motor and rather than call Gus, he attempted to fix it himself. We don’t have the service manual for the outboard (we should) so things ended up a little worse when he finished than they were before he started.
Dinner was onboard tonight and we had some nice boneless deli style pork chops. While I was trying to prepare dinner I responded to a boat that was calling the yacht club on the VHF to let them know that the yacht club doesn’t have a radio. I then got involved in trying to help the skipper of a 50 foot sailboat with engine problems. The very British voice told me he was about two miles out, very knackered and he needed a tow. When I checked his location he was at least 5 miles away so I suggested that he sail in a little closer and then we could try and get him some help. He said that he couldn’t do it he was tired. I called our friends at the dive shop as almost everyone else that could help was off island. They said that there was no way they could tow a 50 foot boat in the rough seas for five miles, he would have to sail closer. I passed on the message.
After dinner he called again. This time someone else took his call and it was interesting to listen as they tried to tell him how to tack toward the bay. Eventually, they suggested to him if he couldn’t tack the boat then he should turn around and run downwind back to Grenada when he could anchor in the lee of the island overnight and get help with the engine during daylight hours.
A fresh start is always good. After our Sunday poached eggs, Rick went ashore to work on the outboard engine again. This time (after reading a few articles I had pulled up on the internet), he fixed it perfectly.
Next he went to help Doug (Triumph III) with SSB antenna problems. He called me and asked if I would tune to a frequency and call him. I did and he responded so it looks like another job, well done.
In the afternoon, Kevin came by with the Lambi Queen boat and said that Sherwin wanted me to hustle the boats for a barbecue this evening on the floating Bar (Angel’s Rest). I did and we had a nice group that showed up. I told Sherwin that I refused to hustle too much because I didn’t want to sink the Angel’s Rest with a huge crowd. It was perfect and as the first group was leaving (us) a second group arrived.
Everything is ready to go we are just waiting for weather. The water maker filters needed changing and this ended up as almost a full day job.
Rick swapped the filters for two fresh ones and after allowing the system to fill he then cleaned the two sea water strainers. It always seems to happen, prior to touching it, the water maker was running fine. Now, one of the pumps refused to prime properly. As a last resort, Rick removed the pump and replaced the head. Sure enough it needed it and when he was finished and we finally got the system pressurized properly all worked well.
This was the day we had originally hoped to leave but the weather is not cooperating. The morning began with light winds so while the engine was running (we haven’t done this for a while), Rick put a reef in the main sail. To really confuse people, he tried using the remote control for the windlass to make sure the new windlass was working properly. Sure enough, we received a call from one of the other boats asking if we were leaving. Our answer was that no we were just practicing so that we will remember how it’s done.
In the afternoon, we both went ashore, Rick to clean the bottom of the dinghy which wasn’t really in need of it yet and me for a swim thinking that the wind would be lighter and the water warmer on the beach. After helping Rick remove the outboard and flip the dinghy I went in for a swim. The water was still cold but once immersed it was warmer than the air so I stayed under.
We eventually returned to the boat for a nice warm shower before dinner.
I hadn’t been feeling well for the last couple of days and I think it was something I had on the floating bar Sunday night. Today, my stomach was really in turmoil. I decided I better dig out the Imodium.
Rick attached the jack lines on the deck and I think that the only thing left to be done before raising the anchor is to clean the prop which looks a little like a tropical garden with all the growth on it.
Brad and Alana (Witches Song) invited us over for sundowners. We were looking forward to visiting with them but Rick agreed that as soon as I said I had to leave there was to be no hesitation.
We stayed until about 8PM when I gave the word.
Neither of us stayed up to watch the lunar eclipse, we were both tired.
I awoke before midnight and recognised that the Imodium wasn’t helping. Out came the big guns. I took my first dose of Ciprofloxacin. When I returned to bed I could see the moon fully eclipsed directly above. So I just looked up while lying in bed and watched the moon come out of the shadow through the hatch.
I awoke a few times during the night but when morning arrived I was feeling a little better but very weak and dehydrated. Rick took on his pampering duties and made me some dry toast for breakfast and later soup for lunch.
We listened to a few of the boats on the VHF that left today. They were encountering 25 knot winds gusting higher and the seas were 10 feet. That to me is not a fun sail. We hope to leave Saturday or Sunday. The winds are to start coming down on Friday but it will still be a little rough on the weekend so we will only go about 10 miles and position ourselves to do a longer run the next day in light winds and gentle seas.
As the day went on I started to gain a little energy but the only thing that needed to be done was, the floor needed washing. Without me even mentioning it or saying anything about the floor, I dozed off and awoke to Rick on his hands and knees washing the floor. What a hero.
I was feeling much better today so we went ashore for a few things. We couldn’t tie the dinghy at the jetty because there was a large boat from Union Island blocking the dinghy area so we pulled it up on the beach by Denise’s fruit stand. Really this was perfect because we wanted to go to Sonny’s for Bake and Egg which is just across the street from Denise.
Norbert picked us up after breakfast and took us into town for a few things we needed before leaving. There weren’t a lot of fresh vegetables available but we have to go back into town tomorrow and check out with customs and immigration so I’ll look around again then.
When we returned from town we had Norbert drop us at Sonny’s again and before returning to the boat we had lunch. Lunch was two chicken legs, rice and peas, plantain, calaloo, and sweet potato each along with a cold drink the meal cost us $6 CAD each. It’s amazing that I even bother to cook here because eating out can be very inexpensive.
We returned to the boat and put things away before having a siesta. Triumph III had left Tyrrel Bay for Union Island (10 miles) but returned because the seas were so uncomfortable. We also heard a boat out by Canouan on the VHF telling someone he was getting beaten up by the seas. I’m glad we are still here.
Although it was Friday night and we were going to the Lambi Queen for the Steel Band, we both felt like pizza for dinner rather than another full meal. After leaving the dinghy at the haulout and walking the exercise hill we made our way first to the Turtle Dove and then to the Lambi Queen for a great evening.
Although it was only Saturday we had our poached eggs for breakfast because we hope to be underway early tomorrow morning.
We took some laundry ashore and went into town and checked out with immigration and customs and after saying a few good-byes returned to Harvey Vale.
We had promised Punto and Barb that we would stop by their house for some Santa Maria tea on our way from town which is exactly what we did. Punto picked the leaves and made the tea while we sat with Barb on the porch an enjoyed the breeze. Before leaving he picked some gospo fruit from the tree in his yard and gave us a bag full.
On our way back to the boat the vegetable ladies had their fruit and veggies available in the shade of the tree by the jetty. I was able to get all I needed.
Scraper had planned a party to celebrate the opening of his new beach front bar and we promised to attend. It was the last opportunity to climb the exercise hill so the dinghy was left at the haulout and we walked into Harvey Vale to Scrapers. There was a very good turnout. David and Sue (Barnstormer) had tiled the counter on the new bar. Elaine (Island Girl) with a little help from Joe was the bartender. The rest of us just enjoyed the food and rum punch.
It was early when we left to return to the boat. We removed the outboard engine from the dinghy and secured it on the motor mount. The dinghy was raised in the davits and secured for open water. The route was uploaded from the computer to the GPS and autopilot and that was it for the evening.
It was 7AM on the dot when Rick pushed the button on our new windlass to lift the anchor. The main sail was raised and we were on our way. The passage between Carriacou and Union Island was comfortable and by 9AM we were calling Tiger Lily II to say hello on the VHF radio as we passed Chatham Bay.
The whole trip was non eventful (this is good). The only interesting thing we saw was just as we entered the bay at Bequia, there was a flock of beautiful White Tailed Tropicbirds with their long graceful tails flew back and forth beside us. We see them so seldom and they always astound us with their beauty. It was 4:30 when the anchor was set. We had travelled 40 nautical miles on our first trip out and it felt good.
We called to say hello to some of our friends who we knew were here but we weren’t checking in so we remained onboard. After a nice glass of wine I prepared Hawaiian Chicken and rice for dinner which we haven’t had for a long time and it is one of Rick’s favourite meals.
We awoke to a wonderful heavy downpour of rain. It was wonderful because the first thing I was supposed to do this morning was to take a pail of fresh soapy water and wash the salt spray from the windows of the dodger. The whole boat was nicely washed and rinsed without me lifting a finger.
The visibility was down to one mile and still boats were leaving. We had a couple of large boxes of T-shirts to deliver to Noah’s Arcade from Sandra in Carriacou. The arcade didn’t open until 9:30AM so we had a nice breakfast and a morning visit from Jeff (Gladys) who came over to help us deliver the boxes. The sky had cleared nicely by 9:30 and when I called Noah’s the lady who answered said she would send a water taxi to get the boxes so we could be on our way.
The anchor was up by 10AM and we were on our way. The reefed main and stay sail were all we had up as we motor sailed to St Vincent in slack tide waiting for the Bequia blast to hit us in between the islands. It never came we had a wonderfully smooth and fast trip across the gap only slowing when the tide changed once we were in the lee of the island.
It was 1PM when we arrived in Wallilabou St Vincent. Godfrey, a boat boy helped us tie to a mooring and took our stern line to tie to a post of the once upon a time dock. He rowed off around the point to get beer for Rick and while he was gone, Smiley another boat boy came to show his jewelry. I didn’t buy anything but we gave him a Toronto cap and he left as a happy man.
We watched next as a charter boat arrived (they have money and the boat boys know it). There were four boat boys at one time all trying to sell something to the charter people on the boat beside.
A fruit boat boy came by our boat as I was preparing lunch and I purchased some mangos from him and added them to our salad.
The afternoon was rest and read while we waited for the 4:30PM cocktail hour when we would get to hear whether the winner was the low pressure area or the two high pressure areas. We were rooting for the low pressure to win which would give us light winds and gentle seas to St Lucia tomorrow.
The restaurant provided great entertainment and even though we didn’t go ashore I enjoyed the music while falling asleep.
The very first thing I did after my first sip of coffee was to download weather using the HAM radio since there is no Wifi in Wallilabou. The high pressure system beat our low pressure which means the winds and seas are not going to be light as we were hoping. The forecast for today of 15 to 20 knots of winds with seas of 6 to 8 feet was not bad and in fact it was the best we would see for at least a week.
It was 7AM when we left the bay and headed north. We weren’t making much headway as the tide was against us but we had 40 miles to travel today and 30 miles of it would be in open water so we were anxious to get at least a portion of the passage out of the way before noon.
It wasn’t meant to be. It took us until 10AM to reach the north end of St Vincent. The seas are normally rough in this area but it was really nasty today. Rick said the rig needed to be tightened down a bit and the staysail halyard raised as it was sloppy. All of this and the tide still against us and 20 to 25 knots of wind was a little uncomfortable. As well we fell off three waves in a row causing us and the whole boat to shake rattle and roll so we both decided to call it a day. We watched as many other boats continued on but as Rick said we didn’t need to be in St Lucia bad enough to rattle our brains getting there.
We turned back but went right to the south end of the island and picked up a mooring in Young Island Cut near Blue Lagoon. The weather is going to shut down for a week and at least here we can enjoy the beaches and restaurants as well as easily take a bus into Kingstown.
As soon as we were settled, Rick went into town and checked in with Customs and Immigration. We can legally go ashore now which we haven’t done since last Saturday. Dinner was onboard as I was too tired to enjoy a meal out. Even though we got nowhere today we travelled 30 miles and the first half was hard on the wind. The down island sail was so beautiful that I kept asking Rick if he wanted to turn around and try for St Lucia again. The response was no and it was the right one. The wind is much higher than forecasted.
Free Wifi, two television stations, many nice restaurants, beaches, palm trees, turquoise water; I think we might get quite comfortable here.
The staysail that gave us the problem yesterday needed to be raised and tightened. We waited for a lull between gusts and as I quickly unfurled the sail Rick winched the halyard up as tight as possible. That should end the rattling of the rig that we went through yesterday.
It seemed a good night to go out for dinner so we dinghied over to the Lim’n Pub which provides a dinghy dock in front of their restaurant. We had been here before but not for a long time and it was obviously long enough that we forgot how expensive it was. There were some wonderful sounding dishes on the menu but almost nothing less than $100EC per dish. In the end we decided to have some pate (which is normally only found on French islands) and share a pizza. Rick had a couple of beers and I had a glass of wine and the bill came to over $200EC. In Carriacou (we wouldn’t have the pate) drinks and pizza would come to about $60EC. Still, the food was good and it was an enjoyable evening but a little too costly for us.
We didn’t have anything planned today so we each worked on the boat. Rick changed the macerator and I washed the salt off of the stainless and canvas using my nice new florescent lime green washing mitt.
In the afternoon we sat in the cockpit and kept score as the boat boys raced out of the cut to obtain customers for their mooring balls. Sparrow (our guy) who works for Charlie Tango was the much better hustler. By 4PM it was Sparrow 4 and Sam 0. We also watched as a boat that wanted to anchor rather than pay for a mooring, re-anchored more than 4 times. The bottom in the cut is deep, in places 65 feet and has very poor holding.
I cooked a nice pork tenderloin for dinner and after we had finished eating, Jimmy (Charlie Tango’s son) came by and shared a glass of wine as we chatted about the area.
We went into town today to the market. The road into town is all under construction which slowed the bus drivers down significantly making it an enjoyable rather than white knuckled ride. At the fish market I picked up a couple of mahi mahi steaks and a whole bonita tuna. When we returned to the boat, the steaks I put into the freezer but the tuna I filleted for tonight’s dinner.
Even in the cut the winds were howling through causing the boats on the moorings to swipe from side to side.
