It's New Years Eve and we are sitting in Grenada.
The last post I said we were scheduled to be launched Monday afternoon. We are used to "island time" and how things don't happen on a tight schedule. We had a number of things that had to be finished by our 3:30 launch time and we were working on them when the lift operator stopped by to confirm he would be there and have us launched by lunchtime. They only had two boats to launch and they wanted to be done early. Soon he was back to let us know the other boat was not ready and he would be right over to get us. So much for "island time". The launch went without incident, nothing leaked, the engine started and we moved over to the slip we planned to spend the night in. I made a trip over to the Customs office to let them know we were now in the water. Last year we did not notify them and they were displeased. This year they couldn't seem to care at all. You never know what rules they are going to enforce. The next day, Christmas Eve, the rigger came over and did a final tuning of the rigging. I noticed that the fresh water pump seemed to be cycling more than usual. A quick check showed that one of our water tanks we had just filled was down a quarter. We searched everywhere looking for the leak and couldn't find anything. Cori did a final load of laundry and sent out our float plan. When traveling to and from Trinidad we have three Trinidad contacts that we notify so they are aware that we are out there and our contacts back home that we notify in case there is a problem and they get contacted. After that we moved out to a mooring to finish preparations. The weather forecast was saying the next two days were favorable for the trip to Grenada.
Wednesday, Christmas Day. It was a quiet night on the mooring and it felt good to be back in the water again feeling Hi Flite gently rolling. I found where I suspected the water leak was and decided to do a temporary fix. I bypassed the pump that distributes the water and connected to a foot pump at the galley sink that usually pumps sea water in. We still had fresh water but only at the galley sink. By this time we were down a half a tank, thirty gallons. We made another trip to the yard for a quick shower then went over to check out. I had asked at Customs what the fee would be for checking out to be sure we had enough TT money. I had not thought to check with Immigration if they had a fee. Checking out with Immigration went very smooth and I was glad I had the $200 TT ($30 US) to pay them. Off to the Customs office we went. Because it was Christmas Day there was a clerk who didn't normally do that job. After filling out the paperwork and she calling her supervisors to decide if everything was ok she asked for the fee, $250 TT ($37 US). It was a holiday and overtime charges were added. I had checked with Customs and had money for their fee but gave most of it to Immigration. I was $200 TT short. She was able to find enough change to break some of our US currency and we were checked out. A lesson for next time, check with both offices about their fees. Back on the boat we finished preparations and decided to move over to the fuel dock to top off the water. We didn't want to leave without our tanks full. Being a holiday the fuel dock was closed but the water was still turned on. With the tanks full we cast off for our overnight trip to Grenada.
We make this trip overnight because of the distance and speed we travel, 80 miles at about 5-6 knots. If we leave during daylight we will arrive after dark, We try very hard not to arrive after nightfall, too many things can go wrong. It was 4:00 pm and we raised the sails and headed off. We have made this run two other times and we agreed that this was the most pleasant of the three. The winds were out of the east-southeast at about 15 knots and the seas were only about 3-4 feet. The best conditions we could ask for. We made the passage without a problem arriving in Grenada just after sunrise. It had been a cloudless night without a moon and the stars and milky way were as bright as I had ever seen them. We motored up into Clarks Court Bay and dropped anchor at 8:00 am. We sorted things out and lay down for a nap. It had been a long night even with us changing off shift. The day after Christmas is Boxing Day and is another holiday. We opted to not check in and waited to do it the next day and avoid the overtime fee.
Friday morning we took the dinghy around to the next bay and checked in. We were now officially in Grenada. On the way back to the boat we stopped at Whisper Cove Marina to pick up a loaf of bread. They have a bakery and have some of the best fresh loaves of bread I have found. Once on the boat it was time for a PBJ sandwich on fresh bread. There is little else that can compare. Now it was time to get to work. I had planned out how to troubleshoot the leak problem by disconnecting and plugging one feed line at a time. I reconnected the pump and started changing connections. The third line I checked was the culprit. Fortunately it was a line we do not use. Several years ago we removed the sink in the V-berth and had left the line to feed a connection into the anchor locker for wash-down purposes. Since then I had installed a wash-down pump and feed line from the forward water tank and that line was not being used anymore. It was a simple matter of capping it off at he distribution manifold. Problem solved. Since the boat was built around the line it will stay there unused forever.
Saturday we made a run to a marina to buy some gasoline since I needed to charge the batteries after running them down on the crossing. We are still using more power then the solar and wind generator can put in. Cori joined her local friends at Hog Island to clean and prepare sea urchins to make what they call "sea eggs" and I spent the day reading and listening to the generator. Sunday was a quiet day on the boat and we later joined a group of cruisers at the Hog Island beach for a couple of beers. Monday was spent going to visit a local family that is storing some of our stuff and sorting it out and making arrangements to get it back on the boat.
It's Tuesday, New Years Eve and again I am charging up the batteries. We have had a couple of overcast days and we are anchored where we don't get the full effect of the wind so the batteries need help.
Here is a little story about our time in Trinidad. Trinidad and Tobago are an independent country that was a former part of the British Empire. They have their own currency, the Trinidad/Tobago dollar ($TT). The exchange rate of one TT dollar is equal to about fifteen cents US. Therefore it takes a lot of cash to pay for something. For example one evening we went out for fish and chips. The price was $98 TT or $14.50 US. Needless to say most transactions are made with hundred dollar bills. They announced that beginning December 14 they were introducing a new one hundred dollar bill. Now when the US does this it leaves the old bills in circulation and takes them out of circulation as they wear out. Here in Trinidad they announced that you had 14 days to trade in your old bills. The old bills were being replaced and after December 31 would not be worth the paper they were printed on. They become scratch paper. You can imagine the confusion and the lines at the banks.They also required that you show proof of identification and fill out a form describing how you came to have this money. There were several stories of people showing up with millions of dollars to trade in but they put a limit on how much you could trade at one time, depending if you were a customer of the bank or not. It also took several days to get the new bill into the ATMs. There were stories that car sales had jumped with many instances of being bought with cash. People with too much cash were looking for ways to get rid of it. This was all taking place during the Christmas shopping season and several days when the banks were closed for holidays. Many of the businesses put an early limit on when they would no longer accept the old bills so that they would have time to exchange what they had on hand. We had to be careful when exchanging money to be sure that we received the new rather then the old.
That's it for now.
We want to wish all of our friends and families a Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Sunday, December 22, 2019
Almost Ready
We are still in the boatyard. I had originally estimated that we would be here for three weeks and it has been a little over five. But we do have a launch date. Of course we had one a week ago that got pushed back.
The big delay has been because we decided to have the mast painted. It took several days to remove all of the hardware, several more waiting for the welder to make some repairs, several to have it painted and several more to have it reinstalled. While the mast was off we made some modifications. We ran a new cable for the VHF radio. This involved some soldering which is a skill I never developed but we made do. The cables inside the mizzen mast (we have two masts) had been hitting the sides of the mast when the boat rocked. We added several new cables in the last few years and it was now making a noise that we could no longer ignore. This was the reason to have that mast pulled from the start. We solved this by running the cables through several pool noodles and sliding them up inside the mast. Now the cables will have some padding around them and the noise will stop. Who knew there were so many uses for pool noodles? Eventually all these were sorted out and it was time to reinstall (step) the masts. The reinstall went smoothly and all is well. I must mention that while the hardware was off the masts Cori gave every piece of stainless steel a thorough polishing and waxing.
Once the mast were installed it was time to get around to other projects. I started a simple project with the engine. I replaced the sacrificial zinc anodes and attempted to replace the water intake pumps impeller. I say attempted because it didn't exactly go well. First off you need to understand that we have a diesel engine installed in a very confining space. To make matters worse it is installed backwards. The front to the motor faces the stern and is only serviceable from the rear. This means that in order to do simple jobs like adjust the belts I have to work while laying on top of the engine and working around an array of cables and hoses. The pump is in a very awkward space and hard to work on. Replacing the impeller involves removing four bolts, sliding the face plate off. sliding the impeller out. Not impossible but just very clumsy to do while laying on top of the engine and trying to reach the work area with both hands. I also had to deal with the fact that for some reason the power was out in the yard and I needed to aim a flashlight to the area I was working in. Well, to make a short story long, it didn't go well. The fourth bolt I attempted to remove sheared off. It had corroded and was weak. This meant that I now had to remove the pump and find a repair. In order to remove the pump I first needed to reroute some hoses, and remove the alternator. Not insurmountable but remember trying to hold that pesky flashlight? Once the alternator was off I was able to get at the pump mount. I was very proud of myself for not dropping anything until the last bolt and the specially designed mounting nut dropped under the engine. Fortunately it and most everything I was working with are not stainless steel. Stainless steel does not react to a magnet but this part did. I was able to swing a magnet on a line near enough to catch it and the day was saved. Losing things in the hidden pockets in a boat is not unheard of. I once lost a socket and ratchet wrench while replacing the impeller several years ago. I never have found them, I just need to add them to the price when we decide to sell the boat. This all happened on a Friday and we were scheduled to be launched on Monday. I checked around and was given the mane of a shop in the neighboring boat yard to take the pump to. Remember I said the power was out? It was an area thing and since the power was off they closed and went home for the day. I checked with Budget Marine next door to see if they carried the pump, they didn't but told me who may have it. I packed it up and caught a bus to check. I told the driver where I was going and they dropped me off right in front. Continuing my streak of luck the person who dealt with pumps was gone for the day. I left the pump and asked him to contact me on Monday. Monday I received an email from him that it was no problem, I just needed to decide if I wanted it in a week or in three weeks and the price was totally out of our budget. I made the bus trip back to pick up the pump and they suggested a machine shop near the boat yard. Back on the bus. By now it was late and they were closed. The next day, Tuesday, I brought the pump over and they said not a problem they would have it done by lunch. Now I have to find a rebuild kit since the original problem was that the seal had failed and water had leaked out and ruined the bolt, not to mention the bearing. Several calls and I was told they had the parts. Another bus ride and I had the parts in hand. I dropped them off at the machine shop and they said they would get at it right after lunch and to pick it up at 3:00. We are used to everyone operating on island time but this is the first time that someone was true to their word and it was ready. Wednesday morning I started early reinstalling everything. It helped that the power was on and I had a light to work with. I didn't drop anything, used no words I would be ashamed of saying in front of my mother and it was once again ready to run. I also took the opportunity to change the oil, the filter and transmission fluid. Service engine checked off the list. We are getting closer.
Now not all we are doing is working. Most days, around beer-thirty, we have been making a trip to the store in the yard to have a couple of beers with other cruisers and compare the day. Most days my problems are small compared to the others.
Cori has been busy with getting the sails on, giving the boat a good scrubbing and working on some sewing projects. Today, Saturday, we took a break and made a trip to PriceMart (similar to Sams Club or Costco) for our final provisioning. Other than fresh fruits and vegetables we have enough supplies to last several months.
We are scheduled to be launched Monday afternoon and plan to spend Christmas here. We plan to make the trip to Granada later in the week when the winds and waves look more favorable.
That's it, not what I had planned when we arrived but it is all part of the cruising experience: repairing boats in exotic locations.
The big delay has been because we decided to have the mast painted. It took several days to remove all of the hardware, several more waiting for the welder to make some repairs, several to have it painted and several more to have it reinstalled. While the mast was off we made some modifications. We ran a new cable for the VHF radio. This involved some soldering which is a skill I never developed but we made do. The cables inside the mizzen mast (we have two masts) had been hitting the sides of the mast when the boat rocked. We added several new cables in the last few years and it was now making a noise that we could no longer ignore. This was the reason to have that mast pulled from the start. We solved this by running the cables through several pool noodles and sliding them up inside the mast. Now the cables will have some padding around them and the noise will stop. Who knew there were so many uses for pool noodles? Eventually all these were sorted out and it was time to reinstall (step) the masts. The reinstall went smoothly and all is well. I must mention that while the hardware was off the masts Cori gave every piece of stainless steel a thorough polishing and waxing.
Once the mast were installed it was time to get around to other projects. I started a simple project with the engine. I replaced the sacrificial zinc anodes and attempted to replace the water intake pumps impeller. I say attempted because it didn't exactly go well. First off you need to understand that we have a diesel engine installed in a very confining space. To make matters worse it is installed backwards. The front to the motor faces the stern and is only serviceable from the rear. This means that in order to do simple jobs like adjust the belts I have to work while laying on top of the engine and working around an array of cables and hoses. The pump is in a very awkward space and hard to work on. Replacing the impeller involves removing four bolts, sliding the face plate off. sliding the impeller out. Not impossible but just very clumsy to do while laying on top of the engine and trying to reach the work area with both hands. I also had to deal with the fact that for some reason the power was out in the yard and I needed to aim a flashlight to the area I was working in. Well, to make a short story long, it didn't go well. The fourth bolt I attempted to remove sheared off. It had corroded and was weak. This meant that I now had to remove the pump and find a repair. In order to remove the pump I first needed to reroute some hoses, and remove the alternator. Not insurmountable but remember trying to hold that pesky flashlight? Once the alternator was off I was able to get at the pump mount. I was very proud of myself for not dropping anything until the last bolt and the specially designed mounting nut dropped under the engine. Fortunately it and most everything I was working with are not stainless steel. Stainless steel does not react to a magnet but this part did. I was able to swing a magnet on a line near enough to catch it and the day was saved. Losing things in the hidden pockets in a boat is not unheard of. I once lost a socket and ratchet wrench while replacing the impeller several years ago. I never have found them, I just need to add them to the price when we decide to sell the boat. This all happened on a Friday and we were scheduled to be launched on Monday. I checked around and was given the mane of a shop in the neighboring boat yard to take the pump to. Remember I said the power was out? It was an area thing and since the power was off they closed and went home for the day. I checked with Budget Marine next door to see if they carried the pump, they didn't but told me who may have it. I packed it up and caught a bus to check. I told the driver where I was going and they dropped me off right in front. Continuing my streak of luck the person who dealt with pumps was gone for the day. I left the pump and asked him to contact me on Monday. Monday I received an email from him that it was no problem, I just needed to decide if I wanted it in a week or in three weeks and the price was totally out of our budget. I made the bus trip back to pick up the pump and they suggested a machine shop near the boat yard. Back on the bus. By now it was late and they were closed. The next day, Tuesday, I brought the pump over and they said not a problem they would have it done by lunch. Now I have to find a rebuild kit since the original problem was that the seal had failed and water had leaked out and ruined the bolt, not to mention the bearing. Several calls and I was told they had the parts. Another bus ride and I had the parts in hand. I dropped them off at the machine shop and they said they would get at it right after lunch and to pick it up at 3:00. We are used to everyone operating on island time but this is the first time that someone was true to their word and it was ready. Wednesday morning I started early reinstalling everything. It helped that the power was on and I had a light to work with. I didn't drop anything, used no words I would be ashamed of saying in front of my mother and it was once again ready to run. I also took the opportunity to change the oil, the filter and transmission fluid. Service engine checked off the list. We are getting closer.
The offending pump
The red beast that lives within
Now not all we are doing is working. Most days, around beer-thirty, we have been making a trip to the store in the yard to have a couple of beers with other cruisers and compare the day. Most days my problems are small compared to the others.
Cori has been busy with getting the sails on, giving the boat a good scrubbing and working on some sewing projects. Today, Saturday, we took a break and made a trip to PriceMart (similar to Sams Club or Costco) for our final provisioning. Other than fresh fruits and vegetables we have enough supplies to last several months.
We are scheduled to be launched Monday afternoon and plan to spend Christmas here. We plan to make the trip to Granada later in the week when the winds and waves look more favorable.
That's it, not what I had planned when we arrived but it is all part of the cruising experience: repairing boats in exotic locations.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
Still in the Yard, Working On Projects
Here's an update on how we are doing.
We are still in the boatyard, I had guessed we would be here for about three weeks and it has been two and a half so far. I am estimating another two at most. We have been busy. We decided to pull the mainmast and have it painted. There was some corrosion and we would be able to repair it and give everything a close inspection. Having the mast pulled was the easy part.
I had gotten everything ready the day before and it took less than an hour. That's when the work started. I spent two days with a three pound hammer and an impact driver removing everything I could from the mast. Most of these screws had been in place since the original construction in 1981. The mast is aluminum and the screws are stainless steel. There is a chemical reaction with two dis-similar metals and they will seize together. A lot of PB Blaster, a penetrating oil, was used and a lot of force from the driver. My arms ached for days. Our painter got busy once everything was removed and stripped the old finish and got it ready for painting. We were delayed several days while we waited for the welder to repair some spots with severe corrosion. He did an excellent job of filling in and then grinding down the problem areas. Finally it was time to paint. Painting aluminum involves a number of steps. First it needs to be cleaned, then etched so the paint will adhere, then primed and finally painted. This was all done in an afternoon.
It is now sitting over the weekend to let it cure.
While all of this has been going on Cori has been polishing the stainless pieces that have been removed. She has borrowed a grinder with a buffing wheel and is giving everything a good going over.
Other things have been happening also. We have been having a problem keeping the batteries charged so it is time to change them out. We use six 6 volt golf cart batteries as our main house bank. When changing out batteries you have to replace them all at the same time or the older ones will drag down the new ones to their level. Fortunately this doesn't happen very often but it is an ongoing cost of cruising. The Budget Marine store next to the yard carries the ones I need. An order was placed and when they were ready we made a trip to Customs to declare them and they were ready to be installed. The yard provided us with a forklift and driver to raise them up instead of carrying them up the ladder.
This is what $8400 TT (Trinidad and Tobago dollars) will buy. It isn't that bad since it converts to $1200 in US dollars. The reason for the trip to Customs was so that we would not have to pay the 14% VAT (value added tax or as we call it, sales tax). We should get at least six years of use if I take care of them.
Another project was to finish up the windlass install. It did not come with the proper size gypsy to fit our chain so that needed to be switched out. I had bought the right one over the summer and brought it with us. I found that I would have to remove the windlass in order to make the switch. That went well. I was also going to add a chain-stopper to guide the chain as it was going in and out. Once I got the mount for that made and decided where it needed to be placed I realized I needed to remove the windlass once again in order to access the underside of the deck to bolt it down. I am now very proficient at removing and installing the windlass.
It hasn't been all work. We stop around 5:00 or beer-thirty to sit back and have a couple of beers with some of the other cruisers. Sunday afternoon is time for dominoes. Cori sends me to play and tries to get more work done without me in the way. Thursday was Thanksgiving and in previous years we have joined the other cruisers for a pot luck dinner. This year there are only about three of us from the US so it didn't happen. Thursday evening is BBQ night where they fire up a grill and you bring something to put on it and a dish to share. We spent the evening with three Canadian couples and grilled some chicken. The day did not go by without some turkey being eaten. Here is what lunch looked like:
This last Saturday we made a run to the public market. It wasn't that we needed much, it is just another adventure. Here are some photos:
Tomorrow we start putting the hardware back onto the mast. Once that is done we will schedule having them reinstalled and continue with the projects. Several of them can't be done until the mast have been re-stepped.
Did I mention that it is hot? Everyday is about the same, 80-90 degrees during the day with a rain shower most afternoons that really kicks the humidity up and then down 70 at night. We have an air conditioner so we are able to be comfortable and can get out of the heat at times. Here is a typical weather forecast:
I have taken advantage of a good Internet connection to add a lot of photos. I hope you enjoy them, I won't always have a good connection.
We are still in the boatyard, I had guessed we would be here for about three weeks and it has been two and a half so far. I am estimating another two at most. We have been busy. We decided to pull the mainmast and have it painted. There was some corrosion and we would be able to repair it and give everything a close inspection. Having the mast pulled was the easy part.
I had gotten everything ready the day before and it took less than an hour. That's when the work started. I spent two days with a three pound hammer and an impact driver removing everything I could from the mast. Most of these screws had been in place since the original construction in 1981. The mast is aluminum and the screws are stainless steel. There is a chemical reaction with two dis-similar metals and they will seize together. A lot of PB Blaster, a penetrating oil, was used and a lot of force from the driver. My arms ached for days. Our painter got busy once everything was removed and stripped the old finish and got it ready for painting. We were delayed several days while we waited for the welder to repair some spots with severe corrosion. He did an excellent job of filling in and then grinding down the problem areas. Finally it was time to paint. Painting aluminum involves a number of steps. First it needs to be cleaned, then etched so the paint will adhere, then primed and finally painted. This was all done in an afternoon.
It is now sitting over the weekend to let it cure.
While all of this has been going on Cori has been polishing the stainless pieces that have been removed. She has borrowed a grinder with a buffing wheel and is giving everything a good going over.
Other things have been happening also. We have been having a problem keeping the batteries charged so it is time to change them out. We use six 6 volt golf cart batteries as our main house bank. When changing out batteries you have to replace them all at the same time or the older ones will drag down the new ones to their level. Fortunately this doesn't happen very often but it is an ongoing cost of cruising. The Budget Marine store next to the yard carries the ones I need. An order was placed and when they were ready we made a trip to Customs to declare them and they were ready to be installed. The yard provided us with a forklift and driver to raise them up instead of carrying them up the ladder.
This is what $8400 TT (Trinidad and Tobago dollars) will buy. It isn't that bad since it converts to $1200 in US dollars. The reason for the trip to Customs was so that we would not have to pay the 14% VAT (value added tax or as we call it, sales tax). We should get at least six years of use if I take care of them.
Another project was to finish up the windlass install. It did not come with the proper size gypsy to fit our chain so that needed to be switched out. I had bought the right one over the summer and brought it with us. I found that I would have to remove the windlass in order to make the switch. That went well. I was also going to add a chain-stopper to guide the chain as it was going in and out. Once I got the mount for that made and decided where it needed to be placed I realized I needed to remove the windlass once again in order to access the underside of the deck to bolt it down. I am now very proficient at removing and installing the windlass.
It hasn't been all work. We stop around 5:00 or beer-thirty to sit back and have a couple of beers with some of the other cruisers. Sunday afternoon is time for dominoes. Cori sends me to play and tries to get more work done without me in the way. Thursday was Thanksgiving and in previous years we have joined the other cruisers for a pot luck dinner. This year there are only about three of us from the US so it didn't happen. Thursday evening is BBQ night where they fire up a grill and you bring something to put on it and a dish to share. We spent the evening with three Canadian couples and grilled some chicken. The day did not go by without some turkey being eaten. Here is what lunch looked like:
This last Saturday we made a run to the public market. It wasn't that we needed much, it is just another adventure. Here are some photos:
Tomorrow we start putting the hardware back onto the mast. Once that is done we will schedule having them reinstalled and continue with the projects. Several of them can't be done until the mast have been re-stepped.
Did I mention that it is hot? Everyday is about the same, 80-90 degrees during the day with a rain shower most afternoons that really kicks the humidity up and then down 70 at night. We have an air conditioner so we are able to be comfortable and can get out of the heat at times. Here is a typical weather forecast:
I have taken advantage of a good Internet connection to add a lot of photos. I hope you enjoy them, I won't always have a good connection.
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Another Adventure Begins
Well, we are back in Trinidad. I didn't expect the adventure to begin until we were back in the water but others had different ideas.
We were scheduled to fly back to Trinidad on November 12. It was going to be a long day but manageable. We were up at 3:00 am to be at the airport in Rapid City by 5:00 for our 6:30 flight. As we were being dropped off at the airport the temperature reading was -1 degree Fahrenheit. We boarded the plane on time and then taxied over to the de-iceing station. After being sprayed down the pilot announced they had a warning light in the cockpit and needed to go back to the terminal. At the terminal we were ordered to gather our belongings and exit the plane. It turned out to be a problem with a fuel pump. After several hours they canceled the flight and we were re-booked on the 1:30 flight and would have to spend the night in Miami. They assured us that if we hustled when we got to Dallas we could make our connection to Miami. Our flight in Dallas was already boarding when we arrived and we just made it, being the last ones on the plane. We just made it but once on board they announced that there was a problem with the maintenance log and we would have to wait for a mechanic to straighten it out. An hour later they cleared us for takeoff.
On arrival in Miami we checked in with customer service to see what they were going to do with us. We lucked out and they would hold our bags rather then make us collect them and recheck them in the morning. We had checked four bags each weighing between 48 and 52 pounds. We didn't want to be dragging them around. They also provided us with a hotel room for the night due to it being a mechanical problem. I was guessing what flea-bag hotel we were going to but they booked us into a Hilton. Room service closed at 11:00 and we just got an order in before closing but learned in the morning that they could not take our meal vouchers. We set an alarm for 7:00 AM and crashed. In the morning we checked out and caught the 8:00 shuttle back to the airport where we had breakfast using our vouchers. We also had a voucher for dinner the previous night that we couldn't use so we bought some sandwiches to take with us. Our 1:00 am flight left on time and we arrived at Port of Spain, Trinidad about 3:30. We had booked a driver to pick us up and once clear of Immigration and Customs we were off for an hour and half drive to the boatyard.
But first we needed to stop at the Customs office near the boatyard to declare the boat parts we were bringing in. Trinidad does not charge a duty on boat parts but you have to declare them, show receipts and explain their use. We had told the Customs agent at the airport that we had six packages of parts. On the ride we dug through the parts and came up with six items that we packed into separate zip lock bags with their receipts and that is what we presented to the next agent. It turns out our Sodastream machine is not considered a "boat part" but she decided not to charge us the duty. We were finally dropped off at the boat about 7:00 pm. We were back home on Hi Flite, now we could eat the sandwiches we brought with since there is no food on board yet.
The rest of the evening was spent rearranging things on board so we would have a place to sit and clear the bed. We had workers on board while we were gone so we had to have certain areas clear for them to work, so much of our stuff had been stored for the summer out of their way but in ours when we arrived. We left unpacking for the morning, to the point we left the suitcases under the boat rather then bring them up the ladder. Remember, we are out of the water and anything we do requires a trip up or down the ladder. In the morning we treated ourselves to doubles from the vendor outside the boat yard entrance. Doubles are a breakfast item popular here and is one of our favorites. I bought lunch from our favorite lunch lady, again in a booth outside the yard, who was happy to see us back and had enough left over for dinner.
We have been unpacking, rearranging stuff and making plans for the next set of projects. We had the mizzen mast (the shorter mast in the cockpit) pulled and painted and we have decided to have the main mast pulled and painted so that they will look alike. Something we had debated doing last fall and kept rethinking all summer. We have a laundry list of other projects that need to be finished so it may be up to three weeks before we are launched. Cori made the first trip for provisions, once unloaded it seems to be a pallet load.
I have added another feature to this blog. If you look at the top of the list of links on the right side you will see a link to an interactive map that will show our travels this season. If you click on that link and search for the vessel Hi Flite it will show our current location and tracks. Hope you enjoy it.
We were scheduled to fly back to Trinidad on November 12. It was going to be a long day but manageable. We were up at 3:00 am to be at the airport in Rapid City by 5:00 for our 6:30 flight. As we were being dropped off at the airport the temperature reading was -1 degree Fahrenheit. We boarded the plane on time and then taxied over to the de-iceing station. After being sprayed down the pilot announced they had a warning light in the cockpit and needed to go back to the terminal. At the terminal we were ordered to gather our belongings and exit the plane. It turned out to be a problem with a fuel pump. After several hours they canceled the flight and we were re-booked on the 1:30 flight and would have to spend the night in Miami. They assured us that if we hustled when we got to Dallas we could make our connection to Miami. Our flight in Dallas was already boarding when we arrived and we just made it, being the last ones on the plane. We just made it but once on board they announced that there was a problem with the maintenance log and we would have to wait for a mechanic to straighten it out. An hour later they cleared us for takeoff.
On arrival in Miami we checked in with customer service to see what they were going to do with us. We lucked out and they would hold our bags rather then make us collect them and recheck them in the morning. We had checked four bags each weighing between 48 and 52 pounds. We didn't want to be dragging them around. They also provided us with a hotel room for the night due to it being a mechanical problem. I was guessing what flea-bag hotel we were going to but they booked us into a Hilton. Room service closed at 11:00 and we just got an order in before closing but learned in the morning that they could not take our meal vouchers. We set an alarm for 7:00 AM and crashed. In the morning we checked out and caught the 8:00 shuttle back to the airport where we had breakfast using our vouchers. We also had a voucher for dinner the previous night that we couldn't use so we bought some sandwiches to take with us. Our 1:00 am flight left on time and we arrived at Port of Spain, Trinidad about 3:30. We had booked a driver to pick us up and once clear of Immigration and Customs we were off for an hour and half drive to the boatyard.
But first we needed to stop at the Customs office near the boatyard to declare the boat parts we were bringing in. Trinidad does not charge a duty on boat parts but you have to declare them, show receipts and explain their use. We had told the Customs agent at the airport that we had six packages of parts. On the ride we dug through the parts and came up with six items that we packed into separate zip lock bags with their receipts and that is what we presented to the next agent. It turns out our Sodastream machine is not considered a "boat part" but she decided not to charge us the duty. We were finally dropped off at the boat about 7:00 pm. We were back home on Hi Flite, now we could eat the sandwiches we brought with since there is no food on board yet.
The rest of the evening was spent rearranging things on board so we would have a place to sit and clear the bed. We had workers on board while we were gone so we had to have certain areas clear for them to work, so much of our stuff had been stored for the summer out of their way but in ours when we arrived. We left unpacking for the morning, to the point we left the suitcases under the boat rather then bring them up the ladder. Remember, we are out of the water and anything we do requires a trip up or down the ladder. In the morning we treated ourselves to doubles from the vendor outside the boat yard entrance. Doubles are a breakfast item popular here and is one of our favorites. I bought lunch from our favorite lunch lady, again in a booth outside the yard, who was happy to see us back and had enough left over for dinner.
We have been unpacking, rearranging stuff and making plans for the next set of projects. We had the mizzen mast (the shorter mast in the cockpit) pulled and painted and we have decided to have the main mast pulled and painted so that they will look alike. Something we had debated doing last fall and kept rethinking all summer. We have a laundry list of other projects that need to be finished so it may be up to three weeks before we are launched. Cori made the first trip for provisions, once unloaded it seems to be a pallet load.
I have added another feature to this blog. If you look at the top of the list of links on the right side you will see a link to an interactive map that will show our travels this season. If you click on that link and search for the vessel Hi Flite it will show our current location and tracks. Hope you enjoy it.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
End of Summer Update
It's now late October and we are getting things ready to return to Hi Flite.
A lot has happened since we returned. We came back earlier then we had planned so that I could have cataract surgery. It is amazing to not need glasses, except for up close, for the first time in about sixty years. We had two graduations to attend and now the nephew and great-nephew are beginning their careers in the Air Force. We both returned to our jobs from the previous summers and got back into the workforce. This helps with the cruising kitty, pay for maintenance and buy boat parts which there seems to be a never ending list. It wasn't all work, we put about a thousand miles on our ATV exploring the trails in the Black Hills National Forest and spending time with friends and family. I took time off to go to my high school reunion, can't believe that it has been fifty years.
While we have been away we have been getting updates of projects we contracted to be done over the summer. Many cruisers will not contract to have work done while they are away choosing to be on hand to monitor the work. We have been lucky that we have some very reliable contractors and they give up periodic updates. We had the mizzen mast pulled and it and the booms are being repainted, photos show that it looks impressive and we may need to do the main mast. There is a bit of deck work to be done to repair and paint the area the old windlass was mounted and around several hatches. Below deck everything is teak. Prior to moving aboard we re-varnished everything. Now it is time for some major touch-up. Living aboard and trying to varnish is a major pain, the fumes are hazardous, it's almost impossible to not touch or bump into fresh varnish and we are constantly moving things to access another area. Cori threw in the towel and arranged for the worker that replaced the cap-rail last year to do the varnishing. There are some additional advantages to finding a good boat yard and workers. We got a notice one day that there was something spilled in the cockpit. There is a box built in the cockpit that also serves as a table that the previous owner used to store his dive tanks. I use to store motor oil and changing supplies. Evidently one of the containers started to leak and the cockpit floor was awash in motor oil. Usually this would be an unpleasant surprise when we return. Cori got a notice from Ricky, who is watching the boat and doing some of the work, that they found the spilled oil and cleaned it up. There will most likely be more surprises for us on our return. Boats do not like to be left on their own and will let you know with a variety of problems and surprises when you return.
We are scheduled to fly back to Trinidad November 12. We are in the process of stocking up on things we will need that we cannot get in the islands and a variety of boat parts. A short story of how that is going: we have a water-maker on board. Last season while repairing the pump I damaged what is called a "poppet" and it's corresponding spring. I wrote about that experience in a previous post. I contacted the manufacturer (Katadyne) to determine which part kits will replace the damaged parts. I received a response with the appropriate kits and an offer to just send me several replacement poppets, springs and o-rings at no charge. They arrived several days ready to install when back to the boat. Other parts range from inexpensive to rather expensive (windlass gypsy = $400), light-weight to heavy for their size and some odd shaped and hard to pack. We will be paying for the extra bags we will be taking and they all must be under fifty pounds. We looked into shipping a package before we leave to meet us there but the cost is prohibitive.
Once we arrive in Trinidad we have a couple of projects to finish before we start moving up-island. We are planning for this to be our last season in the Caribbean and are planning to work our way up the islands back to the Virgin Island and from there work our way to the Bahamas and then back to the US. Once back in the US we are planning to continue full-time cruising the east coast from New England to the Bahamas and possibly on excursion into the gulf coast. As usual we keep the old adage of "sailing plans are written in the sand at low tide" meaning they are subject to changes on a regular basis.
A lot has happened since we returned. We came back earlier then we had planned so that I could have cataract surgery. It is amazing to not need glasses, except for up close, for the first time in about sixty years. We had two graduations to attend and now the nephew and great-nephew are beginning their careers in the Air Force. We both returned to our jobs from the previous summers and got back into the workforce. This helps with the cruising kitty, pay for maintenance and buy boat parts which there seems to be a never ending list. It wasn't all work, we put about a thousand miles on our ATV exploring the trails in the Black Hills National Forest and spending time with friends and family. I took time off to go to my high school reunion, can't believe that it has been fifty years.
While we have been away we have been getting updates of projects we contracted to be done over the summer. Many cruisers will not contract to have work done while they are away choosing to be on hand to monitor the work. We have been lucky that we have some very reliable contractors and they give up periodic updates. We had the mizzen mast pulled and it and the booms are being repainted, photos show that it looks impressive and we may need to do the main mast. There is a bit of deck work to be done to repair and paint the area the old windlass was mounted and around several hatches. Below deck everything is teak. Prior to moving aboard we re-varnished everything. Now it is time for some major touch-up. Living aboard and trying to varnish is a major pain, the fumes are hazardous, it's almost impossible to not touch or bump into fresh varnish and we are constantly moving things to access another area. Cori threw in the towel and arranged for the worker that replaced the cap-rail last year to do the varnishing. There are some additional advantages to finding a good boat yard and workers. We got a notice one day that there was something spilled in the cockpit. There is a box built in the cockpit that also serves as a table that the previous owner used to store his dive tanks. I use to store motor oil and changing supplies. Evidently one of the containers started to leak and the cockpit floor was awash in motor oil. Usually this would be an unpleasant surprise when we return. Cori got a notice from Ricky, who is watching the boat and doing some of the work, that they found the spilled oil and cleaned it up. There will most likely be more surprises for us on our return. Boats do not like to be left on their own and will let you know with a variety of problems and surprises when you return.
We are scheduled to fly back to Trinidad November 12. We are in the process of stocking up on things we will need that we cannot get in the islands and a variety of boat parts. A short story of how that is going: we have a water-maker on board. Last season while repairing the pump I damaged what is called a "poppet" and it's corresponding spring. I wrote about that experience in a previous post. I contacted the manufacturer (Katadyne) to determine which part kits will replace the damaged parts. I received a response with the appropriate kits and an offer to just send me several replacement poppets, springs and o-rings at no charge. They arrived several days ready to install when back to the boat. Other parts range from inexpensive to rather expensive (windlass gypsy = $400), light-weight to heavy for their size and some odd shaped and hard to pack. We will be paying for the extra bags we will be taking and they all must be under fifty pounds. We looked into shipping a package before we leave to meet us there but the cost is prohibitive.
Once we arrive in Trinidad we have a couple of projects to finish before we start moving up-island. We are planning for this to be our last season in the Caribbean and are planning to work our way up the islands back to the Virgin Island and from there work our way to the Bahamas and then back to the US. Once back in the US we are planning to continue full-time cruising the east coast from New England to the Bahamas and possibly on excursion into the gulf coast. As usual we keep the old adage of "sailing plans are written in the sand at low tide" meaning they are subject to changes on a regular basis.
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Back in the USA
We are back in the US getting ready for the summer. It is odd that we are ending our season when everyone in the US is just getting started. That's the difference with us cruising in the winter and avoiding the summer weather in the islands, including hurricanes. The reason we leaving the boat in Trinidad again is that it is out of the hurricane zone. It's been over 100 years since a hurricane hit that far south, or so I am told. She is up on land and a couple of workers will be taking care of some projects and looking after her while we are away.
We had a great season even with the usual problems. We visited seven countries, several are single islands and several others are groups of islands where we visited more than one of them. We did not travel as many miles as we had in previous years. We traveled 829 nautical miles or 953 statute miles. Nautical miles are a little longer that statute miles which causes the difference.
We had some days of great sailing, a few that made us wonder why we are doing this. We saw many beautiful sunsets, several "green flashes" (yes, they exist, Google it), many rainbows, several double rainbows, and any number of sunrises if we were up early enough or doing a passage. We had many days with high winds, very few days with light winds. Since arriving in the Caribbean we have changed our attitude of what constitutes too windy to sail. Previously 20 knots was our upper limit. In the islands 20 knots is the norm so we did a lot of sailing with winds of 20-25 knots. We met a lot of other cruisers and ran into a number we had met previously. There is a large cruising community out there and it doesn't take much to find common interests when meeting new people.
We are back in the States, having arrived in Boston. We bought several used sails from another Pearson 424 owner and picked them up in Newport RI. From there we drove down to Richmond VA to visit Cori's brother and then drove down to North Carolina and are staying with friends just up the road from our old marina home. We have a storage unit in the area and will be storing the sails there until we return to the States with the boat. From there we will be flying to Denver to visit Cori's other brother and then to Spearfish SD for the summer. I have plans for several trips back to Minnesota to visit family and friends also.
What's next? We are constantly making plans for the next season and revising them. At this time our plan is to return to the boat in October or November, visit a number of the islands as we work our way North to the Virgin Islands. From there we plan to make the move to the Bahamas and then back to the US. We think we will be back in the States this time next year. At that point we will go back to cruising up and down the east coast and spending the winters in the Bahamas. Don't hold us to that plan since all plans are subject to change. As we cruisers say "plans are written in sand at low tide."
We hope you have enjoyed following our adventure and will continue in the future.
We had some days of great sailing, a few that made us wonder why we are doing this. We saw many beautiful sunsets, several "green flashes" (yes, they exist, Google it), many rainbows, several double rainbows, and any number of sunrises if we were up early enough or doing a passage. We had many days with high winds, very few days with light winds. Since arriving in the Caribbean we have changed our attitude of what constitutes too windy to sail. Previously 20 knots was our upper limit. In the islands 20 knots is the norm so we did a lot of sailing with winds of 20-25 knots. We met a lot of other cruisers and ran into a number we had met previously. There is a large cruising community out there and it doesn't take much to find common interests when meeting new people.
We are back in the States, having arrived in Boston. We bought several used sails from another Pearson 424 owner and picked them up in Newport RI. From there we drove down to Richmond VA to visit Cori's brother and then drove down to North Carolina and are staying with friends just up the road from our old marina home. We have a storage unit in the area and will be storing the sails there until we return to the States with the boat. From there we will be flying to Denver to visit Cori's other brother and then to Spearfish SD for the summer. I have plans for several trips back to Minnesota to visit family and friends also.
What's next? We are constantly making plans for the next season and revising them. At this time our plan is to return to the boat in October or November, visit a number of the islands as we work our way North to the Virgin Islands. From there we plan to make the move to the Bahamas and then back to the US. We think we will be back in the States this time next year. At that point we will go back to cruising up and down the east coast and spending the winters in the Bahamas. Don't hold us to that plan since all plans are subject to change. As we cruisers say "plans are written in sand at low tide."
We hope you have enjoyed following our adventure and will continue in the future.
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Back in Trinidad
Wow! It's been almost a month. Time flies when you are are busy I guess.
We spent a couple more days in St Pierre, mostly collecting sea glass, it is just too easy here and it is our last chance this season. Monday, the 25th, we pulled anchor and moved on. We had planned to stop at Fort du France but with the winds from the east we would have had a hard motor into the wind just to make a grocery stop. We decided to continue sailing on to Petite Anse, also known as Anse de Arlette. The appeal of this bay is a small town with a very pretty church and it is a smaller less crowded bay and beach. It also has an office where we can check out of the country. As we motored into the bay we spotted Ron and Penny on Arctic Vixen. We had not seen them since they left Trinidad. On Tuesday we walked over to Grand Anse beach with them and Jennifer and David from Triple Cream for lunch. In the afternoon Cori went to a beach for more sea glass and I worked on the windlass, it was acting up again. Wednesday, Cori went back to the beach and I continued working on the windlass. The motor is completely falling apart but I got it to work again. Later I made a trip to shore to buy our last baguettes and check out of Martinique. In the evening we went to Arctic Vixen for drinks with them and Jennifer and David. We had a favorable forecast for travel on Thursday so in the morning we pulled anchor and headed to Rodney Bay in St Lucia. Again we set a reefed headsail and the mizzen with winds 15-20 knots doing 5-7 knots of speed. We had a variety of wave conditions with the roughest about midway between the islands when we had waves breaking over the bow as we would drop into the trough between them and plow into the next. Without the cockpit enclosure we would have been soaked. We arrived at Rodney Bay about 1:30 having made good time, dropped the anchor and headed in to check in with Immigration and Customs. Our friends, Dean and Kim from Dream Catcher are here in the marina so we were able meet up with them. The next morning we took care of a couple of projects, ran the generator to run the water maker and later joined Dean and Kim at the pool and for drinks later. It pays to have friends in a marina. The next day was a copy of the previous including the pool and drinks. Sunday was a quiet day with a short trip in to pick up some groceries and join up with Dean and Kim, they will be leaving in the morning. Monday and Tuesday it was windy with rain showers so we had quiet days on the boat getting a few things accomplished. We had found one of the stanchions leaking so that got re-bedded. We have almost eliminated the leaks that have been plaguing us for years.
We were planning to leave on Thursday, the 7th, so we made a final trip in to get rid of garbage, have lunch, pick up some duty-free liquor and check out. In the morning we were up with first light to pull the anchor and move on. We have plans to sail overnight to Granada. The winds had died down and we were in the wind shadow of the island so we spent the first few hours motoring. About the time we reached the bottom of the island we were greeted by a pod of dolphins that stayed with us for a while. The wind was building and we were able to sail with the headsail and the mizzen, I don't know if i ever explained our sails. We have the headsail, which is at the front of the boat that we roll up to take in or to make smaller, the mainsail on the main mast and a shorter mast in the cockpit called the mizzen that we use almost all of the time. We have two mast so therefore we are classified as a ketch. The winds had not built much only blowing 12-15 knots so we put up our main with two reefs making it smaller than normal and we were off. We sailed through the night, completely by-passing St Vincent and the Grenadines and in the morning we were at the top end of Granada. We had seen a couple of ships during the night but otherwise we were out there by ourselves. We continued down to St George, the capital city, and since it was still early we decided to continue on to Clark's Court Bay where we would prep for the trip to Trinidad. The seas had been from behind us giving a comfortable ride until we turned East at the bottom of the island. Then we were hit with 20+ knot winds on the nose and were motoring into 6 foot waves and a current. Finally we pulled into the bay and dropped anchor about 10:00 AM. It had been a 28 hour trip, traveling 144 miles. We launched the dinghy and rode in to check in with Immigration and Customs again.
We spent the next couple of days sorting out what we were going to store for the summer with our friends in Granada and what we were taking with us, doing a few projects and Cori spending time with her fishing friends on Hog Island. One of my projects was to change the oil. After getting everything out I found that I did not have an oil filter. I had bought a lot of them back when we left the US but did not realize that I had used the last one. I made a trip to shore but the boat shop did not have what I needed. The next day I took the shuttle to town to another boat shop, again so luck. Since it is supposed to be a common filter I took another bus into the city to check the NAPA store. Again, no luck, I will just have to bring more back next season. The weather forecast for was good conditions Tuesday and Wednesday so we made our last drop off for items being stored, bought some necessary provisions (diet coke), said our good-byes and took care of checking out of the country.
About 5:30 PM we pulled the anchor and with the headsail and the mizzen we were off to Trinidad. It is about 80 miles and with the speed we travel we need to decide when to leave. If we leave in the morning we will arrive at night, something we avoid doing. If we leave in the evening we will arrive in the daylight but need to sail overnight. The winds started out at 15-20 knots but after a couple of hours it dropped into the lower teens and we made good progress at 5-7 knots, at times the wind dropped off until we were only doing 3 knots but it always came back up after a while. The seas were a moderate 4-6 foot on our side so at times it got to be a bit rolling. There was just the smallest sliver of a moon that cast a light to see by but eventually that set and it clouded over making for a dark night. We saw the lights of a number of ships but nothing close to us. We have a waypoint at a well lighted oil rig which makes navigation easy. In the morning we approached Trinidad and were again met by a pod of dolphins. We motored through the pass and into the harbor and were able to get the last mooring ball, arriving about 10:30. We dinghied over to Immigration and Customs to check in then went to Powerboats to let them know we had arrived and to start the paperwork and then treated ourselves to lunch from our favorite lunch lady, with a big "welcome back" from her.
We had planned to be back here the beginning of April but were a month early. They were able to accommodate us and put us on the list as the second boat to be hauled out in the morning. Thursday, the 14th, we first made a trip to the fuel dock to top off the tanks, it took two tries to get tied up. This was our first time tying to a dock this season. Then we had to maneuver to the lift which involved backing the boat between two concrete piers, again it took two tries, we don't back up very well and there was a side wind fighting us. We were then hauled out.
Our season was over, We have a list of what needs to be done before we fly out. We met with a rigger to see about having the masts pulled. In the discussion we decided to only pull the mizzen mast and scheduled that for the next week. We have decided to replace the chain-plates, the hardware that secures the mast rigging to the boat, since it is all original and may be suspect. I removed one and brought it to the machine shop that made our wind generator mount and got a delivery date, we will see, but it should be done before we leave. There is a lot of cleaning and miscellaneous jobs to do so we started attacking them. The big decision was to replace the windlass. We can't rely on it another season and parts for it are no longer available. We bit the bullet and made the purchase. I spent a day removing the old one which should have been an easy job but of course wasn't. Now I need to rewire it, modify the anchor locker to mount it, and hire someone to repair the fiberglass where the old one was. Fortunately we know that Ricky does a good job with fiberglass and anything else we hire him for. Yesterday we pulled the mast. It either has never been removed or it had been a long time, since it was corroded to the mast shoe and gave us a fight before letting go. Another reason to remove them on a regular basis. Ricky is going to give us a bid on what it will cost to paint it and we need to do something to quiet the wires inside of it. The windlass project is moving along with our friend Sterling making a mount to fit it into place and we met with an electrician to put the ends on the cables and to decide if we need to replace the existing wiring. We have about a week and a half before we fly back so we are on a deadline.
We spent a couple more days in St Pierre, mostly collecting sea glass, it is just too easy here and it is our last chance this season. Monday, the 25th, we pulled anchor and moved on. We had planned to stop at Fort du France but with the winds from the east we would have had a hard motor into the wind just to make a grocery stop. We decided to continue sailing on to Petite Anse, also known as Anse de Arlette. The appeal of this bay is a small town with a very pretty church and it is a smaller less crowded bay and beach. It also has an office where we can check out of the country. As we motored into the bay we spotted Ron and Penny on Arctic Vixen. We had not seen them since they left Trinidad. On Tuesday we walked over to Grand Anse beach with them and Jennifer and David from Triple Cream for lunch. In the afternoon Cori went to a beach for more sea glass and I worked on the windlass, it was acting up again. Wednesday, Cori went back to the beach and I continued working on the windlass. The motor is completely falling apart but I got it to work again. Later I made a trip to shore to buy our last baguettes and check out of Martinique. In the evening we went to Arctic Vixen for drinks with them and Jennifer and David. We had a favorable forecast for travel on Thursday so in the morning we pulled anchor and headed to Rodney Bay in St Lucia. Again we set a reefed headsail and the mizzen with winds 15-20 knots doing 5-7 knots of speed. We had a variety of wave conditions with the roughest about midway between the islands when we had waves breaking over the bow as we would drop into the trough between them and plow into the next. Without the cockpit enclosure we would have been soaked. We arrived at Rodney Bay about 1:30 having made good time, dropped the anchor and headed in to check in with Immigration and Customs. Our friends, Dean and Kim from Dream Catcher are here in the marina so we were able meet up with them. The next morning we took care of a couple of projects, ran the generator to run the water maker and later joined Dean and Kim at the pool and for drinks later. It pays to have friends in a marina. The next day was a copy of the previous including the pool and drinks. Sunday was a quiet day with a short trip in to pick up some groceries and join up with Dean and Kim, they will be leaving in the morning. Monday and Tuesday it was windy with rain showers so we had quiet days on the boat getting a few things accomplished. We had found one of the stanchions leaking so that got re-bedded. We have almost eliminated the leaks that have been plaguing us for years.
We were planning to leave on Thursday, the 7th, so we made a final trip in to get rid of garbage, have lunch, pick up some duty-free liquor and check out. In the morning we were up with first light to pull the anchor and move on. We have plans to sail overnight to Granada. The winds had died down and we were in the wind shadow of the island so we spent the first few hours motoring. About the time we reached the bottom of the island we were greeted by a pod of dolphins that stayed with us for a while. The wind was building and we were able to sail with the headsail and the mizzen, I don't know if i ever explained our sails. We have the headsail, which is at the front of the boat that we roll up to take in or to make smaller, the mainsail on the main mast and a shorter mast in the cockpit called the mizzen that we use almost all of the time. We have two mast so therefore we are classified as a ketch. The winds had not built much only blowing 12-15 knots so we put up our main with two reefs making it smaller than normal and we were off. We sailed through the night, completely by-passing St Vincent and the Grenadines and in the morning we were at the top end of Granada. We had seen a couple of ships during the night but otherwise we were out there by ourselves. We continued down to St George, the capital city, and since it was still early we decided to continue on to Clark's Court Bay where we would prep for the trip to Trinidad. The seas had been from behind us giving a comfortable ride until we turned East at the bottom of the island. Then we were hit with 20+ knot winds on the nose and were motoring into 6 foot waves and a current. Finally we pulled into the bay and dropped anchor about 10:00 AM. It had been a 28 hour trip, traveling 144 miles. We launched the dinghy and rode in to check in with Immigration and Customs again.
We spent the next couple of days sorting out what we were going to store for the summer with our friends in Granada and what we were taking with us, doing a few projects and Cori spending time with her fishing friends on Hog Island. One of my projects was to change the oil. After getting everything out I found that I did not have an oil filter. I had bought a lot of them back when we left the US but did not realize that I had used the last one. I made a trip to shore but the boat shop did not have what I needed. The next day I took the shuttle to town to another boat shop, again so luck. Since it is supposed to be a common filter I took another bus into the city to check the NAPA store. Again, no luck, I will just have to bring more back next season. The weather forecast for was good conditions Tuesday and Wednesday so we made our last drop off for items being stored, bought some necessary provisions (diet coke), said our good-byes and took care of checking out of the country.
About 5:30 PM we pulled the anchor and with the headsail and the mizzen we were off to Trinidad. It is about 80 miles and with the speed we travel we need to decide when to leave. If we leave in the morning we will arrive at night, something we avoid doing. If we leave in the evening we will arrive in the daylight but need to sail overnight. The winds started out at 15-20 knots but after a couple of hours it dropped into the lower teens and we made good progress at 5-7 knots, at times the wind dropped off until we were only doing 3 knots but it always came back up after a while. The seas were a moderate 4-6 foot on our side so at times it got to be a bit rolling. There was just the smallest sliver of a moon that cast a light to see by but eventually that set and it clouded over making for a dark night. We saw the lights of a number of ships but nothing close to us. We have a waypoint at a well lighted oil rig which makes navigation easy. In the morning we approached Trinidad and were again met by a pod of dolphins. We motored through the pass and into the harbor and were able to get the last mooring ball, arriving about 10:30. We dinghied over to Immigration and Customs to check in then went to Powerboats to let them know we had arrived and to start the paperwork and then treated ourselves to lunch from our favorite lunch lady, with a big "welcome back" from her.
We had planned to be back here the beginning of April but were a month early. They were able to accommodate us and put us on the list as the second boat to be hauled out in the morning. Thursday, the 14th, we first made a trip to the fuel dock to top off the tanks, it took two tries to get tied up. This was our first time tying to a dock this season. Then we had to maneuver to the lift which involved backing the boat between two concrete piers, again it took two tries, we don't back up very well and there was a side wind fighting us. We were then hauled out.
Our season was over, We have a list of what needs to be done before we fly out. We met with a rigger to see about having the masts pulled. In the discussion we decided to only pull the mizzen mast and scheduled that for the next week. We have decided to replace the chain-plates, the hardware that secures the mast rigging to the boat, since it is all original and may be suspect. I removed one and brought it to the machine shop that made our wind generator mount and got a delivery date, we will see, but it should be done before we leave. There is a lot of cleaning and miscellaneous jobs to do so we started attacking them. The big decision was to replace the windlass. We can't rely on it another season and parts for it are no longer available. We bit the bullet and made the purchase. I spent a day removing the old one which should have been an easy job but of course wasn't. Now I need to rewire it, modify the anchor locker to mount it, and hire someone to repair the fiberglass where the old one was. Fortunately we know that Ricky does a good job with fiberglass and anything else we hire him for. Yesterday we pulled the mast. It either has never been removed or it had been a long time, since it was corroded to the mast shoe and gave us a fight before letting go. Another reason to remove them on a regular basis. Ricky is going to give us a bid on what it will cost to paint it and we need to do something to quiet the wires inside of it. The windlass project is moving along with our friend Sterling making a mount to fit it into place and we met with an electrician to put the ends on the cables and to decide if we need to replace the existing wiring. We have about a week and a half before we fly back so we are on a deadline.
Friday, February 22, 2019
Long overdue update
I will start out by
apologizing for the length and not posting before this. We have not
been able to get much of a signal even when ashore to be able to
upload.
We were ready to
leave Rodney Bay in St Lucia but had a small problem. The engine
would not start, nothing happened when I hit the starter. I must
have done something wrong when reconnecting the battery, if so it
wouldn’t be the first time. I rechecked the starting battery and
it appeared that I had not connected all of the cables, there are
three on the positive connection and I had only two. One of the
cables had fallen out of sight when I had them off to be cleaned.
Once connected still nothing. A lot of head scratching was going on
until I noticed the lights on the combiner. The combiner is what
separates the starting battery from the house bank. It allows the
house bank to drop while in use and the starting battery stays at
full charge. Our starting battery was low so pushing the button to
combine the two allows the starter to pull from the house bank. When
the button is pushed the lights on the unit will change and they were
not changing. By flipping the switch on the combiner the lights
switched and the engine started. Electrical gremlins are a bear to
track down. With the engine started, two hours late, we were ready
to pull anchor. We motored out of the bay and set out typical sails,
reefed headsail and the mizzen. We haven’t used the mainsail since
Granada. We had winds of 15-17 knots with gusts into the 20’s. We
started out going into the waves and swell from the ocean but about
half way to Martinique they settled down and we had an exhilarating
ride across the passage between islands. We sailed up the west coast
for a bit and dropped anchor in the little harbor of Petite Anse, we
didn’t see a reason to go back to St Anne so we bypassed it. The
annoying bit was when we went to start the engine to motor into the
harbor the starting battery would not turn it over so we had to hit
the combiner button to pull from the house bank. This sudden pull
from them caused the electronics to shut down, not a good thing.
Once anchored we were hailed on the radio by Dean and Kim on Dream
Catcher who were anchored around the corner in the next bay. Once
checked in with Immigration and Customs we sat down with them for a
beer. There was an odd swell coming in from the southwest causing
some rolling that we did not expect, otherwise a peaceful night
The next morning,
Friday, we were planning to go ashore at a small beach to search for
sea glass. There is a possibility in many of these islands to have
your dinghy stolen. We have a quarter inch cable that we padlock to
the dock when we are ashore and at night we use our spinnaker halyard
to raise the dinghy out of the water. The saying in the islands is
to “raise it or lose it”. This morning there was a bit of water
in the dinghy I wanted to drain before lowering into the water. I
carefully climbed down into the boat and pulled the drain plug. Once
the water had drained I put the plug back in but got off center in
the boat. Remember, it is hanging from a single point. Getting off
center caused the dinghy to tilt to the side and I wasn’t able to
re-balance it. Mostly because I was now in the water. It had tipped
enough that I couldn’t stay in and went for a swim. I have fallen
off docks but have never fallen overboard before, a new first. Yay
me! After Cori lowered the swim ladder I was able to climb back
aboard. We dinghied over to the beach to collect sea glass for the
rest of the morning. In the afternoon we walked around to Grand Anse
beach to meet up with Dean and Kim for lunch and then some Ti Punch
on board Dream Catcher. Saturday was spent searching for more sea
glass with a break midday for lunch and WiFi. That evening we
planned out the next week and decided to move up to Fort du France,
the largest city on the island, and go in search of a starting
battery. Ours was not doing the job anymore and I am not comfortable
using the house bank for starting. We decided to make the move the
next day, Sunday, so we could be ashore and at the chandlery first
thing in the morning. At 9:00 am in the morning we went to pull the
anchor and the windlass was not working. This had happened last year
and I had an idea what it was. I decided to wait until we were in
Fort du France to deal with it. I then brought in the 100 feet of
chain and the anchor by hand, not a pleasant job, and we were off.
It was only an eight mile trip so we motored and let the batteries
charge. Once at Fort du France anchorage we choose our spot and
dropped the anchor, again letting out 100 feet of chain. There is
formula for how much chain to put out in relation to the depth of the
water and we like to have a 5:1 ratio. Once we set and settled in it
turned out we were too close to another boat. Time to pull anchor,
by hand, and do it again. This time we were sitting comfortably
among the other boats and called it good. After waiting to be sure
that we were properly set and not about to drag the anchor we
launched the dinghy to go ashore and find the chandlery (ship store).
Of course we took advantage of being ashore to treat ourselves with
some ice cream and WiFi. Back on the boat we were treated to music
from a concert that was being held in the park for the rest of the
afternoon and into the evening.
In the morning we
dinghied back into town and went straight to the store. With our
non-existent French and the clerks limited English we learned they
did not have what we needed. It was possible there was a shop in the
more industrial part of the harbor that may have it.. We started
walking. Eventually we found the store and as we try to explain to
the clerk what we were looking for, using a picture of a battery I
had pulled up on my phone, he pointed to the display we were standing
next to, a rack of starting batteries. We verified the price and
that they would take our old battery and headed back to the boat.
Once there I disconnected and pulled the battery making sure to keep
the cables together so they would all be reconnected properly.
Something I should have done last time. We were able to dinghy
around to the next bay where the store was and traded our money and
an old battery for a new one. Back at the boat I reinstalled the
battery. We had lunch and decided we still had time to get to St
Pierre, our next planned stop. We were close to the ferry dock and
the wake from them causes a lot of rolling. We new it would be more
pleasant in another anchorage. We started the motor, easily with the
new battery, and started to pull the anchor, by hand again. There
are a group of people that tend to anchor very close to their
neighbors and we had one of them in from of us, right above our
anchor. As I pulled in the chain we kept inching closer to them. I
got their attention and he was ready with a boat hook to try to fend
us off if we got too close. They swung a little off to the side and
we broke the anchor free and motored away. We decided to motor for
the day so the batteries could get a charge and we could run the
water maker. We were running low on fresh water. When we arrived at
St Pierre we chose to anchor a bit away from the town in a less
crowded area, I wanted to set the anchor and be done with it. Last
time we were here it took us two tries to get properly situated. In
the morning, Cori took the kayak to shore to search for sea glass and
I stayed onboard to service the windlass and make more water. The
next morning we went ashore to check out the town, the bakery was
still in the same place with delicious treats and a WiFi connection.
We checked with the Park service about a hiking trail they have on
their map only to be told it is closed and there are no plans to
reopen it. After hitting the market for fresh fruit we went back to
the boat and hung out for the afternoon watching the people on the
beach in front of us. The next morning we went to shore to look for
sea glass, it is everywhere. We filled several bags and called it
quits at lunchtime, having a sandwich at our favorite bakery. Back
at the boat I got out my snorkeling gear and we went over to a wreck
that was close to us. The water was a bit stirred up so the clarity
was not too good and it was deeper than I dive so the pictures did
not turn out very good. We then headed to the beach to check it out.
It is very popular and is your classic volcanic island black sand.
I was able to get a couple of pictures of Hi Flite and then back to
the boat. Friday, I brought Cori into shore to look for more sea
glass and I went to check out. We were going to leave in the
morning.
We have been having
a week of fair weather with light winds and a lot of boats have been
moving around. We decided to make our next move before it kicked up
again. At 4:00 am the alarm went of and by 4:45 we were underway.
We motored until light and then set the sails for the trip across the
opening. There is always more wind between islands and we wanted to
be ready for it. We had 12-15 knots of wind for a great sail. As
soon as we got to Dominica the wind died, the island was blocking it.
We started the motor and continued on. We had set Portsmouth as our
destination for the night and arrived about 3:00 pm. We set the
anchor and relaxed. We were planning to leave first thing in the
morning so we didn’t bother to go ashore and check in. In the
morning we pulled anchor, using the windlass, and were off again.
Our destination was an island group off of Guadalupe called The
Saints. We had winds 15-18 knots and held a steady 6-7 knots of
speed, which is pretty good. We arrived at The Saints along with
several other boats and started looking for a place to anchor or to
pick up a mooring. The water is deep so there are limited spots to
anchor so most people take a mooring. There were no moorings
available and the only spot I would consider for anchoring was too
rough with the swell coming in. We decided to continue on to
Guadalupe. We just had to decide the destination and the route. We
had been to the anchorages on the west side so we decided to head to
Pointe A Pitre, in the center of the islands south side. It was a
rough and rolling ride pointing just off the wind but had to run the
motor to make any speed. We motor-sailed this way until entering the
harbor. Pointe A Pitre is the largest city and the capital. It is
also a major shipping port. We maneuvered around looking for a spot
to anchor among the number of boats that are here. We finally chose
a spot and dropped anchor at about 6:00 pm. It had been a long day,
nine hours and 48 miles. In the morning we went to the marina to
check in and then checked out the shops. This is a big marina and
there are a variety of ship stores, touristy shops, groceries and
restaurants. In the evening we heard music and drumming into the
night. We thought it might be something to do with Carnival.
Looking it up it seems that Carnival is celebrated over a two month
period and this evening was one of the music and parade events. In
the morning we took the dinghy into town to check it out. There were
two markets where we docked, a produce and fish market. We bought
some produce, we have been eating a lot of fresh produce this season
since it is available everywhere we have gone. We crossed through
the park to the Catholic Church to check that out and then through
the flower market to the covered market. There was a cruise ship in
so the markets were all busy. It makes for a very colorful scene.
We wandered around the town a bit and then called it a day. The
winds have been kicking up and it was a rough and wet ride across the
harbor to the boat. The weather forecasts for the rest of the week
were for strong winds from the east, the trade winds, so we spent a
lot of time on the boat since the harbor was a rough ride back and
forth. My phone also decided to die. It just turned itself off and
has not restarted. It is an older iPhone 6 that we have converted as
our “island” phone for the season. T-Mobile has an agreement
with the phone companies in the Caribbean and with their SIM card we
have phone and data service and can use it as a hot spot for our
other devices. Now it is dead. I have put the SIM card in my iPad
and we are using that as a hot spot but are no longer able to make
phone calls or send messages except with certain messaging apps. We
can wait until we get back to replace the phone since I am not going
to try buying one here. In the US we use AT&T which we suspend
while out of the country.
Valentines day
arrived and I was able to give Cori her Valentine. It usually causes
a lot of laughs. We have an anniversary card, a valentines card and
a birthday card on board that on the appropriate day I give her, then
file it away until I need it next year. We took the dinghy for a
ride up the river. There is a river that splits the island in half
and it is a short ride to the other side of the island. It comes out
on the north end of the island in a large grove of mangroves with
narrow waterways snaking back into the groves. A perfect place to
dinghy around. We also found why we had water in the dinghy every
morning, we have a leak, actually two leaks. Something we will need
to contact the manufacturer about since it is an aluminum hull with
inflatable tubes and the hull should not leak. We will probably have
it repaired when we get back to Trinidad. While visiting with
Stephen and Jody on Blue Pelican Jody mentioned to Cori that she
keeps a can of duck confit on board for special occasions. Cori had
picked one up and that was the plan for dinner. We need to find
where in the US we can buy more, it was awesome! We spent the next
day refueling. We carry 80 gallons of diesel and an additional 15
gallons in jerry jugs. We emptied the jugs into the tank and then
made two trips to refill them and add them to the tank. This filled
the main tank since we had only used a little more then a half tank
so far. It was a couple of rough rides back and forth from the
marina fuel dock since the winds are still kicking up the waves in
the harbor. Saturday we decided to make the run to the grocery
store, there is a large one within walking distance of the marina
where we park the dinghy. As we started out we ran into John and
Elizabeth from Pelican, we had not seen or heard of them since having
dinner the last night in Trinidad. They were just coming back from
the store and we agreed to meet up with them later for drinks. At
the store we ran into John and Linda from Blue Moon who had left
Trinidad before us. It is a small cruising community at times.
Sunday morning I went into the marina to check out of the country and
then get ready to leave in the morning. The winds were supposed to
be lighter and from a better direction.
We had sat down with
the calendar and had planned out our next couple of months. We had
started out this season with plans to go up to Antigua and then turn
around but have decided to put that on hold until next year. We
decided to call it quits for the season a month earlier then we had
planned and are now beginning the return back to Trinidad.
We pulled anchor in
the morning and set a course back to Portsmouth in Dominica. We had
a ride with the waves 4-6 foot but with winds at 15-25 knots causing
us to beat into it and roll side to side. We were able to hold 6-7
knots of speed all the way however. Once in the harbor we dropped
anchor had a drink to celebrate as the sun went down and got ready to
do it again in the morning. We didn’t bother to check in since we
would be leaving first thing in the morning again. In the morning it
was almost a repeat of our trip up with the island and the mountains
blocking the wind so we motored until we reached the bottom of the
island and then sailed to Martinique with the same conditions as the
day before. We arrived just in time because the forecast is for the
winds and waves to pick up again making traveling uncomfortable. We
are back in St Pierre, one of our favorite anchorages and will stay
here for several days. In the morning, Wednesday, we went to get
checked in and then we hit the beach looking for sea glass. This is
Cori’s favorite spot for collecting sea glass. I even got into it
filling a bag to overflowing before calling it quits. Cori continued
for a couple more hours. In the evening I heard a strange noise on
the deck. A flying fish had landed on the deck and was flopping
around making a racket. In the morning I found another one in the
dinghy. These are the only fish we have caught this year. Thursday
we did a few minor projects on board and then went for a dinghy ride
to check out the areas north and south of us. Today Cori is back on
the beach collecting sea glass and I am out on the boat running the
generator and making water and obviously updating the blog. Later I
will dinghy back to town to get a fast WiFi signal and upload this
update.
Beach with Mt Pelee at St Pierre
Market in Guadalupe
Church in Guadalupe
Market in Guadalupe
Mangroves up the river
Mangroves up the river
Rainbow in St Pierre
Sea glass on the beach
Sea glass on the beach how easy it is to find
Flying fish in the dinghy
Fish market in Guadalupe
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Granada, St Vincent, St Lucia and Martinique
We
have been on the move.
We
left Granada and sailed and motor-sailed up to Carriucou Island
Saturday morning. Motor-sailing is what you do when the winds die
and you are not making enough progress. You start the motor but
leave the sails up to give a little lift from what wind there is.
When the winds pick up you shut off the motor and continue sailing.
We have a 4 knot rule. If our speed drops below 4 knots, about 4.5
mph, we start thinking about motoring. We were in the wind shadow of
the island so the winds were up and down so we ended up motor-sailing
about half the time. The passage between islands was rough and we
took a lot of water on the deck and we found upon arrival that one of
our stanchions was leaking. The stanchions are the posts that hold
up the lifelines marking the boundaries of the boat, as in “stay
inside the lifeline” or you are swimming. We re-bedded all of the
stations in Trinidad and one had to be redone. Since then it has not
leaked. We are closer to having a dry boat. In Carriucou we checked
out the changes since we were here two years ago including the new
grocery store and they have finished the new marina and boatyard.
Tuesday we checked out of the country and headed up to Union Island
which is part of St Vincent and the Grenadines. It was only an
eleven mile trip. We went ashore to the bar/restaurant to see about
checking in. The Customs and Immigration office is on the other side
of the island but you can hire one of the restaurant employees to act
as your agent and go to the office and check you and the boat into
the country. For a fee of course, but it is about the same as the
cost of taking a bus to the offices. While there we saw several
large yachts and a small sailing cruise ship anchor in the bay. One
morning the waitress said that it was Ed Scheeran (musician) and his
friends off one of the yachts that were in for dinner. The weather
was supposed to stay favorable and we decided to try going to Tobago
Cays again. Last year we went there twice but it was so windy we
bailed out both times. This time we were lucky. We did several
hikes on the small islands seeing several iguanas and I was able to
go out to the reef to snorkel. The coral on the reef is in pretty
poor shape but there were still a lot of fish. The Cays are a Marine
Park so there is a charge for staying there but worth the cost. You
cannot go a day without seeing several turtles around your boat.
Several days of this and it was time to move on.
Bloody Bay, Union Island
We
left in the morning at first light to sail up to Willilabou Bay on
the island of St Vincent. We had stayed in this bay last year, which
is a location for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. It also has
an Immigration and Customs office so were able to check out. We had
set our next harbor to be St Anne in Martinique but we were planning
to do it in two hops. We planned to sail up to the Pitons in St
Lucia and take a mooring (no anchoring allowed) without checking in
and leave in the morning. We had such a good sail that we arrived
too early to stop and decided to continue up to Margot Bay where we
had spent several weeks last year. With a combination of sailing and
motor-sailing we arrive there earlier then necessary so we continued
up to Rodney Bay and anchored for the night. It was a pretty good
day, traveling 58 miles in ten hours, arriving in time to have a rum
drink and watch the sunset. In the morning we pulled anchor and
sailed off to St Anne Martinique.
We
had a wild ride across the pass with winds in the 20-27 knot range
and 6-9 foot seas. We spent a lot of time climbing the swell and
then dropping off the other side which was sending water flying
everywhere. We, however, were dry and comfortable in our enclosed
cockpit. About halfway across the winds died a bit and the tide
changed and the seas calmed down. It is amazing the effects of wind
and current on the sea state. We arrived in St Anne and set the
anchor. Last year when we stopped here the anchorage was very
crowded but this year there are about half as many boats but still
close to a hundred. The inner harbor at La Marin is not as crowded
this year either but still more boats in one place then I have seen
anywhere else. It is a very popular destination. We went ashore to
check in to find the cafe was closed on Wednesday. In the French
Islands all you have to do to check in is to go to a designated cafe
or business that has a computer and fill out the form and have the
employee sign and stamp it. The other islands still use paperwork in
triplicate with very overused carbon paper to make the copies. If
you are too young to remember carbon paper just Google it. We went
in the next day to check in and ran into our friends Stephen and Jody
form Blue Pelican on their way to catch a bus and Dean and Kim from
Dream Catcher. We had met Stephen and Jody about nine years ago when
they were in a boatyard in Oriental NC the same time we were there.
They have a sistership to Hi Flite down to the same blue hull paint.
Since seeing them they have sailed the East Coast of the US, the
Bahamas, The Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, home to Australia,
the Indian Ocean, up the Red Sea, the Mediterranean and were just
finishing their eight year circumnavigation. These Pearson 424’s
are good boats. We spent a lot of time with them hearing their
stories, comparing boats and Stephen was over one day to help tune Hi
Flite’s rigging. They were deciding what their next move will be
and it seems they have decided to stop for a haul-out to paint the
bottom and then across the Caribbean Sea, through the Canal again and
sail back to Australia. We have more modest plans. We spent a lot
of time with Dean and Kim from Dream Catcher. We first met them when
we were in Nassau for repairs and they were starting their cruising.
Since then we have run into them numerous times.
While
in St Anne we made several trips to La Marin by dinghy and bus. La
Marin is the town inside the bay with the marinas, marine stores,
shops, restaurants and grocery stores. One day the six of us and
Craig and Billie from Flying Loon took the hike to Saline Beach. The
hike is beautiful following along the shoreline and through the
forest and the beach is your classic Caribbean crescent sand beach.
The interesting part of the hike is that it takes you through the
nude beach. I will not comment on this other then to say there are
things that can never be un-seen. We have been having a bit of a
rainy spell with short rain squalls passing through several times a
day and overnight. One day the six of us, Hi Flite, Dream Catcher
and Blue Pelican, rented a car and when sightseeing on the island.
It is a beautiful place. We stopped for lunch in St Joseph and after
checking out their replica of Notre Dame Cathedral we had lunch at a
Chinese restaurant. We stopped at the Clement rum distillery but
skipped the tour and just opted for the tasting room. The distillery
is an old plantation with several tours including their newer art
displays. When they said it took about two hours for the tour we
decided to save the money and maybe do it another time. With as many
cruisers as there are here there are many social events and we spent
several Friday evenings in town sharing drinks and stories with
cruisers from Canada, The US, and most any other English speaking
countries. The other nationalities were doing the same at other
venues. We again became regulars at the bakeries buying baguettes and
a variety of pastries. It was a different experience from last year
when we looked at the number of boats here and left as soon as we
could.
Movie Set
Movie Set
Saline Beach, Martinique.
It
was not all life in paradise. I was still having fuel issues so I
spent a day changing a fuel filter and then figuring out what I had
done wrong that the engine would not run. It took a while but I
finally found my mistake. Another learning experience, I am in no
way a diesel mechanic. Our other problem came up when I tried to use
the generator to charge the batteries. It is again not producing
electricity. It did this in Granada and after several tries we found
a mechanic that was able to get it working. Evidently the salt water
and salt air have corroded much of the wiring and electronics. It
runs great, just to power output. With the cloudy days we have been
having the batteries were very low and running the engine was not
keeping them adequately charged. Time for a more radical solution.
Generators in Martinique are of European design and produce 240
volts. Just South of us in St Lucia they use 110 volts. After a
couple of emails to Island Water World we were able to reserve their
last generator. Now we just had to backtrack to Rodney Bay to pick
it up. Generally checking into and out of a country on a weekend
involves an overtime fee. Not in the French islands however. Sunday
afternoon we made the dinghy trip into town. I checked us out and
Cori picked up more supplies including the bakery. Monday morning we
said good bye to our friends, pulled anchor and had a great sail down
to Rodney Bay. We anchored, had a late lunch, and went ashore to
check in and pick up the generator. We are now the proud owners of a
Honda eu2200i generator. We spent the day onboard running the
generator giving the batteries a nice deep charge. In the afternoon
we had another boat come in and anchor right in front of us. There
is no shortage of space but evidently sitting on top of our anchor
was the preferred spot. After a while I went out and made a bit of a
fuss, I’m not sure they understood what I was saying but after a
visiting with a neighbor boat then pulled their anchor and
re-anchored a little further away. This morning Cori took her kayak
to some of the beach area but came back reporting that the beach
combing wasn’t any good. I took care of a couple of preventive
maintenance items and relaxed with a book about Blackbeard the
Pirate. We have made a trip into shore to check out with Immigration
and Customs, pick up some provisions and duty free alcohol and are
preparing to leave in the morning to go back to Martinique.
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