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.
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