We were lifted out of the water at 11:00 on Tuesday, just after some wind and strong rain. After the haulout crew pressure-washed the boat, it looked pretty bad, with flaking bottom paint everywhere. It was difficult watching days of hard work and hundreds of dollars worth of toxic paint literally run down the drain. It is now obvious that cuprous oxide paint should never be placed on tributyl tin paint, no matter how well you have sanded it off. After some significant banter with the yard's
manager, a tough lady named Pamela, we determined what work should be done; and then we had to wait 24 hours for a price to emerge. However, "island time" notwithstanding, workmen began grinding off all the cuprous oxide coating right after lunch yesterday, and by this morning it was 95% removed, and some patching of the primer coat could begin. We expect to have two coats of new bottom paint professionally installed by mid-day tomorrow, and will likely be splashed before supper.
During the delay, we had a Yanmar expert install new seals in the starboard saildrive; so hopefully, we'll be "good to go" from here on.
Although we got a nice walk in on Tuesday afternoon, we went for a monster hike yesterday. We toured the Little Dix Bay resort, and found a mountain path over the hill to Savannah Bay. The hiking and climbing was an excellent workout, and the terrain delivered some marvellous vistas. You may wish to Google the resort - such a steal at only $850 per day, as it includes meals. The trail was quite rough, and I believe the heights were around 300' above the beaches. We were surprised by the number
of small crabs living in the heights, inside of large snail shells. When they hear a person coming, they run to the shells and throw themselves into them with such force that they begin to roll, sometimes bouncing down the hill across the trail. We travelled the road back to the marina, which provided even more fabulous views. What a day for Dawn to have forgotten her camera. Maybe she'll want to travel the same route today? All kidding aside, it is me who is suffering from blisters.
Life on the hard has its advantages. There are little problems, like getting keys to washrooms, and removing the night's pee bucket without spilling it. But it isn't all bad. The strong wind and sun has ensured that our batteries and freezer work fine. The lower refrigerator has been supplemented with ice, which gets robbed for the daily cocktail experiments. The wind has also kept the mosquitos at bay, which is a good thing since Dengue Fever is an issue in the area. We have had some good
meals, excellent sleeps without motion or worrying about our own or other's anchors, and of course hot showers, the first since Rhode Island. You folks really shouldn't take showers for granted. Go a week without them and think of us when you finally step back into one.
Interestingly, crew of a Canadian boat just dropped by and passed on the news that a number of moorings failed in Gorda Sound during the strong winds these last couple of days - one of which, sent a 50 foot boat beam onto some other moored sailboats. We'll likely see the damage arrive at the boatyard today.
Here's another bit of "local flavour". Dawn just returned from a little shopping across the street. She asked a proprietor if the Nora Jones DVD that was playing was for sale. He said: "Not yet. I just got this one, and haven't made copies yet. Come back tomorrow".
If YOU come back tomorrow, we'll try to have some pictures up - or better yet, maybe the movie of our crossing to Bermuda.
