Well, we've been busy; and have not written. Part of the problem is lack of a wifi signal; the bigger part is that we've been busy and on the move.
Right now, we're having a quiet afternoon in Bequia, after taking our damaged mainsail into town for repairs. 32 knots of wind during a squall yesterday blew out the tack at the reef point. More on that later.
While still in Grenada last Saturday, Dawn and I signed up for a Hash, with the Hash House Harriers. This is a group who bill themselves as a drinking club with a running problem. Dawn and I both chose to do the walk instead of the run, and veered off the running trail for the defined walking trail, marked by little piles of shredded paper. The trail incorporated some roads through the mountains of southeastern Grenada, but also included numerous single-line paths through veritable jungle, with some significant steep and sticky areas. The great part about Hashes, beyond the exercise and the views, is the opportunity to meet people - both locals and other cruisers. Our great find for this hike were Charlie and Anina of s/v Prism. We had met them in Trinidad, but really enjoyed walking and chatting with them. Hopefully we'll meet up for a hike further up the island chain.
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| The Hash House Harriers...up, up & way up! |
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| Laurie with Charlie & Anina from s/v Prism |
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| Muddy trail proof |
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| Muddy & sweaty |
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| This is our bus driver, Shademan. He doesn't HASH, just drives and waits for us to finish. He's a great sport and stops at the local rum shops along the way home to keep us all happy! |
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| The new Hashers being christened with beer after the hike/run. These folks are no longer virgins of the HASH. These are all drinkers with a running problem! |
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| Beer soaked Charlie and Anina show off their certificates as first time Hashers! |
We woke up on Sunday, looked at the weather, and determined with the help of Denis of s/v Tiger Lily II that it was an excellent day for traveling; and that staying might allow high wind to block us in for a week. We raised anchor and had a fairly nice trip to Tyrell Bay in Carriacou. We kind of gave Carriacou short shrift as well, with a couple of walks, the management of a few repairs, and a beautiful mackerel lunch and afternoon read at Off The Hook beach bar on Paradise Beach.
Again, looking at the weather, we saw that we might be able to sneak northward if we would accept 20 knot winds and 8 foot waves. The alternative would be sitting still for a week of really high winds. With Dawn's sister Lorna and her husband Brian (s/v Peace & Plenty) in Bequia having some canvas work done, it made sense to give it a try.
So yesterday, we checked out of Grenada customs and immigration, and reefed down the mainsail to the second reef point before heading to sea. The wind wasn't that strong, and the seas were charitably flat. That changed a bit after we cleared the little island of Canouan. It is only at that point that we were out from under the protection of the many reefs of the Grenadines. The sea was instantly large and confused, and the wind was 19-22 knots. Still, we were properly reefed; and within two hours of the Bequia headland. We got used to the violence, knowing that we were safe and within the limits of the sail plan.
That changed an hour later, when a squall enveloped us in its whiteness, and provided us with a steady 32 knot wind. We put more jib away in the slashing rainstorm, and I let out the main traveler and the main sheet, thinking we'd be all right. The boat was moving at well over 8 knots (that's fast for us), and the wind and rain seemed to actually flatten the sea. After 20 or so minutes, things returned to normal, and we turned the Bequia headland and tacked into Admiralty Bay. It was only while putting the sail away that I noticed the separation of the sail around the edges of the reinforcement of the clew at the reef point. Luckily, we found that Grenadine Sails, who are actually doing the work for Lorna and Brian has some space in their schedule, and the sail is being sewn up as we type.
Last night we enjoyed a great BBQ onboard Lorna and Brian's boat. We had purchased extra rations of wine in Trinidad, enjoying red with dinner! Today's a lazy day except for getting the sail in to the sail maker. We're reading in the shade of the cockpit with our shade curtains waving in the wind.
