PREMATURE SEASON ENDING

It was March 11th, with Cat Tales anchored in Bequia, and we awoke to listen to the morning net.  When the social announcements were being read, I took a turn to invite other cruisers along for our trip on the daycharter of Friendship Rose, scheduled the next week.  Well, it all changed when somebody piped up to say that a case of Covid-19 flu had been found on the big island of St. Vincent, next door.  Not only did we not get any takers for our charter, but our friends began calling about whether we should get our money back and get to Grenada ASAP.

Al and Dawn discussing the seriousness of world news over rum punch at Mac’s Pizza the night before we dashed! 

We made arrangements for credit for the next year for the day charter, and one by one, we sailed out for Carriacou.  Before we left, Dawn attempted to rearrange our flights, haulout, and accommodations, and I cleaned the hulls and began the year-end maintenance.  Although there may have been some false bravado while we had discussed the pandemic in the previous days, the news was full of countries closing their doors and locking down travel and society ahead of the problem.  We all concluded that, to keep our options open at least, we should get to Grenadian territory so we could at least be legally checked into the island where we intended to be hauled out.  Our traveling tribe at this point was: Clarity (Rick and Deb), Changes (Chris and Fran), and Tarantela (Al and Michele), with Fido (Don and Fiona) coming in the next day.   

We all checked into the country at Tyrell, with the Immigration Officer in a mask interviewing each captain outside of the office before we could enter to clear customs.  Rick of Clarity, still on his obvious hiking kick, asked if we could organise a hike, and we picked a good one for the next day, the hill at the back of Tyrell Bay: Chapeau Carre.  Some climbed over, and some took the road around, but most of us got a good bit of exercise.  We had a little trouble finding a lunch spot, but ultimately got a very nice meal.  One bad story:  As a result of the Covid scare, the restaurant had everyone wearing gloves, but without proper training as to the objectives.  Dawn went to the kitchen area to add to her order, and caught the waitress blowing her nose behind the counter with her gloves on.  We survived, but realized immediately how useless rubber gloves can be without proper training.

Dawn and Michele going up, up, up!

Michele is still smiling, remarkably!

Another outstanding view from the top of the mountain!

Everyone was planning a beach day for the next morning at Paradise Beach, and were intending to meet up with Fido, who had spent the night in Chatham Bay, just 12 miles to the north.  However, as Dawn monitored the international news, we got cold feet and told all that we would be heading for Prickly Bay.  We may also have been spooked by the extra entry requirements and the poorly understood rubber gloves in the restaurants.  Tarantela, who intended to be hauled out in Trinidad, were waiting for forms to fill in to comply with new Covid restrictions for entry.

We had a lovely sail down to the anchorage outside of St. Georges, carried out more year-end maintenance the next morning, and motored around in light wind to our usual anchor spot outside of the Spice Island boatyard.  The water was outrageously flat, making the trip around to Prickly Bay the easiest, kindest we ever had.

The next morning, Tuesday, March 17th, we got hauled out of the water, 23 days earlier than scheduled.  Luckily, our relationship with Cool Running resulted in no problems with accommodations, and Dawn had acquired Air Canada tickets for Saturday, 4 days away.  We worked hard on getting the boat sorted out, and I think we did a reasonable job, doing little more than what was necessary to minimize deterioration.  When we get back to the boat, however, I’ll want 10 days on the hard to sort out all the issues.

We got home on Sunday, the same day that Grenada closed the airport to all flights.  Several who decided to spend an afternoon on Paradise Beach were stressed with the feeling of abandonment, but Air Canada made special arrangements to fly for another week, picking them all up.  Interestingly, Tarantela ended up hauling in our boatyard when Trinidad closed its doors days earlier than advertised.  

The airport in Grenada was comparatively normal, but for people a little on edge.  Some were keeping an extra foot or so apart (like us), while some had themselves and their children in masks and gloves, usually with more face-touching than normal.  Toronto airport was different.  Very few were within 6 feet of each other, and most were avoiding handrails, etc.  Our lineup for our room at the airport hotel was almost comical, as any lineup at all filled the foyer.  We got at least 3 different communications about our need for 14 days of quarantine.

We flew into Fredericton, with snow on the ground and a cold wind.  Hugh and his niece had driven our car in and left it for us, and we came directly home to a functioning household, filled by Hugh and Liz with enough groceries to carry out the quarantine.  A few days later, Ron and Judy picked up another big load of fresh food from Costco.  Here we are 3 weeks home and haven’t gone for our own groceries yet.  We are always blown away by the generosity of our friends, knowing we don’t deserve it. 

Feeding the fire is now one of our daily rituals.

Our view of Grand Lake.  The water is rising, but at the moment is still below flood stage.  The next couple weeks will tell the tale!

Our time since then has been, for the most part, the new normal; with good food, social time on the computers only, and feeding the wood stove.  

We are thankful to have been able to make it home.  We are in communication with a good number of friends who are stuck on their boats, anchored or tied up to islands who do not want them, but will not let them leave.  Even if they did leave, they can not check into another island because they have closed their borders.  It is a mess, and it may get worse as these islands are quite full of many locals who live hand-to-mouth.  

TECHNICAL

After a little stressful negotiation, Budget Marine took back the remaining two start batteries they had sold as deep cycle batteries for full credit (the third had been traded for various stuff with Fred of Dakota Dream).  The engines got cleaned out with some solvent added to the oil, then an oil change.  The saildrive with the bad seals got an emptying, and a clean-out with kerosene, then got filled with good oil for storage.  When we get back, the seals will be replaced in both saildrives.  Many other projects will be waiting for our return as well.

Cat Tales is out of the water over a month earlier than scheduled.  We’re so fortunate to have  had the cooperation of the boatyard, Cool Running Apartments and of course, Air Canada to get this show on the road!