Hello from Cat Tales in sweet Bequia

 We had continued to enjoy Carriacou after the last blog, but spent most of it in Cassada Bay as Tyrell was uncomfortable with the wind and waves from the north-west.  The Cassada anchorage – for us - was a long distance from shore, so we did not get much in the way of hiking in.  We hope to do this on our way back in April.  One good thing that did happen was that S/V Cloud Street, the Super Maramu Amel with Joanna and Bill on board, came around and anchored beside us.  We had a couple of chats over drinks and a fantastic meal at the Cassada Bay resort. Other than that, our time was spent swimming and doing boat maintenance.  One snorkelling episode showed that the coral reefs were rather dead, but that they were patrolled by a school of 10 or so beautiful yellow-tail snappers; all sized about 14 inches, and rather curious about us.

Cassada Bay Resort from our quiet, peaceful anchorage 

 

We finally went back to Tyrell, cleared out of Immigration, restocked the boat, and got ready to sail.  Steve and Maria had arrived in the bay on the 11^th, already checked out of the country; so we left with them on the 13^th at 0600h, hoping that there would be some east in the wind later in the day.  Not willing to chance it, we motor-sailed east between Canouan and Union, and carried on east until we had cleared World’s End Reef.  Now, there was enough of an angle to allow Cat Tales to spread her wings.  We had one reef in the main and a reduced jib as we passed to the east of Canouan and headed for Petite Canouan on a straight line for the west tip of Bequia.  However, a long, wet squall hit us at Petite Canouan and scared the bejeezus out of us.  I had delayed putting in another reef, and soon regretted it as the rain was driven at the boat by a steady 27 knot wind at a broad-reaching angle.  The jib did go away, and I put the boom over as far as I could, and thought we’d be alright.  The boat played around at 8.5 knots at one point, and I stuck my head above the bimini to find the reef of the main was ripped for about a yard.  As it was stable, and doing anything at this point was dangerous, we ‘sat it out’.  Another problem in the storm was the bimini.  It had obviously lost its waterproofing.  I spent 4 hours in the rain.  We arrived without further incident, albeit an hour behind Steve and Maria who motored all the way and could easily furl both main and jib upon their 38’ Island Packet.  My scheme to head eastward was all for not since the angle of the wind in the squall was exactly what we were looking for in the first place.  Laurie won’t be bragging about this move!

New waterproofing desperately needed here! 

…and this is the start of our mainsail saga, which is far from over. 

Some lures don’t like 8.5 knots of speed.

 

A lot of our time since has been involved in taking down the sail, getting it into a repair shop, discussing the repair, and getting the sail back to the boat and on the batten cars.  The sailmaker says the sail should: “get its affairs in order”, and definitely do not use it in the high winds like we’re getting this week.  So, we are also involved in the shopping for a new sail.  It looks like we’ll have to wait for a very special ‘weather window’ to move the boat to the next island so we don’t rip the poor thing asunder.

 

While we’ve been here, we have been spending time with Garry and Linda Graham, formerly of s/v July Indian, who used to hang out here with us a decade ago.  They’ve abandoned Ontario for 6 months, renting different Bequia apartments instead.  Besides the gabbing and visiting old haunts, the six of us did the obligatory hike to Ma Peggy Rock, at the peak of Bequia’s southern wall.  It is quite a hike, an excellent view, and a great mobile discussion.  Lots of enjoyment.  

Hike to Peggy’s rock.  Nice to see we’re still smiling!

The view from Peggy’s Rock is amazing.  Cat Tales is down there somewhere!

Steve & Maria (s/v Aspen), Garry & Linda (formally of s/v July Indian) and Dawn & Laurie (s/v Cat Tales)

After every hike, we celebrate with a visit to a restaurant.

 

Yesterday, we got together with two other friends:  Fred aboard Dakota Dream, a catamaran slightly larger than us, and Skip aboard Peacekeeper, another 38’ Island Packet.  Both guys, without their wives, sailed from the north to be in Bequia with us.  Fred had left the USVI on Wednesday morning, arriving here at 02:30 hrs on Saturday, while Skip left Antigua, also Wednesday morning, but used the improved angle on the wind to arrive at 01:30 Friday morning.  Two intrepid soloists. Fred had a rough crossing, which, complete with an attempted effort at making chili, resulted in a forced fast.  His description of his malady made us all ready to avoid any chili in the near future!  Yesterday, we watched as he ordered breakfast and lunch and ate two hearty meals at one sitting at the Sailor’s Café, making up for days without nourishment.

 

We’re making plans for the holidays here, with the centre being a sailors’ pot luck Christmas Day afternoon at the Fig Tree Restaurant.  They are closed for the day and always welcome sailors to enjoy their space and BBQ for this event.

Dawn thinks it might be time to decorate.

 

 

TECHNICAL:

 

The stress of the mainsail damage is subsiding for us, and the repaired sail is back on the boom.  We had the bottom panel below the first reef cut right off, so it was easier to manhandle.  Manhandle is right, as we fight to get it off the rig in high winds, get it rolled, onto Blessings (a favoured water taxi with very helpful Dee Dee at the helm, get it up on the dock, and shoulder it to and from the sailmaker.  Steve was excellent help.  Waterproofing the bimini will wait for the winds to abate, and may have to be done up-island. 

 

I have continued my work with the Lewmar low-profile hatches, removing latches and levers, soaking them in vinegar, and sanding off the crust and corrosion.  I have two hatches to go, but need to find a safe time to tackle them – That will come.

 

We took out our dinghy anchor, and found it a rusty mess that left debris everywhere.  I knocked off what came easy, and gave it a coat of Ospho.  The problem is manageable, but I may start shopping for a stainless anchor and chain. The anchor, when thrown out the stern of the dinghy, stops the dinghy from being destroyed under docks.

 

Other chores are small ones, and we seem to be able to have a breather and some fun.  One long-term project is the main wiring.  I am attempting to teach myself to be a boat electrician, able to use automatic battery combining technology, positive and negative buses, and appropriate fusing of the heavier circuits involving charging and starting.  The actual renovation will require access to all the equipment – much of it not yet found on Caribbean shelves.  I also have had to increase my battery bank to ensure the batteries are not totally dead in the morning, with their juice spent on the refrigerator freezer.  Serendipitously, Steve had a new battery he needed to purchase to get from the boatyard to the marina – so I bought it, and that stress has ebbed as well.

 

So, were do I get a mainsail, and how big should I get?  We would like to avoid a full size mainsail, but if we sell the boat in the next 10 years, a new owner might not appreciate a shortened sail.  Sailing the Caribbean is always very windy and we don’t know many people who use the bottom portion of the main, opting to reef at the first or second reef point.  Someone taking the boat away from the Caribbean may want ALL the sail.  So, I think we have a decision made, now to find one and have it shipped to us.

 

We’ve Arrived in Carriacou, kinda…

We had been moored out in the waves and the wind since last report, working half-days, and going in to enjoy the odd restaurant meal with Steve and Maria.   Every trip was used for the accumulation and transportation of ship’s stores and boat parts as well.  The weather had been wet and overcast much of the time, but we got to squeak one afternoon in the Marina pool.  The majority of the happy hours on Cat Tales had been precipitation free, however, and as magical as ever for the two of us.  Bathing behind the boat was lovely, but swimming for exercise in the windy, wavy water was difficult.

 

A lot of our time ashore was reminiscent of our time in May.  We visited about 8 different restaurants.  Many had survived the Covid times by pivoting to a larger take-out business.  We were happy for them as it obviously worked.  However, two places here have had some reluctance in pivoting back to being primarily restaurants.  One in particular, the St. George’s Yacht Club Restaurant, will take your order from the table, and an hour later, they’re bringing bag after bag of takeout to the waiting people at the cash, and your food is nowhere in sight.  The food is good and the view of the harbour is fantastic, so we persevered, and became terrible nags to get our service.  We also walked all the way to Umbrellas Restaurant at the far end of Grande Anse Beach.  There and back was about 10 kilometres, so good on us.  The payback was the most fantastic Thai Curry Lambi we’ve ever had. Sorry, no photos of the dinner plate because we’re busy eating!

 

On Saturday, we finally untied from the mooring and put up our sails.  Going north was difficult with so much north in the wind direction, but intent on a sail, we did six long tacks.  We arrived in a beautiful bay at Isle de Ronde near the tall island with two names: “Kick’em Jenny” and “Diamond Rock”.  Both are problematic.  The first is also the name to the dangerous underwater volcano nearby, and the second is also the name to a similar steep hunk of basalt up by Martinique.  Isle de Ronde was nice and calm, and great for a good long swim.  We stayed two nights, and Dawn served her famous pumpkin soup made in the pressure cooker…enough for three nights.

 

Photo taken during the sweet light just before sunset.

Leaving Isle de Ronde

Yesterday, we motored the last 10 nautical miles to Carriacou, but with north and west in the wind, and not much of that, we realized that Tyrell Bay would be a confused place to anchor, with boats floating in no way influenced by their anchor location.  We sit instead in a seldom-used bay called Cassada, in 20 feet of water a quarter mile from any land, but in flat, calm water.  Although a little unnerving to be the only boat, it is quite sweet.  We put out a motion sensor and our night watchman “Gonzo”, and slept better.

Gonzo has been our night watch man sitting in the cockpit when we’re in bays where we might need a bit more security.

Diamond Rock on our way to Carriacou

 

We have this plan to get to Bequia before Christmas Day, and are watching the weather closely.

 

 

TECHNICAL

 

We have chased down most of the dirty rope and mouldy spaces, but some still wait.  We’ve worked through just a few of the hatches, providing proper cleaning and servicing of the latches and hinges.  That will be ongoing for a while.

 

A big chore for me was the changing out of an exhaust mixing elbow on the starboard engine.  It split at the weld at the flange and was spewing water so bad that it tripped the bilge pump alarm.  We found two in store at Palm Tree Marine, and bought them at the price of a “boat unit” (remember that B.O.A.T. stands for Break Out Another Thousand).  I had the change-out done before 0900h on Tuesday, beating the day’s hottest hours.  Cleaning the bilge was done again, over time, and after a good rinse, the engine got a new coating of anti-corrosion oil.  Interestingly, I had actually stopped the leakage from the original elbow using JB Marine Weld.  I am sincerely impressed.  However, soaking the old elbow in a mixture of vinegar, water, and dish detergent to soften up the carbon deposits inside caused the JB Marine Weld to soften and fall off.  Very curious.  As for the new installation, a hardening of one of the pipes caused another leak, and once again the bilge alarm saved us.  The part of the hose that was flattened by previous clamps had to be cut off, and the clamp moved to a more pliable part of the hose.

Who knew that JB weld would turn into a rubber like coating and fall off after soaking in dilute water and vinegar??

We have a bug in our electronics, specifically the Raymarine AIS system.  We’ll try downloading new software for it.

 

This is a common sight onboard!  First cut, then whip the new end…repeat for next rope!

I’ve also woven a new bridle for the anchor chain.  That took a full day.  It works great, and the Admiral is pleased.    All these chores are interrupted by smaller ones, cleaning, sorting out old stores, and trying to throw things away.