Waiting for Christmas in Bequia

Last Blog found us anchored in Prickly Bay, just over 3 weeks ago.  Since then, we’ve made a few moves. 

We moved downwind to a mooring ball outside of St. George’s as planned, and for some time made that our base of operations.  We made good use of the dinghy dock at the Yacht Club, touring St. George’s and making the long hike to the Spice Island Mall and the Umbrellas restaurant.  A couple of trips picking up provisions tied up the time until our friends arrived.  While we waited, we hosted the new owners of s/v Aspen: Rachael and Susan.  These ladies each own a boat in a northern Ontario yacht club, and on an investigated whim, went searching for an Island Packet down here for joint ownership.  They seem fun, and are definitely enjoying their time down here, albeit with the typical problems of boat ownership.  We also hosted Jock of s/v Unleaded.  He had helped move a Jaguar 36 catamaran from Carriacou to Antigua and had flown into St. George’s late in the evening and needed a bed while waiting for the next ferry to Carriacou.  We were honoured to host, and happy to catch up on his news.

 

Savannah Sky, Steve and Maria’s new Island Packet 48+, with Anina and Charlie s/v Prism) and Fred (s/v Dakota Dream) aboard, arrived from the Cape Verde Islands as part of the ARC+ Rally at 04:00 hrs on December 6^th, and Dawn and I got up to see them pass by on the way to the dock.  We caught up with them later that day, and found them all in good spirits, albeit a little groggy from the 19 days of sleep deprivation.  They came in 89^th out of a group of 90 or 91 finishers.  To be fair, they had no real downwind sails on a voyage that was totally downwind – when there was enough to move the boat; and north swells disrupted the sails and made for a rather uncomfortable trip.  Island Packets are comfortable, durable boats – not speed demons.

 

We spent some time with them before Charlie and Anina headed to Trinidad to start working on Prism, and we all spent a full day helping Fred in the boatyard with Dakota Dream.  We got rewarded by a lovely lunch and a later happy hour at One Love restaurant by Fred.  After a few more lunches with Steve and Maria, we caught a weather window to Carriacou, on December 11^th.  The weather models lied about both the strength and direction of the wind, and our Carriacou trip was a 6-hour motorboat ride.  However, we got in early, and had a lovely evening. 

 

We answered a call on the VHF radio from a boat called Zepher needing assistance.  Coincidentally, they were right beside us in the mooring field.  They required help to get their crew and lots of luggage to shore that evening.  They had just sailed across the Atlantic and their crew had overnight accommodations on land.  This meant that the owners of the boat would get their bed and space back!  Laurie jumped into the dinghy and took them into St. George’s where they could hail a cab.  The owners of the boat were so grateful, they gave us a few pounds of fresh tuna they had caught along the way.  We ate tuna for days!!

Tuna for two for days!

The very next day, we responded to a call from Louise and Joseph of s/v Tangaroa II and went on a 3-hour hike to a bay by Dumfries near the Cassada Restaurant.  The hike was partially new to us and much fun, with 20 other participants.  We kind of just enjoyed the boat for the next day and used Thursday to do Customs out of Grenada and enjoy the Iguanas Bar – and their fantastic fish tacos.

Hike in Carriacou - 9.6 km and 3.5 hours

This is Hamish who easily doubled our distance…what energy in this heat!!

Friday’s sail to Bequia will go down as one of the best.  Compared to last year, when on this leg we were soaked, blew our mainsail, had a leaky Bimini, and other wind-blown issues, this sail was just as advertised.  A fair wind, good angle, reasonable speed, and just spray salt on the boat.  Dawn enjoyed it so much she let me sail on and into the anchorage!  A rain before bedtime washed the boat.

Carriacou into Chatham Bay, Union Island (3:00 to 5:30pm)

Union Island up to Bequia…all sailing until the very end!!!

Directly into Port Elizabeth, anchored right off the reef in Sweet Bequia!!

 

We have made contact with shoreside travellers Linda and Garry, and have had a lunch with them at the Fig Tree.  Tomorrow, we all hit the trails again with Louise and Joseph.

We’re one of the wee boats in behind this monster!

Getting caught up with Garry and Linda at the top of the hill at the Fort.

The Old Fort, Bequia

We have several old time friends arriving in the next couple days here in Bequia and we’re organizing our own potluck Christmas dinner.

 

TECHNICAL

 

We were were once again surprised to find our water maker doing well in the waters of St. George’s.  The membrane was installed in 2012 and is still putting out water below 315 ppm hardness.  We bought a new membrane for last year, and still wait for the inevitable failure.  The water maker still needs 35 amps at 12.6 Volts, so an engine must be run.  However, with the new solar panels, we can run one engine, and manage the power requirements of both the water maker and the refrigerator cold plate.  We make water every 2-3 days.  When not making water, we run the cold plate at 15-minute intervals with just solar.

 

One concern we have is the barnacles we found on our bottom paint this week – the worst we’ve seen, especially concerning how early in the season it is.  We tend to want to blame the inconsistent quality control of Islands 44, but it also could be the extreme high temperatures of the water this year.  Our little bit of snorkelling has provided us with some views of bleached-out brain coral, more than we’ve ever seen.  The water temperature this morning is 28.5 C.

 

We also have significant browning of our screens, both the radio and the Raymarine chart plotter a75.  We’ve been speaking with George of s/v Fathom this, and he says he is having luck with dismantling the devices and replacing the thin polarized film with film from Amazon.  We’ll research that.

Arrival into Grenada…Boatyard Blues!

Dawn and I arrived in Grenada on the afternoon of Sunday, November 12^th, after leaving the Fredericton airport at 05:30 hours and travelling via Toronto.  We moved our luggage into a little apartment at Cool Running with the intent of having an air-conditioned drink of duty-free Kraken rum and then heading to the One Love restaurant for another cocktail and supper.  However, the heavens opened up upon our tin roof and never stopped until after we were fast asleep.  Comforted by a not-so-little more Kraken, we supped on pita with hummus and cheese instead.

 

We found the boat without many surprises and went to work on our usual list of chores.  We put in long, hot days, and mostly supped in the room; but did get out for burrito bowls at the Container Park and a supper at One-Love with Maria and Hugh of the Saint John powerboat “White Pearl”.

 

Cat Tales being lowered into the water

All shiny clean!

Nine days after our arrival, on a Tuesday, we launched with no surprises and moved out of the slip to anchor in the bay.  Each of the 4 full days after, we dinghied ashore, went for a two-hour walk to pick up groceries, boat parts, and various supplies.  Today, finally, we’re moving slowly, and we actually went ashore for a lovely lunch at the Sand Beach Bar, on Calabash Beach.

 

We intend to stay 2 more nights in Prickly Bay, then zip the boat around to the mooring balls outside of St. George’s.  We are a little worried that we might be displaced from there if we wait longer, as dozens of boats are just days away from finishing the ARC+ from the Cape Verdes.  Steve and Maria are among that crowd, and we have some of their gear onboard.  Plans further out than that are a little blurred.

Lunch and a cold beer on the beach (in the shade) after a 40 degree hour long walk! 

Sitting in the shade enjoying the view of the boats in the bay.

 

TECHNICAL

 

I had to change out another mixing elbow, after changing out the other just last year.  That leaves me with no spares unless you count the old ones with JB Weld holding them together.  We’ll see what we can find in Martinique.

 

Laurie is working on the electrical panel in the engine room after solar and new batteries were installed.  It’s usually over 30 degrees in the boat, but the engine room is much hotter.  He has to mop up his sweat before vacating!  Talk about earning a cold beer at the end of the day!!

Speaking of spares, I had sent my failed starter up to our friend in Gouyave to have it repaired last April, using our spare in its place.  I contacted the guy and he has no memory of it.  We’ve had some telephone discussions, and I sent up his note to him to remind him, but we fear the starter is gone.  Although we’ll miss that starter and have to replace it, I think we have to find another repairman for these little motors.  A real shame, as the man has repaired many alternators and starters for us.  A Grenadian who used to do the same work in Canada, he has grown old, and no longer can even manage his email account.

 

Solar panels arrived at 5:00 on Monday and we were up bight and early on Tuesday to get the old ones off and new ones mounted before launch.  The guys picked us up 20 minutes early, and we were ready!!

Other work included new zippers on the Bimini windshield, two new batteries, two new 200 Watt solar panels over the davits, and completion of my long and involved electrical upgrade.

Friday, November 24^th

 

Well, one more season aboard Cat Tales awaits.  But first, for those of you who read our weblog but do not otherwise know what we’re up to, here is a synopsis of what we did in Canada (mostly New Brunswick) over the last 7 months.  Weather wise, it was the wettest summer we could remember, with the water totally enveloping the beaches of Grand Lake most of the time.  Dawn was quite busy managing the estate of her mother, who left us last September.  She was co-executor with her sister Kathy, and predominantly had to work with a lawyer, an accountant, The Canadian government (CRA), and a couple of investment advisors to consolidate and distribute the funds as directed.  It resulted in many trips to town and a lot of enjoyable lunches with Kathy.  Almost done – so if you didn’t hear from her, you were not in the will ;-).  

 

She also has been quite busy with pickleball with new and old friends from the Minto area.  She says if her mouth isn’t sore from laughing, it was an abnormal session.  Her monthly book club sessions are also fun for her, and typically followed by a glass or two of wine.  A two-week trip to Ontario in the fall to visit with all three remaining sisters was also a big hit.

Kathy, Valerie, Dawn & Lorna

 

I finished the renovation on a 14-foot rowboat that was originally manufactured in Minto by Maritime Fibreglass around 70 years ago.  I took it down to the fibreglass hull (which also had to be well patched) and rebuilt the frames, gunnels, floor and seats using the WEST (wood epoxy saturation technique) epoxy process.  Once assembled and faired, I painted it using the Petit EasyPoxy system.  The interior is a cream-white while the hull is a pretty sea moss green.  Using the boat for exercise is actually fun, but I need a rear-view mirror – and will get one!

Laurie’s spring project!

 

I’m continuing to enjoy a history hobby, which includes researching, writing, trips to the Archives, and great new friends online.  As well, I get together with some guys in the cove once per week for a few drinks and pool games – on a rather poor table with “house rules”.  The cottage, all wooden exterior and windows, does take some time each summer, as do the many trees on the little lot.  A major cottage event was the installation of a metal roof, finished just before we left.

 

Dawn and I left the cove for a trip to the Amherst area to attempt to bicycle the Chignecto Ship Railway bed.  It is a major heritage site and the history intrigues me.  We also went down for two nights in a campsite at the St. Martin Shanty-Fest with friends.  It was an experience, and great to get together, but the event was underwhelming.  We will not be entertaining you with shanties next season!  We also enjoyed day trips down the valley and to Fundy National Park for hikes with friends.

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Bald Peek Trail, Welsford, NB with Leo and Jo-Anne

 

As always, we enjoyed local walks, Hobie sailing, time with family and friends, and great community meals.  Notable visitors included my brother Paul and his wife Alida, and nephew Peter and his adult children Emilie and Dylan.

A

A new roof for the house and the shed.  Can’t wait to hear it on a rainy day!

 

Okay, after this is posted, I can let you all know about our “Steadily depressing, low-down, mind-messing, working in the boatyard blues”.  Okay, it was not so bad, but check back for it.

THE LAST SAIL OF THE SEASON, AND PUTTING HER AWAY

The trip on March 29th from Tyrell Bay to St. George at the southwest tip of Grenada was quite lovely.  The wind was on the stern, which means that there was a lot of North in the wind, and it would have been hell trying to get north up the island chain.  The northern angle actually made it difficult to make great use of the jib, especially after we reached the northern tip of the big island.  We rolled the jib up, slung the main over as far as we could, and we actually hit a boat-speed of 10 knots as we sped down some of the larger waves.

 

Sandy Island as seen from the heights during our last hike in Carriacou

Someone has constructed a concrete Grotto/home high in the hills of Carriacou.  We don’t know whether the house style was chosen to keep the owners cool, to protect from falling rocks from the high peak above, or for some other reason. 

Dawn sitting at the Paradise Beach Club viewing Sandy Island where Cat Tales was moored

The northerly wind also made it too dangerous to attempt to anchor and get ashore in Gouyave to drop off our starter and alternators for repair at a gentleman’s shop who does that type of work.  Still, it was a lovely trip and a great last cruise.

 

We had Cat Tales tied up to a mooring at the mouth of St. George’s Harbour by 1400 hours.  Of course, the obligatory ‘anchor beer’ is also appropriate when mooring.  Yes, it did lead to a second round.

 

The next day, we came ashore at the Grenada Yacht Club, took a bus to the Nissan Dealership with three alternators and a starter to be delivered up to Gouyave to our repairman, and then we carried on by foot to the Blue Bay Resort and Dodgy Dock.  We had an appointment for lunch with Katheryn Winning and her boyfriend.  We had not seen each other since she sailed back to the continent in 2016, and had been good friends with common interests and values.  We quickly talked through all the old friends, books we’d read in the interim, and our future plans.  At our age, discussions about transitioning do take up a lot of the agenda.  

 

We spent the next two days near to the Yacht Club in St. George’s, running for boat parts and tools, and enjoying the Club restaurant and bar.  I also cleaned the bottom of the boat and made lists while Dawn sorted our things for storage, laundry, travel, eating, and tossing.

Full Moon over Prickly Bay, Grenada

The trip to Prickly Bay on March 31^st was windy and wet, with both engines needed at full power to get up through the waves.  We arrived with a very salty boat.  Sadly, due to the gusty wind changing every boat in the bay through an arc of 30 degrees on long chains, it was difficult to lay our own chain out and stay out of trouble.  We anchored 5 times before we liked our position enough to stay overnight; and then we anchored three more times in the morning before we felt we were no longer annoying anybody by being too close.  No, that does not mean we had 7 anchor beers!

 

Haul-out came early on April 6^th, and we both went hard to work.  That does not mean our fun ended.  First, Fred and Sandy (s/v Dakota Dream) rolled in, and we enjoyed some meals out with them.  We also had drinks with Jock (s/v Unleaded) and met a number of his most interesting friends.  He is really well-connected down here, with friends of all stripes.  Steve and Maria (s/v Aspen) arrived after a terrible 2.5 day sail straight from Antigua, and were hauled out in our boatyard on the 11^th.  We also had friends Mike and Nancy (s/v Loonsong) as well as their friends join us in the wanderings for food and drink, including our favourite Lamb Shawarma restaurant.  Some workdays were a little tough with headaches along with the sweat and heat. 

 

It is now Sunday afternoon, April 16, and we’re  sitting in our air-conditioned room at Cool Running, waiting for our taxi to the airport.  It feels a little strange to be wearing socks again after 5 months, but we certainly do admit that showers, especially with hot water, are quite nice.  It will be great to be home with our northern friends and family.

Cat Tales put to bed for another hurricane season in front of Dakota Dream

 

TECHNICAL

 

The new mainsail seems to be working out, but it is robust beyond belief – so much so that we cannot store it just rolled up with battens in it.  Just the reinforced head of the sail was unbendable and could not fit into the normal forward hatch.  Considering the similarly layered tack, clew, and three reefs, we gave up and took out the battens.  It is flaked, rolled, and sitting on the salon table.  The top batten ended up too short, and I replaced it with a proper one here in Grenada.

Cat Tales’ new crispy, white mainsail, reefed as usual!

 

The alternators were returned from Al Bernadine in Gouyave at the usual reasonable price.  The starter needs a new armature, and will be returned in November.  After giving the alternator issue some thought, I have concluded that the newer alternators, which come with insulated casings, need a bigger wire to manage the negative side of the circuit.  The un-insulated older Hitachis relied on the connection to the engine to take some of the negative energy to ground through the casing.  I’ll upgrade the Yanmar wiring for that circuit when we return in November.  I have also concluded that the squealing that is heard upon startup of the little engines is belt-noise, related to using 80 ampere alternators instead of the original 55 ampere Hitachis (which are getting harder to find down here).  Another issue is finding terminal covers for the alternators, starters, water maker connections, and some of the other electrical wiring.  Shorting these terminals by accident is too easy, and the lack of covers is contrary to modern boat wiring.

 

We found the negative wire burnt onto the terminal, with the terminal boot burned off

On that note, I received over $720 US worth of electrical components to fix up the wiring of the boat around the batteries, and have most of it in place.  This will allow the removal of numerous direct connections to the batteries, both positive and negative, and move them to busbars.  It will allow a better fusing of these circuits as well.    

 

Other end-of-season maintenance was hard work but non-eventful.  I found a bit of glasswork to do in the anchor locker, but nothing serious.

 

 

WE’RE BACK IN TYRELL BAY, Carriacou (part of Grenada)!

Last night, as I was climbing down to the water to take my ocean bath, I noticed a ½” polypropylene line dangling up from the bottom beside the boat.  Thinking that it could easily ruin our day after being wrapped into one of our saildrives, I went back up to the deck for a set of goggles.  Under the boat, in only 16’ of water, was some kind of shipwreck.  Today, after our hike and our lunch ashore, Dawn and I dove in with a camera.  What we have is the remainder of a boat, but for the most part it is metal and concrete, with every piece of wood gone.  It looks like somebody ballasted a heavy wooden schooner with wet concrete, which formed between the ribs of the boat to look like the ribs themselves.  Lots of fish too.  We have our own little reef, complete with loads of fish.  We have not seen that many red squirrelfish even in the Tobago Keys.  I quickly tied off the rope so it can’t reach most propellers.  Sure glad our anchor is not anywhere near!

 

You can see the outline of a sunken boat.  All wood is now gone, and concrete, metal, chain, and battery remain.

The fish have taken advantage of the wreck directly under our boat.  Love watching all the life under there!

We arrived here in Carriacou on Tuesday.  We did an eight-hour sail from Bequia to Chatham Bay, Union Island, on Monday, then did a fast trip over from Chatham after lunch on Tuesday.  Both were sweet sails.  There was a lineup at Immigration, but Dawn had remembered that the Iguana Bar had Hurricane Reef IPA, so we welcomed the delay.

 

We take our IPA for granted back home, but down here, it’s a special treat when we are able to get a couple cold ones!

But it was from Rodney Bay we last wrote, back on February 28^th.  We had checked out of St. Lucia on Monday, March 6^th, saying our departure would be next morning at 4 am or so.  We had many people to say goodbye to, so we enjoyed a good lunch on the boardwalk with them.  The days in the marina had been rather busy, with the arrival of the new sail, and the great help Steve Siguaw gave us in taking the old sail off, removing the battens, setting the battens in the new sail, connecting the batten cars and finally, stuffing the crisp new sail into the old sail bag.  I was also up Aquarelle’s mast twice, working on the failure of a block that was used to hoist their dinghy off the foredeck.

Laurie whittling down the battens to fit in the existing batten boxes.

Taking down the old, old worn out sail, purchased in 2004!

Brand new sail, arrived all the way from South Africa!

The new sail reefed down for strong winds.  We haven’t used the full sail yet and might not ever because of the Caribbean wind, waves and squalls!

 

We said our temporary goodbye to Steve and Maria as well.  They now have traveled a significant distance north in one giant hop to entertain their son’s family in Antigua.  Since they have decided to haul out in Grenada, we’ll be seeing them in only 4 weeks.  Til then, we hike and party without them.

 

 

We got a good start on the trip to Bequia Monday afternoon, by sailing blissfully with the new main down to Anse Cochon – our first time there, and not our last.  It promises sweet scenery and good snorkelling.

 

 

The trip to Bequia the next day was also great.  We likely only averaged 6 knots or more, but there was almost no motoring, no squalls, and no drama.  We immediately sought out Garry and Linda, planned some hikes and the related lunches.  The visit was short, but lots of fun.

 

 

Since we arrived three days ago in Carriacou, we’ve had two good hikes and some time to read.  All is good on Cat Tales.

Hike to Hope Bay with Garry and Linda in Bequia and the little piggies living in a shack.  

Along our hike yesterday, I guess not everyone hikes just for the exercise!!

Quaint little boutique along the road.  However, we’re full up with Caribbean trinkets.

I didn’t see until later that there is a second dog in the doghouse!

Hike to Hope Bay…someone collected decorative items from the beach.  It’s very rare to find 2 of the same sandal…we’ve looked for that on many beaches!

Add a little to this hike since I (Dawn) forgot to turn the tracker on.  We started at the same spot that we ended.  My iPhone said 17000 steps, so yes, we had lunch and a cold one when it we finished.

Tyrell Bay has always intrigued me.  It seems a backwater of the Caribbean sailing community, with a lot of older and stranger boats that seldom move.  The catamarans in this collection, even the smaller ones, are seldom seen elsewhere.  Here are some examples that I think would do us very well on the St. John River Valley:

 

An unknown design that would be small enough for  home.

This is a 2011 Maine Cat 30, an expensive boat with nice small-boat features.

Another unknown small boat, with obvious standing room in the salon.

A Prout Ranger 27, perfect for the River, but a bit cramped for a cruiser.

 

 

TECHNICAL

 

Putting old battens into a new sail can be a problem, and I compounded that by measuring the cross-section of only the top batten of the old sail.  Yes, the others were larger, and the batten boxes at the luff were now too small.  After self deprecation, some internal strife, and some good suggestions from Dawn and Steve, I attempted to make the front end of each batten smaller with a Dremel and a palm sander.  It worked.  (It would not have worked with Hobie battens – just sayin’).  All battens except the top fit well.  The top batten is in there, but it is too short to create tension, and the sail has a wrinkle at the top.  I’ll be looking for a longer one, or a way to extend what I have.

 

 

On Monday, when we were about to leave Bequia, Dawn alerted me that the port engine was squealing.  We shut down, checked the belts, and saw no cause.  However, I did notice that the rubber terminal cap and the wire that connected to the negative terminal of the alternator were literally burned to a crisp.  As this alternator is 80 amperes while the original was 55 amperes, and as this one has an insulated casing while the original one allowed some of the negative energy to travel to ground by the mounting hardware, I conclude that the negative wire is too small for 80 complete amperes.  I replaced it with a smaller spare alternator, put a new ring connector on the wire, and will rewire the negative connection before I put a larger alternator back on.  Our departure was delayed 40 minutes.  Still working on what causes the squealing.

Note the negative terminal is rusty after the baking of the wire and rubber terminal cover.  I suppose it could have been our end if fire broke out.