Friday 26 February 2016

Nearly Ready to Go

Le Phare Bleu is a marina we have stayed in several times either at the start or end of the season and is part of a "boutique hotel" so the bar, restaurant and swimming pool are all available for our use. Not that we had much time for relaxation though. This is also the marina where Sarah had her "Iced Tea" (Long Island as it turned out) episode! We had rearranged Simon, the electrician, to come and wire in the new battery so Darrell spent an 'exciting' morning removing 5 old batteries and installing the new ones so they were ready for the extra wiring. Simon came on time and the job was soon completed. The outboard motor started more or less first time although the image of Darrell wrestling with very stiff steering on it as he tried to negotiate mooring lines, buoys and large yachts in the marina certainly entertained some of the onlookers as he weaved his way into clear waters. Not only did the outboard start, but the dinghy was not leaking air, much to the relief of both of us after last years protracted problems with dinghies.

In case you were wondering why the marina is also the Swiss Consulate it is simply that the owners are Swiss and they were asked by the Swiss Government if they would mind. Nothing more exciting than that. They are Swiss after all. (Sorry Lotti!)


Saturday 13 February 2016

Grenadian Hashes

What to do on a Saturday afternoon in Grenada, especially if you are stuck in the boat yard? That was our dilemma. Actually it didn't take long for us to decide, as at the end of our stay last year we managed to go to two 'Hashes' and had really enjoyed ourselves, so when we heard on the Cruiser net that the hash was going to be in Laurel in St David's, not too far from the boat yard we were up for it. Luckily, Shademan the taxi man agreed to swing by and collect us after he had dropped off the Hashers from the main anchorages. So we waited patiently at the yard gate for him. We headed in land and up to a very pretty part of the island about half an hour from the yard. We were dropped off on the sports field of the local school and there were a couple of hundred other people.
A Hash for those who don't know is a walk or run following a paper trail through the bush, followed by a social gathering. The Grenadian hashers have the tag line: "runners with a drinking problem!"
After the initial ceremonies, just to say don't wear new shoes unless you like to drink beer from them! Instructions were given and we headed off with the large group. Lots of locals, students from the university, yachties, tourists and dogs, a very mixed and happy bunch. After a few miss turns we eventually found the right trail and enjoyed a pleasant hour wandering through a cocoa estate, rainforest and up steep hills before finally getting back to the sports field. A great way to stretch the legs and shake off the boat yard. We then sat and chatted while watching the initiation ceremony of the first timers before being dropped back as darkness fell at the boat.

We had enjoyed it so much that we arranged to go the following week to the full moon hash. A nightime event. So armed with torches, bug spray and water we joined Shademan on the trip to the middle of the island. Just past Grand Etang Lake is a small village called Birch Grove. The Hashers all gathered in the backyard of the Las Vegas bar, a small bar attached to a house in the process of being built.
As night fell we all set off, following the road first but soon cutting off to follow the river into the rainforest. Then climbing up through the trees and negotiating the mud as we went up several hundred metres in the dark, there was not much moonlight at this point. We crossed the river a couple of times and continued to climb. It was the first hash where we hadn't been able to enjoy the scenery as we just couldn't see it, we just kept trying not to bump into it or slip in it. At times it was so steep that queues form on the slopes and it was difficult not to slide down. Eventually, we came out of he forest and found the road, which we followed back down to the bar and barbecue. As we walked down the road, the moon finally showed itself. 





Friday 12 February 2016

Back in Grenada Marine

We're desperately trying to catch up with our blog having now been back in the Caribbean for a month and not yet managed to post anything.
So here goes with the first week.
Our flight out here was uneventful but long. The 90 minutes sitting on the tarmac in St Lucia whilst the crews change is a bit of a pain, but, our attempts to hire a car online before we arrived were successful and the car was ready at the airport. We were even "upgraded" (that means they didn't have enough small cars) to a large 4 door 4x4 which was a bit of a gas guzzler but at least no bits fell off and we could cram loads of shopping in it.
True to form, despite being notified of our time of arrival in the early evening, Grenada Marine had not provided a ladder so we could access the boat, nor provided shore power or a water supply. Fortunately the boatyard security men helped out with a ladder and shore power and the water could wait until morning. All we had to do now was put mattresses and cushions back in place, close doors and find room to lay our weary heads ready to start the big push the following day to prepare Stream for launching 4 days later.
The following day dawned hot and sunny, yes, we were back in the Caribbean and ready to start on all the jobs that required our attention. We had stopped at a supermarket on our way from the airport for some provisions but today it was a trip to the Chandlers to look at batteries, as we had decided to replace our worn out domestic batteries and increase their number to four. Unfortunately on testing our starter battery it was on its last legs and so a new one of those was required too. Budget (their word not mine) Marine, in true Caribbean style had very few available. Their comment was a surprised "They've been flying off the shelves recently". This was after all the start of the sailing season and the time when people generally have to replace batteries so not really surprising that they were selling well. The other chandlers, Island Waterworld, was a similar story with bare shelves where batteries should have been, but outside was a large container on a trailer which had their new stock in. Apparently it had been sitting outside for 5 days waiting for customs clearance but they were hoping to get into it later that day and they "thought" it should have batteries in it. We did however manage to leave with one item purchased by Sarah who was very pleased with the small plastic bucket with lid  to be used as our onboard "organic waste bin".
Our return to Island Waterworld the following day confirmed they had the batteries which were duly paid for and delivery arranged for the Friday, just before we were due to launch, after they had been charged and checked.it also meant we could order the replacement speakers for the cockpit, as Sarah in her cleaning frenzy had managed to break the grill. To be fair the UV may have had something to do with its weakness under scrubbing, to judge by the discolouration. The trip also meant we could pop into the Merry Bakers for a Chelsea bun!
Meanwhile Sarah was going through the boat armed with brushes, cloths and several gallons of white vinegar so that the inside not only gleamed but reminded us of home and the local chippy. By Thursday evening below the waterline had been antifouled by Darrell and the boatyard had removed the protective polish and buffed the hull and things were looking good for the launch the following day, when the inevitable happened. 
Darrell was checking the seacocks and lubing them only to discover that the two largest which are on the holding tanks (where the contents of the toilets go, ready for release a long way off shore!) were totally seized. Rather than try to force them and risk breaking them he asked the yard to have a look at them. Plumber (that was his name!) came the following morning and managed to squeeze his large frame down behind one of the toilets and promptly broke the seacock which I didn't really need his help to do as I could have done that myself. There was much sucking in of breath and shaking of head and comments like "not a normal size", "don't have them in stock" , "need a reducer sprocket with a spiral curmudgeon", so, not only did we feel we wouldn't be launching that day, we'd be surprised to be launching in the next month. Plumber went off to try and source the required items never to be seen again that day, a Friday! But he did leave his tools in the heads, so we had high hopes he would return at some point.


Plenty of other jobs were done during our enforced weekend ashore like fitting new cockpit speakers and such like, but Plumber returned on Monday with the promise that he would have things sorted that day, and he did! But he also added that we wouldn't be able to 'Splash' until the next day as the bill would have to be sorted before we went in the hoist. We were happy though, as a week "on the hard" can test anyone's endurance levels and we were fed up of being feasted on by the mosquitoes.
Tuesday dawned bright and fair and Darrell was down at the office as it opened. He returned within ten minutes downhearted. It would take at least an hour and half to get the bill made up.(why?) So we watched, as all around us, boats were picked up and taken down to the sea. Then, just after 11.00am, the crew started to get our boat into the hoist and Darrell took the hint that the bill must be ready for payment. With Plumber on board we were gently lowered into the water and held in the hoist as he made the final checks to his handy work - there were no leaks and we were free to go!


We motored (it works!) out into the bay to check the engine, picked up a buoy to make some final checks and the set sail (well, motored) the hour or so to Le Phare Bleu marina, which is also the Swiss Consul. All was well with the world, the only downside was that we were accompanied by some ants that had snuck on board overnight. Sarah spent a happy hour going along the toe rail around the deck when we arrived trying to get rid of them. (Note on 12.02.2016) This has been an ongoing battle for her and is bordering on obsession. If only she could find where they hide!


Monday 8 February 2016

So what happened in the Grenadines?

 Writing this back in the UK some seven months after the event our collective memories are somewhat hazy to say the least! We both thought we had published reports of some of the highlights of our last month in the Caribbean but the evidence, unfortunately, is only too clear to all, in that there are none! Memory or technology, the fact is that there is no record of our activities so a brief resume follows before the start of our next visit to the Caribbean.
We met friends in St Lucia and were treated to 5 star hospitality at the Capella Marigot Bay Hotel because we used one of their mooring buoys. We enjoyed the use of their pool, the free towels, chilled bottled water and the "tastes of the hour" delivered to our recliners. I only hope Sarah is not going to expect this whenever we pick up a mooring in future.
Our sail from St Lucia started earlier than planned at 4.30 am when we were woken by fishermen who asked us to move as we were in the way of them casting their nets. The departure in the dark went smoothly and we had an excellent sail the 70nm to Bequai for an overnight stop before sailing on through the Grenadines to Carriacou and then Grenada.
We spent a hectic two weeks with our friends, "The two J's", showing them the delights of the Grenadines and Grenada. Highlights were the beach barbecue and snorkelling in Tobago Cays and a fantastic night watching leatherback turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs. We were so close we could hear her grunting and were able to feel her smooth leathery shell. A truly emotional experience. A visit to the Belmont Chocolate estate went down well and was followed by a trip to the River's Rum factory, for a tour and tasting session that Sarah avoided. It's a truely traditional operation and makes the rum that the locals prefer, one of which is too strong to take on a plane. Our farewell meal with our guests at the Mount Hartman Bay Estate "boutique" hotel was truly memorable for all the right reasons and gave us a chance to experience this amazing hotel that we first were intrigued by when we sailed past and witnessed its fantastic architecture that Bilbo Baggins would feel perfectly at home in.
After the departure of our friends we had a week to get the boat ready for haul out. So it was a bit hectic. But we did manage a couple of "hashes". These were walks/runs on different locations following paper trails through the bush. We had heard a lot about them and their slogan: "runners with a drinking problem" is apt. They are very social events and finish with a bbq and drinks, and are a great way of exploring the island.
Amazingly we hauled out on the Friday and were ready to fly home on the Monday. In fact our weekend on the hard was fairly relaxed as we had managed to get most of the hard work done while still on the water. At least it was cool on the boat once the lay up cover was on and Sarah could finish her magic with white vinegar.