Peaceful sleep...

Not the bug spray, but ode to anchoring.

Prickly Bay is a pretty crowded anchorage. There is a fair sized swell from the South attacking the bay making it very rolly. Especially for our little shallow drafted Tartan.
The wind has been pretty stiff too these last few days resulting in good gusts of up to 25+ knots across the bay. (estimated as we don't have wind instruments)

After 3 nights of restless sleep, we decided to move (yet again - 4th time). This time closer in shore (towards the windward shore, not the leeward) in order to tuck in behind the reef for greater protection from the swell.

In doing so, we also came into the lee slightly and hence the wind lessened.

One of our concerns when we were moored in the middle of the bay, it is a deep bowl, with 15 or so metres under the keel. Being a little out of shape, getting my blubbery little, seal-like body down to that depth proved rather tricky. Sally's suggestion of tying some chain to my feet and plopping me over the side was met with scepticism.

Hauling myself down on the chain, I could see that most of the chain was hanging free in a large curve from surface to bottom. Most of it was not actually on the bottom so was not doing its job of increased resistance against dragging. Sure, I could have shackled the rope to the end and dropped all the chain overboard, but I could not go back any further for fear of hitting another yacht parked behind us.

Decisions, decisions!

Uncomfortable with the anchor, our position and uncertainty, we decided to move.
We first scouted out a good position nestled between some other yachts with our dinghy and then went in with the boat.
We took our time anchoring. Put her hard astern and pulled the chain tight.
Just as an extra precaution, I dived on the anchor. The water is still murky so could not see the anchor from the surface. I pulled myself along 140ft of chain to get to the anchor. However, once found, I had to pop to the surface. Diving down again it was difficult to find and a lot of energy (aka breath) expended trying to search for it.

So! Plan B - Tying a buoy to a length of rope, I made a loop around the chain and then chased the loop all the way to the anchor. This allowed me to pop up, catch my breath and then chase the line straight down to the anchor where i then bedded it.
This is not the process of tucking it in and reading it a bed time story, but rather working it into the sand to  ensure that it does not drag.

Where you going...NOWHERE!

Interestingly, although i had put her hard astern to try set the anchor, the anchor was on her side and I had to set her upright properly by hand. This goes to show that the only sure way to know that your anchor is properly set is to dive on it!

That night was a lovely peaceful sleep for the first time since we plopped in the water. Safe in the knowledge that my anchor is set well and there is sufficient chain on the floor. But I did still get up a number of times (and no, not due to bladder problems!) this is par for the course to check on things. Sweet dreams...

A proposed route...

With sailing, plans change with the wind, literally!
We have encountered so many cruisers that have made plans to meet friends and family in certain locations but have been unable to get there in time due to engine / repair issues or just for lack of a weather window.

As such, the best we can do is tell people where we think we will be going to and when and let them decide if they want to be there at a similar time. Fix a firm caveat on that though...we might not ever get there!

The issues with sailing in the Caribbean like many other places in the world is the weather systems. In the Caribbean, we have a good weather window from 1st December to 1st July. Then it becomes hurricane season and not so much fun being in your floating home that moves like a tortoise (relative to a hurricane).
So people tend to 'winter' their boats for hurricane season by pulling them out the water and going back to the US or Europe etc. The Caribbean gets a little quieter during the off season.

As such, our plan, now that we have splashed (yachtie talk for getting the boat into the water), will be to go up the windward islands, then as high up the leeward islands as possible in a 2 month period before turning around and coming south again. It would be good to get to the British Virgin Islands, but it is fairly tight considering we still have a lot of learning to do on the boat and would then need to get her back down to Grenada (ish) by July.

But it is not a race! Sally and I were thinking about going up there quickly and coming down slowly.

Without having given it too much thought, our proposed route is as follows:

Leave Grenada at the end of February
Carriacou for a few days
Union Island
Tobago Cays
Canouan
Mustique
Bequia
St Vincent
St Lucia
Martinique
Dominica
Guadeloupe
Montserrat
St Kitts and Nevis
Anguilla
British Virgin Islands in about end of April (although looking at the above list, we will probably never get there as we are in no rush and want to enjoy all the places we look to sail to)

Whatever we don't see on the way up, we will try see on the way down.

But as with all sailing, this is very weather dependent. If the wind decides to blow in the wrong direction for 2 weeks, we could spend 2 weeks there.

On the way back down, we would like to go to Barbados. I reckon that this will be in about July.

After that...who knows!

Afloat at last...

We are floating...my version of our launch.

My first taste of living aboard a yacht full time was in a dusty, hot, mosquito infested yard – only onwards and upwards from that situation!!

We had been waiting for our triducer to be shipped from America and paid priority shipping with fedex to get it to Grenada quicker. Unfortunately the parts we wanted were not in stock so we waited a week for them to get to the warehouse and then the fabulous fedex service got it from Las Vegas to Grenada in 36 hours!! Now THAT is first rate service. With the transducer now plugging the hole in our thruhull, we were good to launch. With this being Friday, we booked to launch on the Monday figuring all the wiring of the depth and wind instruments could be done on the water.

Monday morning we rose early and went on a hunt for outboard parts. We had yet to get our motor working and it required at least a new impeller and gasket. We were feeling rather anxious at this point thinking that we may have to result in rowing the large dinghy ashore considering the likelihood of this auto-parts firm stocking our Mercury specific items being very slim. Luckily, Prestige motors came up with the goods and with a little help from Desmond in the yard, we had her purring again and ready to go.

Fenders out, dock lines tied on the bow and stern we awaited for the travel lift to come and get us. We took this opportunity to run through our anchoring process, hand signals we would use to each other and who would do what role. As I was newer to this than Dylan, we decided that I would be on the anchor (we have an electric windlass) and Dylan on the helm. I practiced a good few times on the hard to build my confidence in locking and unlocking the windlass.

Tipping the yard boys, we managed to buy some time to drop the centreboard and give it a slick of antifoul whilst the boat was in the slings. Our hearts were in our mouths as the lift took the weight of our boat that represents all of our life's earnings and all our worldly possessions. Sure these guys do this activity every single day but it doesn't stop you from worrying and grimacing as the machine creaks and groans under the boat's weight.

Paint applied, we raised the centreboard and lowered her into the water. Myles, a guy we met at drinks nights earlier, agreed to come and help us anchor on our first time. We piled on board and slipped the dock lines whilst the engine started first time. We were finally motoring with no leaks and no hiccups so far!

Wind in our hair we navigated away from the shore and through the channel markers, I was on lookout for any oncoming traffic whilst Dylan headed for a possible anchoring spot – beaming smiles on our faces.

Puttering through the anchored boats we waved at familiar faces and were cheered on by fellow cruisers that had heard our story and were genuinely happy to see us finally out on the water.

Having eyed up a nice big space in the boats to attempt our first anchoring, Dylan put her into neutral whilst I lowered the chain and counted the markers (white paint every 20 ft). On our second attempt we were happy with our position relative to other yachts and cracked open the beers to observe the bite of the anchor.

Next step was to haul the dinghy over the side and put on the outboard. It worked first time – woop! Myles, Dylan and I piled into the dinghy and headed to shore, planing along in our big dinghy with a 10HP engine. No splashes, no wet shorts, no grumbles from me. Finding a tin flag of Grenada we hoisted up the flag and breathed a sigh of contentment. 

This evening we have enjoyed our spacious cockpit with no mozzies in sight, watching the sunset under a full moon. An activity we couldn't have done in the yard for fear of being eaten alive. As I write this it is close to bedtime (8pm!) and we are gently being rocked to sleep by the swell....heaven.

Splash day...

The big day of the launch.
We can't wait. Having spent 2 weeks on the hard, we can't wait to be on the water and bobbing on an anchor.

We have learnt something new every day that we have been on land, but now it marks a new set of things to learn. How to not block the head, how to conserve fresh water, how to not drag anchor, how to sleep in a rolly anchorage etc.

Getting her prepped for launch is an entire process in itself. Everyone has their own processes. We have seen a bunch of people come and go in the yard over the last few weeks and noticed a few things and learnt a few tricks. Lesson 1 - make sure your dinghy and outboard work as it is a long row into shore.

1. We pumped up the dinghy and made sure there were no leaks.
2. We prepped and tested the outboard engine. (it seemed to have a water pump issue which required spares to be bought)
3. Bought gasoline for the outboard
4. Mixed in the 2 stroke oil (at the right ratio!)
5. Put on all the sails (as you would need them if we had an engine failure)
6. Put on all the sheets
7. Made sure the anchor chain was marked (we did ours every 20 feet)
8. Filled the water tanks and solar showers
9. Do all the washing (sheets, towels, bedding etc)
10. Stocked up on large / heavy items (as heaving heavy stores in and out of a dinghy is not the best)
11. Toilet roll! (we did not have any as we used the yard facilities for ablutions) 
12. Charged up all our electronics as we will be 100% green once on the water (solar and wind)

The Kindness of Cruisers...

Dedicated to Vernon and Donna on Endless Love Too, Sarah and Doug on Mindemoya, Keith and Marcey on Mimi - fair winds.

Where to start.

It has been quite an eye opener for us London folk. We lived in one of the biggest cities in the world and did not even know our next door neighbours. We do not speak to people on the transport system and we most certainly do not go around asking random people's advice. Keeping our anonyminity was what we were used to.

But cruising is different. It is a community where every one knows what it is like to be novices and some
profess to still be learning after 20 years on the water (yes and on the flip side, a few do profess to know it all).

There is always common ground and a story that can be shared. Generally these are the frustrating ones of parts that once ordered, have never arrived or the hairy ones of being stuck in hurricanes or the usual story of charterers (or the French) dragging anchor into you.

We have met some wonderful people whilst getting the boat ready in the yard. They have taught us a lot and asked nothing in return. Most are cruisers that take a few months off every year to sail the Caribbean, some are just starting their adventures and some ending theirs, selling up and moving back to dry land.

To aid in our networking with salty folk, there is a daily VHF session every morning for cruisers to listen in and find out all sorts of info, ranging from weather to stuff for sale to when the next get-together / event will be. Cruisers ask questions and for help regarding all sorts of matters and the forum of listeners all too often has a useful phone number or post session call to discuss.

Regardless of the radio to hide behind, yachties are a social bunch. We have had drinks with a few people now despite being the 'new kids on the block' (figuratively and literally as we are most people's children's age...or younger). It is great to sit in another boats cockpit, admire their home and take note of the little tips and tricks they use. How to keep your head from blocking, best way to store fruit and veg in the heat, etc. Their stories are also inspirational as they tell tales of other beautiful anchorages and islands just begging to be explored.

We have received a few gifts from cruisers who are returning home and no longer had need for a few items. All that they ask in return is that we pay it forward. What a wonderful attitude to have to life...

Tartan 37...

Review of our Tartan 37: Orion

Specifications

L.O.A. ——————————37’ 3-1/2”

Beam ——————————- 11’ 9”

Draft (CB)   Board Up ———- 4’ 2”

                    Board Down —— 7’ 9”

Displacement ———————- 15,500 lbs

Ballast ——————————  7,500 lbs 

Datum Waterline —————— 28’ 6”

Sailing Waterline - Point of Immersion forward to aft point of immersion—33’ +

Sail Area —————————- 625 Sq. Ft.

Berths ——————————— 6

Power:  Westerbeke 50 engine

Year: 1979

Design: Sparkman & Stephens design

T37 Layout

We bought a T37C (or Centre Board). It is a great little ship and the one pleasantly surprising thing about her is the vast amounts of storage space on board. 

Whilst looking at a number of other vessels we were surprised at the lack thereof. We keep discovering new hidey-holes. 

Up forward is the traditional V berth which we use as the master cabin. There is a chain locker directly in front of that with easy access to the windlass, nav lights and chain bin.

Under the V berth is the usual storage space, however this vessel has a retrospective Holding Tank fitted on the port side. We use the space under the V berth for our winter clothes, spare sails (cruising chute, yankee) The previous owner also built in 2 collapsable water tanks for additional water carrying capacity.This is plumbed into the main fresh water system. Brilliant for additional water for long range cruising.

There is ample locker space for all of Sally's clothes. The starboard side has 3 draws and the small foot locker and a larger hanging locker. On the port side is a locker with shelves for my 1 pair of underpants and a spare shirt. 

Above the V Berth is a very large opening hatch with a fly / mosquito net flap. GREAT for the tropics as it lets air in and keeps mozzies out. This is why i would always buy a yacht from a cruiser as it is these little additions that require a lot of time, money and thought to do and Mike the previous owner has kindly done them all for us!

Moving into the saloon, working our way aft, there is another locker on the starboard side for more hanging stuff. We put our wet weather gear in there. Directly aft of the locker is a wood burning bronze and soapstone heater. Although I have never tried it out, it looks amazing and I almost want to go somewhere cold just to have an excuse to fire it up (excuse the pun) and fill the boat with the lovely smell of wood smoke.

Underneath the heater is the Jabsco Fresh Water pump. Which supplies the head and galley and the shower in the cockpit. Directly to port is the head. A practical space with a shower, basin and toilet. Good stowage space, however it will be interesting when we take her out to see what jumps out of the racks as there is always a lot of movement / motion the further forward you go. 

Interestingly the shower drains to a separate sump under the floor in the saloon and there is a automatic float switch that pumps it dry. A good idea as this means that soapy water does not drain into the bilge. 

One of the best features is the drop down saloon table. I always seem to trip over centre mounted saloon tables. We use it for a fraction of the time but it is constantly in the way when moving fore and aft. With the tartan drop down table, it gives the feeling of a lot more beam / space in the saloon and easy access to the bilge etc. The water tanks are arranged port and starboard under the saloon settees. They have twin access hatches for easy cleaning. An activity we have just undertaken and were surprised how easy it was to clean them out. 

Behind the settees (port and starboard) is additional stowage space for tools, stores etc. We still have loads of empty spaces (but we have not provisioned extensively yet)

Some Tartans have a pilot berth on the starboard side and I believe this one had one once upon a time but the previous owner wisely converted it to stowage space. We keep all our towels, linen etc in there.

On the port side in additional stowage space above the saloon settees with books, glasses, etc.

Another hatch above the saloon with a solar fan to provide a bit of breeze and another fly net to keep the biters out.

Most yachts have the galley on the port side. Tartans have it on starboard. The fridge is very large and deep especially when you consider its a 33 year old boat. Fridge works really well, however we don't run it 24x7 as we are power misers and just run it to keep it cool.

There is stowage space above the stove with 3 sliders hiding 2 shelves in each for groceries. Aft of the stove is a deep well for pots / pans etc. There are twin sinks. Very useful for a wash in salt and rinse in fresh operation that I like to use for dishes. Did I mention I am also a fresh water miser?

Behind the sink is a well built rack for dishes, bowls, cups, etc. Well positioned as a knock down should not dislodge these (in theory). 

Under the sink is the usual nest of plumbing, but also extends quite deep enabling a lot of cleaning products to be stored.

The chart table is on the port side and is very large by todays standards. I know that electronic charts are the way forward and call me old fashioned, but I still want a piece of paper to jot a lat and long, especially on a long trip.  There is a cubby hole to the left of the table where we keep key tools, torches, winch handles etc. Nice big space for odds and ends. Chart table opens and has ample space too.

Aft of the table is the aft berth. In true cruiser fashion this has become our garage. Full of bits and pieces. What you may ask...well, washboards, cockpit cushions, tupperware full of stuff etc.

Under the aft bert, is a stainless fuel tank. The chart table seat, contorts into an extra length to turn the berth into a double. great for guests. 

The engine is where you would expect to find it. Another reason why i was so taken with the Tartan 37 was the great engine access. You can tackle it from all sides. The companion way stairs come off to reveal the starter, the water pump. alternator etc. There is access from the port side inside the aft berth. There is a large deep locker in the cockpit that one can climb inside to work on the starboard side of the engine and the gear box etc.

Speaking of the starboard locker, it is huge. deep enough to store all the fenders standing up. It has all our sheets, rode, tool boxes etc. Very functional.

There is a large cavity under the cockpit between the stern gland / prop shaft and the well of the cockpit into which there are hanging baskets of spares (fan belts, filters, etc). Accessing them in a hurry is tricky, but they are not everyday items and the less clutter the better in my opinion.

Engine access is great. It is some of the best I have seen on many boats. I have seen a few forums where people argue that having to clear a locker is a pain. It might be a minor inconvenience, however I can get my whole 6ft 95kg frame into the engine space in order to work on it. I can also access the sheaves and steering cables from the binnacle. If need be I can also access the engine from the aft berth on the port side although I don't have quite the same freedom. As a design feature, Tartans have a fibreglass well under the engine into which any oil or water leaks are easily identified, also you will never lose another nut or bolt into the bilge either. Very impressed with engine access and design. Well thought out!

The aft cockpit locker is also deep and capable of additional storage. There is a built in tray to protect the steering lines and quadrant from what ever you pile on top of it. There is also easy access to apply and use the emergency tiller.

The propane bottles don't quite have a home. Had I more funds, I would move them onto the transom with stainless holding brackets (like those for fenders) and clad them in navy blue covers, but for now they are fine in the cockpit.
There is also a dinghy davit to hoist our 10HP on board.

One small bug is that the canvas weather cloths in the cockpit restrict 360 turning of the winch handle. However if i had to chose between a quick tack and good size wave leaping into the cockpit, it seems a small price to pay for a little more awkward winching. If I don't like it at a later date, I can always remove the weather cloths.

We also have a gas BBQ on the stern, fed by a skinny 5lb propane. Yet to use it, but looking forward to doing so.
Another nice to have on board is the hot water tank which can be heated via the inverter / shore mains or the engine. This feeds hot water to head, galley and the cockpit shower.
Ah, the cockpit shower. Great for rinsing snorkelling gear and yourself. Runs off the main Jabsco water pump.

Great little ship. Every day we are on her, the happier we are with her.

The clock of life is wound but once,


And no man has the power


To tell just when the hands will stop


At late or early hour.

To lose one's wealth is sad indeed,


To lose one's health is more,


To lose one's soul is such a loss


That no man can restore.

The present only is our own,


So Live, Love, toil with a will --


Place no faith in 'Tomorrow' --


For the clock may then be still.



Robert H. Smith
©

1932-1982

Our first week as boat owners

Perfume of choice - Baygon


Day One - Friday 20th Jan

We liked the boat, the survey and sea trial had gone well and we had a verbal agreement with the owner as to the price we were going to buy her for. Next step was to get the money to him and sign a bill of sale - both of which are rather tricky when in a country where you know no lawyers and have no local bank accounts. Luckily Alex jumped to our rescue and we managed to transfer the money within a couple of hours using an FX exchange account. Living in a budget apartment a stones throw away from the boat made us want to get onboard her as quickly as possible. Practically unheard of we went from a verbal agreement to transfer of money and signed bill of sale in 48 hours. 

A handshake and our boat keys (well in our case, combination code) on Friday afternoon officially made us boat owners and we hurried over to get on board and have a good rummage around. The boat is like an aladdin's cave full of goodies. All the lockers are full of useful 'stuff'. Opening up all the cupboards, lockers and lazarette we made a 'to do' list as we went to organise our impending work effort.

Unfortunately that night we could not stay on the boat and so we begrudgingly went back to our budget apartment for one final night of air conditioning, water on tap, hot water, electricity on demand and free wifi. To celebrate Dylan made me some 'tuna noods'..yeah we are really rock n roll...and Dylan snuck outside to smoke a cheeky Cuban cigar to celebrate (courtesy of his brother).

Day Two - Saturday

Waking early we paced over to our boat (still feels good to say that!) and moved our belongings onboard. Having only 2 big sailing bags with us, it didn't take long to find places for our items. 

Keen to check out the local chandleries and price up the kit we needed to start the work necessary on the boat, we caught a bus into the capital. Having persuaded Dylan to make this a fun trip and as it was Saturday morning, there is only one place to be in Grenada at that time...the Saturday market. This small square in St George is heaving on a Saturday, full of locals selling all sorts of foods and spices, it is how I pictured the Caribbean before we arrived. Bright colours, larger than life stall owners and bizarre looking fruit on display (I forgot my camera on this trip so see photo courtesy of trip advisor below). We met Rhonda, a huge, friendly Grenadian lady who taught us how to prepare breadfruit. The passion in her voice when talking about her country and produce was infectious and Dylan and I came away with spices, whole nutmeg and a keenness to go and try a truly Caribbean dish.

Laden with bags of goodies to fill our galley we went to the chandlery and paid an eye watering price for 2 tins of anti foul...here starts the realisation of how expensive anything with the word 'marine' in the product actually is.

Back at base we got stuck in with our to do list, Dylan commenced scraping and sanding the hull whilst I painted 20ft lines on the anchor chain and cleaned the cabin.

Content with our productivity on the first full day of being sea gypsies (although to remind you...our hull is yet to touch the water) we went and treated ourselves to a meal and several buckets of beer in the Happy Hour at De Big Fish. 

Perhaps still on cloud nine that our dream is actually going to happen, we fell asleep with little mosquito protection on and no net. The next morning I awake to find my entire body covered in red blotches. On a huge learning curve, ever since we have stocked up on Baygon (the local bug repellent) and dug out the mozzie nets...my red blotches are yet to go down, an angry reminder to bathe myself in the stuff at dawn and dusk.

Day Three - Sunday

My apparent chickenpox like blotches aside, this was another day of working through our to do list. Very little happens on a Sunday in Grenada and hardly any shops are open. With the sun blazing in the sky, Dylan concentrated on cleaning out the bilges and anchor locker whilst I continued cleaning the cabin. 

Having done a considerable amount of walking in the past couple of days in cheap flip flops and feet now covered in blisters, I didn't even leave the marina all day.

O, I must mention the showering and toilet facilities. For those of you not up to speed on yachtie life this is the score. When 'on the hard' you obviously can't flush the toilet onto a passerby and we also don't want to flush the toilet into a holding tank (think of the smell) so most people decide to use the bathroom facilities in the yard. 3 showers and 3 toilets for the people living on the yard is more than adequate and a key gives you access to these 24/7. Although at first I felt like I was back on a Duke of Edinburgh camping trip when lugging my toiletries and towel to the opposite side of the yard and returning my journey with a towel on my head, I soon got used to this way of doing things.

We choose to sleep in the v berth and above us is a mozzie proof hatch. After a night of being rained on and continuously being woken to close the hatch every time it started to pour - we put an awning over it and later replaced that with the inflatable dinghy.

Day Four - Monday

7:20am - Dylan's watch alarm goes off and he scrambles up to turn the radio on - this was the first time we listened to the cruiser's net. Found on channel 68 this is a forum specifically for yachties in Grenada to hear about local events, businesses, gain advice from fellow cruisers and buy /sell goods. Its a great way to stay in the loop and hear about the opportunities to explore the island on a budget.

Another day of boat work, Dylan became an electrician and fixed the wiring to the port nav light and fan in v berth, ordered Garmin depth instrument to replace the original (then cried silently inside at the price and how long it would take to arrive - 10 days) and took off the mainsail and dodger and sent them to the sailmakers to be repaired. We reminisced about our day skipper course whilst flaking the mainsail beautifully on deck - it was one of the tricks our instructor Mike taught us, how to impress fellow sailors and intentionally leave the sail bag off to show your skill.

Not wanting to use marinas in our trip, we are trying to make our boat less reliant on electronics so they chew through the batteries. As such, we signed up to a Facebook group to get rid of a microwave, toaster oven, air con, TV and DVD player that came with the boat from the previous owner. Facebook is everywhere! One item we can't live without though is our Mac and thankfully, the inverter works really well charging this device until we find a suitable 12v replacement.

Continuing our search to try new food, we came across Rosie selling her wares near the yard entrance. Christophene was our new vegetable of choice and as usual, the seller was more than happy to prepare it for us and give a recipe prior to taking any money. That night we dined on minced beef and mashed christophene - tasted very similar to pumpkin but was green in colour and white inside.

Day Five - Tuesday

Keen to crack on with our boat work whilst waiting for the depth sounder to arrive, we got up early to beat the blazing sunshine and completed the following: Dylan replaced the anode on the prop shaft, masking taped the hull and performed minor fixes that the survey had highlighted. I cleaned the brass inside (a satisfying yet tough job) and empty and cleaned the port water tank. Yet to finish all the brass work, here is a photo of one of the lights half cleaned and half not:

After another physical day that our bodies are slowly getting used to, we headed to De Big Fish to meet a Vernon and Donna, a Canadian couple that own a Tartan 40 in the same yard.

Day Six - Wednesday

Feeling like we hadn't seen daylight for a while whilst scrubbing away inside, we treated ourselves to a day of tanning...whilst working on the deck. Dylan angle grinded the hull (courtesy of Vernon's orbital sander!) and I took my bottle of trusty Brasso and attacked the rust on the stanchions. Cooling ourselves down with the excuse that the deck needed to be cleaned, we then tested the theory of soapy water apparently making lines softer - it works! Revelation over, we located the Bosun's chair and hauled an eager Vernon up our mast to check out the Windex. Unfortunately when we bought the boat one of the cups had already broken off so at present we are without wind speed. Upon Vernon's descent he informed us of the problem and we hope to find suitable parts before launching.

Our day was completed with sun downers on Vernon and Donna's boat, now part of the elite and self formed 'Tartan Club'. Wow what a beautiful boat they have (1985 Tartan 40 - Endless Love Too).

Day Seven - Thursday

We had decided that today we were giving ourselves the day off to explore the island. I wake to find Dylan on his hands and knees, contorted into a weird shape under the galley sink. Having not been able to sleep, he got out of bed at 4am and decided to start fixing the manual water pump - although Dylan is not one to stay still, I had stern words and after using the radio for the first time to invite ourselves to a fish braai the following evening, we commenced a day where I chose what to do.

First task of choice was to make a typical Caribbean breakfast of salt fish. Usually bake and salt fish is the dish but we did without the 'bake' part and put our energy into fish preparation. The fish (bought salted) needs to be soaked to remove excess salt, then we added tomatoes, garlic, oregano and onions. Not what I would have chosen back in London but when in Rome....verdict was that it was far too salty and we had rumbly tummies for the rest of the day! Not one to be defeated, I shall be trying it again but perhaps soaking the fish overnight to remove more of the salt.

By the time we got to Grand Anse beach the heat was phenomenal so we popped into the local mall to cool ourselves down with their homemade mango smoothies, mmmmm.

A couple of hours spent sun bathing on Grand Anse beach we caught a taxi into St George and went exploring. The roads in the capital that veer off the bay are very steep so we worked up a good sweat to get to Fort George and beyond (see picture below). When at the top of Church Street we witnessed a funeral procession where an entire town had flocked to mourn the passing, jamming up the narrow one way street for a good 10 minutes. People dressed in black and white followed the Hearst with the ladies tottering up in high heels!! Ever friendly Grenadians, despite the circumstances they all gave us a wave or stopped for a chat. For the second time since our arrival, Dylan was offered 'hash'. This time from someone in a graveyard at a funeral! Politely we pointed out that Dylan was now too bald to be a Rastafarian and too conservative to be a hippie.

Thanks to the Cruisers Net, we were aware of the Budget Marine billfish tournament taking place in Port Louis so on our way back home, we stopped in for a beer and to check out the size of the sea monsters they had managed to haul. A respectable 141lb tuna was the winner of the day and I started to dream of how good that would taste on our boat with some wasabi and soy sauce....no pressure Dylan but I am expecting some pretty decent fish to satisfy my sashimi cravings as soon as we get underway!!

All in all, life is pretty darn good just 'chillin' on de island'.