Sitting Outside St. Georges, Grenada

Internet, the Caribbean way!

We have been sitting here near St. Georges since Tuesday, six days ago.  We've been rather consumed with chores since:  laundry, cleaning and waxing, cleaning and boraxing (inhibits mould), and working through any chores that need not be done on the hard.

Hey kids, put your devices away and talk to each other!!  The gentleman on the right, Chris Doyle, is the author of the guide books we all use here in the Caribbean. He updates his guides on a regular basis and is always working!  He's a bit of a celebrity here as he sails his catamaran, Ti Knot! (Petit Canoe) up and down the island chain.

Shortly after writing a weblog from Tyrell Bay, we began a friendship with Al and Brenda of s/v Haven, who we got used to hearing on the FOD weather net and felt we ought to say hello.  They had sailed into Tyrell specifically to be hauled out for a repair - their welding, inside of the rudder, had parted; and their rudder was slipping around on their rudder-post pretty badly.  Well, they had been chumming around with our new friends Gil and Diana of s/v Sarenata, with whom we had explored parts of Dominica.  Days later, Saronata arrived with another boat, s/v Harmonium Cays with Phil and Krista.  Suddenly, we're part of a bigger group again, with eating, drinking, and long hikes.  Oh, we also maintained a previously-made relationship with two interesting Brits aboard s/v Inga.  Our quiet time in Tyrell went by much too quickly, and not at all quietly. 

One thing we got done in Carriacou was the acquisition of some conch (called lambi in these regions) and an attempt at cooking it.  What we finally decided to do was:  1.  Rinse and clean conch in lime juice;  2.  Beat the conch to make it less chewy;  3.  Cook it in a pressure cooker with garlic and a little lime and water for 20 minutes;  4.  Dice and apportion it to use it in different recipes.   We have stewed it with coconut milk and curry, and have had it on a pizza.  It has been great, but next time we will beat it less and cook it for a shorter time - it was actually not chewy enough.  We now will not pass Carriacou without purchasing 3 pounds of conch!

Not too pretty at this stage.  We had to ask a marine park ranger if there was anything we should cut off these nasty looking critters!  The guy told us that all parts were to be left on, so we did!

After beating it with the end of a wine bottle for a bit, we pressure cooked it with lots of garlic.

Once cooked, the conch was cut into tidbits to use in any recipe we desire.

Last night, we stopped work and went on a Hash with Phil and Krista.  Great fun as usual:  strenuous hiking, good socializing, and excellent Grenada scenery.

Last week on another hike along the coast of Carriacou, part of the Grenada Grenadines

 Tomorrow, we hope to find light winds to allow us to get around the corner and into Prickly Bay.  We will then tidy up our last chores and await our haulout, scheduled for May 4th.  However, tonight, it is conch pizza with guests, Phil and Krista, who are anchored just behind us.

After Brenda blew out a sandal, MacGyver (aka Laurie) was on the job with a bit of line, carried in our knapsacks for just this purpose!

Ta da!!

TECHNICAL

Just before we left Tyrell Bay, the windlass came apart (which was the idea.  I have been trying to get it apart for a decade).  Although the solvent was expected to deal with the ceasing in a week, I worked at it for six weeks:  banging and spraying at least once per day.  Finally the spool came off, and I began working on the gypsy.  I actually took the gypsy off one half at a time; the second half even required a couple hours of digging between the parts with a drywall knife.  Ultimately it all came off, to reveal how it is supposed to work.  The shaft holds a flange, and a rough disk fits between the flange and the gypsy.  When the spool is tightened onto the shaft, it drives the gypsy and the rough disk hard against the flange, allowing the motor to spin the gypsy.  When loosened, the gypsy spins free to allow a manual working of the assembly.  All the time we have owned it, the gypsy has been frozen to the rough disk and the disk frozen to the flange.  Finally it is free, and we can take the gypsy off when we want and see if it needs to be replaced.  There is a suspicion that it has worn, and that we have to replace the chain prematurely to allow it to work without problems.

The windlass (device used to bring up the chain and anchor) was causing us troubles.  We think the gypsie is worn making the chain slip.  Consequently, the chain bounces all over the place while hauling up the anchor making it a dangerous situation!  We have been buying new chain every 3 years at 1,000.00 US a pop!

The windlass half-way taken apart.

The Grenadines of St. Vincent

Cat Tales landed in Tyrell Bay again yesterday, and is sitting over clear water on a beautiful patch of sand.  The boat motion is diminished once more, and sleep is deeper.  The trip over from Frigate Island was lovely, with little water on deck, and the boat flying under jib alone at 6 knots.  No fish!

Laurie and I have given the small islands in the Grenadines limited time over the past few years, but because we have a little time on our hands, we decided to leave Bequia and visit the islands of Mayreau, Union, and Petit Martinique.

After a lovely stay in sweet Bequia, we picked a weather window and headed south for Mayreau.  We covered our visit to Mayreau in our last blog.  After leaving Mayreau, we headed over to Union Island to the west side and spent 3 nights in Chatham Bay.  Chatham Bay cannot see the phone towers, so we enjoyed the days and nights of total isolation.  We did share our time with Eric and Jackie of s/v Compass Rose, with whom we hiked and had a couple of meals.

A view of Chatham Bay from our hike

Eric and Jackie from s/v Compass Rose

One meal in particular actually haunts us after the fact.  Chatham Bay isn't just isolated by phone and internet; it is difficult to drive into and is a long motorboat ride as well.  Still, there are now five different restaurants offering barbecuing services as well as a few fishing families that have thrown up rather squalid shelters.  We have mentioned in past years eating at these barbecue spots, but as the prices became rather affected by what a group of charterers might pay, we stopped patronizing them.  Well, Jackie, being rather challenged to find a good deal, went ashore and arranged a barbecue lunch from one of the fishing shacks, not the regular barbecue shacks, for a significantly lower price than the going rate.  The four of us showed up, paid for nice cold beers, and sat at a dirty plywood table under a tree as our meal arrived.  Nice rice and potato salad, and rather skimpy ribs and chicken, but not bad.  Only afterward did we start thinking that we had broken some rules - not with the community - just our own.  If they don't have a bathroom, we don't go; if they don't have running water in which to wash vegetables, pots and pans, and their own hands before preparing a meal, we don't go.  If they do not have constant refrigeration, we shouldn't go, and certainly shouldn't eat potato salad.  Well, we did get what we paid for, and we are not ill; but we did get nervous after that meal.  It was fun, too.  We sat among goats, chickens, cats, and a dog; all very interested in our food.  One goat had to be shooed off regularly - they said he was a problem in that he often jumps onto the table during the meals.  So, yes, we kept our eye on him.  Old men sat and watched us, and one brought out a drum and insisted on entertaining us (for tips). 

From Chatham Bay, the two boats motor-sailed upwind an hour or so to get to the two little islands of Petite Martinique and Petite St. Vincent.  Although barely a half mile apart, one belongs to St. Vincent, and one belongs to Grenada.  In between is a beautiful sand bar that holds anchors like it is in love.  We are in love with the views and colours, and have been there often.  However, the spring "new moon" brought outrageous currents through the anchorage such that one would fear swimming, and choppy waves that had Cat Tales dancing day and night.  We hiked Petite Martinique the next day, and had a lovely lunch at a place called Melody's (fantastic conch roties); then we abandoned the anchorage for a downwind run back to Frigate Island at Union Island.  After two days of hiking and visiting Clifton, we checked out and sailed here to Tyrell Bay. 

Getting to the end of our hot and hilly hike on Petit Martinique...cold beers are almost in sight!

The water in the anchorage was so beautiful, it was difficult to leave!

Anchored at Frigate Rock in Union Island.  Laurie, Dawn & Eric checking out one of the last pieces of pavement we have hiked.  All uphill to get to the end of the road, of course!

Laurie and Eric walking the concrete road downhill back towards the anchorage.  This is a section that we didn't share with goats or cows!

We have time to kill, high winds coming, and a low wind opportunity to visit and snorkel at Sandy Island on the north side.  Laurie wants to buy some raw conch and try to learn how to cook it - I, of course, encourage that!  We probably will not leave here to go to St. Georges for a week. 

We see these spots from time to time on Union Island, where people set up a sunshade and make aggregate for concrete by hand!

TECHNICAL

(Laurie)  I am still attempting to free up the corroded windlass to allow the removal of the gypsie.  Every day, I spray with PB Blaster, tap it with a hammer, then install the manual handle and beat it with a rubber hammer.  What should have taken a week has stretched on to a month - but who would argue that my stubbornness might not prevail.  I may try a torch on it, but that will wait another month for the boatyard, when I can have a water hose by my side.

I have been attempting to equalize the new batteries.  My only tool is the solar panels and the Blue Sky regulator.  The 2005 solar panels used to give me 16 amperes, but now they provide only 12.  I was able to bring them to a boil by separating them, and now I can get them to bubble as a group - but it happens at 14.5 volts, which is rather low.   Oh well, they are never below 12.5 volts when in use, except for minutes.

All other systems are working dandy!

A Day in Mayreau, St. Vincent & The Grenadines

Dawn and I enjoyed the regatta in Bequia.  We hoped for good pictures, but all we have is great crowds of white sails, far away, taken with a shitty camera, the replacement we bought in Dominica after ours took a salt water swim.  Yes, no enthusiasm.

We did enjoy going into the regatta meetings and celebrations with our signature Mount Gay Rum red hats (primary sponsor), and chatting up sailors and participants we know or just met.  It made us wish we were racing.

We did a little more hiking after Peace and Plenty and Silk Pajamas left, just enough to keep in shape.  One picture we did get was of a giant object in the water along the boardwalk.  The water conditions and sun angle allowed a good look at it, and we realized we were looking at a giant wooden rudder and rudderpost, probably from some ancient wooden vessel.  Funny how we probably had walked by that for years.

Giant Rudder and Post along walkway in shallows

Saturday, picking the first day of a weather window, we left Bequia and had a 5 hour sail to Saline Bay, Mayreau.  The waves were pretty bumpy, but the wind was only 12-18.  We kept our speed below 6 knots, and the passage was nice enough.  Lots of salt on deck but not really violent.  A rag cleanup followed by a shower overnight, left us pretty clean again.  We should have fished, but were both thinking of shore meals, I think.  Catching and cleaning a fish when you can't stay in one place with two feet and a hand is not a fun thought.

Yesterday, we hiked Mayreau, primarily to see what had changed in the 3-4 years since we had been here.  We walked the new roads, saw a few new buildings, and just enjoyed the quiet walking.  The views of blue and azure water, the close islands of the Tobago Keys, Canouan, Palm, and Union were all breathtaking.  The old Catholic church is still in excellent shape, but it has been joined by two rival religious groups to divide up the tiny population of this little island.  However, there was a jump-up on the beach last night to celebrate the Caribbean Cricket team's domination of the World Cup (both the mens' team and the womens' team), and the extra divisions and worshipping didn't seem to be affecting anyone negatively.   Adults were dancing while the children practiced their cartwheels.

Dawn, overlooking the Tobago Cays at the lookout behind the little old Catholic Church

We noted that the continuing construction of a christian youth mission had destroyed the remains of the old and only plantation house, and the best lookout on the island.  Somebody's idea of progress, I guess.

Kite surfing east of Saltwhistle Bay

A major investment in an unused road

We found the concrete benches we used to sit on at the lookout on top of Mayreau, by the plantation house ruin.  They are now outside the Catholic church.

 We had lunch at Dennis' Hideaway, a place we had always meant to try.  Dennis cooked filleted and butterflied red snapper, and Dawn said it was the best fish she has ever had; and for once was not missing the chicken.  Sadly, the beer was $9 EC, and not even very cold.  Still good, and we had another round.  The beer is usually between 5 and 7 EC, so it was the highest priced yet!  Bear in mind, these are tiny beers, maybe 2/3 the size of a bottle of beer at home.

Wattle and Daub house - really just a stick and mud hut.  Many locals were still living in these within our lifetime.

The interpretive plaque for the "mud hut".

After this message is posted, we intend to put the jib up, and make the one-hour sail to Chatham Bay, Union Island.  We believe we may have some friends there who might want to do a hike today.  The towers don't reach Chatham Bay, so our phone and data plan will be useless.  We'll be back in touch in 3-5 days.

Nothing like a couple of containers off a passing ship to be the basis of a good 3 car garage!