North wind in the night, made for a chilly eve. Thats a sheet over the sunburn, instead of letting everything breathe.

So…. we need. Internet, Beer and water. The first two sounds like my requirements, but you’d be wrong. The geek in me is being trumped, but I understand so it is a NEED.

Feeling adventerous, we also could use some diesel, as the gauges are less than 1/2 full. Now thats enough for this trip, and possibly the next, but strange how we used that much fuel on the down island trip, course we did cover 600 miles into the wind. Yesterday, I wasn’t feeling up to coming into the dock, no real reason, fuel is not a necessity .. yet. But this morning, its almost like a couple of beers and its time to do it. Course the wind has changed and the surge doesn’t look too bad, and shoot, another catamaran looks to just have returned from the fuel dock. The cheapest fuel dock in the caribbean, mind you. So yeah, we can do it too, on our way to find beer.

A 60+ cat is at the dock as we raise anchor, we are some 2 miles away, but can see that the big lagoon catamaran is getting fuel. At least it gives us a spot to shoot for. We ready the shack before pulling anchor, discussing the side of the boat, the lines, where to tie the fenders. And we are off.

En route we notice another cat which looks to be bound for a similar spot. Since we have never been to this dock by mothership before and the big lagoon catamaran was still there, we decide to do a drive by to adjust the fenders. Just as we get to our drive by the Lagoon finishes and backs down on us, okay we get out of the way, and scramble to adjust the fenders.

You could surf these waves. We come in slowly, Christine tosses the bow line, it lands on the dock. Wheew. The attendant ties it off. Grabs the spring line, midship line, I rev the engines, get the stern near, grab the line and step off. WTF, what was I thinking, anyway, tied the stern off, we are secure. Holy crap, we are here, and bouncing off the dock. I say out loud, good thing we got “big balls”, and the dock attendant chuckles, cause he knows Im referring to the 36 inch round fenders that are almost squishing flat with each surge from the sea.

He asks what he can do for us. I’m like, lets get this transaction over with fast. Diesel. We get the hose aboard, I start the port tank a filling, ask christine for a flash light, its so bright out, but still can’t see down the fuel tank. We get to fueling. Ropes creaking, like inches from parting. Its a sound I can’t understand how it comes from ropes. Then a POP, okay what was that. Fender #2, of 4, got caught on the surge, and we are now a man down, we had a backup, a dirty old fender was quickly replaced, but our nice taylor made fender was floating down the seaway. Christine went after it, no she didn’t dive in, just followed it till it came out the stern of the boat, and grabbed it. The breaking strength of the line that broke could tow most cars. But the fender is good, she tied a new line on it and dropped it back in place,

Creaks and groans, doubled up the bow line, and we finished our fueling. Stress, 200%, then we had to pay at the office just off the pier, can’t we just leave? Okay, Christine jumps on shore and goes to pay, we see the Catamaran, I sorta cut in front of was our Chatham bay friends from South Africa. We should have gone over for sundowners, but never really left our boat after xmas in Chatham. We had 3foot fenders they had 1footers, I hope they made it through that swell experience.

Course the attendant says ‘yesterday’ it was calm here and we were open till 5pm. Oh well.

Day of replenisment, fuel topped up, still missing internet and beer. Difficult to make a decision, but Clifton was still full, so headed toward Canouan, not a great place, but we could get beer there, and maybe internet. We got close motoring, but looked at the clock. If we stopped there, it would be for the night.

Executive decision, raise the sail and push on to Bequia, can’t make Mustique with wind angles, Bequia has everything we need, its closer to Mustique and we can make water along the way. Raise the double reefs and motor sail as high as we could. Made it by 4pm, 1 hr before dark. Tried a new side of the bay, it was crowded, anchor stuck. Damn too close to another cat. Tried to justify it, I would be pissed if I was on the other cat. Pulled anchor, which over heated the windless, it took a while to get the entire rode up and off to somewhere else. Found a nice spot, windless still acting up but we got hooked and set before sunset.

Pork chops and grilled veggies for dinner, couple of rum-n-diets as beer was finished on the first anchoring.

View from Sugar shack’s luxury suite

Boat boy recharge zone

Dreams in the night tend to synchronize with the motion of the ocean, I was having a dream about eating dinner with friends at a fancy eatery. The house was rocking and bouncing when we looked out the window we notice it was raining and the restaurant was flushing down down the stream, rolling past the other restaurants and going with the current. It was starting to get rough, and loud noises were everywhere. Feeling like it was fun, but wasn’t in control, finally work up and shut the window as the rain was makings its way into the boat.

Realizing that the wind had picked up, and gusts were now to 30mph and had shifted a bit, it was a a great time for a boat check.. Actually the 3rd check by me, and 2nd by Christine. This one was fun.

The wind was howling the mono’s ahead of us got up too, were shining flash lights everywhere, went on the their bow, not sure what they were going go to, but at least everyone was awake. Watched for a while, the main storm had passed and with the wind shift we were even more safe from the Dream Yacht Charter. Tho when I woke up this morning, they had put fenders out on all sides, just in case. We had put 2 out too, the night before in their general direction, just so they would be available.

All good.. except the day calls for squalls in the AM, and real light winds, good thing we aren’t doing much today, just making some electricity and water after breakfast

Rain is a coming

It’s here.

Always after a shower. :).
P

First order of the day, change belts, check fluids, etc. Topped oil on both engines, and on to the Belts.

So I tried something, used some good ole fashioned bailing wire to tie some emory cloth (sandpaper) to the worn alternator belt and start the engine, and let it sand off the rust spots since the belt was worn anyway.

Start up the engine, Nope. No juice, Jump to house batteries still not enough juice, clean connection on starter, still not doing the trick. Hmmmm. Fire up other engine to make more electricity, still no dice. Contemplate, re-switch the start battery off then on, and then jump to house batteries, and we got things to start. When that alternator belt gets loose it doesn’t charge the starting battery for squat. Any way it ran, till the emory cloth few off, the pulleys were a bit sanded down, we will see if lasts.

While in the port room, commissioned up the water maker, had previously replaced the filters in preparations, so it was to be an easy task. Had checked the power and valves were in the correct possitions, and fired it up. It didn’t want to start, the pumps wouldn’t kick on? Hmm, duh for some reason the main switch wasn’t on, I could have sworn I turned it on before climbing down into the engine room. another 10 mins wonder how senile I’ve become.

All systems running, time for breakfast. Shut down the starboard engine, and made a pretty damn good omelette, ham and cheese this morning.

The call was to go somewhere with internet, we didn’t want to go back to Clifton, too busy. The keys didn’t have good internet, we thought about going to Canouan, but its too early to go north. So a motor to make water and electricity over to PSV, Petite St Vincent, and see if the private resort island had wifi. Seem to remember picking it up once there.

Left the peaceful setting of Chatham Bay and round the corner through the reefs to the island. I got my gps way points confused and started heading on our last trip which was down the east side of Carriacou to Grenada, no worries, it too was a way through the reefs to get to PSV.

Made a pizza upon arrival, couple of cold beverages, then about to head out in the dingy for snorkel on the surrounding atlantic reef, when a Dream Yacht Charter monohull comes in and precedes to anchor, or attempts to anchor right in front of us. 6 times they don’t get the hook to set, seems the only thing they know about scope is for mouthwash. They finally get some bite, and the wind had shifted enough that they would come down on someone else, if it broke free. So we went off to snorkel.

Zigged and Zagged through the skinny water in the dingy till we found a primo spot. Not sure what that is, just a place to try and see some creatures. Tossed the dingy anchor over and we jumped overboard, in the rolling sea, the reef was not terribly alive, there were some fish, we saw box faced puffers, lots of tangs, even a string ray was out cruising the grounds, we made one loop of a big shallow patch and decided it was enough of a fight against surf and back to the boat for a rinse and shirt to have a drink and the fancy bar and maybe get a wifi code for stronger wifi.

Ashore, we had a drink, asked about wifi, and they have NONE, a fancy high-end boutique joint like that without wifi, how can they justify their prices without basic unalienable rights like WiFi. Had our drink, watched the Dream Yacht Charter move yet again and another charter boat come in behind them. Good, a buffer.

Chicken and pasta and Christine made a great salad, course a rum and diet to cap off a great day.

Out there is the Atlantic Ocean.

Dive on in. Water is nice.