November 9 Haul Out Day

Today is the day we haul out for an annual "bottom job", in which the boat is hauled out of the water, powerwashed, sanded and repainted with ablative paint. We are very nervous. This is a highly reputable boat yard but just last week a strap broke. They dropped the boat 10 feet to ground which totaled it. This story actually has a good outcome. First, for us, it means they have brand new straps. Second, the owner had been trying to sell his boat for two years because his wife is sick of it. Isn't Craig lucky?? The owner is happy because now he has all the insurance money and no boat to sell. But I digress....



Here we are, pulled into the slip. The travel-lift is positioned so that the canvas straps slide under the boat.

Up, up and away. As always, it is disconcerting to see your home swinging on canvas straps.

She looks good, too. Some heavy sanding to be done and work related to a prior paint job, but no blisters. We have taken good care of her and she, us. Hakuna Matata is loaded onto a skinnier truck, and then they slide here into a spot and put her on chocks.

Some people stay on their boats in the yard. We contemplated it to save money but it is inconceivably hot inside the boat. Prevailing trade winds do not penetrate the yard and there is no A/C since boat systems are water-cooled. Plus, the heads do not work out of water. Can you see yourself trucking up and down this ladder for a late-night pee? Me neither.

Editors Note: A bottom job is from the lowest white line at the waterline down to the very bottom of the keel. The royal blue part. To paint under the chocks, they will place new ones and move the existing ones. Ours is going to be black this year since the island is almost completely out of bottom paint and is completely out of blue bottom paint. The usual island supply chain issue. If I were a chandlery or boatyard in Grenada, where hundreds of boats congregate and all have bottom jobs this time of year, I think I might stock up on paint to keep the jobs and moola coming here instead of Trinidad. But that's just me.

Having Hakuna Matata all situated, we set about to other business of the day. We ran off to get checked into the resort which was quickly justified due to a killer rate. Then we proceeded to the local marine chandlery to buy a new dinghy engine. Gawd. The one we bought two weeks ago lasted two weeks before the spring on the pull cord broke, followed by loud clanking noises and inability to idle. Now, I promised Craig that I will not buy some new hottie low slung six speed when I get back to Texas, but I want a NEW dinghy engine. I'm dinghy-challenged as it is and it is something upon which we daily rely. Good news there is that when we bought the used one, there was a woman at the store who was 30 seconds behind me. Her husband wanted it for the lower unit and parts. We ran into her again the other day at a happy hour, where she reiterated her desire for this engine. Well. We rang her right up on the VHF and sure enough, she still wants it. We discounted it $50 since it is all jacked up.

So, we went to Island Water World and put down good money for a new 15-horse 2-stoke Mercury. Not as popular with the local crack-heads as Yamahas but even so, we are going to jack up the exterior with paint. Plus a new fancy locking system. After that, we went over to the market to get some snacks for our spot at the resort ( kitchenette included).

People down here are very serious about energy conservation. This spot has A/C but is rigged with not only a motion detector but also trip wires at the doors which cut it off. Reason #147 I like traveling with Craig. He knows how to overcome the motion detector...the bandana flutters enough to keep it going. Any of you criminals out there know how to overcome the door sensors??

Perfect. Fruity Gilchrist and Soames bath products with fluffy towels. I'm hitting the shower....

Waterfalls tomorrow with the southbound group. More to follow. This spot comes with free high-speed....