July 4-7 Grenadines

Candy was to fly out on Friday, July 3. I escorted her to the Canuaon airport so that I could sign her off the ship’s papers. While there, the predicted weather blew in, complete with 35knot winds and sideways rain. It did not bode well for a timely departure, or any departure as it turned out! I got a call about an hour after returning to the boat. Sure enough, flight cancelled. No flights until tomorrow. Candy scored a ride back to the local dock with airline personnel and returned to the boat for a rainy day. We did maintenance while she napped, read and ate bon-bons all day…the minx.

After we dropped her off July 4th, we headed back over to Chatham Bay where S/V Nikita was organizing a beach barbeque. We retired our tired flags (US and Texas) and hoisted new colors for the holiday. David and Jake dinghied over for a pre-party visit. Jack on S/V Anthem pulled into the anchorage as well. A couple from England also joined for dinner but did not stay for the American independence celebration.

Craig meets his match in the water....

Jake and Isabella; Jack, Craig, Jake, David, Isabella and Rae Ann:

Have gas tank, boys will make fire with wet wood....

We left the morning of July 5 and went over to Saline Bay, Mayreau Island for a quiet evening at anchor.

We left in the morning and tonight are in Clifton, Union Island. We checked out of the Grenadines and will head further south for Petite St Vincent, Petite Martinique and Grenada.

Grenadines June 29-July3

We made it to Canuoan, Grenadines in time to pick up my darling sister Candy on Monday, June29th. Candy wins the award for the most tortuous journey to get to us. After having the leg to Canuoan cancelled one week pre-travel, she got to us this way: Dallas to Miami (overnight) to Barbados (overnight) to Canuoan. Arriving fresh and ready for adventure, we immediately hoisted the anchor and set out for the Tobago Cays, a horseshoe-shaped reef and marine park in the Grenadines and one of our special spots. We spent two days snorkeling and visiting every beach with reach of the dinghy.

Don't be fooled by imitations!!

WHY IS THE RUM GONE?????

Wednesday, July 1 we went over to Chatham Bay Union Island. A highlight was a barbeque fish dinner at a beach bar. We met S/V Nikita a 40-something Halberg Rassy with David and Rae Ann. They are cruising with 5yo Jake and 3yo Isabella. We were running out of diet coke and some other provisions, and since the family had made the hike that day, we hiked over to the town of Clifton on Thursday. Oh my. Well, first there are no roads to Chatham Bay, so we had to hike UP the mountain through the woods on a goat path. Then we hiked around the other mountains another 4 miles to Clifton. After shopping and some lunch, and now loaded down with provisions, we took a cab back to Chatham Bay. But wait. There is not a road down to Chatham, so he dropped us off at, you guessed it, the head of yet another goat path so down the mountain we went on foot. No ankles were broken during the adventure so all good.

A tease. This is Ashtown, not where we are going. Clifton is on the OTHER side of the peak.

Provisioning....

Some think sister Candy is the most delicate of the three. Whatever. She took the island roadkill shots....No armadillos here.

This is a two way road. No guardrails. I'm scared. Thank goodness I no longer own a low slung six-speed....

Thursday, July 2 we returned to Canuoan in anticipation of Candy’s flight out on Friday. We met Jack of S/V Anthem, a 38’ Cabo Rico. He is a retired pilot and is single-handing. Candy enjoys a final day (she thinks....) before the mast.

En Route to Grenadines 6-26

Friday 6-26 After settling our accounts, checking out of the country and fueling up, we leave Rodney Bay around 2pm. We have a nice sail back down to the Pitons. Instead of stopping in Soufriere, we pull around the corner into Piton Bay which is nestled right between the peaks. All systems are working great. We are pleased and can relax.

Leaving Rodney Bay, St Lucia











“Money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside it.” David Lee Roth, courtesy of David Damm.
Which is exactly what we did:












The Pitons at dawn:











Saturday 6-27 Anchors up at 0600 for the trip to Bequia (Beck-way) in the Grenadines. We bypass St Vincent due to recent reports of unsavory characters coming down from the hills to harass cruisers. As we pass by, though, we are sad to see that the Port Royal set, which is the whole reason we were going back there, is falling into disrepair. The wind is relatively steady and we make quick time to Admiralty Bay, Bequia around 2pm with plenty of daylight to get the boat situated and run into town to check in with customs.


Blowing by St Vincent:

A photo for Ross and Fran. It' the bee's knees!!! Where are you????

I see these two things and just have to laugh. I see this hospital and wonder how much they pay nurses. My immediate thought is not enough. Then I wonder if ever a process redesign/software design proposal has included a new roof. An idle mind....

Next, we come upon a barber shop. Clive's. Neither Craig nor I are impressed with my hair cutting skills, not to mention the fact that I accidentally dropped the #2 guard overboard in Puerto Rico. We stop. Then we see a picture on the wall, and there you have it, Craig' new "do". My man be stylin':

We are at anchor in Canuoan tonight, awaiting the 11AM arrival of sister Candy.

Hanging out in Rodney Bay Marina, St Lucia 6-25

We pulled into the marina on Monday to sort out our electrical/power issues and effect a resolution before passages south. As Jack Sparrow says: "complications arose, ensued and were overcome". It seems the inverter is the source of all evil, pulling too much power or backfeeding current. Talking out of my left ear now. Long story short: inverter dumped and replaced with a triple throw-down battery charger. Shore power inlet and cords replaced. Alternator replaced. Once again at the mercy of FedEx, since "overnight" clearly has a different meaning down here than in the US, (uuuggghhhh, idiots!) we anticipate arrival of a new temperature safety switch for the generator which will be installed when we get it in hand. Following that, we are getting out of here and heading for St Vincent and the Grenadines. Sister Candy arrives in Canuoan on Monday. We gotta go!

While Craig has been busy with these repairs, I have been giving the boat some much needed love and affection...polishing stainless, washing down the deck and hull with oxalic acid to remove stains, cleaning the cockpit cushions and enclosure and getting after a bit of laundry. The slip is inexpensive ($26US/night) but the laundry is crazy, $18US per load! S/V Hakuna Matata is so very bright and shiney! The marina here is really nice and has a pool which we have enjoyed. We also have cable TV. Movies aside, we have not watched TV since we left Florida in March. We tried to catch up on news of the world only to learn that some governor cheated on his wife and that Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson died.

Some shots from our slip:

We are hoping to leave here tomorrow, Friday, around noon. We will spend the night further down the coast of St Lucia and then cross over to St Vincent on Saturday.