Our last evening in Canada was spent at the Fairmont Royal York, in a one bedroom suite, with dinner at EPIC, one of Toronto’s top 10 restaurants. Maggie and Bronco, Mike and Paula dropped by to wish us farewell. Michelle had dinner with us and stayed with us overnight as she was our chauffeur to the Airport the next morning. A great send off.
Jan. 18 2009. We travelled to Grenada by Air Canada, business class, which was a delight. We probably brought down over 300 lbs of luggage! We had no issues going through customs with our 7 bags and then we were off to catch the ferry to Carriacou. Where we were picked up by Bubbles (our favourite taxi driver) in a pick-up truck and taken to our new on land home. For those of you who have never been stuck on your boat on land, here is part of the reason we rent a place on land until we launch. You can’t us the washroom on the boat, so in the middle of the night when nature calls you have to climb down a ladder hike across a boat yard, chase the goats out of the washroom then back up to the ladder then back to bed.
We were greeted by JP, a charming Frenchman. We were then taken to our room, which had not been aired out, had duct tape holding up the ceiling and sealing a window, one burner of the stove didn’t work, and the shower was cold only, turned on by a rope. JP informed us it was not a hotel, linens would be changed once a week, towels were not provided and it is an island, so don’t use too much water. We had arrived in Dumpmont and the adventure had started. We sat out on our balcony overlooking the bay and had a bottle of wine, a good way to start our adventure. And raised a glass to toast all our friends back home.
Next day we went to the boatyard to check on Interlude. She was just as we left her! None of the work had been done…typical. So we started to get things in motion, bought some groceries and then took the day off and swam. Rough life so far.
Up early, greeted by Rookie (JP’s dog), had coffee and headed to the boat to begin the boat work. We had a list of tasks to do before we got into the water (put together the dingy, install the windlass (lifts the anchor), install a new bow roller, install a new wind generator, have a larger battery box built and install new batteries, install an inverter, and don’t forget we also need to stow or install the things we brought down in the 7 bags and 12 boxes of stuff!). We worked hard on Tuesday and Wednesday, then Karen got a call that she needed to come home. Thursday was spent booking flights and getting all our bags and boxes on the boat. Karen hefted the bags up the ladder onto the boat (average bag weight 55 pounds), and then Cheryl found a place for them. Phil and Gus lifted all the boxes onto Interlude and again Cheryl found a spot for them all and yes you could still move around on the boat.
We flew back down to the boat the first week of February, but no longer first class! Wow what a difference from first class to economy! Reality check!!!
The next 2 weeks was back to 7am trudge up the hill and down the hill to the boat. We worked to 6pm most days, with 2 hour lunches. Lunches were usually at Bayside Restaurant, which was about a 15 minute walk from the boat yard where Tasha cooked up a storm. Lambi, chicken, curried mutton, oil down, with rice and peas, macaroni pie, potato salad, green salad, all for about $4 Canadian.
As we hadn’t left Tyrell Bay (where the boat yard is), the only groceries we could get was rice some veggies and chicken. Cheryl started pecking as arms, door frames, tables…and started to feel like she was growing feathers. At least we always knew what we were having for dinner and sometimes lunch….chicken…chicken and more chicken.
Karen’s Dad arrived and was quickly put to work. About a week later we launched Interlude! (picture - Launch)
We spent one day at the dock and then went to anchor. To try our new windlass for the first time! It worked We had our first dinner on board. Guess what… is was chicken.
Early the next morning Karen took her father to the local hospital and a new adventure began. We saw two local hospitals (one in Carriacou and one in Grenada) and had two interesting ambulance rides and a ferry ride thrown into the adventure to Grenada. Dad was made stable and flew home on Sunday. He is okay now.
A week in Grenada then back to Interlude.
Windbourne, Rick and Carolyn, made us dinner when we arrived back late on a Sunday night, which was very much appreciated as we had not even thought about food. We found that they had taken very good care of Interlude.
Richard Cory, Don and Olga who we had meet in 2003 in the Dominican Republic, had come in as Cheryl was packing for the trip to Grenada with Karen and her Dad. They had also watched over Interlude.
Karen went with Carolyn to Hillsborough, the big town of Carriacou, and shopped! Carolyn knew all the places to go to get different food and at the right prices. No more chicken for Cheryl.
A northern swell came into the anchorage and we had to move. So we moved into the Mangroves and a party erupted. The ask was to bring a bottle and a plate. There was every kind of food imaginable (yes even the dreaded chicken) and a great time was had by all. The party went to the wee hours of the morning, which for yachties translates to 10pm! (picture - Mangrove party)
We created a list of boat tasks for each of us to complete on the boat and Karen started working on her boat list with vigger.
After two weeks Karen was through her boat list and dealing with refrigeration issues and dinghy engine issues (both dingy engines did not work), again with the help of Windborne! The refrigeration just stopped working. The repairman figured that is was the compressor, so we bought a new one. He installed that, (being seasick while he did it!). But it still didn’t work, although we had spent over $400 US. So then we ordered a new electrical unit. Once this was installed, it worked just fine! Cheryl's list is still on going.
The dinghy engine took longer to fix. Gus, a Dominican living and working in Carriacou, was working on our 4HP dingy engine. Generally Gus can fix anything. He took apart the lower unit and found that he had to replace a fresh water hose and a head gasket. We couldn’t get the parts, so he simply made both! So the 4HP was working, but really limping. Our 2 horse power would still not run. This was really all our fault as each year when we came down for our 3 weeks we ran the engines, gave them a quick fresh water rinse and flew home. Not nearly enough TLC.
Yachties are an amazing group, helping each other out freely. Windborne ferried Karen around too many times to count. Then Brian, on Glee, leant us his 3.5HP outboard. We had wheels again!! (A dinghy is an essential piece of kit. Without it you cannot move from boat to shore or back. No provisioning, no getting the refrigeration repairman out…no getting wine…no cold beer because we couldn’t get the refrigeration repairman to the boat. L and no chicken to buy, okay that part was good).
The anchor was very deeply set in Carriacou, as we have many friends and good times. This made it very hard to leave, but it was time.We filled up with water/diesel/gas in Petite Martinique, as well as lobster and cracked couch at the Palm Beach Restaurant, a place we had not been to since just before Lenny in 1999! The passage to Bequia was much windier than expected; we arrive to find our favourite parking place free! (Parking spot is what we call where we anchor) A northern swell came in, so we moved to the north side of the anchorage. On Sunday hiked hill and dale, through water, cactus and sand, lured on by a vision of Sangria! This vision was truly met at Jake's on Princess Margaret Beach.S/Y Interlude.
The reason we were in Bequia is for the Easter Regatta where the local Bequia boats race plus the yachties. What are unique about the Bequia boats is that they where uses and are still used for whaling. The range in size is from 16 -28 ft where the ballast is sand bags and people. The Bequia boats were practicing on the Sunday, so we went to Paget Farms to watch. The skill needed to sail these boats is amazing. The locals on shore were so excited shouting tactics to boats 2-3 miles away. We hate to think of what they would be like at a horse or dog race!
Mike and Paula came down for a visit, our first visitors. While Cheryl worked we went ashore and walked to Fort Hamilton, overlooking the harbour, beautiful, did some provisioning and then back to the boat. We went to the turtle sanctuary, which was great. The turtles like to have their shells rubbed! Just like a dog wanting its stomach rubbed. We had lunch at Firefly, which was delightfully relaxing. We had a day of sailing, until the skies opened up and we had liquid sunshine. Then we watched the Friday yacht racing, quite exciting from where we were anchored. (It helped that we knew several of the boats in the regatta, so you had someone to cheer on.) We went to the shore party that night, which was great. Mike and Paula bought us dinner at the Mexican restaurant, which was great! Then we saw them off. Paula waving a white sock as a farewell!
Mike and Paula had brought down two parts which Cardi (a local mechanic) put into the 4HP, so we now have a fully functioning, reliable engine! Cardi raced on the fishing boats, on one call Iron Duke, which had parts of it that were over 180 years old! We went to watch the fishing boats start; they start right from the beach, being helped by the next generation of racers. Always amazing! The next day we saw their finish from the committee boat. The welcomed us aboard, with offers of Heineken! (picture- Bequia fishing boats start)
The passage from Bequia to the Pitons in St. Lucia was of the type that hooks you on sailing! Beautiful. We passed two pods of dolphins and 3 pilot whales. We had a line in the water most of the way, but no fish! We picked up a mooring ball between the Pitons and stayed two nights. This area has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. We put together the underwater box for our digital camera and went snorkeling. Great visibility and a good selection of fish. We took some pictures of scrawled file fish and reef squid. (picture - scrawled file fish)
Then we moved up to Rodney Bay, at the north end of St. Lucia.
We had to do a shopping run to Martinique! We spent a fortune on: wine, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red peppers, wine, mushrooms, duck, bean sprouts, cheese, wine, rosemary and olive oil crackers, rose, muscles and steak, wine, and oh yes, wine!
Back in St. Lucia, we are waiting for the Jazz festival, which is really a music festival.
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