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| Dinghy Concert at Phar Bleu |
Mum and Dads visit came to an end with an easy and relaxed
day sail on Wandering Star, moving her from Prickly
Bay to Clarks
Court Bay, showing them Mount Hartman
and Hog Island on the way and finishing with a
BBQ on board that night. We have had a lovely couple of weeks with them and it was a wonderful last day together.
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| Dinghy Concert rainbow |
Since then, which is only a couple of days we have had fun on Hog Island beach watching Stan and Cora (musicians) play under a starry sky last Tuesday night and another fantastic
dinghy concert over at Phar
Bleu Bay
where, despite the heavens opening up and giving us a thoroughly good soaking, we enjoyed the
concert to the back drop of a rainbow.
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| Fun Times at the Dinghy Concert |
Now we are firmly in the month of November and the end of hurricane
season is drawing upon us. Most boats will be thinking ahead to the new sailing
season having had their time of maintenance and haul out during the summer
months. Not us. We have always approached hauling out a
little differently. Namely because we (meaning Sim) like to haul for longer on Alianna and do our own work which most yards prefer us to do during the quieter sailing season and because it is always cooler in
the winter months. The same applies to Wandering Star. We have not yet spent any time with her in a
boat yard and so there is much of the boat that is still unknown to us. Because of a few suspect areas below the
waterline (ie areas of rust) and because these areas happen to be under fuel
and water tanks, we have a mammoth of a job waiting for us. Furniture has to be cut out and removed as
well as tanks. I can barely think about
it without my forehead furrowing, my eyes crossing over and having the over
whelming need to sit down. Trying to
find a yard to meet our criteria has been tough. Carriacou has been a favourite with its small
and laid back yard. But they lack the
supplies we might need for a long and extended haul out. Trinidad was
firm on the cards for many months.
Despite being a little less competitive price wise these days they still
have the biggest marine haulout facilities in the Caribbean. But with their (too) laid back attitude and
horror stories of bad grounding in the yards (read- people being electrocuted)
we have been put off. Spice Island
Marine in Grenada
won’t let you live aboard and accommodation close by is very expensive and
Grenada Marine is a little too isolated and we have no idea about welders. Having researched most other yards in the
east Caribbean, along with our first hand knowledge of both St Lucia and Antigua,
our plan du jour is currently St Maarten.
They have plenty of yards to choose from, skilled labour and easy access
to supplies. Plus there are some lovely
beaches when you just want to chill out for the day and escape.
So, we are waiting for our final solar panel to arrive,
hopefully this weekend. We have a few
little loose ends to tie up like re-seal a window – tick, secure radar, fill
gas bottle and work out how to stow the kayak.
One last shop, and water top and hey presto we will be ready to go…..
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| Sun sets while we listen to Amy Winehouse covers at the dinghy concert |
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| Mum and Dad |
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