Discovery

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Fri 27 Nov 2009 23:38
Finally we bid Farewell to Trinidad, heading north - Major Discovery
 
 
  
 
 
 
We left Coral Cove, Trinidad at 16:45 on the 26th November 2009. My friend Mr Pecalin saw us off. Then it was time to get the troll line out -hurrah. It was so good to be on the water, jobs behind us and away to freedom. Bear came up from his rest at 22:00 to find me playing with "the beast". I was passing a huge oil platform about two miles off and set myself the task of trying to take a picture of it. With the bobbing up and down, getting it in the frame was a challenge, let alone keeping it in frame and snapping whilst weaving like a blade of grass in a big blow. The result was a small thing that looks like a Christmas Tree and me in fits of laughter, Oh well if you sail with a nutter, what do you expect. I'll say nothing. Back into our shift pattern although I didn't sleep from 22:00 until 02:00, I thoroughly enjoyed my 02:00 to 06:00 watch, covering twenty four miles. Bear came on duty and off I went tired and ready for sleep.
 
If ever I was going to have a 'thrommy' it was at 07:00, when the same sickening sound - like a pneumatic drill in the next room arrested me from deep slumber. Up I sat praying that Bear had suddenly had to use the bow thruster to avoid a lobster pot. NO. He had heard it and came thundering in with a worried _expression_. I thought NOT AGAIN, ditto what had happened crossing the Atlantic. I went straight back on duty while Bear emptied his potting shed to inspect. SEA WATER and lots of it was swilling around our brand new equipment. My tidy, sea-worthy girl now had our en suite full of potting shed stuff and the kitchen anything that wouldn't fit in the shower. Bear emerged very hot, sweaty and confused. Nothing for it but to get in to St Georges and go to the drawing board. Too late for me to go back to bed as we were now at the south-west tip of Grenada, with little over an hour left of our new-season maiden voyage.
 
Bear in a fit of grey matter, worked out that the bow thruster compartment only got wet if we leaned hard to port and were slamming up and down (the slamming in biggish waves like Beez had been all the way across the pond). Down he went for a furtle about and came up looking somewhat pleased. I found it. Oh a Eureka moment, eh.
Sort of above the potting shed is the anchor locker which is fitted with a shower to wash off grunge as the chain is wound up and to give the anchor a quick face and hands as it is stowed. Therefore the anchor locker has to have a drain hole each side (the chain and anchor are obviously wet as they come up anyway) with a waste pipe letting the seawater escape. The shower pipe comes from inside the boat through, through a what was UNSEALED hole. SO, net result,  water could come in through the anchor drain hole into the anchor locker (which is fine) but in more extreme conditions was leaking through the hole around the wash down shower pipe, downward to the bow thruster.
 
We arrived and anchored off St Georges, Grenada at 08:30 on the 27th, had breakfast, a swim and a rest. Off to the chandlery for the mastic and then to the Yacht Club, also where Customs and Immigration is, had lunch and back to Beez for sealing of hole. Moral of the story, we could have lost the brand new, very expensive toy for the sake of a fiver. 
 
 
 
 
 
That evening was our first sunset in freedom this season.
 
 
  
 
 
En route to the chandlery we had popped into the marina and said hello to Richard and Lucy, Marie Galante II (they had spent the entire hurricane season here, next to Altair. We missed Becca and Dudley as they were back in the States, we hope to catch up with them later in the season). Richard told us to be above the museum at 18:30 for a great night out. Free to get in, we were delighted to see a group of youngsters at a sort of open mike event. The band were talented and some of the voices excellent. We were treated to a mix of Negro-Spiritual, blues and typical Caribbean Gospel. A little girl stole everyone's heart as she danced completely unaware anyone was watching. Only in the Caribbean. Beer was offered at half time. We were asked to make a small donation to the funds, which we more than happy to do. Marvellous.
 
 
  
 
 
After we had a jam session outside. As I took this picture of Richard I saw a spare drum and couldn't resist it. Even the lady selling the beer joined in.
 
 
  
 
 
We dingied over to Port Louis Marina and had supper in the restaurant with Richard and Lucy, catching up was fun. Under new management the food had a home made quality. The marina buildings now look finished since our last visit and the slips are currently under construction. On the big boy berths that we had been on were now Sequel P and a vast Ocean Victory, facing a prettily lit St Georges.
 
We left on the 1st of December at 07:40 and put the anchor down at 14:10 in Hillsborough, Carriacou. We anchored nest to Wendreda (of Belfast, see children in Halloween pictures), went ashore to clear out of Customs and dingied over to a boat we did not recognise who had been furiously waving as we passed. It was Setantii, Bill and Ann welcomed us aboard for a couple of sundowners with their visiting friends. We had briefly parked next to them in Sutton Harbour when we had first got a berth with Razzmatazz. After dinner, an early night. Left there the next morning and arrived in Bequia at 14:45.
 
 
 
 
Wonderful for us to see Beez Neez as she should be and in all her glory
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL A GOOD FEW DAYS