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
|