Leaving Grenada
Chaser 2
Yvonne Chapman
Wed 6 Jun 2007 20:57
We planned to leave for Tobago last Thursday, but while checking the fuel systems on the engine I noticed we were charging at 14.6 volts, that's too high, so I reprogrammed the regulator and after that it didn't work at all. By the time I managed to reconfigure it, customs had closed for the day and we couldn't check out. The weather forecast wasn't good for the following day, nor for the next week. So we stayed in prickly bay, just moved over to the other side a few days ago.
While dropping the anchor we noticed the chain wasn't running smoothly, having nothing better to do we decided to take the windlass apart and grease it. Whereupon we found the bearing had seized and needed replacing. Fortunately we had a spare bearing and seals, but could we get the old bearing out - no! We tried oiling it, heating it hitting and swearing at it, but it wouldn't budge. We borrowed a puller but it didn't fit and another wouldn't work. We finally managed to find an engineering shop that had bigger hammers and out it popped. Back again to Chaser to refit it all, by the end of the day it was all in and working.
We checked weather forecasts on Tuesday, and Thursday evening or Friday looked good for departure to Tobago. We started the watermaker so we'd have full tanks and drinking water for our arrival.The watermaker pump overheated and started smoking AGAIN! We could believe it, this is a new pump that we replaced in St Lucia because the other failed on our last day across the Atlantic. I telephoned the makers in Trinidad, they said 'No problem' FedEx it to us and we'll repair or replace it in 24 hours and send it back. Well, 1, FedEx costs a small fortune and we have to pay that, and two where in Tobago do we have it returned to. We decided the cheapest and easiest option was to take it there ourselves, hence our decision to leave tonight at 8pm for TRINIDAD!. All being well, it'll be repaired or replaced and refitted on Friday, we can then head for Tobago Saturday. That's the plan --------------- until it changes------------ who said 'Don't ya just luv it when a plan comes together'
The photos are the last of Prickly Bay and is that Susie and James ------- no, but it does look like them. That photo was in a local Grenada magazine.
