Off Again
Graptolite's Sailing Log
Martyn Pickup & Heike Richter
Wed 23 Jan 2008 03:01
What has been happening to Grapto all this time? I hear you ask. She's now
back in Rodney Bay, St Lucia. Martinique, although it's a nice place in
itself, the visit does not rank up there with the best of experiences.
While having the generator serviced, the fuel system turned out to have had
been given some dodgy diesel at some point and was infested with diesel bug
and water. The tanks needed cleaning out, biocide-ing and the fuel pump
replaced. It all took three days to sort out. It didn't help that after the
first day the French engineer working on the problem got thrown in jail and
had his tools and car impounded by the Police.
Too much enforced idleness after many months at sea also got Lori and me to
realize that maybe we could both do with a change of company. Lori's family
and friends will find her on another World ARC blog for the yacht 'Quasar'
until the Spring.
New Grapto crew flew in a couple of days ago in the ample shape of Colin
Laidlaw who you will remember from Lagos, Portugal. The next leg will be
crewed by Colin and me to Panama, possibly stopping off at Aruba,
Netherlands Antilles for a rest and a bite to eat on the way. I'm going to
need a few more bodies for handling ropes for the Panama Canal transit if
any of my gentle readers care to jump on a plane fairly quick.
The World ARC start is out in Rodney Bay, midday tomorrow. It might take us
a week to get to Cristobal, Panama. Watch this space.