19:43.234N 79:49.839W Cayman Brac

If Knot Y Knot
Patricia Day
Sat 23 Feb 2013 14:25

Wednesday 20

I hosepiped the dock water into a bucket and ran the watermaker for an hour and sent it to the tank for the first time this year.  I did the same again lunchtime and I have a full tank.  The water at the end was coming out 69ppm which is brilliant.  Kodo are checking out today, so we went to look at the turtle rescue centre.  With such good looking and strong shells, and I am told the meat tastes good, it is hardly surprising that they are endangered.  I wanted to see the crocodiles, or alligators?  I could tell Stan was not convinced, but he and Lynn caught the bus with me.  We thought you climbed up a tower and could see them retained somehow.  We found that it was a water tower and a lady came out and walked us off the path into the scrub.  We got to some shallow brackish water and she called and threw stones into the water, but no croc appeared.  Then we went through more prickly scrub and there was a croc lying there with its’ mouth open.  This is mama, she has a baby hidden and papa had his fun and did a runner.  There is a lagoon on the other side of the road. The croc got up and walked away.  We went round and got in front for more photos, really close.  Crocs can move very fast when they want to and as far as health and safety goes, this would probably not be allowed in a lot of places.  Was it an approved tourist attraction even here? Then a 3’ iguana came down the path towards us and followed us.  The lady told it there was ‘no pan’.  The iguana looked incredulous, or was it disgusted with us; no food for it, what rubbish tourists we were.  Glad we went; and had to take a lot of prickles out of our shoes when we got back.

Peri , the marina manager, had arrived back from his week off and I told him that I wanted to leave in the morning.  Final supper with Stan and Lynn and I have a food parcel that will get me to Caymans, at least.

Thursday 21

I had asked for 8, Peri got the officials to the boat by 9.  All went well except for customs.  Where we checked in they do not have customs.  They had a sniffer dog, but evidently that was for explosives; there is a different one for drugs.  Seems a bit late now, but it would be 20CUC and a delay.  Peri went and told them it was not my fault and they did not come and I did not have to pay.  9.30 I reversed my vibrating engine out of the dock, waved goodbye and set off.  Once the RPM is 1500 there is no vibration, so I motored through the marker buoys.  The channel I came in on was in the wrong direction, but I knew where to go and it was worth the extra time.  Until I changed my mind and headed for the reef entrance that I did not know.  It caused me an hour of great unease, but I was prepared to turn round and go all the way back if it seemed dodgy.  That would have cost me half a day, but would have been worth it rather than end up on the reef.  As it happened it was easy enough, but scary.  After I got through two other boats followed; where were they when I wanted some re-assurance?  1100 I was able to sail.  The wind is SE, which is where I want to go, but I have to go E and I have to go S, so I am sailing as close to the wind as I can and taking it from there.  The wind and waves were more than forecast but it lessened and by 6pm it was 6 knots and dropping and by 7.30pm I was making less than 1 knot. I had gone 15 miles too far west, so I motored until midnight, which got me back to my route.

Friday 22

I tried to send the email, but the computer had a problem with the sat phone.  I texted Zoe and maybe she logged a position for me and got it through to Homers’ Odyssey. 

I have been doing well today, but the wind is slowing down, under 10 knots now.  I am also being pushed West, which is not what I want. 

Saturday 23

0830 mooring ball outside Cayman Brac.  I had spoken to the port authority, eventually, but the port is closed and I cannot raise them again.  Managed to phone Steve who should put my position on the blog.