Friday 17 January 2014

 

 

We left Port Louis Marina in Grenada bound for the island of Carriacou (also part of Grenada), some 32 nautical miles north east.  This is upwind so the actual track was going to be longer.  As there is a current setting us to the west we motor sailed (engine and mainsail) so as to stay close to the coast of Grenada. 

 

 

 

 

We’re off at last!  Just leaving St George’s harbour in sheltered waters in the lee of Grenada:-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the ‘Celebrity’ cruise ships tied up in St George’s:-

 

 

 

 

After about 15nm , near the top of the island, the sea started to get choppy and was soon quite rough.  The boat was pitching heavily and we struggled to reduce the slamming into choppy seas.

 

Then the engine came slowly to a stop.....  After some checks we confirmed we had diesel starvation even though the tank was half full.  We switched over to the second diesel tank which was full.  The engine re-started which meant that the fuel filters were not blocked and the restriction was in the first tank’s pick up pipe somewhere.  After some discussion we decided to continue to Carriacou and resolve the blockage there.

 

About half an hour later we heard a loud, long tearing sound and looked up to see our mainsail ripping from the leech (aft edge) to the luff (at the mast).  Oh golly gosh.  On with the harness line to get out on deck to get the mainsail down before it shredded itself to bits.  This was easier said than done in the rough waters but all went well and we had a sorry looking bundle of sail on the side deck.  We telephoned Martin at the local sailmaker ‘Turbulence’ to see if they had an agent in Carriacou but as they didn’t there was nothing for it but to return to Grenada.  Martin told us that a new sail would take 4 to 6 weeks but a repair would be quicker.  We would have to inspect the sail properly once we got it off to see which way to go.

 

Somewhat deflated we motored back south and decided to pass St George’s and return to the south of the island where there would be better shelter.  We managed to get through the reefs before the light went and anchor in Mount Hartmann to various cries of ‘we thought you had left’!  Our passage had been 46 nm and had taken all day and we hadn’t gone anywhere.  We tidied up the sail on deck as best we could and settled down for a late dinner.  Lin’s birthday would be in Grenada after all!