Hog Island

Moonbeam
David and Lynn Wilkie
Sat 25 Feb 2012 12:40

 

 

12.00.079N   061.44.486W

 

Thursday I was up early in the ( warm ) rain and jumped on a ‘bus’ at the marina gate to the bus station then the No5 up to Gouyave   about 10 miles north to deliver the faulty Balmar alternator to Al who promised to look at it. His workshop was full of dismantled alternators and starter motors, empty beer bottles and various machinery all covered in a layer of black grime. The sight reminded me of “ The Black Hand’s” old workshop in Kilmelford and I left it with Al and went for a walk. Fifty minutes later I was back and he had it in pieces and diagnosed a burnt out stator and also the rectifier had a faulty diode. Amazingly he had the parts in stock and an hour later I was crammed into a bus--22 people in a Toyota minibus – and headed back to St.Georges!

 

In the afternoon we left the marina and headed south and anchored in the Hog Island anchorage- one of the most sheltered anchorages in the Caribbean.

 

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Many boats are left here swinging at anchor while the owners are away and several yachts just ‘stay’ for most of the season and do not even have sails bent on. Others use the anchorage as a place to get on with jobs including some major refits!

 

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Hog is the home of Roger’s famous beach bar and on Friday we went ashore to have one of Mary’ pizzas- she has a new cooker but no lighting so she cooks with a torch in her mouth as she rolls out the dough and builds her pizza. Great music from a couple of the yachties playing blues favourites, a petrol generator powers the amps!

 

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Meanwhile we are working on “Moonbeam” maintenance- a seemingly continuous occupation!

A morning VHF ‘net’ tells us what is going on and who needs help with what and who has what for sale or exchange. Tuesday we caught the “yachtie” bus trip which takes us to the supermarket, chandleries and hardware store and on Wednesday Lynn attended the afternoon watercolour class and we briefly watched the floating dinghy concert!

 

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Thursday a dinghy trip to Mt.Hartman Bay ( Secret Harbour Marina) and a walk to Spice Island Boatyard to investigate the facilities and visit David and Sylvia Norris – RHYC.

 

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Mt Hartman                                                                                                                       Looking towards Prickly Bay