There's always something!
Oriole
Sun 27 Jan 2013 22:01
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Falmouth Harbour,
Antigua. 17:01.04N
61:46.37W
Our friends, Adrian and Christine on
Quadrille 2, who had not managed to leave Trinidad for 2 years
and joined us in Martinique for the New
Year have now retired to Rodney Bay Marina for repairs to Quadrille,
which is rather larger and older than Oriole and therefore has
more to go wrong! So sadly they will not join us in Antigua as planned.
Meanwhile we were having problems with our electricity charging from the engine
- no relation to the problems that we fixed last week!
After exhaustive tests by the skipper
with the digital volt/amp/etc meter and several phone calls to the manufacturer
of the alternator regulator in the US, we diagnosed that the programme in the
regulator was corrupted. Too much sophistication I hear you
cry. But most cruising yachts now have "smart regulators"
to optimise the battery charging, particularly if like us they do not have
a generator. But the latter are always causing
trouble.
So a new regulator was
required. Antigua unlike Trinidad, in spite of the enormous numbers of
yachts, keeps very little in the way of spares. "Quick" imports from UK or
US, which normally take at least a week, are accompanied
by enormous freight charges and even larger amounts in charges by agents
for clearing Antigua Customs. Fortunately our trusty North Carolina
connection came to the rescue and Harrison, due to arrive
on Oriole on Thursday, ordered the new part on Monday, it was
delivered to his home on Tuesday and by Friday morning it had been installed and
it appears that another minor crisis has been averted.
Harrison and Katy arrived just before
midnight on Thursday after multitudinous flights from NC, were delivered to the
dock by ever loyal "Oliver Taxi" and we were all tucked up by 0130.
  Katy and Harrison with the home team. (Courtesy of
Harrison)
Somewhat spaced out on Friday we
managed to treck up to Fort Charlotte to watch the finish of the first race of
the Superyacht Cup. Nine of these leviathons exercise their crews in this
pretty spectacular display of yachting hardware. Conditions were light and
the smallest, Marama at 100 feet with Andrew in the crew,
was first over the line so won the first of four races. Yesterday, in more
lively conditions, Marama had two seconds, so today (Sunday) there is
everything to play for. Adela, the magnificent 180 foot Falmouth
UK built schooner has now had two firsts, and spectacularly charged towards the
starting position on Fort Charlotte in the run-up to the start of the third
race. She was in danger of being disqualified for an infringement of the
rules for this display of bravado, but it is all very gentmanly and she kept her
first place. Just got back from watching the fourth race, won by a rather
ponderous Perini Panthalassa. Marama only got a fifth, so
probably second overall. Not bad for the smallest boat.
Oriole is beginning to take root in
Falmouth Harbour and we are due for some re-exploration of the miriad anchorages
around Antigua with Katy and Harrison over the next ten days.
 Adela charges the starting
box. (Courtesy of Harrison)
 Adela edges past
Marama. (Courtesy of Harrison)
 Panthalassa wins on Sunday to
everyones surprise
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