There's always something!

Oriole
Sun 27 Jan 2013 22:01
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