Oriole dodges the pirates
Oriole
Wed 10 Feb 2016 19:59
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Wednesday 10th February
2016
Port Louis, Grenada.
12:02.65N
61:44.93W
What on Earth could we have been doing in Trinidad
for a month. Oriole has been fettled so she looks as though she just came
out of the box. She has been cleaned, polished, varnished, all systems
serviced, from seacocks to watermaker, from truck to keelson she has been
fattened for the market - new batteries, new alternator, old alternator
refurbished and some new parts for the engine One or two jobs which have
been in the pending file for a while have been completed, such as a new holding
tank, galley sinks replumbed and refitted. AND of course last year she had
a completely new rig with new mast, standing rigging and running rigging all to
the highest standard. All the chain plates were removed and checked and
refitted.
 The engine is never
neglected!
Why have we decided to sell our pride and joy at
her zenith? Well, there comes a time when age overtakes enthusiasm and we
did not want to get to that stage. When that happens the boat starts to
deteriorate, the fitting out jobs are skimped and perish the thought, she is
temporarily abandoned for health reasons. So, in short we want to quit
while we are ahead so Oriole remains our pride and
joy.
Meanwhile we have had a bit of time for socialising
with our yachtie and Trinidadian friends. Each weekend we have been
invited "down the islands" to the Trini weekend retreat where much battery
recharging takes place. However the major task of emtying our store of
accumulated boat equipment remained. We arranged "the sale of the century"
during which valuable equipment would be knocked down to bargain basement
prices. Would you belive it? Nobody turned up, although it had been
widely advertised. Many among the yachtie community would have been
hoping that unsold items would be advertised on the local radio net as freebies
the following day, but no such luck. The stern guest cabin has become the
cargo hold and the most valuable items will be offered on ebay when we get
home. The rest has been given to charity to be sold to pay for Christmas
presents and food for the most disadvantaged Trinidadians at a pre-Christmas
sale. Anyway, our half of the store is empty, and the task was not as
painful as anticipated.
 We even managed an evening in the
Caroni Swamp to see the evening flight of Scarlet Ibis.
(perhaps slightly smarter than the
engine!)
But the time to depart arrived. We wanted to
get up to Grenada to spend a few days with our Trinidadian family who were
escaping Carnival in Trinidad when everything stops for a week and you
can't move or sleep in Port of Spain. However news will probably have
spread about the Venezuelan Pirate threat. In December two
yachts were stopped, boarded and plundered at gunpoint on the direct route
to Grenada about thirty miles north of Trinidad. Since then the
Coastguard, Airguard, and Coast Radio have been on heightened alert and the CG
have been runnig extra patrols and policing the border with
Venezuelan waters. The CG have also been monitoring all comings and
goings and have been keeping in radio contact with transiting yachts. For
our chosen departure date there was some divergance of opinion among the
official weather gurus, but we took a chance and made the break to make sure we
could meet the friends in Grenada. The first thirty miles were realatively
calm but the wind gradually increased and we had a fast beam reach for the next
thirty miles - just what we wanted. The sea increased, it was overcast,
raining and unusually cold as a front came through. The wind then backed
and increased to 25 - 30 knots right on the nose - not just what we
wanted. Water was flying everywhere and we were in full oilskins to keep
both dry and warm! We arrived in Prickly Bay, Grenada shortly after
dark. This was probably the least pleasant of any trip we have had from
Trinidad, but probably too rough for pirates. We were having trouble
staying on deck, so how they would have managed to get alongside and stage a
"stick up" .............
 Oriole at anchor in Port
Egmont.
It was all worthwhile. We were invited for
lunch the next day at a lovely beach restaurant and on Sunday we negotiated the
large seas and reefs on the South Coast of Grenada to get to Port Egmont, and
almost landlocked mangrove lagoon where the Trinis have their hideaway.
There are a few houses in the approach and overlooking the lagoon, some of which
rival the modern architecture of Newton Ferrers for lack of taste, but theirs is
probably the most tasteful, understated, but wonderful place, tucked away behind
a small beach with its own dock and well established garden hiding it from the
prying eyes which actually are not there to pry anyway! After two days of
gentle liming - eating, drinking, swimming and chatting we felt it was time to
get back to work, so here we are in Port Louis Marina doing a few last minute
jobs before pushing north. However last night we were collected and
whisked off for dinner. As you can imagine we will really miss the
cameraderie of our Trinidadian family, but plans are afoot to continue the
party!
 Egmont hideaway.
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