Season Six Ends - Grenada Marine, St. David's, Grenada
Harmonie
Don and Anne Myers
Sat 25 May 2013 01:10
| 12:01.460N 61:40.709W May 24, 2013 And just like that, we're done. Not done, as in finished, complete, kaput, sell-the-boat kind of done, just done as in round-the-world, season-end, done. As always when looking back over the course of a boating season, the time seems to have flown. At the same time, our memories of sailing around Africa seem long ago, and are already fading. What used to be tangy, sharp-edged recollections of southwest busters in Richard's Bay and big southeast blows blasting down from Table Mountain in Cape Town, are now slightly blurred remembrances tinged with warm gold, causing us to feel nostalgic, rather than grateful, to have that part of the trip over with. Strange how the mind works. We've been floating around the Caribbean for so long now that even our meatloaf filled 23-day passage from St. Helena has morphed into vague thoughts of blue (the first part), gray (the middle), and bumpy (the end). Season Six: 7 months 7,500 miles sailed (second only to our Season One, which was an 18 month/20,000 mile sailing marathon from Lake Ontario to New Zealand) 1 major cape rounded 1 ocean crossed 4th equator crossing 1st Prime Meridian crossing New record set for longest passage (3,776 miles in 23 days, St. Helena to Grenada) 9 countries visited (South Africa, Namibia, St. Helena, Grenada, St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Antigua, St. Vincent & the Grenadines) And last, but not least: world circumnavigation bragging rights Hauling out at Grenada Marine. As you can see, unlike our last haul-out experience in Simon's Town, South Africa, this was not a tight squeeze. In these slings, Harmonie looks more like a toy than a tubby 52-footer. Overall, on the haul-out stress scale, Grenada Marine rates only slightly above Rebak Marina in Langkawi, Malaysia where the stress was so low boaters were often caught snoozing throughout the process. Covered in critters. This is not the best photo, but suffice it to say Harmonie's waterline has never grown a garden quite as lush as this, nor has her bottom been covered with more barnacles. The fact that the last decent bottom painting was done two oceans ago might have something to do with it. It was a challenge for the guys doing the scraping and power washing, but Harmonie's bottom now resembles that of a boat and no longer a sunken dock. Sanding and painting will take place when we return in January. Traveling through the boatyard (one Travelift driver and at least three spotters). The waiting cradle. All is well as we are now high and dry (only mostly dry since the rainy season is fast taking over), secure in the cradle and not moving (a very odd feeling after having spent most of the past five months swaying on board). Sails have been removed and stored below, kayaks will follow right before we step into the airport-bound taxi early tomorrow morning. Both booms are now stored on deck, and all lines that could be removed, have been. The sun cover will be put away, and the bimini folded and secured, leaving only the tie-downs (Harmonie will be strapped to the ground) to be installed by the boatyard in preparation for the hurricane season, which shouldn't (knock on wood) bring a hurricane. The likelihood of a hurricane is very slim in Grenada, (hence our insurance company's agreement to allow us to store here), but one did occur in 2004. There are about 230 boats stored here, so we won't be the only owners watching the southern Caribbean weather very closely this summer and fall. Ok, so now what? Does it feel good to be done with the circumnavigation? Yes and no. Although the Caribbean doesn't hold the same wonder for us that it did the first time around in 2007/2008, it's still a lovely place where Triscuits can be found in supermarkets, and of course it's very nice to be closer to home. It feels good to have accomplished what we set out to do nearly six years ago, but now that it's done, it has taken us a few months of casting about and feeling directionless to come up with a new plan. Most importantly, a new plan that feels right. If we've learned nothing else, we've learned to trust the gut. Yes, yes, when formulating a plan, we still do all the logical stuff (research via guide books, internet, other cruisers, etc.), but in the end it all has to gel without making us feel nauseous. So there you go - Bob's you uncle - Season Six is done and plans for Seasons Seven and Eight are coming together. All is well. We fly home tomorrow (5/25), and will be there until July, when we fly to Munich where a rental motorhome is waiting for us. After five weeks doing our best to survive in a much smaller space (but without the worry of big wind and waves) in and around Germany, Austria, Czech Republic and maybe Hungary and northern Italy, we will meet Sue and John (Storyteller) and Michael and Jackie (Lady Kay) and Claire and Fi (Sa'Vahn) in Salzburg for the last part of August. After that, we fly to Glasgow where another motorhome waits for us at the Highland Cow (love the name) rental agency. Outside Glasgow, Michael and Jackie will meet us in their own motorhome, and we will spend four weeks touring Scotland's green hills and Scotch whisky distilleries before flying home in early October. (Don has yet to decide whether he is more excited about Scotland's scenery or whisky, but I could hazard a guess.) Season Seven will begin after New Year's. We'll head north through the Caribbean island archipelago, and eventually to the Bahamas and Florida. From there we'll continue north at least as far as Baltimore, and depending on our progress and timing, maybe as far as Maine. During that time we hope to complete several hefty maintenance projects and upgrades, not the least of which is a new engine. Our current thought for Season Eight is to transit the Panama Canal in early 2015, and re-visit the Galapagos and parts of French Polynesia before heading north to Hawaii, Alaska and the Canadian and US west coast for the summer. A lot can happen between now and then, but we feel we aren't done with ocean sailing just yet, so our decision to use 2014 to re-visit the US east coast and complete some much needed maintenance and upgrades feels right. The blog will be back in January for the start of Season Seven. Cheers - Anne and Don |