Heading towards Barbuda

Ticketeeboo
Sue & Alan
Mon 28 Apr 2014 12:57
Very pleasant day on hook yesterday. Up at 0600 and underway after good nights sleep.
Necessary jobs sorted whilst on hook. SCUBA gear adorned to clean prop. What a mess and what poor visibility in swelly conditions. Couple of times I lost sight of the hull, less than 2m away and had to surface to get whereabouts! Never seen prop so encrusted with barnacles and beasties. Now free and clean and working a treat. It's surprising how encrusted a prop can get and still drive the boat!!! These Carib beasties are the bees and ezzzz. Whilst I was in the water Annie, assisted by Mike, made a good start re-sewing the tapes on clew of our jib - a job I discovered had been overlooked when we had our jib repaired at St Lucia. All done now. Evening before our generator seawater pump impeller chewed itself up for the n'th time. There was also some grass in the Y strainer so decided to check/clean seawater intake strainers, which are now meticulously clean. (They weren't bad though but worth checking).
I brought some heavy spares our with me a hold luggage. On arrivl at Antigua Airport there was no signs of my bag and I was left 'last man standing'. When I informed an officer on duty they set-off to find out if my bag was still on the plane, about to head-off towards Barbados! Whilst waiting Mike noticed my bad departing the luggage hall on someone else's trolly. Pleased as I was I was nevertheless annoyed as well as relieved. Naturally I grabbed it back and thanked the dim-wits! Only few minutes before I was wondering if I would ever see our new autopilot motor, generator seawater kit and Scotts bacon & sausages again? Also, would I want these sausages and bacon if they stayed missing for long enough to find their own way home?
This morning weather is beautiful. Light cloud, 15kn E'ly wind, close reaching mainsl & jib at 7kn. Wonderful. Only thing to make it better is if My Lover is here too instead of being Chief Gardner and Grand-kiddies entertainer home UK. Every sleep brings us one day closer again.
We expect to be Barbuda at least couple of days before heading next island to N.
BFN awaiting next news from home xxxxxx.
Ticketeeboo MMSI 235071989 Callsign 2CED3, Ham callsign = m0hng
At 28/04/2014 12:38 UT our position was 17°19.69'N 061°52.89'W
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