Arrival in Grenada and the amazing people we met along the way!
Walkabout has gone Sailing
Andrew and Traci Roantree
Tue 14 Dec 2021 16:30
Arriving in Port Louis Marina, being welcomed by Zara and her wonderful team at the marina along with Manuel, one the many hardworking and supportive Yellow Shirts from the ARC+ team was one of the best moments of our journey!
We were also greeted by a heartfelt surprise ‘message in a bottle’ from my mum which was the icing and the cherry on top! xx
Port Louis Marina is a paradise!
Beautiful gardens, The Victory Bar, pool, Jenny’s fresh fruit and vegetable markets which were so welcome after 15 days at sea. We bought satsumas, passion fruit, apples, star fruit, salad and delicious freshly squeezed satsuma and hibiscus juice (produced by steeping the flowers and adding water sweetened with sugar).
There is also the most amazing bakery onsite too called The Merry Bakers. They produce freshly baked everything from lemon and poppyseed cake to warm savoury danish filled with cheese and ground meat, and all sort of bread.
Port Louis Marina
It was one continual party following our arrival which was great as we were on such an emotional high and it gave us an opportunity to let off steam and unwind.
Once we had cleared quarantine and customs, there were welcome drinks at a stunning waterside location called Sails with food and dancing! There were many other smaller gatherings to celebrate and meet friends like the marina welcome drinks and then on 9th December we all celebrated at The Aquarium Restaurant, another picturesque location on the beach for the Prize Giving and closing of the ARC+. It was an incredible night and to top it off, Andrew and I were awarded ‘Best Logs’ while sailing across the Atlantic! How fantastic is that!! Andrew was very pleased as he wrote most of the blogs which started out as an update for my mum, family and close friends.
There are a wide range of marine services on or near the marina to help with all your needs from rigging and sails, engine and generator spares and gel coat repairs.
After 15 days continuous sailing, Walkabout was in need of a little TLC! Many boats arrived having torn sails, steering failures, snapped spinnaker poles, electrical failure and a lost life raft. Luckily, Walkabout only needed a few minor fixes but it all takes time, it’s called Grenadian Time!!
Walkabout finally left Port Louis Marina on Wednesday 15th Dec without a working ‘vang’ (supports the boom) and a shattered ‘block’ on the arch that supports the main sheet. Turbulence Ltd who were working on the vang were happy to meet us a few days later while at anchor in Prickly Bay.
A few pictures follow of some special moments we hold close to our hearts xx
Our very last Atlantic sunset on Walkabout before our arrival in Grenada.
Raising the Grenadian and Quarantine yellow courtesy flags after land was in sight!
Being greeted by Steve (Going Deep) and Grant (Arabella) who poured us a shot of Tequila before we had even stepped off the boat!!
Welcoming hugs and celebrating with Herco and Elvira (Morgane of Sark) who arrived 20 minutes after us.
Torben (Daisy) who caught a lot of big fish and came 2nd in Cruising B.
Celebrating with Lori (Favorita) at the Welcome Drinks at Sails Bar.
Enjoying a well earned beer at the Victory Bar with Alex, Andy and Nick (Night and Day).
Night and Day was the smallest boat in the fleet and these guys are simply awesome! (And from Devon as well).
Pina Colada’s with Herco (Morgane of Sark).