Grenada - On The Hard

So the boat was hauled out on Monday and is now "on the hard" which is a sailor's term for being out of the water. Oddly, "on the soft" has no corresponding meaning in sailor parlance. We had made arrangements to board the cat during the haulout but after discovering that the kennels were outdoors we found a place that rented small portable air conditioners and it would cost the same as boarding him. So Boris stays on the boat, but the noise from the air conditioner freaks him out a little so he spends his time sitting near the doorway to the cabin with the A/C but doesn't like to actually set foot in the room. Strange cat. Meanwhile, we are literally in the lap of luxury down the road at the Bel Air Plantation resort. The resort consists of eleven or so vacation cottages and villas. So it's like having a small one-bedroom condo complete with kitchenette. And of course, satellite TV. The interesting thing about that is the Direct TV service is for Latin America, so many of the programs are in English with permanent Spanish subtitles and most of the commercials are in Spanish. When we were in Puerto Rico I tried to teach Kevin some helpful Spanish phrases but he opted instead to master how to say "My wife speaks Spanish" so that he could avoid having to talk to people. So maybe now he'll at least have an incentive to learn the days of the week and how to tell time. Who says you can't learn anything watching TV?

As for the work progress: yesterday Kevin scraped the barnacle remains off the waterline and I removed the vinyl bootstripe. Removing the vinyl was kind of fun, sort of like when kids try to peel the foil off the wax of a gum wrapper all in one piece? Only I was never very good at that game so yesterday afternoon and this morning we both had to work really hard to scrub off all the leftover glue using adhesive remover and acetone. The good news is this morning we had a crew of guys show up and start prepping the bottom of the boat for painting. I'm not sure if they're the guys who'll be doing the rest of the work, but they've done a really good job so far. As they worked they chatted away like ladies in a sewing circle, and of course they speak English but they talk so fast that with their accents we can only understand a few words here and there. (Unless they are talking to us, in which case they speak slowly with less slang so we understand). So we are pleased with the progress so far and hope it continues to go smoothly.

Well it is the end of the workday now, so we are headed back over to the resort where the bar has a fabulous happy hour. Beers are EC$3.00/US$1.11 until 7pm and they make the best burgers we've had in months.

Where we are:
Location=Grenada Marine Boatyard
Lat=12 01.367
Lon=61 40.697

Grenada - St. David's

[Kevin's Post]We left the marina yesterday and motored 6 miles east to St. David's where we are supposed to be hauling the boat out on Monday. As we pulled away from the dock, I noticed the boat was not handling very well. It was difficult to turn and sluggish. We could only manage about 3.5 knots for the 6 mile trip which is about half our normal speed. The photo to the left explains it all. Our propellers were practically a solid mass of barnacles. The amazing thing is that our propellers were completely clean 19 days ago when we scrubbed the bottom at Calivigny Island. We've never had more than a couple dozen barnacles on our props, and have in the past gone months without having to clean them. Today as I was standing on the transom putting on my mask and fins I saw the outline of a big fish hanging out under the boat. I stuck my head in the water to see that it was a 4 foot barracuda. I decided to just jump in anyway figuring it would take off. Apparently I only scare away fish when I am trying to catch them cause he didn't go anywhere. I scraped the props for a half hour and he just stayed there watching me.

Where we are:
Location=St. David's, Grenada
Lat=12 01.194
Lon=61 40.774

Grenada - Shiver Me Timbers

Today is Talk Like a Pirate Day. So everyone grab an eye patch, make a hook with your right index finger and say it with me: "Aarrrgh!".

Grenada - Cool Cat with a Hat

We love being at the marina here, but one of the drawbacks is that the water is too dirty and silty (lots of mangroves) to go swimming. So Roxanne on the sailboat "Raven" organized a Sunday afternoon trip to the beach. Of course practically everyone in the marina was excited and wanted to go, so she chartered a big bus and 30 of us piled in and headed over to the west side of the island. There's a restaurant called the Aquarium with a soft sand beach, so everyone proceeded to rent a beach chair and soak up the rays with a blender drink from the bar. Of course what beach is complete without beach vendors hawking necklaces, handmade baskets, ankle bracelets, and spices? I'm sure the vendors get pretty tired of hearing "no thanks, not today". So when the basket weaving guy approached us and we asked him if he could make a hat instead of a basket, his eyes lit up like we had made his day. A sale! Kevin has been wanting a straw hat for a while and this seemed the perfect opportunity. We negotiated a price and watched Terry set to work. He brought over a single palm frond and measured it around Kevin's head to get the perfect fit. Then we watched in awe as he cranked out that hat in about 15 minutes. Amazing. So now Kevin has a great hat that will last 30 years (Terry's guarantee). Even if it only lasts half that long it was cool to watch it being made.

After everyone had their beach time, we all sat down for the Barbecue dinner. The meal was okay, nothing spectacular, but the band was really incredible. We haven't heard too much live local music. We've heard LOTS of karaoke, and there is a good rock band that plays once a week, but this band at the Aquarium was rocking some fantastic soca, singing covers of all the songs we hear on the local radio. They were just really good and really into it; people were dancing and we all had a really great time. So it was a perfect end to a perfect afternoon.

Grenada - Flaming Swords!

On the morning VHF net there was an announcement for a dinner at a local restaurant where the meal would be served on a flaming sword. How could we pass that up? So we made a reservation and Thursday night we headed over to Le Phare Bleu for a fabulous meal. The restaurant and marina is just one bay over to the east so it wasn't far. The owners of the marina have added a very distinctive feature to set the marina apart: a beautifully restored lightship which houses the marina facilities as well as an upscale restaurant. For those of you unfamiliar with lightships, they served as a guide for vessels wherever the currents or shifting shoals prevented building a lighthouse. The ship at Le Phare Bleu, Vastra Banken, was built in 1900 and was active as a lightship until 1970. It's 28 meters long and something like 250 tons. Since 1970 it has been used as a cafe, a houseboat (big house!), and finally it was loaded onto a container ship and brought here to Grenada to serve as the centerpiece of the Le Phare Bleu Marina.

When we arrived we were offered champagne glasses and invited to take a look around. We headed to the upper deck to enjoy the twilight and the cool ocean breeze. After the sun set our hostess Veronika invited us down to the dining room, where we were seated and served delicious bread and appetizers. Finally the moment arrived for the flaming swords (we have video - it's no Errol Flynn swordfight but it's still pretty cool). The swords were presented by Chef Alexander Sattler (Veronika's husband) and the food was excellent (seared tuna, beef fillet medallions, chicken and shrimp). They kept making more and bringing the swords around for seconds and thirds. We were almost too stuffed for dessert, but we managed to save room for the fruit sorbets and espresso chocolate mousse. Yum. Afterwards, Chef Alex drove us back over to Clarkes Court and it was interesting to hear the challenges he faces running an upscale restaurant here in Grenada. We had a great time, plus how often do you go to a four-star restaurant and get chauffeured home by the executive chef? Only in Grenada.

Grenada - Third World Dentistry and Other Adventures

Several other cruisers here have had dental work done. Everything from crowns to root canals, and they all rave about the same thing: "It's sooo cheap!" they exclaim, "A cleaning is EC$90 (US$33) and a full root canal is only like US$300!". The low prices coupled with the fact that we are both overdue for cleanings was enough for me to finally break down and give this dentist a call. Our appointments were for 8 and 9 am this morning, so in typical type A fashion, I call and ask the cab to pick us up at 7:15 so we'll get there plenty early to fill out any paperwork. Unfortunately the cab couldn't come til 7:45 so we just barely made it on time for the 8 o'clock. I was worried about paperwork? Ha! We had arrived before the doctor so we sat down with the receptionist who hadn't even booked us under the right last name (Nice to meet you, Mr. & Mrs. Palt) and there was not a sign-in sheet, form, or even a pen in sight. Dr. H arrived shortly and two minutes after that I was in the dental chair. Why is it that dentists all over the world get so chatty when you have no possible way to respond, other than "unnngh" and "gaaah"? While I was tongue-tied, I learned all about Dr. H -- he is from Syria, came here for vacation a few years back and decided to stay and open up a practice. He was very nice and very gentle, and also very, very quick. No exam (I guess you have to specially request that when you schedule) and the entire cleaning was done in 20 minutes at the most. I got up from the chair and he took a few minutes to clean the instruments and then it was Kevin's turn. Twenty minutes later he was done and we paid the doctor directly, instead of paying the receptionist (which was weird -- we are so used to the whole copay process in the US). All in all I think you get what you pay for. It wasn't the most thorough of cleanings, although I bet it's a real steal if you need serious dental work done. But Kevin did mention as we walked down the street, "Hm. That was the first time I've ever had my teeth cleaned with a dental drill." What???!!! I had thought he was using a waterpick, but Kevin paid closer attention and he was actually using a sort of drill. Jeez, I hope he didn't scrape ALL the enamel off our teeth. For those of you dentist-phobes, there's a reason the dental hygienist spends and hour scraping the plaque off with those twisty torture implements -- it's the best way to remove the tartar without taking the most important part of the tooth! So next time you go for a cleaning, ponder that and let them know you appreciate their efforts. As for us, that will probably be the last time we skimp on routine dental care.

This afternoon we were sitting inside and out the rear window I see a mast coming impossibly close to us at the dock. I flew outside to see what the heck was going on and apparently a small local catamaran had hired a crane and was getting hauled out right here at the dock next to us. I should mention that this marina is not a boatyard -- it doesn't have a special haulout slip or even any boatwork facilities. I guess the owner of the boat lives nearby and just wanted to haul it somewhere where he could keep an eye on things. It seemed kind of like a fly-by-night operation. They pulled the boat up as close to the rocks onshore as possible, and were side-to the wind. Three big guys were holding the lines to keep her in place while they set up the crane. Then the crane guys pulled out these scraggly looking slings to lift the boat -- they were all frayed and completely worn out. There's no way we would trust our boat in something like that. So we nervously watched the whole process (from another boat safely across the dock). The wind was not cooperating so we were worried the boat would swing around wildly once they got it up in the air. We took lots of pictures (for evidence, in case they dropped the thing on our boat!) but the crane operator really knew what he was about and had that thing lifted and safely out of the water without hitting anything or dropping it. So that was the excitement for today. Hopefully we are long gone when they decide to put the thing back in the water.

Grenada - Kevin Sings

Stop worrying, everyone. We did not fall off the face of the earth or fall victim to a freak accident. Anyone who skims the blogs from last summer will realize that when we are sitting at a marina doing nothing, the well runs dry and I run out of ideas for blog posts. We keep doing the same things that I blogged about previously (karaoke on Saturdays, Hash every once in a while, watch the grass grow, watch the cows and sheep and other livestock mow the grass, etc). We are not bored per se (Kevin has been waxing the boat a few feet at a time -- a daunting and energy-sapping task -- it is really shiny and pretty now); it's just that I haven't written much because I felt it might be bor-ing to those of you who have to read it. But our inbox is getting full of requests for a post, so here it is. I can't guarantee a scintillating read, though.

Saturday was another Hash day; this one started and ended at Cabier Ocean Lodge on the east side of the island. It was farther away than we expected, and we had to take a taxi (expensive!), but it was the most scenic hike we've done by far. We walked along a beach for part of it, and then the trail wound its way up to a cliff which had pretty spectacular views of two bays. Gingerly stepping around large piles of cow dung (lots of cows -- Moo!), we followed the rest of the group and ended the evening drinking beers on the beach and munching on some tasty fish nuggets. We were back at the marina in time for the karaoke, and Kevin managed to stick it out until 9pm. He usually takes off around 8 or so. One moment he's there the next minute "Poof. Just like that -- he's gone" (picture Kevin Spacey describing the disappearing act of Kaiser Soze in The Usual Suspects). Although I can't understand why he wouldn't want to stay to the end, the very end, of the singing. Keep this on the down low but he did actually pick up the mike and sing, just once, a few weeks ago. Somewhere in there is his inner Justin Timberlake just waiting to bring the sexy back and bust out in song. I have no doubt that Kevin will deny, deny, deny that this ever happened but lest you doubt me one of our friends recorded it for all posterity in a photo.

Grenada - Tropical Storm Felix part II

[Kevin's Post]Felix announced his arrival around 4AM with howling wind and torrential rain. We both got up since it was impossible to sleep. We sat around listening to conditions deteriorate outside and downloading weather updates. The 5AM advisory from the National Hurricane Center stated that it had strengthened to a tropical storm as predicted and the center had passed and was located about 30 miles NW of us. Shortly after 5am the power went out and the marina was pitch black. Since we couldn't see anything from inside the boat, we put on our foul weather gear and went out to the cockpit to check on things. The wind speed indicator was showing a sustained 45 knots (52mph) with higher gusts. There was a steady chatter on the VHF of anchored boats dragging in the various harbors around southern Grenada. We could see that the two boats on the opposite side of the dock (the windward side) were having trouble with the wind and waves pushing them back into the dock. Amanda turned on the deck lights to light up the docks so they could see and I put on a pfd and went over to help. Both of the boats' transoms were slamming into the dock under the force of the wind and the waves. That can be pretty serious, a lot of boats sank because of this during Ivan. I helped one of the boats adjust their docklines to hold them off the dock and the other boat managed to get situated on their own. The rain hitting me at 50 mph was actually kind of painful and I had to lean into the wind to maintain my balance. I think everyone was a little surprised by this storm since we only had about 16 hours warning versus 4 days like we had with Dean. One of our neighbors clocked the max wind at 53 knots (61 mph). These were the strongest winds we have seen since we have been on the boat. At least the boat got a good rinse.

The small white circle in the middle of the red is Grenada.