NEW CREW JOINS ELEPHANTS CHILD

I finally gave in and stopped avoiding all animal rescue/pet shop/cat rehoming pleas and kitten advertisements. I looked in at the Grenada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and asked if they had any kittens that needed a new home. About a minute later I was sitting down with a little black and white scrap on my lap. She crawled up my chest and fell asleep on my shoulder.

I knew my goose was cooked at that point but managed to avoid taking her on the spot and thought about it over night before saying yes.

So Elephants Child has a new and very demanding crew member. 14 ounces of black and white mischief, already climbing everywhere she can get her claws to grip and exploring every nook and cranny she can get her nose into.

Belle has started playing foot games with her and this is means that we are subjected to full scale sideways kitten attacks on our toes at random intervals during the day.

Belle thinks I need to give her swimming lessons now but I am putting this off until she is a little older which may be a mistake as she will soon be able to make it onto the deck level from the cockpit.

I guess that I need to find a piece of netting to hang over the side so that she can climb back on board if I don't hear her squawking from the water and I need to find it soon.

GREAT TO BE IN GRENADA AGAIN

Elephants Child is back in Clarks Court Bay and enjoying catching up with old friends and some new ones. Captain from LuLuDu crossed the Rainbow Bridge but there is a new puppy on board, a rescue that was hairless and could not stand up when found at the side of the road but is now bouncing around the boat and looking good.

Another regular resident in Clarks Court Bay is the aptly named Flying Buzzard. This 100 ft long Clyde built steam age salvage tug is not your everyday liveaboard.

As well as providing a home for Mike and Julie it has been busy recently salvaging the deck from the beautiful wooden staysail schooner Raindancer which went on the reef trying to enter Le Phare Bleu marina at night. We had been puzzling over this deck as it is lashed along side the old Albatross another long term resident of the bay with the dog house windows just above the water.

But the Buzzard has another job today, it is keeping afloat the remains of the super yacht Uisque Beatha which caught fire in Prickly Bay. This was an 80 ft Jongert built state of the art high performance sailboat which we had passed as we left for Clarks Court Bay.

The clean up operation will start next week, organised by Darren Turner from "Rescue 1", Prickly Bay Marina, Grenada to rid her hulk of as much toxic material and waste as possible before attempting to tow her 8 odd nautical miles off-shore to a spot that has been authorised to lay her to rest in the deep.

Mooring balls

White pimples have been popping up in the popular anchorages as enterprising governments and local boat boys try to cash in on the passing yotties. However they have been going adrift at an alarming rate as something seems to be amiss in the fastenings. Here are just a few that have been recovered as they drifted away often with a yacht attached.

Belle and I are off to the Sunday afternoon jam session at Whisper Cove Marina. I will NOT be taking my flute yet. We are also hoping for another spectacular sunset like this one.

BEAM REACHING DOWN TO GRENADA FROM TYRELL BAY

We had a few quit days in Union Island and Carriacou but the wind ticked round to the North so we took advantage of the angle and sailed down to Grenada.

Beam reaching at 7 to 8 knots with only the usual disturbed seas of the North end of Diamond Rock to upset the tranquility aboard Elephants Child. The engine was only on for a few minutes at both ends. Just blissful.