BLOWING HARD

It is blowing hard in the middle of the Atlantic as Tropical storm Jerry wanders around in a circle.

It is also blowing hard down here in Grenada with some reinforced trades giving 20 to 25 knots with some higher gusts and for some reason causing the normally calm water of Clarks Court Bay to be ROLLY.

However the varnish is drying and the TO DO list is getting shortened.

We had a situation with a cruiser who had to be taken to hospital and is fairly poorly needing quite a lot of blood just to stabilize his situation. He is an irascible old sod yet when the call went out for blood donors several minibus loads of cruisers have been ferried to give blood. It reaffirms the group help ethos of cruising. BTW they won't take mine due to the meds I take so I did not go.

But I did think that I should go to visit Earnie and take him something. Usually I take a pack of Rombouts one cup coffee filters. Well if you have ever had hospital coffee you will know why.

Anyway here are a couple of pics from yesterdays walk ashore.

Moonset and the Americas cup

I joined a dinghy drift with Elephants Child Pizza Jan style. A 75th birthday was celebrated and I was ready for bed when I got back.

I woke up to a great sunrise, but was not quite comfortable with it rising in the west. Yes I know I am not much use in the morning BC [ before coffee ].

It took me a minute or two to work out that I was looking at the harvest moon setting in the west.

I enjoyed my morning coffee an hour or too later after the proper sun rose in the proper place, which was reassuring.

After a busy day doing not a lot I settled down to watch

the ongoing media show that is the Americas Cup. Dizzy Sox for some reason seems to be an informed observer and i am sure I am catching cat thoughts saying "gybe now you plonker" " Starboard starboard " etc.

Anyway the sunset was a little different

with some delicate artwork from the Lords and Ladies responsible for these things. A good end to a good day.

Busybody or silent mike

One morning the VHF channels were full of chatter as a group of boats who had agreed to head over to Tobago in convoy got themselves organized to leave around mid-day. Now I was not really paying much attention as I was working on my stern steps with the aid of a very curious kitten who saw every nut bolt and washer as a wonderful new toy. But the weather was clearly unsuitable for this passage which needs either for the wind to be NE or very light so you can motor sail. You fight a 1 to 2 knot current nearly all the way. Well it was about due East 15 to 20 and punctuated with frequent gusty squalls. They were going to have the s**t kicked out of them if they tried.

It was with increasing disbelief that I heard the continuing preparations to leave. A couple of times I thought, right time to break in and say that leaving just now was not a good idea but I held back not wanting to appear a busybody knowitall. Lunch was a little later than usual at 1pm and I saw the boats head out into a stormy sky.

The VHF chatter continued and by late afternoon they were all bailing out with some making for Trini and some returning to Grenada.

Now I am feeling a little guilty for not speaking up. But I suppose they had access to the same weather info that I have plus they could see that the squalls were keeping coming just by looking upwind. No need to log on to Barbados weather radar.

So the question is should I be a busybody or silent mike?

Summertime in Grenada

Turbo charge your boat sir?
Turbo charging your boat Caribbean style.

If you start losing races what do you do? Well one thing you can do is cut the stern off and do a bit of planking work and gain a few feet of waterline. Alwyn Enoe and sons at work.

Or you take the lead keel off melt it down and cast a new bulb to hang off the bottom on 7 feetof steel foil. Easy!

Crevice corrosion.

This occurs when stainless steel gets wet and there is no oxygen around. I was cutting my self a slice when I felt it go. Ah well RIP breadknife. A heavy duty bread knife is an essential bit of safety kit on a boat. If you do need to cut a rope in a hurry it is the tool of choice. Can I find one in the local hardware shop NO!

Curiosity killed the cat or in this case gives him sore paws.

Yes Dizzy that is a fan.

Yes if you stick your paws in the fan they get whapped.


It's not my fault.

It's Sunday and the racing starts at 10am

2 high tech catamarans jocky for position on the start line. The skippers are dreaming that they are driving a wing sail foiling catamaran at 40 knots.

The spectators are wondering if it is too early for a beer as they watch dad on the kids Hobie cats at Le Phare Bleu.

Finally we have a hurricane to worry about. Humberto is whirling away West of the Cape Verdes but all the spaghetti shows it heading about due North so no worries there.