WOW AND DOUBLE WOW

Calivigny Island is owned by a billionaire and while it is really his holiday home he does rent it out supposedly for half a million a week.

I am at anchor off their beach so kinda know what is going on by the comings and goings of the various boats that service the island and bring the workers out.

I was aware that there was some guests in residence as the covers were off the pool chairs and the full lights were on at night. The jet skis had blasted around but stayed well away from the anchored boats and the big sports fisherman had been out working the reefs. But it was generally quiet. That all changed last night. It started with a kind of nightclub with all the lights, then there was a laser light show with music which lit up the clouds. This was interspersed with a DJ playing some stuff but more pleasant music than the thump thump thump of the soca we usually here.

That all changed when the fireworks started. What a magnificent show. This was no $100 dollar assortment. This was the pros with their best stuff.

When the first air burst cannon went off Dizzy came down below at warp speed. I went up to watch and soon he came back up curiosity getting the better of his fear.

The smell of the black powder drifted across the water and the moon lit up the drifting smoke trails. This was a show to rival New Year on the Thames[ when they had the money! ]

It was no 5 minute flash in the pan it must have gone on for 20 minutes and this is the finale.

Well it will be as soon as I find out what Windows has done with the file. GRRRRRRRR

DODGING THROUGH THE REEFS TO GET TO HARTMAN FOR WATER

As Jenny and Bob have finally lost the marina back to the bank and a new consortium is beavering away to reorganize everything on shore and n the water there is no place for me to fill up my tanks here in Clarks Court Bay.

So it is off round Hog Island to Mt Hartman bay and Secret Harbor Marina for some water and diesel. I don't really need the diesel but like the security of having the tank topped right up in hurricane season just in case. It has been twenty years since I made this short but reef strewn passage and I was a little anxious as I powered out of CCB.

No worries! I had good sun over my shoulder and they announced their presence clearly even the sneaky brown ones could be clearly seen.

So here I am back in CCB with full tanks. I stopped off at Nirvana [ I said the gang is all here ] to see how Morgan Dodge and Lindsey were getting on as he is missing his mast. It turns out that he was on passage down here and spotted one of his mast stays had several broken strands. It turns out that many of his stays had broken strands and he was very lucky not to have had his rig come down.

Anyway his mast is with the riggers and bits are on their way from France. Nobody stocks 25mm turnbuckles and 19mm wire out here.

HURTY PAW

I have a hurty paw again daddy.



Well stop sticking it in the fan you dozy cat.

The Flying Buzzard made it back in this afternoon. The home of two interesting eccentrics got a lucrative job towing a mega yacht up to St Martin.

The yacht on it's maiden voyage with only 400 engine hours had one engine blow up at idle at the dock. The owner understandably said it is not going anywhere on one engine.

So I guess that is another year or twos cruising in paradise paid for.

HOME

Well it sort of felt like I was coming home as I passed the reef off Hog Island and turned into Clarks Court Bay. My favourite anchor spot was open and the gang is all here some with tales to tell of derring do on the high seas and others with who has the current best buy on beer. Morgan is sitting there on his huge catamaran Nirvana but he is missing his mast so I gotta visit and find out what the story is. Yes I am nosy.

I like to swim from the boat but anchored where I am I like to do it only on an incoming tide to ensure no nasty surprises however one thing I can't stand is the feel of seaweed on my legs.

So no swimming for the moment.

Lots of jobs to get organised for and the list starts from Monday when the winches get stripped.

Pretty sunset last night.

BIG THUNDERSTORM OFF ST GEORGES

Great sail down in light wind conditions, the second in a row. Still moving along nicely at 6/7 knots even with one reef in. The forecast had suggested the possibility of squalls so I was being prudent.I only had about 5 miles to go when the first couple arrived with heavy rain and only slightly increased wind. Still I had rolled the headsail away just in case both times.

So when I saw the third one coming and no different from the first two I got lazy and left the headsail out. This one came with 30 knots and I got soaked put the headsail away. I should know better, and so should Dizzy who decided that the bottom step of the fixed ladder was a good place to be during the squall. We were both soaking wet. Still soon dries out here.

I tried fishing but there is just too much weed to troll, I think the lag between dropping the lure and getting weeded was only a minute or two. So I gave up.

Big thunderstorm this evening over the anchorage in St Georges.

No pics as the wifi is very slow tonight coz it is SPICE MAS. [ Carnival ]

NEW CENTERBOARD PULLEY INSTALLED and OFF DOWN TO GRENADA ON SUNDAY IN TIME FOR CARNIVAL

I had to go back to see Uwe and get a skim taken off the ends but it fits now.

The old one was just rubber it held up for years but the wire eventually cut through it.

Work in progress with Dizzy helping by playing hockey with the spare washers.

Job done.




I went in for the first time since my ear cleared up to see how bad the bottom was. The water is very clear here and I could see from the dink that there were large patches of something growing on the sunny side of the hull. Any way they scraped off easily along with a few barnacles.

Dink is onboard ob is on the pushpit and we are ready to go.

ISLAND TIME Tuesday Friday same day. not in a hurry are you ?

Uwe who said he would get my new centerboard pulley done by Tuesday got it done today Friday still the price was right and it will do the job nicely.

I will head down to Grenada on Sunday in time for the big days of Carnival.

CARRIACOU REGATTA and ON PASSAGE SOUTH TO GRENADA

The regatta is over and

it had great conditions except maybe for the slowest boats on the round the island race when the wind died late afternoon and quite a few retired and motored in. Susy on Spirited Lady of Fowey stuck it out though and ghosted over the finish line in time to see the sun setting.

Some of the local Carriacou sloops have blagged spinnakers for the light air conditions.

Some of the smaller boats had difficulties staying upright possibly due to various mind altering substances that had been inhaled or ingested.

At the last moment I decided I would use the dink to go and watch and pass on the offer to join the Rum Runner.

My weight might have been the last straw but I guess there is some buoyancy left in those Wharram hulls. I would not have liked it because the dub music was BOOMING OUT from their giant speakers.

It was a great sunset last night starting off with the subtle pinks and purples then we had the spectacular bit.

If Uwe the local machinist completes my new centerboard pulley today I will be off down to Grenada on Thursday.