BIT OF A RANT

I have just listened to three boats on the VHF buddy boating up to Union Island from Grenada. They are all complaining about how rough it is, how strong the current is and how bad the wind direction is. They are all saying that they are motor sailing but making less than their estimated speed so all three will arrive at Union Island after dark.

Yes it is going to be rough going North especially off the North end of Grenada, all the forecasts have been showing big NE swells of 2.5 m + for today.

Yes of course they are going to have a serious westward setting current as it is spring tides and in fact the biggest tides I have ever seen in the Carib It has even been catching the locals out. They timed their passage to hit the gap when the current was at it's peak. 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 knots.

The wind has been North of East for days and blowing 20 +. Today it has come down a little but is still well North of east which is going to make that trip a hard motor sail and you need to be doing 8 knots plus to make it in daylight.

If they had just waited to Sunday they would have had a pleasant sail and probably would not have needed the motor at all. 12 knots of wind SE favourable tide which would have given then some rough spots but as the swell was down to 1 m it would be tolerable. Finally they need to plan to leave at FIRST LIGHT.

POSTSCRIPT They made it and it was after dark with no moon. Clifton harbor at Union Island is shown as being well marked with lights on the marker poles but as usual in the Carib maintenance is sporadic and when I last visited with Jan and Hope in January only 3 of the 6 lights were working. The entrance is fairly easy but there is a reef in the middle and the channels round it are narrow. Anyway there was a bit of a clusterf*** when anchoring and there was a coming together resulting in some damage including a ripped dinghy and pulled out davit.