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Sail day, captains orders

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Pulled out the captain card today. Wind was in a good direction, waves were a mere 2 meters (6 feet for rest of yall) and yeah we could have run a motor or two, yeah we could have made water along the way.. but damnit its a sailboat so it was my day and we sailed it.

We could have made the 20 miles in 2 hrs and were on track to do so, but as we arrived St Vincent we could see some rain a closing in. So I headed up and slowed the boat down to 5 or 6 knots. The drizzle started, but it wasn’t a down pour. Took the opportunity to re-learn yet another lesson. Loosen the damn lazy jacks before setting the sail. We had set the main, it was at 1 reef, but shortly into the bouncy ride, I heard across the boat that the blue thing just fell. I guess that is a non sailors term for the sailbag just dropped on the solar panels. Doh. Well been needing to go up the mast to check on the steaming light that wasn’t working anyway. So during the drizzle, used a spin halyard to jury rig the bag so that when we did drop the sail, it would go in the bag and wouldn’t be a big mess to contend with later. That took long enough that the rain stopped and we could then cook it back up to 10 knots over ground and head to our destination.

We dropped the sails with about a mile to go, and let the boys drive while we put away the lines. Cole was a bit aggressive with the steering while Cameron who couldn’t see over the instruments was right on the money playing like a video game.

We know this place, have been here a few times before. The current and winds here are fluky, but so much nicer than the blue lagoon about a mile east of here. We always grab a ball, becasue you never know if the wind or the current will be the stronger and would have to set 2 anchors just to be sure.

Arrived shortly after noon, we amimed for one ball but the boat boy wanted us on a different one near the private club, so we went there instead. Dingy’d the girls ashore for some shopping and a water/beer run. That was supposed to take 2 hrs, they also arranged new years dinner and taxi ride to the botanical park, and I was slacking and didn’t see them when they got back to thte dock.

I had rigged a small rope swing off the dingy davits for the boys to play on. They took to it like the fish that they are. While they were pre-occupied with that, I rigged the boom off the port side now, we had a real show. Even the local boat boys were applauding and smiling as they went by.

Grilled pork jerk pork chops and some island green beans and corn fer dinner. And the obligatory garlic bread before it goes bad.

Having a cold beer watching the boat swing and sway where ever it wants to, have fenders tied at the stern in case we swing the wrong direction into the cat behind us, or wait is it in front now? We passed that one on the way here, initially tought it was coming at us, so I tried to go winward of it, ubt 45 mins later we were still on a collision path, so tried to duck it, but there was an island in the way, again another 45 mins later and it appearant finally that we were going the same direction, we were just going faster than they were. They have a really raked mast, so the were not flying a jib to weather, we have a bout a 4inch rake, they have a 5 foot rake. What that means is, our mast is almost vertical and theres leans way bak and carries a different sail plan when going into the wind than we do.

The private resort wouldn’t let us on today, seems a cruise ship was in town or something so it was said that ‘maybe’ tomorrow you can come. All that and the place was empty. That is where we have dinner reservations for tomorrow. Course they are at 7:30 and normally the boats ligths are out by 8pm, err well before sailors midnight.

Getting ready for the new year, happy near year all, and may your near years resolutions bring you good fortunes and happiness.

Last morning Moustique

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Slightly less rolling, Christine woke me up to see a catamaran whose anchor didn’t hold. Seems they had in impromptu raft up with a 100 foot yacht whose anchor was holding and had been here the whole time we have.

This charter will have some explaining todo when they get to port, it also appears to be missing a dingy.

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This is what they rafted up against.

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As soon as the first boat left this morning, the catamaran came in an grabbed a the newly vacated ball. Course the balls have no painters, so their method of picking it up involved someone jumping over the bow and threading the lines while in the water. You could see the early morning grogginess on the attempts and you know there are barnacles growing on the lines on these mooring balls. Needless to say, as soon as they were on all situated and a quick attempt and bending the stanchions back, they quickly retied back to the sleeping that they were awakened from.

Today’s plan is a sail up to young island, a little cut near blue lagoon on St Vincent. There is a beachbar there that we haven’t been too. Heard its nice but expensive. Figure its a great place to stage for the new years eve, and the early new years departure for newly seasoned sailors. So far everyone appears to be hangling the motion of the ocean with ease. Today we’ll have about a 20 mile sail, early this morning the winds look light but we are hidden behind the island and most of this sail will be exposed on the Atlantic side of Bequia.

No sightings of the Rich and Famous, and the real story seems to be they are just trying to keep the island exclusive, at least during the high times, christmas, new years, and easter. I guess if you have that kinda cash to spend on an second or third home down here, you deserve something for your money even if you are not here. One of the islands hill top homes, looks like it belongs in greece or italy and it totally out of place, the owners are from Gemany and only visit like once every 3 years or something. Most of the other places fit into the landscape naturally. Maybe next time we’ll brush elbows with the upper crust, but if not this is still a lovely place to visit.

Full day, full bay

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Woke up to find the island being pumped with fuel. The tanker parks off the island and they drag a hose a shore to pump it up. Happened last time we were here too, that means where we anchor, we have to dingy around the back of the fuel truck, and around the hose to get to shore which adds about 10mins to the dingy ride. The loud blasts of the air horn as others who don’t notice try to dingy straight to the dock are a quick reminder that you probably aren’t sleeping in this morning.

Dropped Christine and Kimberly off at the dock early to explore the shops, as its also a crew members birthday today. (er Yesterday,as I write this). And back around the hose to get the boys and do some swimming. Came back and futzed with the dingy arm and again decided its more work than I want to tackle when we need a working dingy to get us to and from shore and a limp wrist is something we can deal with.

The freezer finally gave up again, the ice was water, the chicken a soggy mush, need to make a trash run, don’t want all that smelly stuff onboard. I looked through the documentation, the E1 that we were seeing is possibly a short somewhere. Off it is, that means no more jello shots.

Finally got the boys motivated and setup the generator, to make some electricity and water while we are away. So that we don’t have to listen to the wonderful sounds of electricity being made, poor boats behind us, they are stuck with the noise. No sooner than everything is set and we are loading up in the dingy, all devices charging, all hatches closed, girls spotted on shore walking to the meeting spot. The sky opens up, and lets the water come down. Not a sprinkle, a down pour, scrambling back aboard, setup the water capturing, and hid from the rain for 20 mins while it passes. So we were forced to listen to the generator for a bit. Its all good.

Change of plans, lunch/snack at Basils and of course a cold beer or two. Christine and Kimberly got to talking to some locals that sat at the table next to us and managed to get an offer for a personal tour of the island. As it turns out, Richard and Valerie run Mustique Tennis on the island and have lived there for close to 14 years. We took them up on that, Wayne took the boys swimming, I went back to check on the boat – quickly cleaned out the starboard fore peak, back over to the beach where the boys were swimming and a short while later tour by mule was complete. We’ll look up our local guides from the tennis center next time we are here for a more in depth tour in the ‘off season’ where presumably we’ll be allowed to explore again and certainly owe them dinner and drinks for the extreme generosity!

After swimming we returned to the boat and found the generator had run out of gas, which was planned, the watermaker was still running. We had a full house of electricity, and both water tanks were 1/2 full, that should last for a while.

Both Firefly and Cottonhouse, the other 2 restaraunts on island were booked for dinner, so we made reservations for appetizers and drinks around 5pm @ Firefly. An awesome place that overlooks the bay where the boats are anchored and lovely staff to take care of you. Not an inexpensive place, I think our pizza’s and appetizers could have bought coach ticket to mexico.

Back to the boat to celebrate a birthday, Christine whipped up an anglefood cake and frosted it with cool whip. Complete with candles and presents, the way every birthday should be.

Lovely relaxing day.