A Quiet Week

This has been a very quiet week here. We have been perusing a dinghy and motor. Our present dinghy is original to the boat all 24 years. The engine is a small 4 horse Mariner and has let us down on more than one occasion. So we are pricing out and at this point in the season seeing what is available also. We can find a 9foot 6 inch dinghy but no one seems to have a 9.9 motor available. One fellow is sourcing out in St Martin and then what will be the added costs of the freight,duty etc? Friday was a holiday Independence Day so no one worked and Monday we should have some figures. We also wonder if this late in the season it is worth bothering. We are also pricing out davits (the arch system on the back of the boat to hold the dinghy and solar panels ) so we must have weights and sizes of the equipment to store. I see more than a few boat units going out the door soon. Two boats loaned us their dinghies for a test drive. But each had a 15 horse motor and we agreed you don't need that much speed or the extra weight.
We have met so many more people lately and have had invites out and people in. As you know that makes me happy. The ladies lunch on Wednesday is a great source of meeting people. Today in the park on Pigeon Island is a Taste of St Lucia with food vendors and music. I hope to be able to add pictures on this blog. Tomorrow we are invited to a wine tasting on a trawler for about 20 people. Each couple has to bring a French wine under 25EC and I guess we'll compare. They are all good!! On Tuesday we are going to the Pink Plantation for a tour and lunch. We will take the bus to Castries. Many of the ladies are painters and they will be taking pictures of flowers and things for future paintings. We have had a couple of good hikes with new friends also.
The weather has been quite windy and I must say it really does wear you out. The anchor lines squeak and stretch all night but yesterday Brian worked out a new anchor bridle that didn't squeak. We will hope that lasts. Brian is about to dive in the water to spend an hour or so scraping barnacles ...... a never ending job. We have started to think about our preparations for putting the boat up for the season. I made sun shades for the windows this week.
We also had the police boat stop in for a random check. Just information gathering ..... how many people ,when did you arrive,safety equipment on board etc. but why do they have to wear black hard soled shoes. What a mess they left!

A Day in the Life of a Cruiser by BJ

Well we've been at it for how long? The first thing you notice is how one day blends into the next and it's all good! Everyday and every night is like the best we ever get in a Southwestern Ontario summer. Lots of sun, balmy breeze and low humidity. I will give the edge to Ontario sunsets. Twilight doesn't linger long then there is the crystal clear sky with a myriad of stars and very little ambient light. The hills around the bay light up like a giant Christmas display and there is often music floating across the water from the Sandals resort or the Sunday night jazz from the Jambe de Bois. Each morning we wake up to find some new neighbours have arrived in the night.

Sunrises are quite similar to sunset in that they are not particularly noteworthy. It could be the lack of industrial pollution. Often they report on the Sahara sand dust in the air and that is probably responsible for what colour there is. Mornings are my quiet times for meditation and reflection which has been tremendous. Lorna seems to need more sleep than I do and it's worked out well for us for years! The morning also brings a quick assessment of the weather conditions with clouds often to the East which generally move off with the building wind. Today for example it was relatively quiet when I got up and now at 9:30 the winds are at about 15 knots gusting to 20 with a greyish cloud cover heading our way. So showers or a squall may be imminent. The bay has now picked up to a chop but there are no whitecaps. The fetch for the east wind is about 1km. A quick shower will roll by and the hatches better be closed in a hurry.

Now that the SSB radio is operational I can participate in a network of cruisers and get a comprehensive weather forecast and position reports for most of the Caribbean. Dennis on Tiger Lily II is a retired meteorologist from Toronto and runs the net. The net also provides a great resource of information and expertise. I think the most value comes from feeling connected to others. The net runs from 7:45 to around 8 on USB 44200.

After the SSB net we usually have our coffee and breakfast, listen to the local VHF net on channel 68, then plan our day. There is always something to do on the boat as well as the other functions of living such as cleaning, groceries and garbage. The boat stuff usually takes three times as long as expected and often has to be put off for lack of materials. The others go on but a little more frequently than at home due to limited capacity to store. The freezer is the size of a breadbox so not too much can be stored for many meals ahead.

The photos attached are just one of those things you get to do down here that you don't do at home. That's what we are here for, new experiences! You know when it's time (past time) to clean the bottom of the dinghy when fish are feeding off the grass!

Well that's pretty much how she goes here. Lunch and dinner are often interchanged. If we are on a hike or in town we'll stop for some local food that consists of a full plate of good stuff at about $6.00 CDN then have a light snack for dinner. Dinner usually happens shortly after sunset in the cockpit by the light of our hurricane lamp. And we wonder where the day went but, it was good! Then a couple of games of cribbage and off to bed. "It's only ten to eight, we can't go to bed yet" "Okay let's have a glass of red wine and chat".

Greetings from sunny St.Lucia!

Brian

Settled into a Groove

We do seem to be settled into a grove here in Rodney Bay. We have friends all around us and really why go any where? Dawn and Laurie are just ahead of us but will be leaving at the end of the week and Glyn and Jenny of Wandering Star are also leaving at the end of the week so our cozy corner will cease. Maybe we will think about moving. We have been busy with lots of hikes and always a cold beer or two awaits at the end. We walked to the north end of the island all up hill and the views at the top were amazing. Today we had to up anchor and go into the gas docks to purchase water. We carry water for three weeks if we are careful. It is very inexpensive but a nuisance factor for sure. Since anchoring is not one of my favourite things to do we wait as long as possible. Friends Kristen and Terry of Silk Pyjamas gave us a set of head phones to talk to each other as we anchor. They are fantastic! We didn't yell at each other once! Everyone is so generous with bits and pieces they no longer need. Space is also at a premium and getting something you don't use off the boat is a good thing. We gave away our life raft that was outdated and in need of many dollars to bring it up to date to our friend John who was glad to receive it. Each morning we listen to a cruisers net on the VHF radio and "treasures of the bilge" is a very busy spot on the net. We have received a lot of help with our SSB radio and are now able to receive and transmit on it. We can hear weather reports daily and are able to contact Dennis the weather guy directly to see if a passage is safe in his opinion. Every Wednesday the cruising ladies get together at a resort and have lunch ..... Don't talk about volts or amps or engines or anything technical. It is a great network of friendly ladies all with the same fears and joys.
So as you can see we are learning the lay of the land or the sea and enjoying everyday!

Friends from London

We were in the grocery store last week and ran into friends (former customers from the drug store) from London. What are the chances of that!?!? We made arrangements and met them for dinner at our favourite little spot near the boat. They took a taxi and met us for dinner. We had a lovely evening.
This week we have been busy with Dawn and Laurie on Cat Tales. Brian is getting some wiring finished with Laurie's help and Dawn and I are just visiting and having fun. We are still trying to get the SSB radio to transmit. So many people with so many opinions.
The weather has been very dry for the past few days not even a rain over night. But it has been a little cooler in the evening. I changed the sheets and put on the thick sheets as we don't even have a blanket on board. A beach towel would have to do if it ever gets that cool but I really doubt it. The joy here never ends!