Sunday, June 9, 2013

Arrival at St Lucia


Well as a coincidence, I had mast out, hauled out and into the shed on Optomist regatta day same day as I returned after nearly sinking in the Atlantic 2010!
So I am back in St Lucia and the good news is, here they were able to fix my computer after failing in Antigua.
Today I have managed to find an internet connection, bit slow at the shipyard, but, when I go ashore it is very fast and FREEE. I think there will be many more boring pics of the coming repairs to the deck.
The decision to come here to St Lucia took awhile, but once I knew I could book a long time in the shed out of the rain and burning summer sun, there was no other place I could have gone. Also as June 1st was the beginning of this years Hurricane season I should be safe, (touch wood)
The journey here was very fast, the easterly trade winds have been very strong for over 2 months now, they have carried a lot of rain as well. So with fingers crossed that all leaking seams have now been fixed, I set off, with all sails up, no reefs, in the high force 5 to 6 winds, making more speed than I ever did on average before, 7.5 to 9.5 knts, flying! water pouring through the damaged decks mind you, on arrival here I had to slow down as getting there at 0100hrs was not in any plan of mine.

When moored up in the Lagoon at 0700hrs all floors came up for inspection, Guiding Light is tighter now than she has ever been in the 20 years I have owned her, it is only worrying in one respect, as I don't hear the bilge pump running anymore, I have to keep testing them to make sure they haven't failed as normally happened in the past. Its nice to see the boat dry out completely with both bilges still holding at normal levels.
Much more later
Roy
P.S. Beaumaris! see you all soon. (very interested to see the new Pier)