Susie went to Union Island day after boxing day, its only 8 miles away but north east of Carriacou. I was under instructions to get there come what may for New Years Eve celebrations, I left it to the last minute because of wind direction north east. On New Years EVE EVE weather was good to go, its only 8 miles away ! I hoisted the dingy up on the fore deck and lashed it down, I would go with just the mainsail up. I left Carriacou at 1000hrs doing approx 3 knts, I had all day to get there, weather was sunny and a was enjoying the lazy sail. Looking aft about 1400hrs I saw a huge dark black cloud engulfing Carriacou, serous squall, and as it was behind me I would miss it completely in the north east wind.......as I watched this cloud was overtaking me traveling north west opposite wind to what I was in......not forecast at all!.... I watched as it drew closer and closer, I could now not see anything behind it because of the white out rain under the darkest cloud I have ever seen. Wallop it got me.... must have been well over 40 kts of wind with horizontal rain, wind whipped up the sea blowing the tops of the waves off adding to the downpour, the boat was heeled so far over lee rail under water and now going away from Union Island very quickly, I was only 2.5 miles away when this happened. It lasted a good hour and a bit, I was now 3 miles from Union Island in the current and there was no way for me to tack back, I was going to miss the Island completely.....as time went on I knew I would have to start the engine to make it at all. But I couldn't start my lovely very reliable engine at all, even put the electric priming pump on didn't make any difference, I knew I was low on diesel fuel that combined with the tossing about I had just gone through had disturbed all the crud in the tank and the filter had blocked up. I had been telling Susie at anchor what was going on, so she organized a local fishing boat to come out and tow me in this took another hour and it was now going dark! as I was taking the sails down I noticed bits of broken painted wood scatted on the deck, after a short look round there in the bottom of my dingy was a huge hole, the waves had smashed and stoved in the floor. Fellow cruisers helped me anchor the boat, the wind was still viscous with very strong gusts, and about 2 hours later now pitch dark my anchour dragged and off I went heading for a very big luxury motor yacht! again fellow cruisers came to my rescue and herded me back in and I anchored again, thank the stars I had fitted that electric windless.
I didn't dare leave the boat that night and although there was a party and B-B-Q on the beach I didn't go, one local guy came out and offered to take me to the beach I had to say no, he came back about 15 mins later with a huge plate of BBQ food for me Magic.
New Years Eve 2017
Susie had organized a powerful local boat to take us all to the town of Clifton for celebrating New Years, its a long way from Chatham Bay against the big seas and wind, we went very fast into the waves doing I think maybe 20 + knts and arrived at Happy Island about 1600hrs, this island is the Kite Surfing Capital of the Caribbean! I counted about 20 kite surfers doing some amazing stunts, like coming at the dingy dock so fast in the calm shallow water of the reef and launching into the air between the dinghies like 2" away from them going over the bar and our heads turning and landing again in front of the dinghies shooting off at high speed away from us, wish I was a bit younger to have a go at that.
After all that was over and quite a few beers we were taken to the town for the party time, it was all happening,we Partied Hard went to the town dock before midnight and watched the fireworks, a few more beers and about 0200hrs 1st January 2018 we were taken back to Chatham Bay, I was very drunk at the time!
here ends part 2
Roy
here ends part 2
Roy
