update post 2

Hi again ALL,
Well I left Tyrell Bay bound for St Lucia early, hoisted the mainsail and sailed past close to each boat I had made good friends with, had a special send off from all.  'Jambaiala' a very big Carriacue sloop gave a salute as I left, being a lot faster  she left after me and overtook me, pic)1

 Peter who owns her now told me of his sadness when he spotted G.L. at Antigua, for he had bought a 12 ton Gauntlet called 'Muresse' in which he completed a circumnavigation taking 5 years!
Pic ) 2 is sighting St Lucia at 0557hrs next morning as the Pitons appeared after a severe squall.

Having arrived at Rodney Bay, the first job on my work list is to repair the toe rail that the toe boats pulled off when G.L. was rescued from the reef in 2011!!! yes, it took that long to find the teak at an affordable price! following pics show the story of that little job. pic 1, the plank on deck next to the hole it will fill.

after having it cut, the piece is offered up for the first time.

then accurately marking and cutting the hooked scarf joint.

The teak is 4 1/2" wide x 1 1/8" thick x 14' long, not at all easy to bend a complex shape with when you see how far it has to go. But having glued and screwed the joint, the process is started.

a quick sand to check the joint is good.

the screws are 6" long x 3/8" and go through the plank edge + covering board into the top hull plank, approx 10" centres, the bending round and lifting up drilling and screwing went on for two days!

until finally at the knight head and screwed home.

 

then the capping rail has to go on after plugging all the fasteners, 14 screws were used on the plank, magically sourced in July 2012 in St Thomas USVI.

and at last it is finished

but not quite...cutting and fitting two newly acquired fairleads (in Grenada) and blocks to match on both sides, and the finishing sealer can be applied.

I am now up to date, and as I write this, I have had to go and do the complete boats rails, which is in progress, the new bit showed up the rest!
Roy

update 1

Hi to all,
I am so far behind in the blog due to the problems getting internet, but here I go again.
I had a quiet November really, weather was very rainy, to reflect later, on these quiet days, 1) I took a small video clip. Taken at the Gallery Cafe while having breakfast.

then 2) a picture of my boat at anchor with the dingy hoisted, my normal way when on the boat!
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then 3) three pics of the beach Tyrell Bay, one of the dingy dock awash at The Lazy Turtle Restaurant.
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then 4) two pics of a beautiful sunset.
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then 5) one pic, of one of  many, baby turtles! whose nest had been exposed by wave erosion.
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then 6) a before and after pic of my anchor lamp
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then whilst all this is going on, its getting close to my extended visa running out. The weekend before, I had a very lucky 'opportunity knocks' situation, and after an adventure into darkest Carriacue, met a man Ray Charles who had a teak log in his wood-mill, I have only been looking for a bit of teak to fix the starboard toe rail for three years!!!
so a then 7) a pic of the plank he cut off the log for me.
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So after the plank was lashed to the deck, and after my sister Lynne said she had posted the spares I had ordered, it was time to head out for St Lucia, first though a farewell dinner, with Spirited Lady Suzie, Maddy and friends, we did it at the 'Lazy Turtle'
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I will split this post here to do a bit more sanding on deck
more very soon
Roy

Update to Nov. 3rd 2014

Hi all,
Internet again yippee!

A few pics of various beach parties (with bars! & beaches!) just been chillin! and enjoying the scene, guys, touch wood, nothing bad has reared it's ugly head, and I have been enjoying the freedom of changing the view from my galley porthole at will! Its now November 3rd, so enjoy bonfire night to all at home. Not sure what I will be doing this Wednesday, but there's bound to be something going on.
So pics follow........

These pics are of Hog Island and Rogers Bar Grenada, Taken on a regular Sunday after noon BBQ, Suzie who owns Spirited Lady in the swim suit, is now a good friend, there were all 8 UK Spirit Boats at Antigua Classics this year

And on my way back to the boat I was treated to a lovely sunset.

Next pics are from Sunday after noon BBQ  at White Island Carriacue, we joined the fishermen and their families/friends, they took us there in the high speed fishing boat, getting ashore was a job in the surf with all the supplies. A magic day ending in a high speed blast back to Tyrrel Bay with another amazing sunset.

So all up to date again, I will be going to St Lucia again soon, This will involve a work list of things I need to fix or re furbish........
Roy

update 13-10-14

Hi All,
Have not been having much fun getting internet, the reason for not posting anything for some time.
I have in the meantime been here in Grenada, done a lot of meeting new people, fixing boat engines and electrics, surviving tropical depressions! I got hit by 1 of which hit at 0530hrs, my boat just started sailing and was doing about 5 knots ahead when it reached the anchor behind me, so off I went towards the entrance reef! mad panic to start the engine and stop the boat, kept her into the wind going backward as wind about 55-60knts! eventally the anchor re set itself, and when I could see again I had only moved about 100yards thank goodness!
The weather here has been very hot and humid 96% Rel. with lots of rain, I am looking forward to November and the end of hurricane season now
Roy

Position Update Reprise

Hi all, After researching other wifi hotspots, I found one, so here is the movie I failed to upload, even after 6 hours, I kept trying till it got dark.

So now I test it.............

Yes its there ok, I have just watched it, quality is not that good but you get the idea, everyone was bouncing about in the swell, and/or because we were dancing to a good band.

Roy

Present Position Update

Clarks Court Bay Grenada

12 deg. 02.02' N

61 deg. 43.75' W

Well haven't had internet for some time now, this one is  soooo slowwww.
So after the Carnival I started a few maintenance jobs, but the anchorage was so rolley like over 30 deg. every second day and night for 3 days, I had to move!
I left Friday morning and picked up a mooring in True Blue Bay at 3pm, quiet at last, slept the rest of the day!
A few views

Dodgy Dock restaurant and bar

Couldn't get any closer

group of students I met and partied with

I stayed for one week then moved again to Le Phare Blu Bay, no go8d there so moved next morning to Clarks Court Bay.

Then on the week on Sunday a Dinghy Rock Concert happened there. So I had to go, I did try and  post a short video today  but after 5 hours, no joke I gave up on that, so just few pics instead.

This singer of the band 'The Unit' from Grenada has a voice so powerful it makes your hair stand on end

Sunset at Clarks Court Bay

Jam session at Whisper Cove Marina

and at 0730am today yet another tropical wave hits us with 60+ knts of wind and such heavy rain

Hope I get a better connection next time
Roy