Grenada -- Port Louis Marina
A portion of our last posting:
The slips with American-style power were all occupied when we arrived
(at Port Louis Marina), so we had
to tie up to a slip that only features European-style power: 220
single-phase volts at 50 cycles per second. So we are paying for a slip at
which we must still run our generator daily; we are getting water but no power
from shore. After an informative phone call to a Maxwell winch
representative, I set about getting to the winch motor. The winch housing
was stuck fast to the deck. As I laboriously loosened the housing, I was
met by more bad news: oil dripping down from under the casing.
Obviously, there was a leaking seal someplace. When I finally got the
casing loose and turned on its side, I got additional bad news: in setting
the casing on its side I had apparently over-stressed one of the bolts that
serve as electrical terminal posts on the motor. It broke off in its hole.
As this is written the motor has been repaired by Mike of Palm Tree Marine at Le
Phare Bleu. ...
Meanwhile, we await arrival of a seal kit and a bearing kit from Defender.
The Expedited International FedEx charges exceed the cost of the parts, but we
are anxious to get away from the slip and back to anchoring.
Pictures from last time:
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Loosening the caulk that sealed the casing to the deck
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Oops! Oil on the other side of that caulk!
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Mounting bolts and electrical connections are hard to reach -- even with the casing turned on its side
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The site of the broken terminal post
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View from Port Louis tower.
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Windlass Repair -- Continued
The seal kit and the bearings kit eventually arrived,
and we eventually succeeded in getting them out of FedEx and onto the boat.
There was a several-day delay because Port Louis Marina kept assuring us that
the package would be delivered to them. When Barb finally went to the
FedEx office to pick up the package, she was told that they never deliver
to the Marina. Someone was a bit confused.
Anyway, the heavy windlass was schlepped to the
cockpit and disassembled; the seals and bearings were replaced, and the windlass
was re-assembled with hardly any extra pieces left over. Several
coats of paint on the casing later, the windlass was in place and ready for
testing. It worked! (Even a blind pig can find a truffle now and
again!)
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Attaching the power cables back to the motor
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Final coat of paint
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Final tightening of bolts after the caulk has set a bit
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While we were "stuck" in Port Louis Marina, we sampled some of the local food
fare. Found delicious Rasta (i.e. vegetarian) soup across from us on
Lagoon Road and had "takeout" several times. Yummy.
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If you eagerly arrive early, you have to wait for the soup to be transferred from car to stand
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Now we are almost in business!
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We also patronized the bakery on the driveway into the Marina. They have
many delicious goodies, and on Fridays from 11 am to 1 pm serve hamburgers
that are to die for.
Check those checks!
We "never" write checks. That is what Barb told
the bank when she called them about the deduction of $8,183 from our account.
She had been catching up with our finances using Quicken when she discovered the
entry. Additional conversation with the bank soon revealed that there were
two other checks for more reasonable amounts: $15 and $30. Then the
light dawned: the reasonable checks had been written for mooring fees in
the National Park at St. John in the USVI back in March when we had trouble
finding the right change for the mooring fee envelope. What was the check number of
the "unreasonable" check"? #8183. Ah hah! Some wingnut
had entered the check number for the check amount (three months after they
received the check). It has all been
straightened out now -- the National Park Service even got their corrected
amount of $37.50. And Barb feels smug about catching the error the
day it happened by using Quicken -- an operation of which I have always been skeptical.
Why bother to reconcile accounts? Banks never make mistakes!
Wedding Bells Afloat
A few days before our departure we had first-class
seats to a wedding about to happen. The trimaran on the dock just in front
of us was hosting, and many folks had pitched in to help decorate the short section
of dock and its ramp. We expected to get photos of the ceremony itself,
but it turned out the vows were taken out at sea.
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Busily decorating dock and ramp
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Ramp to be soon used by arriving guests and the bridal party
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As an un-invited kibitzer, this is the best I could do for a picture of the bride
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Guess which person will officiate in the ceremony
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Small pan band played before and after the wedding cruise
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Here comes the new bride as the boat returns to its berth
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Of course the partying continued after the boat came back
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St. George beach
On June 30 we finally broke free from Port Louis Marina.
Barb wanted to try something different, so instead of zipping right down to Hog
Island, we anchored off the beach at Ross Point, just around the corner from St.
George's, in among a number of other fools.
Strong word, that? Not if your idea of a pleasant evening is one
relatively free of a pitching deck. We each spent an absolutely miserable
night trying to sleep on our lurching bed. Landlubbers, picture
this: just as you are about to doze off, someone lifts up the side of your bed.
Repeatedly. Restful, no? Next morning, bright and early, we fled to the
quiet waters of Hog Island.
Hog Island
Local friends Dwight and Stevie have been stopping by
for a chat and some snacks each afternoon as they return from spear fishing and
lambi (conch) hunting. One day they gifted us with a sea cat (octopus).
The next day Barb was cooking it, using Ann Vanderhoof's recipe, called "Steve's
Creole Chatrou", p. 402, from her book "The Spice Necklace" (www.spicenecklace.com),
when the guys arrived. Soon it was done, and we each had a helping.
Mmmmm. Really really good.
Ever wonder why we continue to cruise the Caribbean
year after year? It is simple, really. We love the sights, the
sounds, the interactions, and yes, the tastes of the Caribbean.
How many landlubbers can cook up a mess of Creole Chatrou?
And speaking of interactions, the area in and around
the southern part of Grenada abounds with opportunities for interactions with
other cruisers. Case in point: the July 4th celebration at Clarke's
Court Marina. Hamburgers and hot dogs and french fries cooked by the
Marina, and desserts and side dishes provided by the celebrants, many of whom
were not from the USA but were nonetheless happy to share in the festivities.
The musical entertainment, for example, began with the Star Spangled Banner
followed by the Canadian National Anthem followed by the Grenadian National
Anthem, with the crowd standing throughout and doing its best to sing along.
Here comes Barb back from a shopping trip. Oops!
She is being towed! Turns out the two throttle cables have sheared and
will need to be replaced. Will we find replacements in a timely manner?
How will we get around until we do?
Grenada: June 24-July
8, 2012 
