May 2013

May
Wed 1^st
Bank holiday, everything closed. Most jobs on board have been completed and are up to date and its a good job as Gavin and Mandy arrive on Secret Smile so band practice will start in earnest. Gavin now has five saxophones, and a clarinet aboard and is practising nearly all day every day. We catch up over a sundowner.


Thur 2^nd
Stainless steel parts have been completed so I fix up the wind generator tripod; it is now very secure. We head out to the marina as there is a jazz evening planned. We have a few happy hour bevies and search out the jazz venue. Band is rubbish and the acts are mainly live poetry readings, so its back to the bar.


Fri 3^rd
Gavin and I are running through a couple of songs when we notice Miss Molly is parked next to us and next thing we know Phil is aboard, beers come out and practice is halted for the day. Later we all head out to Gross Islet to the jump up. This Friday it has been combined with the jazz festival and although there seem to be less people attending there is more of a carnival atmosphere with a street parade, dancers, bands ,fire eaters guys on stilts etc. we didn't see any jazz acts though...not quite sure about this jazz festival.


Sat 4^th
Late start but I have band practice with Gavin and Phil. Phil gets us organised and we manage 6 songs that need a bit more work before we go live. The bay is filling up as folk travel south.


Sun 5^th
Every morning starts with band practice when Gavin is around. Add another two songs to practice.
Later we head off to the Fire Grill for some jazz. This time it turned out to be an African drum set, very good, and a reggae / ska band not so good; but no jazz...


Mon 6^th
Today following band practice I get homework! Head out to boatyard to buy pipe and wood that we keep forgetting. Elvis is not about, he has sold our old dinghy. So we should get some beer vouchers.
No jazz near us tonight. We visit Phil and Monica and Phil shows us the fishing bible.


Tue 7^th
Elvis is around and introduces us to Tyson who will work on some teak for us. I give Tyson the measurements and arrange to collect the wood...tomorrow. We pass by the fish stalls near a gas (petrol) station and get some dinghy fuel and a 3 lb tuna, nicely prepared. Later; We get to another two venues for the Jazz Festival. Saxophonist and Guitarist. Both excellent. Although we had to wait two hours after the billed time for each performance.


Wed 8^th
Collect two pieces of teak, back to the boat for some measuring and then ashore to give details to Tyson. Parts should be machined by...tomorrow. I buy the fishing bible. Phil, Monica, Mandy and Gavin visit us for a pot luck supper. We try the ceviche recipe from the fish bible and it goes down very well.


Thur 9^th
Wood need further measuring ...boat...shore.....tomorrow.
We head to Castries for some shopping and the Main free jazz event in the centre of town. This is very varied with good and bad dancing and music. Hey but its free, and there are beer stands.


Fri 10^th
We collect wood, its an almost perfect fit. We now have a board to attach dinghy engine whist in rough seas offshore. We make an effort to see a guitarist that we missed earlier in the week. He is not very inspiring so we head home early. Miss Molly have left, we had said our goodbyes earlier but expected them to leave in the morning. We expect the noise from the Friday jump up might have helped them to a decision to go early.


Sat 11^th
We collect Chris Castle, the surveyor who checks over our rigging; he is very thorough and explains what he is looking at and what we should check. It takes about two hours and we end up with a very favourable report stating we are good to go with annual checks. He suggests two things we can do to strengthen the rig and we plan to make the changes.


Sun 12^th
Begin reading “The Cruisers Handbook of Fishing” and get totally engrossed. This book is full of information and some simple cheap starter suggestions that we must try.


Mon 13^th
Visit Chinaman, they are all busy working on the island's electricity generator. Come back tomorrow.


Tue 14^th
We pick up Claudius from Chinaman's workshop to look at the strengthening plates we need, to upgrade our forward crossbeam. He measures up and we take him ashore. Plates will be ready tomorrow.


Wed 15^th
Collect stainless plates at a cost of £25, we just need a rigger to fit them now. Spend half a day getting flights for us and Gavin and Mandy. Book Port Louis Marina for July. We are heading home for a few weeks in July!


Thur 16^th
Whilst lying in bed reading I hear “Oh shit we know this boat” just as Trudy begins speaking to the guys we met last year who serviced our life raft. We do not need further work done by them! This reminds us that we have a half written complaint letter about the service. I send email out and get immediate response we will meet tomorrow.


Fri 17^th
Meet with Francis, Debbie and TC to discus issues with our life raft service. They agree to refund entirely for the service (they didn't do). Francis just signs the certificate, Debbie checks the work, but was in Trinidad at the time, no ones fault!
Buy fishing rod and reel net, lures etc. Told rods and reels are one size fits all.


Sat 18^th
Meet Francis and Tom (TC) from liferaft and inflatables. We get a letter that states they will return the entire cost of our life raft repair over the next 4 months; we hold our breath...not. Return rod and reel as they don't fit together, get new rod.
Spend the afternoon preparing different lures leaders etc. We have a few practice casts, all seems to work. Trudy notices my squid jig has caught....a plastic bag. Chicken again tonight.


Sun 19^th
Start preparing to head further south. (Trudy cleans bottom, chain and bridle). I catch up with diary and guitar.


Mon 20^th
Another Bank Holiday, everything shut so we rest up another day.


Tue 21^st
Final shops and check out, ready to leave tomorrow morning.
Typical, a Canadian (French) sits on top of our anchor, the whole bay is empty but.....
He can't be bothered to move and doesn't care if we wake him at 5 am tomorrow..


Wed 22^nd
We wake at 5 and set of by half past. A great sail for part of the time with over 8 knots for most of the way. 24 miles to go and the wind drops so we motor-sail. Then the skies open and we get storms on and off for the rest of the trip. 35 knot gusts that are very short lived but full of rain where visibility goes down to nil. We are used to this by now and take sails down in relative calm! We arrive in Bequia at 5:30 and Trudy immediately sets off to customs. By the time she gets back we have had messages from two friend who also arrived today and arrange to meet up later in the week.


Thur 23^rd
Angie from Kibe calls so we are out to Frangipani for the last Jump Up of the season and meet up with her and Robin. They have just been to Gingerbread for a curry and Robin complains that the Vindaloo did not have the strength of a corma. We will make a strong curry next week.


Fri 24^th
Drop off gas bottle. Cruisers jam session and fish Friday at the Fig Tree. We hear on the morning cruisers net that the old fig tree has suffered wind damage and there is a call out to anyone with a chain saw. An unlikely tool on a yacht! Angie comes to the rescue and later we see pictures of Angie chainsawing the tree with a load of guys watching her!
Chris, from Troubadour, Gavin and I are the only musicians and it turns out to be more our gig as we are performing songs, not jamming. Chris actually sings. So we have an ok sound.


Sat 25^th
Terry from Libertine visits early to say goodbye, he is setting off to haul out in Trinidad before going back to Scarborough N. Yorks. Pick up gas bottle and visit butcher. As mentioned before he only visits Bequia once a week on Saturdays. He has four cool boxes filled with mutton, goat, beef and chicken. We look at a goat quarter but decide on beef. It is weighed then the butcher chops it with his machete (much bigger than a cleaver) starting from above his head. Bones are easily split!
Invited for cocktails on Tjeldøy, Chocolate Cow, made by Shaun from Imagination, our own Bloody Mary and Robin's no name concoction with lots of coconut cream Lime and Rum; a few corn fritters, Camembert and salami. No need to make dinner tonight. Shaun recounts his shark stories, they save their fish heads until going to the Tobago Keys. After about 4:30 when most swimmers (but not all) have finished for the day, they put the heads out on lines and after about a half hour the reef sharks up to about 1.7 metres and rays up to a meter across come to the boat.


Sun 26^th
Lazy day. Download and listen to the Archers Omnibus. We do this most weeks.


Mon 27^th
Curry cooking day.


Tue 28^th
Shaun, Ali, Robin and Angie come on board for a curry night. We swap catamaran problems and fishing yarns. Since we bought the fishing bible it has become a daily read and we are always on the lookout for fishing gear and tips. Still haven't caught anything..


Wed 29^th
Quiet day...
Evening on Secret Smile with Gavin and Mandy, raw fish and dips.


Thur 30^th
My vocal effects box has turned up at customs. The officer says he is not sure if he can let me have it and must ask his supervisor; can I come back after lunch. Just a scam to get more cash. I speak to the broker and when I go back there is no problem.


Fri 31^st
Fish Friday again, and a jam. My guitar pickup has stopped working on one string it makes for a rubbish sound so I don't play. We try a new bar, the “Devil's Table” Jackie's band plays there. The booze is very expensive and the band are poor; Jackie's guitar is turned right down so you can't hear him. Its a shame because he is rather good.