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We're Underway! |
TS Bret passed 195 nm south of us last night. The winds really picked up around 11PM and subsided just after 3AM. We did well, we’re safe and sustained no damage. It was a long sleep deprived night. Light rain and winds now, we’re getting some rest and will put the boat back together later today.
Quick Update…
We have been working tirelessly to get the boat ready and most of the projects are complete. The to-do list is never ending/perpetual but all of the major tasks are complete. Dea Latis is in great shape. I wish we could haul out and put her in a glass case so nothing else will break…
Just a few pics, nothing exciting…
Dea Latis at anchor, Mt Hartman Bay, between the two rainbows:
Really looking nice on the inside:
Had a couple of nights out at the West Indies Beer Co. Great friends, food, beer and music:
Reunion dinner at Taffy’s. Four boats, Lagniappe, Lequesteau, Nancy Lu, and Dea Latis from the original group of about 20 boats, that sailed together from the Bahamas to Grenada two years ago. Most of the group has moved on or finished their adventure.
Taffy’s is two bays to the East and while going under the Hog Island Bridge we noticed something strange. Maybe the bridge is in need of a name change:
The weather has been a challenge this year, winds have been blowing strong almost every day since arriving over a month ago. The boat is in great shape and we are waiting on a window to head to Martinique… Just as we finished our last major project and prepared to head north, a tropical wave has formed and is headed West. Tropical waves are normal but this one is down around seven degrees North, we are at 12 degrees North and there is currently a 50% chance of cyclone development. We are checking weather three times a day and will decide what we are doing in the next day.
Taking sails down and setting the storm anchor.
Until next time.
It’s great to be back in the water! Now to get the sails on and everything put away…
Blow by blow on launch day… click to enlarge the pictures…
The engine water pump impeller circulates cooling water through the engine. It dawned on me that after a year at rest the impeller may need to be changed:
Fairly ready:
We were scheduled for a 1:00pm launch. The trailer showed up around 2:30, but who cares?
After more than a year, she finally inches closer to the water:
Into the Travel Lift
Then decided to spin us around:
Touching up the paint:
To the sea!
I was very thankful to have Ken and Vicky from SV Painkiller there to help!
And down she goes, SPLASH!
At anchor, Prickly Bay Grenada. So nice to be back on the water!!!
More awesome and amazing things are happening! Ha, not really…
We’re still in the yard but launch date is Thursday the 25th! Winds are howling, gusts to 40 during the day, crazy. It’s supposed to calm down Tuesday and Wednesday just in time to pick up again on, you guessed it, Thursday! The high winds are making the heat and humidity bearable. Our friends, anchored in St. George’s, will probably be here to help with the launch. Hope so!
Bottom paint is complete. I put three coats overall, four to five on the leading edges and rudder:
I’ve been toiling away down there trying to get the shaft seal replaced. The shaft seal goes around the propeller shaft and keeps the water on the outside of the boat:
Mess, and the two feet of space I have to position myself while I jam my head and arms down below. Oh, and no matter how hard the wind is blowing, it doesn’t get down here…
Shaft seal is supposed to be replaced every five years, oops. Old one on the left new on the right:
The old anchor rode (middle) has seen better days so I did an end-for-end and spliced in a new stainless thimble (top). I broke down and bought a proper stainless steel anchor snubber and spliced that in as well (bottom):
Installed new zincs on the propeller and shaft and applied Prop-Speed anti-fouling as well:
Our Rocna anchor had a bit of surface rust so I applied some Ospho rust treatment, gave her a good scrub down and applied some galvanizing paint:
We knew we needed new anchor chain, but we were hoping to make it to Martinique where the price of chain is 50% less. Well I opened the chain locker only to find our chain in one big crumbled mess. I spent about an hour flaking the chain, cleaning up the mess, and trying to convince myself that the chain would work…Ugh…We’re buying so much stuff at the chandlery, the lady is giving me 10-12% off our purchases. So there is 150 feet of new chain piled up on the ground:
New chain, new shackles, painted anchor, nice:
Painted and marked every 10 feet:
Barely fits in the locker:
Oh yeah and I took about 7 minutes for lunch today…really, about seven. Great salad, local tomatoes so delicious I could eat them like apples, a little smoked ham, drizzle with vinaigrette, mmmm, heavenly 7 minutes!
Hope these last until Wednesday PM!!!!
Being on a boat, in the yard…is challenging…which is why we have these:
Back in Grenada!
Well I am, Tanya soon to follow!
With a new back and knee I have renewed focus on getting underway again! I’m getting the boat ready for a 25th launch date. First on the list, yet another bottom job, awesome, love it! I flew down last October and it was crazy hot here, fortunately the winds are howling 20 plus knots so the heat isn’t that bad right now.
Bottom sanded and ready for paint:
Mmmmm yeah, $930 for three gallons of bottom paint, love it:
First coat done!! We’ll see what tomorrow’s weather holds, maybe I can get another coat on:
We have yet to find a good anti-fouling for the propeller and shaft, this is our last try. With my discount this was $365 USD for about 16 oz. Next time you stop at a convenience store and pick up a soda, take it to the counter and imagine the cashier telling you “that will be $365.” Yes, love it!
That’s it. Truly exciting! Until next time…