VOLUME 2 Grenada to Panama, Sept'14 -Jan '15

Saturday September 6th 2014

And now a word or two from the Captain

I thought it was time I wrote down some of my thoughts and give an idea of my perspective so far on this trip.  

- First off. Has it been worth it? ABSOLUTELY! In the heat of the moment, it's easy to get lost and focused on small frustrations, but if the time is taken to reflect on the bigger picture there's no question it's worth it. There's no way I'll be able to look back at the time spent with MC, Matthew and Meghan and not realize how lucky I was. The ability to spend extended periods of time in places like Dominica, Grenada, Barbuda and Martinique getting to know them unlike a regular tourist and really get to know some of the locals has to be treasured. We also continue to meet new friends in cruisers from around the world that contribute to the experience even more than I'd expected. The food (both on and off the boat) has also been something I'm really enjoying more than I'd expected.

- WOW!  I finally found something that makes playing with airplanes look cheap.  There is nothing for boats that is cheap, and in the Caribbean it’s even more pronounced.  It seems impossible to get through Martinique without dropping 2 boat bucks (1 boat buck = $1000) at the Amel dealer, let alone the burn rate at the various other chandleries. Spare furling motor - 1 boat buck (the size of a car starter motor that would be $200 or so), new engine mounts (100 euro each for something that on a car would be $35-40), anti-fouling for the bottom ($350/gal x 6 gallons for a bottom job PLUS primer), deep cycle batteries ($250 each x 8 for a battery the close to the size of a car battery that would be ~$120), etc, etc, etc...  You get the idea.

- But you can get around some of the crazy costs, if you have time.  Case in point, a set of isolation mounts for our watermaker from Amel was going to be around 100 euros.  Being cheap (all cruisers are, it leaves more funds for rum), after 2 days in Grenada and finally winding up at Knight's Auto after an hour walk, I found 8 rubber bushings that are made for shock mounts on cars for the princely sum of about $3.  Together with 4 stainless bolts I had in stock on the boat and about 3 hrs of dismantling the old mounts, drilling, swearing, and scraping up various body parts while reaching into the deep recesses of the engine room, voila....done.  Don't add up the hours above, versus the cost saved, it turns out my hourly rate is substantially less now than 5 months ago!

- I love our boat.  Comfortable underway, installs confidence in heavier weather, comfortable at anchor (unless a swell rolls in on the beam), easy to single-hand, well laid out systems that work pretty seamlessly together, good maintenance access to most items (although Meg did learn a 'colourful' version of the English language while I was removing the muffler for repairs, and the engine raw water impeller is horribly placed), great galley layout, washing machine, sealed engine room, etc, etc, etc...Of course there's thing I'd like to change, (lighter/faster/better pointing upwind/lose the Nu-Teak decks/bigger watermaker, bigger cabin for Matthew, slightly higher hard dodger, etc, etc, etc....), but in a world of compromises when we look at everything combined, she fits our needs admirably for the budget we gave ourselves.

- Boat envy.  Notwithstanding the above, I still get boat envy.  Shinier, newer catamarans with terrific aft decks, the bright & airy saloon on a new Oyster 53, getting our butt kicked by a Hallberg Rassey 62 ($2 MM+?) coming down from Carriacou, teak decks and gorgeous brightwork (although I'd hate the upkeep) on various boats, swing keels on French aluminum monohulls allowing playing in shallow anchorages, a great layout on a Privilege 48 cat, and the list got on.   But we've seen the same envy in others when they're visiting us, so the grass truly does generally look greener on the other side, and I've realized there is no PERFECT boat.  However, I have come to realize, that the ALMOST perfect boat is likely the one that you're out here living your adventure on!  If I had any advice for some looking to do this it would be. Getting out here really does matters more than what you do it on as long as it's a safe boat.

- I’ve come to realize, I love sailing, I HATE boats!  These things are constantly trying to corrode away, wear out, dry out, rot, weather, seize together, stretch, shrink, split, crack, check, chafe, stick, gum up, dissolve, burn up.....you get the idea!  The heat, humidity and salty environment is brutal on just about every material known to man.  Cruising really is, as numerous people have said before, boat maintenance in exotic locations.  I think Nigel Calder summed it up nicely when he said, "It's probably broken, you just don't know it yet".  If you meet a cruiser that says his boat is low maintenance, do not let him drive a car with you in it.  I'm pretty sure you'll later discover he's legally blind and his boat is actually ready to sink beneath him.

- Patience.   For those who know me well, it may not surprise you to find out that I don't really have much...at all.  This trip is helping, but I probably underestimated the challenge of trying to increase my patience while simultaneously DRAMATICALLY reducing my time alone, or being at work focused on a myriad of issues where a lack of patience was often rewarded.  Now, add, going from 3-6 hrs a day to virtually 24/7 with, a son with autism and all it's quirks, a 12 year old daughter that's becoming a more independent thinker by the day and, my wife who not surprisingly wants a say in the plan-du jour, mix with a husband/father that's got minimal patience to start with and.......you've got a recipe for really giving MC's 'Happy Boat Contract' a workout!  It's coming, but hasn't been without it's moments.

- Cruisers.  Interesting bunch.  Pretty independent group overall, quite often opinionated, thrifty in general, fun-loving, loves to shoot the breeze and shockingly easily distracted by any of the following topics: anchors, heads (toilets to non-sailors), alcohol, where the cheapest ______ can be found, or monohulls vs. catamarans.  For some reason, I love these people!  On that note; big anchor & lots of chain is my recommendation, simple hand pump heads for me, rum works, I'll guess that  ______ will be cheaper in Florida, and if I could have a monohull to sail and maintain, and a cat to live on, that would be perfect....let me know when you find one for me.   If your thoughts are different though, I firmly believe everyone else is entitled to an opinion, even when they're wrong.

- Soca Music. Holy crap!  It’s all over the Caribbean, but we’re finding it more prevalent in Grenada, but probably because we’re more stationary at the moment.  Unbelievably misogynistic (makes most rap music seem feminist in comparison), horribly repetitive, blindingly loud.....I must be getting old!  Google it, look it up on YouTube, but you won't really get the full appreciation for how horrible it is until you had it blasting out across the anchorage at you from 2 pm to 3 am on a Sunday night, or spent 3 days at Carnival listening to it almost non-stop.  After a while you just want to slam your head in a door to see if that will make it stop.  Yes, I’m definitely getting old.  The Steel Pan and Reggae music though are amazing here when you find them.  

- Buses in Grenada.  A wonderfully efficient system of private buses (vans actually) running all over the island with pretty reasonable rates.  What I don’t understand though are the numerous buses that will stop and try to hail you to the bus from across the road while you’re walking THE OTHER DIRECTION?  How often do they have people suddenly look up and say ‘What the heck, I’ve changed my mind!  I’ll come with you and change all my plans for this morning”?  At first I thought I just didn’t understand the routes, but now that we’ve been here longer, that’s not it, it still makes no sense.  

- Rewards.  The independence of this lifestyle is certainly rewarding and revitalizing.  It's been strange to move from the hourly/daily scheduling in our life back in Calgary to a schedule driven more by what we want to see combined with the seasons and weather.   It actually reminds me of farming a bit in that sense.  General plans are made based on typical weather windows and a list of what preparations are needed by when, while your daily decisions/plans are finalized based on the actual weather (and sometimes the latest mechanical failure).  It's also humbling to realize you really do have your family's safety in your hands when making these routing decisions, combined with judgements on the seaworthiness of the boat. As we've gotten more adventurous with some longer crossings and less popular anchorages though, the feeling of accomplishment when you get there safely certainly feels good.

- Meg.  Watching her independence and confidence grow is spectacular to me.  Watching her head out across the anchorage to meet up with friends in her dinghy (we bought a backup 4 hp outboard and 8' inflatable dinghy a few weeks ago, so we're now a 2-car family again), makes me realize how fast she's growing up.  How many 12 year olds at home have their own ‘car’?  We love the freedom she can have out here.  

- Matthew.  I (and many of our fellow cruisers!) marvel at his energy.  Where it comes from, given how little he eats is a modern mystery!  MC and Meg are doing better than I am at figuring out how we can continue to unlock his capabilities, and we're watching his skills at games and programs on the iPad continue to improve.  Once we're back in the water and school's back in session, I'm going to be working harder at expanding my role in his school.  (Note: Refer to 'Patience' above.....). I must say though that there is something to be learned from watching him live 'in the moment'.  It’s also been impressive to see how almost universally accepted he is, ‘as-is’, amongst cruisers.  I’ve never seen as many adults (particularly men) who will take the time repeatedly to try and get Matthew’s attention, ask questions, and look for ways to communicate with him.  

- MC.  We wouldn't be doing this without her.  This was her idea, and I'm not sure I'd have made the leap without her push. Thanks dear. Note:  Again, refer to 'Patience' above, she really deserves a medal.

           ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ ⚔️ 

And now, back to our regular programming, from Grenada;

MC and the kids took a tour to the North end of the Island where we saw “Leapers Hill”, the place where many hundred Carib Indians jumped to their death rather than be ruled by the French, the town nearby is called “Sauteur” for that reason.

 Site where Carib Indians jumped to their death, rather than live under French rulers 

 

We also stopped in to see rather interesting “Hot Springs”, natural bubbly water pools. Having experienced the many hotsprings in the Rocky Mountains, I have to say that these pools did not meet my definition of “Hot Springs”, more like “Barely Luke Warm Mud Holes”, but they were interesting and the care taker for the place was very nice to us. The kids really liked it and sat in the pools for a while as I watched.

The "hot springs"of Grenada's North End

More like "Mud holes" than hot springs

We also enjoyed going back to  “Levera Beach” where Meg and I had witnessed a Leatherback turtle laying her eggs a few months back (on June 21). It was great to see the beach in the day time, and although the Mother turtles have not been seen since early July, the baby hatchlings are still sometimes found on the beach  (because the incubation period for the eggs is about 60 days) We happened to see a few that had been rescued by the rangers ( to be released later that night for their safety), we also saw evidence of babies who had been on the beach earlier that day (flipper prints in the sand), and, we also saw a few that had not made it, (sigh!), Nature ! It's a tough world out there for these vulnerable little guys !

Levera Beach

Leatherback Hatchlings waiting to be released

Hatchling's "flipper" prints

Turtle egg shell

Meg and a local girl bury the ones who did not make it...

We took advantage of the quiet little beach just beside the apartment everyday. The kids enjoyed their evening swims in the calm waters.

Swimming in the calm waters at Morne Rouge, Grenada

An interesting way to use old tires

Last night in the apartment

                                                      

This is the week when we had to say a fond farewell to the apartment. We moved back to a newly bottom painted AMELIE IV (and new thru-hulls, rudder packing replaced, serviced drives, bowthruster rebuilt, etc, etc, etc) I have to say that she is looking very good, from the bottom up !  

Our newly installed life raft

So shiny and new !

Amelie's new bottom

Back in the water after two weeks on the hard

A few of you have asked me to comment on where we are going next ! You are probably just as eager to hear about new and exiting places as we are to visit them, but Hurricane season is not over yet folks, and so we will not be venturing too far from Grenada this month, but by the end of October we should be venturing into new and exciting territories, until then it looks like September will be spent on boat projects (honestly these NEVER end) and trip planning (as well as the occasional hike Oh, and school of course) !

Coming up soon: 

A “ Kid Friendly” Safety Demonstration with Grenada’s Coast Guard and our very own life raft deployment ! Stand by everyone, sending much love from the crew on AmelieIV

Matthew is now as tall as MC !  

View from Fort Frederic in St George

North East Coast of Grenada