Nosing Northwards continued......

Nosing Northwards continued………..

Our passage to Rodney Bay, St. Lucia was a lot better than last year’s but still could have been nicer and once in the lee of St. Lucia on went the iron sail and we made directly for Rodney Bay, arriving about 7am, just time to put the anchor down, get ourselves sorted out, have some breakfast and be ready to go to a berth in the marina.  We were going into the dock as we wanted to do a bit of provisioning and were going to keep our water and new fuel tank topped up but we also wondered whether we had an engine charging (alternator) problem.

It is so nice to go back to places where people remember you and walking into the Marina Office we were greeted and welcomed back by Natalie, we wonder if it is the orange? Formalities done, it was time to catch a few ZZZZZZZ’s before deciding what to do first. Later that afternoon we were just boat watching when we noticed a familiar vessel arriving just a few berths away from us. It was our friends on Piano coming into drop off one guest and pick up some more. A quick greeting later and we were invited for sundowners at 5.30….and there was enough time to hit the showers. We met Rhienhart, Sue and Malcolm’s guest from Germany, and swopped stories of our various adventures.  Rheinhart had just spent 3 weeks with Sue and Malcolm going up and down the islands covering quite a few hundred miles.

It was Wednesday the following day and traditionally the day for lady cruisers to meet up at a local hotel for a leisurely lunch, followed by a dip in the pool and Jacuzzi, with the opportunity for a swim in the sea too.  Susan hadn’t managed to get to one of these events yet but Sue from Piano was a regular whenever she was in St. Lucia.  Malcolm very kindly agreed to ferry them both to the appropriate dinghy dock and so at 11.30 off they went.

The Bay Gardens Resort comprises several hotels in various localities and we were going to the ‘prime’ one. It was certainly a lovely place with a very pretty pool and restaurant area.  There were around 14 of us this time and a table had been beautifully laid and even the seats had been covered (it felt like we were at going a wedding).  After an aperitif we all sat and chose our lunch. The dishes all looked wonderful and every one enjoyed their choices. There was a lot of chat and introductions as we got to know each other and exchanged tales.  Once lunch was over we congregated round the pool, enjoying the cool water and the contrasting very hot Jacuzzi.  All Susan needed was some bubbles, a cup of tea and a book and she would have been in heaven.  Susan managed to check out the beach on the other side too, where the water was about the same temperature as the pool.  All in all a great lunch time treat.

Meanwhile back at the marina Andrew had all the good jobs, you know, checking the bilges, checking the oil and engine, getting the mizzen ready to use and redoing the fishing lines……

We were intending to head off to Martinique and St. Ann’s and Marin, another place we had been trying to visit each time we came up and down island.  This was also the weekend before the Mardi Gras carnivals would be on and we had heard that Martinique had quite a few parades to watch too.

So having been to the chandlers to get a few more bits, and several visits to the hardware store trying to get a regulator to fit one of our gas tanks, we managed to go and do some provisioning.  The interesting thing about provisioning in the Caribbean Islands is the way the supermarkets change as you go north.  Everything becomes more American/European/English as you go further north and it’s really noticeable in St. Lucia.  A lot of folk from Europe holiday here and the goods on offer reflect that, so it is very enjoyable to go and get some different things to eat for a change.   St Lucia also offers some duty free shoppin,g so again it’s a change to be a bit of a tourist.

Our flat is being rented out once again and now we had to be able to electronically sign various documents so of course this is where things went a bit pear-shaped. Thursday evening Susan did some research on her computer and then left it to finish updating over night, closing the lid when it had shut down.  Friday morning she went to check something and found a bit of moisture but didn’t really take it in and then her computer wouldn’t start, wouldn’t charge, didn’t react at all. It had rained over night and her computer had been on the chart table and there hadn’t previously been a problem with the windows leaking before. In the meantime Andrew’s computer had been playing up with the internet not working and none of the USB ports responding.  Panic……..a trip to the office to ask about computer repairs resulted in us being put in touch with the guy who looked after the marina machines and Susan’s netbook was picked up to be investigated.  Andrew had eventually found out that his machine had turned off the wireless card and so at least we could (if we went to a bar) get on line, so eventually the documents were signed and sent back.

Late afternoon we caught up with Danlay who said the problem was caused by water getting into the machine frying some of the components, but he was hopeful that he could get it working by…. the following morning(Sat), that afternoon, Sunday…….you get the picture.  We finally met up with him on Monday to learn that although there had only been the one very slight ingress of water, it had caused quite a bit of damage and the real answer was to get a new mother board. We were anxious to leave St. Lucia so didn’t want wait for a new motherboard to arrive, plus to get one sent out here wouldn’t be cost effective therefore we had the hard drive from the machine put it in a case so we can access all the data on it.

A trip to the Mall was called for and with no net books available we bought a lovely Vaio laptop from, of all places, the local furniture store. Susan now had to try and get used to a new Windows 8 operating system, trying to do all the necessary registration and on-line stuff before we left for Martinique……no pressure then.

Over the weekend we had caught up with Adrian (thanks for the offer of a loan of a laptop) and Clare from Flying Low and Christine and Adrian from Quadrille II for sundowners with a few other boaterswho were around as well.

Tuesday morning we left St. Lucia after filling up with water and topping up the fuel tank and we headed out of the bay to see what conditions were like, and if it was going to be possible to lay a course to St. Ann’s.  Well the short answer was no, if we really wanted to get there it would be a hard beat to windward so discretion took over and we headed for Grand Anse and the lovely buoys they had put in place there.

The trip across was fairly bouncy and we headed into the bay ready to capture a mooring buoy. Susan had got everything ready to go but as we approached the buoy realized the lines were too thick to be pulled though with a knot in them, so was rushing up and down the deck retrieving a thinner line, tying the bowlines, putting it through the fairlead and was ready just as we got to the buoy. She leant over the side and snagged it first time resulting in a round of applause and cheers from the folk on a nearby boat that had watched the whole thing.  Susan was really chuffed and reflected that the people had seen a few misses and indeed later in the day Andrew watched as a catamaran lost 2 boat hooks overboard and eventually got tied on when a crew member leapt into the water to do it…….just this once we were being watched (though not aware of it) and we got it right.

Grande Anse is a sleepy little French resort and we knew we didn’t have to race ashore and so we settled down for the night, and oh what a night, it was so rolly, we were being bounced all over the place and it was hard to stay in our bunks, so not a lot of sleep was had by either of us. In the morning we went ashore to clear in to find out that you now have to go to the previous bay to do so. Trying to pay for our mooring we were given the good news that there was no charge and after a walk round we went back to Andromeda.  By now we were rolling even more so decided to leave Grande Anse and make our way round to Fort de France, Martinique’s capital, and do our clearing in there.

We had a beautiful sail that Wednesday to Fort de France, blue sky, sun shining, wind blowing, no waves to speak of, it was glorious and ended all too soon as we only had to sail 8 or 9 miles. We anchored first time and made sure it was secure then had lunch before we were to head for the dock. At this point we realized there seemed to be a lot of people ashore, and a lot of noise, and it turned out there was a parade going on. We had a bit of view from Andromeda and decided to stay on board as the chandlers where we were to clear in would obviously not be open. Talking to the guys off Just Imagine the next day we were glad we didn’t go ashore as it was all a bit shambolic with very long waits between the various floats and bands and to be honest it was quite loud enough out in the anchorage.  The proceedings were closed by a really big bonfire around 8pm and everyone went home so a peaceful night was had.

Thursday morning we popped round to see Robin and Cheryl Wilson on their catamaran ‘Just Imagine’ having missed catching up with them in several other anchorages.  After a cup of tea and a chat we eventually made it ashore to clear in. At the chandlers there was a big of a queue for the computer terminal and we waited patiently whilst 3 other boaters filled in their forms.  It’s fairly straight forward and every form is identical on every French island but the folk before us had real trouble, even though they had the paperwork from clearing in/out before, with all the information that they needed to input, it took them 20 minutes to sort themselves out…..Andrew was next and was done in 5 including printing the form out.

We were now free to have a look round and headed for the nearest supermarket to stock up with a few essentials and stuff we couldn’t get elsewhere…..they even had some wine boxes, so much easier to stow on board. Lunch was had at KFC because wifi was available there, then it was back on board for a lazy afternoon. We had been hoping to be able to spend more time in Martinique but once again events took over and with the weather forecast we decided to head up to St. Pierre the following morning. We had sundowners and snacks aboard Just Imagine along with 10 other folk they had invited over, swapping all our different adventures to date.

Another short but great sail was had up the coast to St. Pierre the following morning and was highlighted by the huge pod of dolphins we saw as we approached the headland just before the anchorage. We had been watching boats ahead of us appearing to congregate for some reason and realized they were dolphin/whale watching vessels and were glad we got there before the dolphins headed off.  We saw them leaping and splashing before anchoring in the bay well before the late afternoon rush and it was just as well as the wind kept dropping whereupon all the boats would react differently to the currents that then took over.  Susan went ashore for a couple of hours to get some postcards and do some interneting and then after tea we started our anchor watch, mainly because by this time other boats were anchored close by and we wanted to avoid any bumps etc.

Departing early morning, this time to Dominica, and with reasonable winds we sailed north, arriving mid afternoon to pick up a buoy for the night. The buoy at 25EC (about 5pounds )is the cheapest in the Caribbean. We were stopping in Dominica to say Hi and Goodbye to any other OCC (Ocean Cruising Club) members as several  days later there were going to be some celebrations to mark the club’s 60^th Anniversary. Unfortunately we didn’t feel we could spare the time to attend, taking into account our desire to be north coupled with the weather conditions. So Hi and Bye it was and we left the following morning for one of our favourite places, the Saintes.

We have been so lucky this year to have some wonderful sails on the passages between the islands and this one was just as good, such a change from beating into the wind and waves though our arrival to pick up a buoy just as a squall was going through was fun. Two attempts needed this time as the gadget that Susan uses came apart at the first try and had to be put back together again for success. Ahh its so nice to be on a secure buoy, no sitting waiting to see if you are dragging, no worries about bumping into anyone or them bumping into you, unless of course the buoys are not maintained, then it is a different kettle of fish altogether.

A lazy Sunday ensured as the weather brightened up and the sun came out and when the guys came out to take payment for the mooring we were able to order croissants, pain au raisin and a baguette for delivery early next morning…….

As we have said before the Saints is a gorgeous little place, but such a lot goes on, and buoy number 35 gave us great views of it all. We stayed until Wednesday morning and saw several behemouths coming and going, lots of different styles of how to and how not to pick up a mooring and then there were the ferries bringing people on day trips and holidays from the main island of Guadaloupe. We enjoyed a real chance to unwind a bit and contemplate our onward journey also getting a few jobs done, Susan was busy repairing the mizzen staysail pak. By now we were convinced that the alternator needed looking at again and decided that St. Martin would be the best place for it to be done. In the meantime there were crepes to be enjoyed.

Deshaies was our next destination after having our delivery of croissants etc and we were treated to a great view of the Wind Surf arriving just as we were leaving.  The Wind Surf is the boat that Tamsin served on and we have seen her a few times over the last couple of years, we waved as they went pass then carried on up the coast of Guadaloupe with of all things a westerly wind, we haven’t had one of those to sail in for years.  Dropping the hook for an overnight stay in Deshaies we settled down for the night having first anchor watched, and checking transit points for over 3 hours (we don’t normally check for quite so long but Deshaies is renowned for its winds, so we were playing it safe). Everything looked fine until just before midnight when we noticed that instead of being in 12 metres of water we now had 18 metres under the keel, yep we were moving again……

It was a very easy decision to take the anchor up there and then and set sail for Antigua, re-anchoring would have meant staying awake to make sure we weren’t drifting again, at least if we were sailing we would still be awake but at least getting somewhere and we had intended to move in the morning anyway.

We were so pleased with the decision we made, we had a gorgeous night sail. The sky looked wonderful with myriad stars twinkling away and for a lot of the night we had a beautiful yellow moon giving us good vision over the sea. The wind was blowing just right and so Andromeda romped over the water………

Jolly Harbour was our next port of call and we were approaching Antigua as the sun came up heading into the marina about 8.30am to tie up on B dock with help from the friendly marina guy. After securing our lines Andrew went off to clear in whilst Susan got Andromeda ship shaped. Then it was off to the office and a very warm welcome from the staff,  with the dock master telling the new ladies that we had been there many times and all the paperwork was done.

More in due course,

Andrew and Susan,

Andromeda of Plymouth

Leeward Islands

Caribbean.

Nosing Northwards and a little bit to the east!

Nosing northward..........and a little bit to the east!

So having finally left our berth we headed off to Scotland Bay for the night and an early morning departure for Grenada. We were due to head north with two other yachts but they were nowhere to be seen so we got some sleep in a very calm and still anchorage. 3:30am saw us heading out through the Boca.

Letting out the genoa a short while later revealed a problem – the halyard holding the genoa up started to slip down through the clutch, Susan noted this and said the sail didn’t look right! Having got the sail back up the forestay and the halyard secured again the winch that we use to trim the genoa with started to slip – great!. Anyway sorted out a work-around, and put it on the job list for Grenada. We also realised that when re-running the furling line we forgot to put it through the brake...duh, but that was easily remedied once the genoa was all the way out. We figured we could now slightly relax as that was the mystic 3 things that had gone wrong.

 For once we were able to lay a good course for Grenada and had a really fast sail, making the 80 or so miles in about 13 hours, so the tuned up rig was giving us better performance than usual. We waved to Hibiscus (the gas platform) as we passed! (Well Andrew did – Susan at this point was dossing and didn’t see it). We did enjoy sailing this passage in the daylight this time, we have always crossed at night before, and though it was an early start, a full moon gave us plenty of light and made keeping watch easier.

We anchored in Prickly Bay late afternoon and just in time for tea before settling down for a somewhat rolly night. Welcome to the joys of anchoring. First thing in the morning we were hailed by Patrick and Patricia on Rih Malti, who were anchored to our Port side and a little bit further back and a noodle session was promptly arranged between Susan and Patricia.

 After servicing the winch and replacing the broken pawl causing the problem it was time for Andrew, as skipper, to clear in and be warmly welcomed back to Grenada. The rest of the day was spent with general boat keeping stuff and we were enjoying having got on our way at long last.

We met up with Chris and Sharon from Quicksilver the next day for a very nice lunch in the revamped Tiki bar in Prickly bay marina. They had been in Grenada for a while since leaving Trinidad in early January and have finally manage to sell their house, so more time in the Caribbean for them. We really enjoyed catching up with them and hope to do so again a bit further up island before we head back.

Early the next morning after another rolly night, we raised our anchor and headed for Carriacou. Carriacou is the other main island that makes up Grenada, and is to the NE of Grenada itself. For one reason or another we had not managed to get to Carriacou before and were really keen to do so if the wind was ok. It was a hard sail on the wind but we finally arrived and dropped our hook in Tyrell Bay. On the way we caught a fish, but all Andrew managed to land was the head, something even bigger got the rest – we were a bit slow realising we had caught something but it was a good size and looked like a Dorado. Ho hum – at least we saw it this time! Next time we must do better and get photos.

Carriaucou is a pretty island and fairly laid back in nature. We spent the rest of our first day making sure we were securely anchored and enjoying the different view. Tyrell Bay is getting busier now as they have recently opened a Customs and Immigration office here which makes it more convenient for clearing in and out, particularly for those going to or from the Tobago Cays. We revelled in the more gentle conditions, lovely not to be nearly thrown out of bed every few minutes. We went ashore and pottered round Tyrell Bay and caught up with e-mails over lunch, then it was back for another blissful afternoon lolling about......(we will do some for you on request too- just let us know how long you want us to loll for....). After a good night’s sleep we re-anchored in the morning as the bay emptied out and we could get a little closer to the dinghy jetties. Late afternoon Rih Malti arrived and invited us to join them for sundowners, a nice end to another relaxing day.

After the radio net next morning we liaised with Patricia and Patrick who were joining us for a tour of the island. We picked them up in our dinghy as they hadn’t launched theirs yet. We arrived on shore just as the heavens opened and soaked us so we leapt in the first available bus heading for the capital. We were going to have a coffee etc in the bar that over-looked the dinghy dock but the rain put paid to that. Our driver was very friendly and before long we had agreed a price for a tour. Our tour round Carricacou will long be remembered for the very sedate pace we went (and it really had nothing to do with the road conditions) giving us plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and request photo stops. It is amusing how, on any island, whatever the size, you can get to see most of it in a half day tour...all that seems to vary, apart from the obvious differences, is the speed you are going.

Carriacou memories for us will include the spectacular views of its coastline, with the brilliant green blue sea and gorgeous sandy beaches that are such a treat for the eyes. Sited at the highest point of the island is the hospital with such stunning views that you are bound to feel a bit better or at least enjoy getting that way a bit more. We saw a traditional sloop being constructed on the beach. It was fascinating to watch the master builder eye up the space for the next strut, cut and shape it, then gently fit it perfectly into place, real skill.  Not sure how long it will take to finish but it will be a lovely seaworthy vessel. We were all now getting quite hungry and were delighted when we stopped for lunch in Hillsborough. The Jerk Centre was recommended by our driver (and he got his lunch free) so there we went and a very good decision it was too, we all enjoyed our tasty meals. After a wander through Hillsborough we headed back to end our tour where we started in Tyrell Bay, asking to be dropped off by the Yacht Club so we could clear out ready for an early departure the next morning.

Once we had done the formalities we headed down to the beach to walk along to where our dinghy was tied up. Funny we thought, Andromeda seems a little further out than we remembered but then a lot of boats had left and others had come in so it was difficult to tell but as we made our way round the bay we realised she had moved! Or even worse was still moving!

Trying not to panic we raced along the beach and into the dinghy anxiously watching Andromeda . As we made our way through the anchorage and approached Andromeda a Canadian guy told us what had happened. Only half an hour after we left on the tour, Andromeda had dragged her anchor and was going backwards past him quite quickly and then narrowly missed a catamaran. He and a Frenchman managed to get aboard and start the engine and reset the anchor as well as putting our kedge anchor out for extra security! Wow! This was heart stopping and gut wrenching stuff – directly west of Grenada is a lot of Caribbean Sea and then Costa Rica and Panama etc. Patrick and Patricia helped us sort out Andromeda and relay our anchor further in the bay then Andrew took them back to Rih Malti as they were to meet other friends. Andrew also spoke to the Canadian again and gave him a bottle of wine for his quick thinking and saving Andromeda – it was the least we could do. We then had a tiring and anxious night on anchor watch and were glad when the sun came up and we got on our way again.

Thinking about the incident later we reflected that after we had re-anchored the day before a French boat anchored very close ahead of us and practically on top of our anchor we felt.  Andrew informed him what he had done and he said he was leaving the following day. We were securely anchored and had done all the usual checks. However, something caused the anchor to lift and we can only suspect that the French boat, when lifting their anchor to depart, disturbed ours too. We will never know though.

We were headed north east once again – Susan wanted to call up Kari-Ann on Blue, who was in Bequia, so another hard beat was in order. We had a couple of very big squalls come through with rain and 30kt winds, but made it before dark and picked up a mooring buoy. Initially we were simply going to sail past and call on the VHF, but the weather was poor and Bequia is a very pleasant place, so in we went. After we had cleared in the following morning Kari-Ann and Per dropped by for a chat. We also caught up with Christine from Quadrille II and Mexican Train Domino’s was arranged for Sunday – whenever there’s a chance for a game!  Jeannie from Island Time and Patti from Native Dancer joined us (Andrew, Susan, Kari-Ann and Christine) at the Whaleboner bar and we had a fun and entertaining game with much laughter, though they actually ran out of beer (!). Afterwards we were invited for sundowners with Kari-Ann and Per aboard Blue. They are heading south now so we said a sad goodbye. However there is Facebook! And we had an invitation if we are ever in Norway  we can go and visit....

Clearing out the next morning our dinghy wakes and paths crossed with Kari-Ann and Per yet again so we had lunch together before we headed back to Andromeda and set off north once again for an overnight sail to St. Lucia and Rodney Bay – the passage from the northern tip of St. Vincent to St. Lucia is notorious for very strong winds and a nasty sea, both of which we got of course!

More in due course........

Susan and Andrew

Andromeda of Plymouth

In the Caribbean

Ps some more boat names.......Zephyr Zest, Pappillion, Gone with the Wind, Corinthian.

Gaar, Helicon, Skylark

T and T, Tank and Technicalities in Trinidad and Tobago

T and T, Tank and Technicalities in Trinidad and Tobago


So where to begin? There we were all ready to leave, and in a good old fashioned manner were commencing our countdown sequence, albeit in days rather than hours or minutes. We had just had a lovely Xmas time but now it was time to head out to the deep blue again after our lengthy stay in Trinidad and so Andrew was checking things out and Susan was busy with last minute provisioning, she also had a date with Debbie the swimsuit lady.


Saturday 28th December Susan went off to spend the day with Debbie who was making Susan two dresses, and Susan was to be the live ‘model’. Susan had a wonderful day, making the most of her time whilst Debbie was sewing and cutting, chatting and getting to know more about each other’s lives, being fed and watered by Helen – Debbie’s mother. The dresses Debbie created are wonderful and very different and will be worn a great many times, Susan therefore arrived back in Chaguaramas and back on board Andromeda excited to show them to Andrew.  Hmmmmmmm.......well it was a bit of a shock that awaited her.


After Susan had left that morning Andrew continued with his preparations and checks and Chris from Quicksilver had come over help troubleshoot problems with the auto pilot, during the course of this Andrew decided to check the water levels in the tanks, noticed that the fuel gauge was showing practically empty, very odd as he had fired up the engine a couple of days previously to make sure everything was ok and the gauge was showing just under half full.   A bit of a check later and he discovered that the diesel on board was now in the bilges....eeeek. Initial thoughts were that the return valve had broken again as per a previous incident but after checking out the engine and finding no leaks there, came to the conclusion that maybe the tank was leaking..... very eeek.


We were now faced with a bilge full of diesel a couple of days before the new year and despite phone calls to various firms no one was available to come and remove it, but hey, at least we were in a marina, in a place where things could be sorted and not out in the Boca near some rocks when our engine wouldn’t go. We had also forgotten to stop off at the fuel dock on our way back to Crews Inn after our haul out, so fortunately had only half a tank of fuel – roughly 250 ish litres on board. Sunday morning Susan talked with Debbie and discovered that Nigel (her husband) worked on boats (a small item of information that hadn’t been previously known) and they volunteered to come over and see if they could do anything.  After another search for likely culprits, the tank was definitely suspect and Frame (Nigel’s nickname) phoned a few friends to see if he could speed things up, and put us in contact with Franz, who we already knew from when we had the prop shaft replaced.


Monday morning and visit from Franz and Tin man confirmed what we all thought, it had to be the tank that had failed and deposited all the diesel in the bilge but now to get on with putting it right. This is where the scale of the job became apparent.  Andromeda has the one fuel tank on board and this takes about 500 litres of diesel so is pretty big.  It was put in place and then other bits of the boat were built around it, getting it out was going to be complicated but first we had to get rid of the fuel in the bilge. Fortunately for us as long as we kept the bilges closed and air con going we didn’t really feel the effects of the fumes unless we spent a long time in the saloon, so we didn’t spend long there, but at least we could still sleep in comfort in our own bunks (thanks Chris and Sharon for the offer of a bed if we needed it). During Monday it became obvious that nothing was going to happen until after the New Year and most likely not until the following week......hey we have been here before.  We curbed our impatience. Andre the carpenter did at least come round  to look at what needed to happen once the fuel had been removed, it was not going to be a quick job.


It was now New Year’s Eve and Debbie had immediately invited us to spend the evening with her, as soon as she knew we were not actually leaving, Andrew had however, woken up with a raging sore throat, feeling quite unwell so we decided to keep our germs to ourselves and not pass them round the family. Alex, Debbie’s youngest son had been unwell most of the autumn and most definitely didn’t need any more germs just as he was starting to feel better. There was a ‘potluck’ barbeque in the Breezeway at Crews Inn so we decided to just show our faces as they were going to be celebrating New Year at GMT time, 8pm Trinni time and we thought we could manage that.  As it happened a good dose of rum saw us able to keep going till Trinni midnight as well, keeping Tom from Madonna company as he played his guitar and we joined in singing along to his extensive and varied repertoire (yes we are that old).  Only about 8 of us made it to midnight but we had a great time and it certainly took our minds off things for a while.


In the meantime we also had to sort out getting an extension on our entry visa, our 3 months given at the airport were almost up.  This should have been straight forward or so we thought. Our first task was to go and make an appointment with the Immigration Office as they only do extensions on a Tuesday or Thursday.  We popped round and explained what had happened – no problem we were told just come back on Tuesday with a letter from Crews Inn, saying we were staying there and we had a repair problem and everything would be fine.......


After failing to get anyone to come and remove the fuel from the bilges we eagerly awaited for 6 January and a chance to get on with things.  After a few phone calls the guys from Tank and Fuel were going to come the following morning (7th) and take away the diesel........hurrah......Off we went to the marina reception to let them know our limited progress. This was to be a frequent conversation for us over the next 5 weeks, we had no idea how long we would be around as until the fuel was removed we couldn’t get the tank out, until the tank was out we couldn’t see the problem...... and as we had no fuel on board and couldn’t start the engine we couldn’t go anywhere else.....you get the picture. Crews Inn was at this time very busy and the pressure was on to find berths for a lot of boats being launched for the season.


Now the more technically minded of you may already be thinking of various solutions to the problem, and one of the suggestions we had was.....just take the top off the tank, clean it out, put in bladders (two to make life easier) – fill with fuel and replace top...go. Sounded very good as a proposition and quite a bit quicker than a new tank - Problems.....well Andromeda is now 37 years old and the way they built her tanks was to make them from heavy stainless steel, then they riveted it including the baffles inside it, then molten lead was put over the rivets.... it wasn’t going to be as easy as that.


Meanwhile Debbie was doing her best to keep us occupied with other things so we didn’t wear our fingers out twiddling them.  We had suggested she create a ‘catalogue’ of the swimsuits as she made them, to make it easier for people to decide what they wanted her to create for them, this had led to the idea of a website and this in turn, as an opportunity for premises came about, led to Debbie deciding to expand her business and take on staff........wow...... So Susan and Andrew were kept busy helping sort through the myriad things that needed doing and researching. Susan spent quite a few days over the following weeks going into Port of Spain and then taking a taxi to where Debbie would pick her up (it’s a round trip of over an hour in good traffic to Chaguaramas and back). There she would help cut out numerous table covers ready for Debbie to sew or help do things for the website. Andrew in the meantime was hard at work creating all sorts of documents for Debbie.  He produced many spreadsheets and tables as well writing letters and a business plan.  We were so delighted to be part of Debbie’s exciting new venture, she is so talented and a wonderful person and deserves every success, we hope that we have contributed in a small way to it all and are looking forward to getting regular updates as Debbie’s business grows.


In between all of this there were the regular shopping trips for supplies and even time for Susan to show other cruisers round Port of Spain and especially Jimmy’s for some lycra material. She also managed an evening trip to the Mas (Masquerade) Camps to see the costumes for this year’s carnival, the highlight being allowed to try on a very fancy headdress, orange of course as you can see from the photos. There were also visits to several pan yards to listen to the bands practising their tunes for this year’s Carnival competition. Watching all the preparations for the Carnival we wish we could have stayed but we have a bit of ground to cover this year.


We woke up early on 7th January full of anticipation and excitement, things should start happening, hurrah.  As soon as Andrew had delivered his weather report on that mornings’ net we headed up to Immigration to sort out the extension. We were greeted and asked to fill in forms as usual and then it went a bit pear shaped.  The Officers decided that because we had cleared into the country through the airport after our trip to the UK, that we had a tourist visa, they couldn’t extend this and after a phone call to the Immigration Office in Port of Spain, confirmed that we had to go down there to get the extension.  We were a bit surprised at we knew other cruisers who had done the same as us but not had to travel into the city but things do change and so does the staff, we felt a bit annoyed but confirmed we didn’t have to go straight away so Susan could go on her trip to the supermarket, and Andrew would be there whilst they took the fuel out.


By the time Susan returned with the supplies 47 gallons of fuel had been removed – this was 47 gallons of lovely clean golden fuel – or so it had been when we had our tank cleaned in the summer – now unfortunately, as it had been swilling in the bilges for 10 days - it was mixed with all sorts of things including oil from various nooks and crevasses –and not recoverable. At least stage one was now done and we had other workmen in the wings.


Our trip to Port of Spain was going to be a routine matter, just a bit of a nuisance really until we got to the offices and were refused entry on the grounds we weren’t properly dressed. As we had come from one office to another we didn’t expect a problem, but Susan had a dress on that they interpreted as being a halter neck (it wasn’t) but her shoulders were showing, and Andrew had long shorts and flip flops........off to the local shop for a quick purchase of a top, a pair of trousers and some shoes....... This time we made it in the door and then spoke to the guy who had said we needed to come down there. After asking us questions and us confirming that we had come in through the airport but that we were on our own boat we had a bit of a wait, he then called us over to tell us that he couldn’t do our extension as he didn’t have a cashier available and we would have to come back the following day. Arrrrggggggghhhhhg, After confirming that Susan alone could come the following day off we went.


Wednesday and Andrew was expecting the carpenter to come over and start to take apart the galley so that the tank could be lifted.  Maria from Cattiva went into town with Susan as they were planning to do some shopping after the Immigration visit. Susan and Maria arrived at the office just before 10.30 only to be told by the guard on the door who recognised her, that the guy they were to see had just left, of course she said that she would go and wait....after all this needed to be done...and as he had asked her to return she was sure he wouldn’t be long. Oddly the guy was there behind the counter when they went into the waiting and he seemed very surprised when he looked up and Susan there. After explaining again why she was there he asked if he could just deal with a few things and could she wait, of course she said......after all she is British.


Sitting down in a room full of people she waited to be called but after over an hour decided to go and see what was going on, a you may have guessed the guy was now getting ready to go to lunch but said if they went to lunch and came back at 1 he would be able sort it out. Susan and Maria were back before 1 and waiting for him to appear – still more waiting, questions and the need for phone calls and eventually at 3.30pm Susan was told that she had to go back to Chaguaramus as they had the necessary paperwork to issue the extension.... and she was told to go the following morning and ask for a specific person.


Arriving back in the marina Susan was hoping that at least some work had been started but no.......tomorrow.


Wednesday and bright and early up to the Immigration Office we went and eventually were issued with our extensions, though not until a bit more fiasco occurred, knowing that the extensions should cost $100TT each they offered the money only to be told no you don’t need to pay, then just as they were going out the door, oh yes you do. Whilst the receipt book was being retrieved from the safe Susan asked what they should have done differently to avoid all the running around and was told ‘You did nothing wrong’.  Just before we said good bye Andrew asked how long the extensions were for and was told, 3 months Mr Wilson, yours runs out on 4th April and Mrs Wilson yours runs out on 9th April as you came in at a different time.......We just looked at them and said, we were on the same flight......Back went the passports again to be amended and carefully countersigned and now at least  we were legal.


Wednesday afternoon whilst Susan was out again Andre came round and it took all afternoon to remove the sink unit and wood work and put it all in the cockpit...another little challenge for us.


Thursday Susan and Maria went into Port of Spain and as she was leaving Tin man and a companion came round to remove the tank, it took them half an hour to release it from its location but another 4 hours to get it off the boat, having to take apart the companion way, sliding hatch, canopy and spray hood, there was just half an inch to spare.....but then it took another 2 hours for Andrew to put the stuff back so we could get up and down safely and have some security.


We were now at the end of the 2nd week, surely the end was in sight. You would hope so. But as we have experienced before there were delays, more delay. Having eventually pressure tested the tank and discovered 3 leaks an attempt was made to repair it but the tank started to crystallise once heat was applied to it for welding......a new tank it would have to be.   We toyed with the idea of having two tanks made this time but that would have entailed a lot more work with extra pipes etc needed for the second, as well as more materials overall so settled for a new one just a bit smaller than the old one to facilitate getting it in or out another time. Foolishly having said, yes to a new tank, and yes to the price quoted, we thought they were getting on with it.  It was only when we were asked for a deposit that we found out that work hadn’t been started.   Then there was a big fishing tournament up in Grenada and nearly all the folk working on boats had gone including the guys making our tank....eventually Andrew was taken to see the work in progress. Another few days and he was shown the tank looking finished and we started getting excited, however it still needed pressure testing and other bits and pieces so it wasn’t until Thursday 6th February our shiny new tank was delivered and carefully placed on board.  By now Andrew was extremely good at getting the companion way apart having been told several times previously in the week that it was about to arrive, but now it was here........


Tin Man came round on Friday morning and after much tooing and froing the pipe work was eventually connected. At one point Tin man had to race off to Lincoln who had made the tank but not put in any in-take pipes for the engine – on the grounds he said, that there weren’t any in the original tank.....difficult to see how the fuel got out before, but Tin man made sure we had the necessary one and once they were connected and a bit of fuel was put into the tank, Tin man bled the system and the engine started up first time, yabba dabba dooo.


Finally also on Friday Andre the carpenter came to put the galley back together again, and a bit of a job it was too, and everything was looking hunky dory until he said ‘I don’t do plumbing’.......fortunately a quick word with Debbie and on Saturday morning Frame came round, sussed it all out, and even took us to get a new part for the drain as the original one hadn’t stood up to being removed.  We could now wash up properly again.......... Thank you so much Nigel for doing that.


We were now getting all excited and thought we might head out of here the following Tuesday but first we had arranged for  Falco to come round to check over the engine and generator for us. Falco really loves our old Volvo engine and was eager to make sure she was ok.


Monday morning Falco arrived and checked the engine.....she was running very sweetly so he turned his attention to the generator...and even though it had started up with no problems just weeks ago it just wouldn’t go. Falco eventually traced the problem to a broken fuel filter sight glass and, after a new one was purchased and fitted, up she fired.   Monitoring the generator during the afternoon it didn’t appear to be doing any charging and also looked like the starter battery might not be any good so that evening when Debbie came over to see us she kindly took us to Pricesmart so we could get a new one(thanks again Debbie). Meantime Falco had contacted Avi the electrician for us.


So Tuesday morning, bright and early, we had Ian from Layla over to take off the bag he had put on the prop, to keep the barnacles off. Then Richard arrived to take the aircon away, followed by Avi who came to look at the generator...at first it wasn’t looking good and getting out of the way Susan high tailed it off to Port of Spain to help Debbie with some cutting for the last time, and was so delighted to get the welcome news that after a new capacitor and some adjustments everything was good to go.


Wednesday morning February 12th........now we could get organised, there was still so much to do. After a very early start and a lot of stowing etc., Susan went off for the very last provisioning trip in Trinni, Andrew was busy stowing all the various canvas awnings and sunshades down below. Andromeda was washed down, filled up with water, the duty free was collected and our final marina bill paid, well we actually got a refund because we pay in advance and all of a sudden it was time to cast off....Maria and Maurice came and gave us a hug, Donna and Rick waved and Fast Fred from Liberty, with his dinghy, came and acted like a bow thruster and in a few minutes we away sailing into the sunset once more, heading to Scotland Bay for quiet night before an early morning start on the passage to Grenada.


The end of 6 weeks of ups and downs again, the job (as always) took much longer and was more complicated that first appeared and that estimate at the beginning that we would be out of Chaguaramas by the 2nd week in January was way off base. We would like to say a big thank you though to the cast of many people who did their best for us, Franz, Nigel, Lincoln, Tinman, Andre, Falco and Avi. It’s been great to work with you all and have your expertise there to help us.


Other news....the auto pilot you might be thinking......well eventually we got Dennis to come and have a look once Andrew had tested everything else to bits. He did what Andrew had done then took the ‘brains’ away to test elsewhere and came back with the news that it is irreparable as it is an old version.......and a new one could be had for lots more dollars and a wait......at that point we didn’t want to add any more delays to our departure so have decided to manage without it till we get to St. Martin to replace it.


To cheer ourselves up we went to see the The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug at the local IMAX with a bunch of cruisers; and very good it was too. Looking forward to the next one now!


And our flat.....well it went to the wire with our tenants....having not responded to any of the requests, court orders and solicitor letters we had the go ahead to send in the bailiffs.....at the eleventh hour they tried to made a defence and halt proceedings but a week after that the order was enacted and we now have possession of our property again.


Now it time to say bye bye Trinidad and Tobago, we have such wonderful memories of our time here, though our stay was enforced it gave us time to get to know Debbie and her family even more...it certainly helped keep Susan occupied, after all there is only so much time you can spend doing water aerobics in the pool.  We also got to meet other folk who we would otherwise have missed, so more new friends to keep in contact with. Jessie and his team from Members Only provided their usual excellent service and it was a joy to go on their various trips, Susan especially will miss Stanley and his big smiles, and she did enjoy decorating Jesse’s office door on his birthday.... Thanks as well to the staff of Crew Inn, they were very patient with all the headaches we gave them, we certainly recommend the marina as a good place to stay, especially if you book early. And not forgetting Nick, Greg and the crew in Peakes!


We also want to say thank you to the cruisers we have met in Trinidad who’s stories, tales and experiences have made our time here all the more worthwhile – Rih Malti, Piano, Kiss, Liberty, Black Elise, Quadrille II, Rocking Horse, Tusan Tak II, Leahona, Cattiva, Cape, Arawak, Madonna, Quicksilver, C- Drifter, Wings, Fair Passage, Oriole, Magic Dolphin, Receta, Mistress, Abraxas, The Dove, Jabulani, Native Dancer, Island Time, Just Now, Just Imagine, Flyin Low, Freya of Clyde, Aries Too, Bad Kitty, Saltwhistle, Evenstar, The Vagrant, Cinnamon Teal, Alberta Crewed, Tiger Lilly II, Mr Mac, Panchita, Lady of Avalon, Sturmvogel (a Contest 42 no less), Joana, Cinq a Sept, Vagabond, Breezing Up, Hoyden, Unicorn, Soulmates, Tihani-Li, Fawkes, Allegro, Layla, Laurelie, Explorer, Ocean Angel, Wind Shepherd, Idea of London, Bolero, Spirited Lady, Ann-Louise, Blue, Persephone, Nancy Ann, Partners---- (there may be one or two missing – apologies if so!)  – we will miss many, and hopefully see a few up island.


Thank you Debbie, Nigel, Helen, Megan, James and Alex for all the friendship and support and love you have sent our way, you are treasures.


More in due course,


Andrew and Susan
Andromeda of Plymouth