Canoe building plan

Full Moon in the anchorage

I recall our last week in Georgetown as very boring and not worthy of a blog post. However, as I looked back at what I wrote, I decided to share it for continuity. Be patient. WE ARE PREPPING TO DEPART GEORGETOWN!

Day 15 Fri, Jan 22: The Captain walks over the hill to refill propane at BEC ($10 for 11 lb is the cheapest in town).  The winds are forecast to kick up and clock around again, so we're hunkered down. The boat count for the season is 178, down from 262 (400 at a peak). Our little anchorage swells from one to nine.  Chartbooks come out. Winds shifted south but not 20 kts yet. 

Day 16 Sat, Jan 23: The winds swung to the west overnight at less than 10. We slept like babies except for the short rain shower that meant I had rollover & close a hatch. The winds were so calm that when the Captain popped his head out, he's disoriented. "Did somebody move?"  Nope.  We both hate to think it. Should we run into town?  We'd like to be ready to jump to Long Island in the next weather window. We risk it and make it back, no worse for wear so The Captain makes a second run for water.  By noon, there is an occasional gust to 25, but the sun is out. Dinghies and multiple kayaks are in the water. Someone is snorkeling. A few boats are "shuffling". It's chat n chill west in our tiny anchorage. .(Seriously. I guess part of the appeal of Georgetown is moving anchorages with the wind, but we prefer to find a spot & stay put--our anchor is buried nicely!).  

We hear from friends that there is a good grocery store, water and fuel at Thompson Bay, Long Island. A long weather discussion ensues and I'm counting the days until we can move on. We're both getting a little testy.  Chris Parker has reported the trade winds are light for this time of year. Everyone keeps telling us how weird the weather is compared to usual. The evening email says the trend should change:  "February should bring a rapid & significant change to weather pattern...we'll continue seeing about 1 ColdFRONT every 6-7 days...but LOs will form & track farther N...and we'll see N<ENE winds behind FRONTs (instead of W<N)...and more days with ENE<ESE Trades and settled weather between FRONTs - a rather typical winter pattern. Sure, there will still be on average 1-2 days each week you may need to "hide", but that's better than 3-5 days/week of inclement weather we've seen for much of January."

By moon rise (it's a full moon!) the boat is gently rocking from the wind. I stay up late after a cold-brew ice coffee--until almost 9!  We've started watching Justified on DVD, then download some Elmore Leonard books. It's chilly, so I close hatches and dig out some socks to go with the flannel jammies then unroll the blanket. Cuddling tonight! 

Day 17, Jan 24:  I'm up at 4:00 am. The wind is a steady 20-25 kts and the sloshing and squeaking of the boat drags me into the cockpit to check on things. I might as well make coffee. The cat can't tell time. 4:00 am.  6:00 am. Mom is up. Let's eat!

We passed the Shedd Aquarium (Chicago) rv Coral Reef II which was docked downtown the other day. A quick google revealed 1) I haven't found a single conch salad since we've arrived, apparently because the Queen Conch population is near collapse from overfishing 2). Part of the reason for near extinction of the lizards is junk food from the tourists!  Don't feed the lizards!  Learn more here: http://www.sheddaquarium.org/Conservation--Research/Field-Research/Around-the-Globe/Studying-Iguanas-in-the-Bahamas/

Day 18, Jan 25:  Freedom!  The winds let up. Another morning discussion about weather and the First Mate convinces the Captain to anchor downtown for at least one day to provision up. With the First Mate at the helm (because raising and lowering the anchor is "exhausting"), we cruise down the Georgetown shore instead of going back out to the channel. We scoot over to the southern side of Kidd Cove trying to avoid the crowds & crazy dinghy traffic. By the time we hit the dinghy dock, there is a LONG line for water. I hop off and head to the grocery store while The Captain waits in line, then runs it back out to the boat.  Since Peace and Plenty provides free wifi, we go for lunch on their patio. We chat with some Canadians at the next table, who saw our boat pass by from their patio this morning.  A quick stop at the the liquor store for more coconut rum and Kalik.  "Bottles or cans?"  "You have cans?!"  We almost can't extracate ourselves from the dinghy dock.

Now who would expect a line for water on Monday morning after a forecast 3-day blow?

Returning to the boat, the harbor is in full "shuffle" mode.  One neighbor has left and another has arrived.  The wind has also shifted west, then gone calm, so our anchor chain has a loop in it and we've passed over the anchor!  We are at low tide and the depth sounder reads 5.3, so I jump in for a quick snorkel. It's a little chilly, but I check on our anchor and the abandoned mooring lying on the bottom next to us.  Anxious for some exercise I request the scraper. I get 3/4 of the boat done including between the hulls and lower than I can usually reach.  I had tossed the flippers back on deck because the water is so shallow, I can almost stand and walk with my snorkel--so I didn't get the keels. I rinse off and wash my hair on the stern steps.  The Captain has cut open our second coconut, so I'm greeted with a rum punch & coconut meat.

Where is the world is our anchor?  Not over there!

3 more days. 

Day 19 Jan 26:  Grocery run. Bank. Liquor store. 

Day 20 Jan 27:  Laundry run.  Grocery.  Red Boone.  Chat with Dos Libras about their southbound plans. 

After 20 days, it's time to leave Georgetown. I felt a little claustrophobic as soon as we pulled into the harbor. Chat n chill anchorage still makes me cringe. Yes, it's nice to have access to a 2 groceries and a meat market, free water, two laundromats, a vet, unlimited wifi and numerous anchoring options. We've met a lot of nice people. You can't walk from the dinghy dock to Red Boone without running into old friends or meeting new ones. We haven't fully covered all the activities here--we never even stepped foot into Chat n Chill. (Don't tell anyone!). However, we are ready to be out on the water exploring somewhere new. Yes, it's a five mile stretch down the harbor that can justify a motor sail. Yes, there are anchorages we haven't tried. Plenty of trails & restaurants to keep us busy. However, the lure of the Turks & Dominican pulls us forward. We bought a few more guidebooks (thank you sv Shoestring).  We sold our East Coast charts and guidebooks (good luck sv Puffin).  We're talking through all the stops. It's sad to leave our friends, but many are starting to plan their trips back north.

Foto Results 3 point hydroplane boat plans

Thankfully, we're past running to West Marine every couple days.  In fact, now we only buy the occasional tool or part from the hardware store.  However, there are still plenty of things to keep the retired mechanic busy.

After the constant use over the last month, the sewing machine was starting to make weird noises.  Time for the 100-point inspection ("Yes, there's a manual.")  Also, it is now referred to as a "power tool."  To my friend that noticed the knife in the pic, it's not mine.  That thing scares the crap out of me.  I'd lop a finger off for sure! 

Bicycle tune-ups

Bicycle maintenance:  The Captain's shifter broke (wore out!) so it needed to be replaced.  The part wouldn't arrive for 5 days (seems to be a theme), so he switched his bike seat with my bike seat and locked it into third gear (my sweet spot).  At some point, I became confused about the problem (because at the time, I wasn't listening.  "(His) bicycle.  Mechanical thingy.  Blah, blah, blah.  Ordered a part."  Didn't see how that affected me.  SO meanwhile, he would switch bike seats back and forth, based on the current day's need--he's riding to the hardware store/I'm riding to the grocery store.  I'd hop on to ride to the office & it would be in 7th gear (at least I got a workout) with the seat so high I couldn't sit down!  At one point my/his(?) chain fell off altogether and had to be safety-wired back in place!  "Which bike is this?  No originally."  I sense a bait and switch...

On a boat, it's only a matter of time before you have to spend a few days in a hole.  Those days had come. (I had money on it being the head/holding tank).  One lingering "squawk" from our survey was: the wooden shelf underneath the aux water tank was rotted.  We didn't consider this urgent at the time.  However, as we discussed our future water needs for the islands, this project come back onto the radar.  When I suggested cleaning, refilling and exercising this tank, the Captain decided it was time to pull it out and replace the shelf.  

Day 1:  The aux water tank in the forward starboard hull anchor locker was removed (you can read that sentence again.  Got it?  Here we go).  There is a hose that passes out through a bulkhead and into the interior.  It had to be cut to get the tank out.  "No problem.  I'll replace the hose."  He spent the rest of the day scraping the rotted wood off that had been glued to the fiberglass shelf.  (And here lies the problem.  No drain holes.   Nowhere for the inevitable water that can enter a deck locker to go.  The aux water tank wasn't a standard installation on a PDQ, so perhaps this was installed without much engineering forethought.  I was assigned the task of dragging the aux tank down to the dock and washing the exterior (interior was surprisingly clean).  I helped!

Day 2:  The Captain rode his bicycle to the hardware store to get new wood.  Between rain showers it was cut, treated with CPES (Thank you, Bequia Chief) and installed on the shelf.  It was allowed to dry (drink beer) and then fiberglassed with West epoxy & glass cloth.

Day 3:  Bicycle ride to West Marine for bilge paint and more hose.  Drain holes were drilled and the shelf was painted.  (I need to pay more attention to The Captain when he says things like, "I'll just replace the hose."  In fact, I would usually say something like, "What does that involve?"  This time I didn't.)  I headed towards our berth and found this: 

Running the new hose from the hull into the cabin

When I asked what he was doing, The Captain said, "Replacing the hose (silly)".  And that runs all the way up to the salon?  "Yep."  I know where this is going--see "Checking In" (propane sensor replacement)

Old hose.  New hose.

The vent and water hose were replaced from the forward hull through to our berth and spliced (taking it all the way up to the settee in the salon deemed PITA.  This section of hose seemed in good shape and insulated well.

Technically, this project was done.  However, "While I'm at it," involved the rest of the interior of the locker being cleaned and painted (Paint on feet.  Foot prints on deck.  La, la, la, la, la.  Silly boy.  I'm not in charge of swabbing the deck!)  Just as the rain rolls in--"Need a little help here:"

Mess on the forward deck, part 3.  It's starting to rain...

"Detailing the anchor locker is a bit over the top."  It looks great honey!  Here's a beer.

Amelia did not help at all!  "I hate it when you wake me up to take pictures, Mom."

In the interest of full disclosure, this project ran into day 4 (but I'm not changing the clever title).  I walked (back) to West Marine because the Captain decided to put in some Dri-Dek.  When I got back, the spinnaker (in the sock) had been hoisted to the top of the mast to air out.

Spinnaker sees some sunshine

Project complete: