13:49.183N 061:03.99W
We were delighted when our friend Liz asked if she could come out for a couple of weeks. She is an experienced sailor and so well up for joining us for the passage south to Trinidad. But first the new, new anchor chain.
Having gone to considerable trouble to get exactly the right size chain for our windlass and gypsy (the chain pulling up/letting down device on the front of the boat) while in St Maarten we had had difficulty with it bouncing off the gypsy and generally misbehaving. We went into the Island Water World chandlery in St Lucia where the manager quickly diagnosed the problem as being the wrong chain. The internal length on each link was out by 2mm. To begin with he seemed to take the line that this was hard luck and we would have to buy a new one. We asked him to contact the manager of the branch in St Maarten who had helped us in choosing this chain because we felt that we had asked all the right questions and taken the gypsy in so that the chain could be fitted on to it by said manager and therefore the chandlers ought to take some responsibility. The manager in St Maarten was aghast, immediately said that we were quite right and he would replace it with the correct chain at no charge to us. This is not quite as easy as it sounds because it would have to be shipped to us in St Lucia. Our confidence in IWW was immediately restored and the correct chain arrived a couple of weeks later. It then needed measuring into 10metre lengths and marking with the little coloured plastic tag thingies that show how much has been put down. The little plastic tag thingies are very tough and difficult to get out which is of course the general idea because they are no use if they fall out every time they are wiggled on the chain. So, much pushing and wiggling and out they come then more pushing and wiggling and into the new chain they go. This time we had Liz to help.
 
|
Having been in a marina for more than a month there had been plenty of time for barnacles, weed and general greeblies to grow on the hul in spite of the antifouling paint. The log is particularly vulnerable. This is a little wheel that pokes out under the hull at the front and turns as the water flows over it. The speed of turn is then transmitted to the helm giving the speed and distance travelled. If it doesn’t move for a day or two something will grow on it and it sticks. If we remember we clean it before leaving a marina. If we forget we have to do it on the move. So….. lift the floorboards and unscrew the one with the wire attached. As quickly as possible replace with the one without the wire in order to block the hole. In the meantime quite a lot of water can come in hence my mothers cloth being jammed down the side to soak up what it can. Washinig up bowl standing by of course. |
And there we have it, the greeblies jamming the wheel. Much scraping required. Then a good slathering to WD 40 which helps to slow the next lot building up. |
Finally we get away and have a good sail down to anchor between the Pitons; two spectacular peaks left over from a volcano crater.
Then on to the island of Bequia for another night to check in to the Grenadines. We would have liked to stay longer but time was at a bit of a premium and there were other islands we were keen to get to. |
