Summer of 2007

Back for a visit in Michigan to see our family. Here we have Kelly, ready to deliver Brooklyn at any time, with Taylour and Cody. Taylour is our oldest granddaughter, just turned 12, and Cody is 9. (How did we get old enough to have all these grandkids?)

Kelly and Charlie had a barbeque for us while we were at home, and this is Shaun and Kristine with Avory and Ryenn, along with Taylour, Cody and Parker. Love those grandkids. Guess we'll keep the kids too.

We also headed up to Lapeer to visit with MA and Chris and spend time with our oldest grandson, Zachary, on the left, and his brother Jake. Zach turns 10 in October and we're not quite sure where the time went there either.

Just hanging out in Florida right now at Mom's house. Allayne has a job selling carpet, vinyl and laminate flooring (real useful in boating!) and Dennis has the prized job at West Marine. Very few hours, but love that discount.

We've had emails from Trinidad that Audrey Paige has already been sanded and primed and the paint should be going on shortly. Can't wait to get back to a 'new' boat. Miss our home on the water!!

~~~_/)~~~

Out of the water in Trinidad

Well, here it is, June, 2007 and we're out of the water for the first time since December of 2005. The bottom didn't look too bad, considering we spent last summer here in the water, with Rodney, the diver, scraping the bottom every month. Since we haven't been off the boat since that time, getting everything cleaned and prepared was quite the challenge. Getting rid of a lot of extra 'stuff'!
We feel like we've done nothing but spend money since we pulled into the dock at Coral Cove, but it's all worthwhile in the long run. Finally bought the flexible perforated deck tiles to put behind the storage areas on the port and starboard side behind the setee cushions. I had some light matting, but still had our pop and beer hit some part of the fiberglass and puncture. Nothing like Diet Coke sprayed all over!
We've decided to add another solar panel next year (which we've already ordered) since we are both really against having a Honda generator. Nowhere to store it and we really don't like the noise. Walked down to the Dynamite Yard and found Dexter in a machine shop there. He was out the next day and had our new solar panel rack installed the same day. That's service! Getting new lifelines has been a challenge that we'll have to wait for in the fall. We had Riccardo from Coral Cove sand the bottom, raise the waterline and work on the little blisters that we have. Well worth the $200 for Dennis not to look like a smurf, full of blue bottom paint! The most exciting is, by the time we get back to Coral Cove in November, Audrey Paige should be freshly awlgripped. Light grey hull with a dark blue stripe. Can't wait.
So, here we are, out of the water, in the sling. We've been put into our summer storage place, jackstands in place with chains and boards underneath the stands. It's been an exhausting three days since we've been out of the water working ten hour days. Dennis is trying to get some things done so he has one or two less jobs when we get back, and I'm hoping all my cleaning and teak sealing means everything will be set to go in the fall, since I have all the outside wood and stainless to do!
We did have time to do a little fun stuff - arranged with Jesse James, from Maxi Taxi Service to take us to the movies on Tuesday night for the new Pirates movie. It was great to see Jesse and his wife Sharon Rose again and it felt like coming home!
Heading back to the States June 5th, with a taxi pickup at 4:30 a.m., renting a car and driving 7 hours to Mom Coon's house, looking for jobs to pay for all these extra little things. Stay tuned!! ~~~~/_)~~~~~

Photos from Union Island to Trinidad

I've had a few issues posting photos to my last couple of blogs since I switched to Google, so I thought I'd do one with mostly photos. First off, we have Sharky from Union Island doing a Sunday night bbq, then the wonderful little children in the kindergarten and grade one class in Carriacou, with their teacher.

The next photo is Audrey Paige passing through the Bocas, with Kyeta sailing in ahead of us. We left at the same time and passed one another all night long. They sailed past us through the Bocas, but then we cheated and started the engine and beat them into the Customs dock. That actually worked out well, because then we were able to help them raft off to us so we could head into Customs and Immigration (after a much needed shower!) Kyeta called Coral Cove and headed into a slip while we backtracked and anchored in Scotland Bay.

That's the great shot of Sea Cycle anchored in Scotland Bay. We felt like we were in the land before time. Turned out to be a good decision to stay in Scotland Bay for 5 days since we got a lot done without the distractions of a pool, shopping and restaurants. It's taken us a long time, but we actually have mastered taking down the sails and folding them on deck!

Carriacou to Grenada

Picked up anchor from Tyrell Bay at 8:15 a.m. to head to Grenada. Watched a couple of boats motor out, but we had some slight winds and put up the main, with a reef, and the yankee (the main jib). Caught a couple of gusts, which made things exciting, but then the winds and seas levelled off and we had a nice sail. Decided to head over to the east of Diamond Rock and Ronde Island, instead of tucking in between the Sisters and trying to avoid the underwater volcano, Kickem Up Jenny. Had a great sail going until we hit the current (we never seem to time those tides right), but slowly sailed our way out and around to the leeward side of Grenada. Winds and waves settled down so much that we agreed to take the reef out of the main. Well, that didn't last long. Had a great sail for about an hour and then the gusts kept hitting, one after another. I really don't like sitting in the cockpit and being able to put my hand in the water, or watching the propeller from the dinghy motor, mounted on the stern rail, spinning in the water. Dennis put on his lifejacket, attached himself to the jacklines, and climbed his way forward to put the reef back in the main. We sailed all the way to the entrance to St. George's Harbour in Grenada.
We got a good hook and stayed put for a couple of days, picking up internet, doing laundry and visiting the wonderful Saturday Grenada market! Visited Art Fabrik and picked up gifts to take home and bought myself some earrings as my Mother's Day gift to me! Took the dinghy over to Grande Anse Beach - beautiful sand and water!!
Final town things to do and we got prepared to head down to Prickly Bay on the south coast of Grenada, where we'll leave to head to Trinidad. Aurora and Kyeta picked up anchor and headed out before us, sailing away, and we finally finished errands and picked up anchor about 10:30. Motorsailed to Prickly and arrived around 12:30. Sun shades up and we took the dinghy in to Da Big Fish for lunch, since Aurora was heading out that night for Trinidad. Da Big Fish has great food!!
Hung out for a week in Grenada, visiting the Spice Island Mall, just because it was a mall and had stuff, and getting boat chores done. Time is winding down.
We have a weather window for the 21st and 22nd of May, so we're preparing to head out. Time to head to Trini!! ~~~~~_/)~~~~~~~