Nutmeg

Whilst waiting for repairs to be completed, we took an organised trip around Grenada. Shame you might say but this was very good value and once in a while it's good to let someone else put it together. We stopped frequently, meeting locals and getting a good understanding of their agriculture, herbs and spices.

Grenada is a big producer of cocoa beans, although today they only ferment and dry them before they go to Amsterdam. Next door to the factory lived the retired Caribbean diplomat Denis Neil OBE, whose family once owned it. He happened to be outside and invited us in. A charming man who knew a bit about Australia. His Edwardian house was falling apart but full of memorabilia such as photos with world famous leaders and the Queen.

I wondered about the 1983 execution of the government by nationalists but I didn't have the time to get involved. I had noted five women included in the memorial list at the fort seen a few days earlier in St Georges. I don't wish to make light of the tragedy but there are times when you think some politicians deserve it.

Rivers rum distillery started in 1785 and was still crushing cane today, a handful at a time, with a water driven wheel. This was not just for the tourists, it was all they had! The 75% proof sample certainly cleared the sinuses.

A nutmeg and mace factory was interesting. Production had dropped to 10% after the hurricane in 2002. Other stops included monkeys, a volcanic lake, lovely bays and a waterfall where the local lads touted for money before leaping fifteen meters into the pool below.

A trip to Hog Island for a relaxing Sunday and local style BBQ revealed that our Raymarine plotter is still malfunctioning. So Fandango is grounded until they have another go at it. The regulator, batteries and isolator have been tested and found to be OK, so the high voltage alarms are also still a problem.

Another week of waiting and continued concern about faulty equipment affected morale. After four months on Fandango, Trevor decided that he didn't mind if he never set foot on a boat again. He left for an apartment ashore. Heather 2, who had been on for two months had a schedule. After a few days, she decided to fly ahead to join another boat that was previously parked near to us in Prickly Bay for a while.

Ted is fresh and keen and we are in exercise mode. Yes, in between bowls of French fries and buckets of beer he is able to do an impressive work out. My efforts are more modest. However, we need to look good for Sunday visits to the BBQ and jump up on Hog Island. Ted has already had success in that department.

We have met many interesting sailors here at Roger's. The beach bar is a shack on sandy Hog Island and locals chill out here, as they cook on open fires food that we haven't seen in the restaurants. Shame that it will all be bulldozed for a resort in a year or two. The bridge has gone in and the trucks will follow.