Three Years On
02 December 2011 | Woburn, Grenada
Jules
Three years to the day we were leaving Maryport, heading out into the wild blue yonder. And yes, it was pretty wild that day if I remember, which I certainly do. We finally left the dock and went out of the harbour to get our compass swung. Only it was just a little rougher than we thought and we ended up coming back into the inner harbour to get it done.
Tony on Aquila (God bless him) towed us round and helped us get it finished. Unfortunately that was to be the last time we ever saw him, and he's a great loss to us all and still very much missed.
If you want to catch some of the excitement that was our leaving day, Twent has uploaded a video clip of it on our Friends of Flying Buzzard facebook page. Even from a distance it looks bad, just imagine being on board with the furniture flying and stuff going everywhere. Not the calmest first day.
Still, that was then and this is now and we've sure come a long way, both figuratively and literally. Today we're planning to set off for Carriacou. It's warm and sunny and there's a gentle breeze, quite the contrast. Just a shame I'm still as anxious as always, I guess if I haven't got my sea-legs (or more accurately my sea-mind) yet the chances are I'm not going to.
The last two weeks have seen a few events but not too many. We went up to St. David's and helped Jeff bring his boat back round to Hog Island which all went smoothly until we got safely anchored and then the rum squall came in. It's good to have him back and he'll be coming with us when we leave for Carriacou, if we can afford the food and the brain cells!
We've bought the poles ready to construct the framework for the top-deck awning and the material is currently on the ship coming from Miami. Well we think it's on the ship; it was supposed to be arriving today but Mike is on the phone to the shipping agents and now they're saying maybe next Tuesday so we're not quite sure when it will arrive.
Our friends Henry, Iris and Luana have left for Trinidad after being anchored close by for the last few months. We had a bit of send-off dinner party for them which turned into a really good night. As they left Calabuig came in; this is the 100ft sail-boat we've met many times before, the first time with Pedro and Julian on board as crew. The new crew are all unknowns but the Captain, Jason, came by the other day to say what a wonderful old tug we were and had we ever thought of taking her up to the Alaska where she'd fit in perfectly; now there's a thought.
We've finished the patching, yes, finally finished the patching, well as near as damn it anyway. And the boys have almost finished the banging and grinding. We've actually got some primer on but unfortunately have run out so we're having to wait for our next shipment from Trinidad, whenever that will be, hopefully soon. At the moment we're looking something like a camouflage boat, only in red/pink/grey/green/white ... apparently we look quite festive.
The cruise ship season is once again upon us and most days St. George's is awash with pasty white tourists clogging the sidewalks and huffing up the steep streets. Actually it's great for the Grenadian economy, although with most cruises now being all inclusive the local bars and restaurants aren't making too much out of it. The little yellow tourist train was doing a roaring trade yesterday though as it chuffed along the Carenage with its cargo of sight-seers who are either too old or too over-weight to use the manual method of getting around. I have to say there was a point when it teetered on the top of a hill and I wasn't sure it was going to make it, but it did.
Nellie and Toby are fine, Mike has a black eye from hitting his head on a cupboard door, honestly.
Love to all ...
Happy Birthday Jess for tomorrow ... can't believe this time last year I was with you in snowy Vancouver!