"Crap" I hear through the headset "It got hooked up on an edge. Ok now it is off"
Crap, that word you never want to hear when trying to drop an anchor under extreme windy conditions in an anchorage already full of boats. I knew we only had one chance to make it work and we had blown this one. I try to keep the boat in position. I tell the girls to go down and find the red button and hit it so the light comes on. They cannot find it. I scream that it is right below where they are standing but it does not register with them. I cannot leave the wheel to show them, I am doing everything I can to keep the boat fro crashing on the reef right behind me. I hear someone yell at me from behind. Another sailboat is just feet from me. They are motoring in trying to find a spot to anchor. It would have been really nice of them to have given me some space. I slam the motor full throttle and we miss each other by mere feet. They find the button and we are able to get the anchor up. I get out of the tight anchorage and take time to breath.
We have to stop here to clear out of customs so we have no choice but to anchor. I pick another spot out and we finally get the anchor to hold. I go ashore to clear customs but everyone else stays on the boat just in case the anchor drifts.
We will skip the exploring of Clifton this trip. Off we go towards Grenada and anchor in Carriacou, Grenada. The sail down was wonderful and we feel safe and sound in the bay. Now we have an extra day to explore here.
Carriacou is definitely not a tourist area. We go to swim on a beautiful beach and there are only a few other people there. Walking down the beach to a thatched roof covered bar, we order some drinks and food. A women from New York tells us that they bought property here because there is no one here.
The next morning we get ready for a blustery sail. Some clouds move towards us and before we know it, the squall is upon us. I already had two reefs in the main sail and we turned into the wind to try and get the head sail down. It was not gong well. The motor was running at full speed and barely keeping us into the wind. Once again I am unable to leave the wheel. There is two much wind and the auto pilot will not work under these harsh conditions. The Jib sheets are whipping around and I hear a crack. We finally get the head sail in and the boat under control.
The loud crack was the jib sheet smacking into the isinglass smashing a big hole in it. It is a boat, break out another thousand dollars.
Finally we reach the first available place to anchor and drop the hook. We have some lunch, look around, check the guidebook and find a place that looks much more interesting just a few more mile south. Up with the anchor and off we go.
A mooring ball is available and we hook up to it. Diving off the boat we enter an underworld art museum. Over the years, various artists have been commissioned to create some type of art to be placed on the bottom. You add this to the fish, coral, and fascinating rocks and you have a surreal playground. Wow, it was worth the extra work to pull up the anchor and come down.
The end of the next day finds us at our final destination in Prickly bay Grenada. In one month I will be pulling Mile High Dream out of the water for the sumer and head back to the states. It is hard to think that I only have one more month in this years sailing season.