We departed Saline Bay, Mayreau just before 0700 hours and raised the sails in the next bay, where we had room to go head to wind. We had a single reef in the mainsail, in anticipation of the acceleration zone off the top of the island. We had 25 miles to sail to Bequia and the wind direction wasn't too bad. If we were lucky, we might make it on a single tack. The swell was down from yesterday and the day before too, so all in all, it was a comfortable sail, at anything from 5 to 9 mph, boat speed. At 10am, we had a bite on the fishing line, which we were trawling. Pete brought the line in to investigate and found big teeth marks on both sides of the metal lure. It seemed that the fish had let go as soon as it realised the lure wasn't a fish. Damn! We had a couple of short, sharp showers on approach to Bequia, with the usual gusty wind but nothing too horrible. We put the engine on and dropped the sails just before the southwest headland and turned directly head to wind and waves, to motor the 2 miles into Admiralty Bay. This was the slowest part of the journey by far. We located Magic Pelagic and anchored on their inside, on a large sand patch, with 4.5 metres under the keel. We laid 25 metres of chain. 15 minutes later, there was a massive storm, with torrential rain, violent winds and thunder. How lucky was that! Paul and Tracey arrived alongside in their dinghy, having been in town where they had worried that we were caught out in the storm. The rain continued all afternoon, relenting just in time for the 4 of us to go to Jack's Bar for happy hour, at 5pm and catch up on news from the last few days. We were welcomed with cold, lemony towels, which was a nice touch but the staff weren't overly friendly and the bar was quiet and lacking atmosphere this evening. The weather remained dry overnight but with gusty winds.
It was Thanksgiving in the US but the Caribbean Islands had their Thanksgiving a few weeks earlier, so everything was open for business as usual in Bequia. We dinghied ashore early to have tea and juice at a bar, so we could use the toilet. Pete had decided that, given how well the anchor was in, he didn't want to have to move, meaning using the toilet with the holding tank wasn't an option. I would have to regulate my bowels to trips ashore. Lovely! Next stop was the chandlery, where we bought a new, longer lock, which would go through the engine and fuel tank, on the dinghy, as well as locking the dinghy to the dock. Then it was on to the supermarket to get cash back on our return beer bottles (50 cents per bottle), before walking over the hill to the sailmakers, to get quotes for dinghy chaps (sun covers to protect from the UV) and sun screens for the boat, which would provide more shade in the cockpit. Unfortunately they had a backlog of orders and thought it would be difficult to squeeze in the sun covers, although the dinghy chaps might be possible, given we were staying in Bequia until after New Year. We bumped into Rick at the bank and then his girlfriend, Barbara, in Knight's supermarket, so agreed to meet them for a drink at Whaleboner around 3.30pm. We bought frozen red snapper from the fish merchant and some very expensive, home grown spinach from a market stall. 40 EC for the snapper, 25 EC for the spinach but both should feed us for 2 days. Being Friday, we called at the tourist information office for the latest What's On guide for the coming week. Back on board, we set to making water, had a lovely swim and fixed a few bits and pieces with some sikaflex that Paul had going to waste. We agreed to meet Tracey and Paul at the Plantation for drinks at 4.30pm. When we arrived, slightly late after going to Whaleboner, we were told that all drinks were half price for happy hour, so Tracey and I ordered Mojito's. 5 minutes later, the waitress returned to say she was mistaken and there was no happy hour tonight, so we got up to leave. She said the cocktails had already been made but didn't offer to let us have them at half price, so we left and went to a little bar on Princess Margaret's Beach. Back on board, the red snapper, spinach and sauteed potatoes were delicious. Overnight, the wind was strong and extremely gusty, keeping us awake. At 4am everything went suddenly calm, like someone had flicked a switch; bizarre!
On Saturday, we were going out for an early dinner, with Paul and Tracey but met up mid-afternoon to walk along Princess Margaret Beach, over the hill, via a marked trail, then along Lower Bay beach, where we had a beer at Petra's. Retracing our steps, we called in at Da Reef for a drink and found this bar to be much cheaper. Going back over the hill, we all ended up stepping in wet cow muck, as there was no way to avoid it on the path. At least we could wash feet and flipflops in the sea, before walking along the waterside walkway through Belmont. The Fig Tree was closed and Mac's wasn't opening until Monday, so options were limited, despite it being a Saturday evening. We ended up at Frangipani, with the guys having lobster in garlic butter and the girls having Thai red chicken curry. To be fair, although the service was terribly slow, the food was very good. We returned to Muirgen to share a bottle of wine and we all slept well.
Sunday heralded a new month, so my first job was to do some banking and update my cashflow forecast (ever the accountant). We ran the watermaker until the tank was full and then went to the Fig Tree for a cuppa. There was morning entertainment, with a trendy, young man playing great tunes on his electric violin. In the afternoon, we experienced some strong, southerly winds, which was unusual and the boat turned round 180 degrees. As yachts were coming in to the anchorage and anchoring based on this wind, there was potential for trouble later, when the boats swung back to their prevailing position. A rather large, probably £1 million yacht, which was a French skippered charter, anchored close by us, giving us cause for concern, as we were swinging differently and often coming quite close together. During the late evening, the yacht moved to the outer edge of the anchorage, so the skipper must have become concerned too. We met Paul and Tracey for happy hour at Jack's, locking the dinghy to the dock. When we returned, Pete realised he had left our keys on the boat, so Paul had to give him a lift back to retrieve them. It was another very windy and gusty night on board, with lots of rock and roll.
When we surfaced, on Monday morning, next door's dinghy was upside down, with the outboard engine under the water, having flipped over in the overnight wind. Pete shouted over, as they were sitting in their cockpit totally oblivious. Paul and Tracey dropped by on their way to clear out with customs and immigration, as they were leaving for Cumberland Bay, Saint Vincent today. We were due on Pawikan at 10am, to have coffee with our new Danish friends, Henryk and Dorte before they also departed Bequia, for Saint Vincent. We discussed Guatemala, as they were considering it for next season. We said our goodbyes, then headed towards town, crossing dinghies with Paul and Tracey, such that we were able to say goodbye a final time. It was unlikely we would see them again for a long time, as our plans wouldn't coincide this season and we wouldn't be back in the UK at the same time either. We would miss spending time with them. Now we were alone in Bequia but probably not for long, this being an extremely popular place.

Having anchored and with the strong winds, I stayed on board while Pete went to clear in, in Clifton. He took the dinghy ashore in Ashton. The dinghy dock had gone, courtesy of the hurricane, so he left the dinghy on the beach, where 2 guys at a bar would look after it. They told Pete that the bus should come by, so he didn't need to walk up into town. Despite it being only just after 9am, they persuaded him to have a beer while he waited. The bus didn't come, so the bartender, Julio, ordered a taxi, saying it would only be 10 EC. Sure enough, it was only 10 EC, even though the driver waited the 30 minutes it took Pete to visit customs and immigration. Pete gave him 20 EC. More beers were drunk on return to the bar and Pete decided to donate his spear gun to Julio. We needed to be rid of it before reaching Colombia, where they are illegal. For the 2 hours Pete was away, I watched the kite surfers, as well as keeping a careful eye on the anchor holding. There were no problems, fortunately. We lifted the dinghy and engine and had a fast (7 mph +), downwind sail west, towards Chatham Bay, dropping the sail and motoring round the headland and into the bay. We anchored, in sand, with 2.8 metres of water under the keel. Chatham Bay remains beautiful but all of the bars have gone and the boutique hotel, with pool was in the process of being rebuilt. Rumour has it, that the bay will only house the hotel in future, ensuring that the beach remains pristine. It's a shame if the Sailor's Bar is not allowed to return, as this was a meeting place for all the cruisers. Despite the desolation, the anchorage became busy. I saw the green flash, the final refraction of light as the sun sets on a cloudless horizon. It was a gorgeous evening, with a light tropical breeze, the waves lapping gently on the shore and a myriad of stars out, in the night sky.
Overnight, we suffered the extremely gusty katabatic winds, blowing up to 35 mph and making sleep impossible until they calmed around 5am. After a couple of hours sleep and having consulted the latest weather forecast, we decided to head to Mayreau today. The winds were going to continue to increase, over the next few days, with the swell getting higher. We weighed anchor at 0910 hours and raised the main, with 2 reefs and the foresail with 1 reef, while still in the bay. The swell was around 2 metres and the wind was gusty and not in a fortuitous direction. Consequently, we did 3 long tacks north, with 2 tacks east, in between, to arrive in Saline Bay. The trip took 2 hours for a distance, as the bird flies, of just 4 miles. Sean and Zak were anchored, way off the shore. We tried hailing them, as we passed but they didn't hear us. We anchored quite close to the dock, so we had the option to row ashore. As we were sitting in the cockpit, watching yachts and catamarans anchor, the common pastime of sailors, the Bequia Express came in, sounding its horn. It came very close to Sean and Zak, before approaching the quay. It needed to reverse onto the end of the quay, so swung round and nosed its way towards our stern, almost within touching distance, before engaging reverse gear to turn around. As there was no horn sounded, we made the assumption that we weren't in the way. On departing, the boat actually went on the inside of Sean's boat, again very close.
Mayreau had also suffered at the hands of Hurricane Beryl. The little beach bar was closed for repairs and we could see roofs being repaired up the hill. We rowed ashore and were met by a local named Aswell, who said his was the only bar available, essentially a cool box and a bench under a piece of polythene, tied under a tree. We sat down and had a Carib each, Pete quickly moving on to a second. We were joined by 4 Danes, so had another round of beers with them, exchanging information. The owners of the Danish boat were Henryk and Dorte and they had 2 young friends with them. We talked a lot about insurance and they said they had managed to get insurance, quite cheaply with a German insurance company, although they had to use Google Translate to decipher the forms. We said we would all probably catch up in Bequia, where we planned to sail tomorrow. We were back on board before sunset and in bed by 7.30pm, asleep in no time at all, being very tired after 2 nights without much sleep. We slept well and awoke briefly around 5am, actually feeling a little cool. I was wide awake by 0615, waiting for Pete to rouse himself, so we could depart Mayreau for Bequia.

As we entered Tyrell Bay, we were hit by a heavy squall and the wind instrument went blank. We had a spare cable but it would be a hell of a job getting it down inside the mast, while at anchor. This time, luck was on our side and the instrument responded to being switched off and on again. Here, at anchor, we are surrounded by battered boats; the victims of Beryl. Many are derelict but others have their owners living on board, attempting to clean up and repair damage, 4+ months after the hurricane. Most are missing their mast and boom but the catamarans are the worst. You can clearly see where they have been upside down in the mangroves, with a waterline of growth on the top halves. It's soul-destroying to look at. We launched the dinghy and made our way to shore, stopping first on the beach, so Pete could take in the laundry and dispose of our rubbish. The dinghy dock has all but gone, so I stood on the beach, holding the painter while Pete carried the laundry bag over the road. We motored up to Tyrell Bay Marine, where we could dock the dinghy and walk back into town. The outer dock had gone but the concrete inner one, near the mangroves, was available for use. We walked down the street, stopping at the Gallery Bistro, which was re-opening this evening, had a chat to John and Ann and booked a table for 6.15pm. Then we walked down the beach to Las Iguanas for a light lunch, calling at the Original Slipway, on our way back, to book a table for Sunday lunch. It's our intention to spend money here with the businesses as they slowly re-open after rebuilding their properties. As we walked from the beach, up to the road, we bumped into Paul and Tracey, who had walked over from Paradise Beach, so we had a beer at Lambi Queen. Enough of the eating, drinking and socialising, it was time to go shopping for provisions. There are 2 supermarkets in Tyrell Bay but stock in both of them was quite low, with very little fresh food available. A small deli-counter had some local salt ham, so we decided to try that, after a local explained that it's boiled before roasting, to remove most of the salt. It turned out to be delicious. We were only back on the boat for an hour before it was time to go back to the Gallery for dinner. There we had a cracking curry, from the extensive Indian menu. You would never know that John is from Wales! Overnight, there were frequent rain showers, so we were up and down, closing and re-opening hatches but at least there were no mosquitos out here.
Next morning, we repeated the beach landing, to collect our laundry and then set the watermaker going again, having assessed that there was no oil in the water from leaks on broken boats. Mid-afternoon, we returned to Las Iguanas, where I enjoyed a frozen margarita. From tea time onwards, it rained and the wind blew hard, so we had an early night. Unfortunately, the wind had blown the mosquitos out to sea, so we had to spray before bed. All night, we could see lightning through the hatches.
We had a lazy start on Sunday, swimming, reading and waiting for Magic Pelagic to come round from Paradise Beach. At 1.30pm, we all went over to the Original Slipway for Sunday lunch, with wine. Tracey and I had lamb, Pete had pork and Paul opted for the Asian style tuna. It was all very tasty, with generous portions. At 5pm, we went back to Magic Pelagic for sundowners. It had been a lovely day.
Tracey and Paul were departing on Monday, so went to clear out by Carriacou Marine. They were given 1 hour to leave the island. We went to provision, ready to leave on Tuesday. There was no fresh meat or fish and very few vegetables either, so we bought what we could, including frozen chicken thighs, frozen tuna steaks, a couple of packs of bacon, corned beef and instant mashed potatoes. We would have to manage if, as expected, there was nothing available in Union or Mayreau, with both of these small islands being crushed by Beryl. Having unpacked our meagre provisions, we went out in the dinghy again, over to Carriacou Marine, taking our boat papers and passports with us. We filled up with dinghy fuel, on the dock and had lunch at Las Iguanas, while waiting for customs and immigration to open. Pete was successful at clearing out, paying 50 EC for outstanding cruising tax and 20 EC for airport departure tax, which was due because we had arrived by air. We had a letter from Clarke's Court to confirm the dates the boat was on the hard, which significantly reduced the cruising tax. We met Meike, who has a Westerly Oceanlord, which was sadly damaged in the hurricane, although was lucky to only lose the mast, boom and sails and not suffer water ingress. Back on board Muirgen, we lifted the dinghy and engine and prepared the boat for our early departure next morning. Paul and Tracey had suffered a slow trip to Union Island, under engine, head to wind and swell, taking over 3 hours for the 10 mile journey. Hopefully we would have better. Gale force winds blew until 10pm and then everything went completely still.
On Tuesday morning (26th Nov), we were up at first light and were soon ready to leave. The wind started blowing hard again at 6am. At 0634 hours we weighed anchor and motored through the mooring field, leaving the wounded boats behind us. We raised the main, with 1 reef and motor-sailed the short distance up the coast and through the gap towards Sandy Island, where we put a second reef in the mainsail. We were 25 to 45 degrees off the wind, which was blowing around 20 knots and the swell was sometimes 2.5 metres but the current was helping us. The sail kept us steady although there was plenty of water over our decks. We motor-sailed, at between 5 and 6.5 mph, directly across to Frigate Island, on Union Island, dropping the main as we rounded the little island and found a modicum of shelter. The trip took us 2 hours. We were now in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

We dropped the mooring buoy at 0850 and headed towards the P&O cruise ship, Arvia, to raise the mainsail, before turning to motor around the headland by the underwater sculpture park. After the torrential rain and storms, there was a lot of debris in the water, ranging from small twigs to large branches. At 0920 we both heard and felt a sudden catch from the engine, as if something had caught the propeller, or been sucked into the engine cooling pipe. There was steam coming from the exhaust but the engine overheat alarm didn't go off. We diverted to one of the buoys by the sculpture park, dropping the mainsail on the way. Pete went over the side, with mask and snorkel, to investigate and found a long, thick piece of weed wrapped around the prop. He cleared it and we were on our way again 10 minutes later. The steam had stopped, so we raised the mainsail again to help our progress, under engine, up the west coast of Grenada. So far, it was cloudy but there had been no more rain and the sun was trying to break through. At 1100 hours, we were nearing the top of Grenada and could clearly see Ile de Ronde, at 10 miles and Carriacou, some 24 miles away, in the distance. Paul and Tracey, on Magic Pelagic had departed at 10am. Would they catch us, having a greater waterline length? Our boat speed was between 6.1 and 6.4 mph, with speed over the ground averaging at 6.9mph, motor-sailing. We were now getting a better angle on the wind, so we turned the engine off and put out the foresail. Boat speed gradually increased to 9 mph and SOG was approaching 10; we were flying! We slowed with the wind shadow as we passed Ile de Ronde, passing through the area of sea at risk from volcanic activity (no alerts today) and then sped up again in the open sea between there and Carriacou. There was a strong adverse current now, about 2.5 mph. As we passed Tyrell Bay, we rolled away the foresail, then went head to wind and dropped the main, before motoring north to Paradise Beach, arriving at 1515 hours. It had been a good sail. It took a couple of attempts to pick up the mooring buoy, as the current was stronger than the wind and the mooring line went under the boat the first time. Magic Pelagic arrived at 4.20pm and invited us on board for sundowners. We didn't have an beer on board, to take with us, after Fast Manicou forgot our order, in Port Louis, so Pete went ashore to buy some from the nearest beach bar, 'Off the Hook'. Curtis had only just opened, post Hurricane Beryl and was out of beer, so he drove Pete to the shop and bought some himself while he was there, as he was now expecting his first customers. In the early hours of the morning, we had heavy rain and strong winds but there were no worries on the buoys.
Wednesday morning, we were awake at 6.30am but lazed in our bunks for a while, before having breakfast and changing the bedding and towels. Hot and sweaty, it was time for a refreshing 15 minute swim. We set the watermaker going and relaxed in the cockpit before taking the dinghy to the beach and having a couple of beers with Curtis. Paul and Tracey arrived soon after. We strolled down the beach to Paradise Beach Club, hoping to paint pieces of wood with our boat names, a Wednesday afternoon tradition but having only opened the previous week, they weren't set up for it yet. Hopefully the one we created last season survived the hurricane. Paradise Beach Club had been completely rebuilt, following a Go Fund Me exercise, which raised US$60,000. Only the toilets, from the original building, had survived. Sandy Island, across the bay, had suffered too, with all the palm trees bent and broken and a hole through the middle of it. The boys had beer and the girls had Sangria, we chatted to Allison and then walked back to 'Off the Hook'. Curtis made me and Tracey a G&T, bringing his best glasses from his kitchen and we all got bitten to death by sand flies. It turned out that Allison was Curtis's ex-wife and they get on much better now they are divorced! We were back on board for supper. It had been a lovely day in Paradise. Overnight, there was more rain and it was a bit rolly at times.
Next morning, we were up at 0620 hours and it was time to open a message from Terry, which included an invoice for the additional work on the watermaker. He was charging us a 20% mark-up on the cost of the new (and probably unnecessary) pump and US$290 for the 3 way valve, which we knew to be second hand. On top of that were 5 hours labour at US$90 per hour and a 4% charge for paying by credit card. I drafted a letter setting out our position and offering to pay the sum of US$670, being the cost for the parts only, less the 20% mark-up and that we would only pay by bank transfer. It wasn't long before Terry called us to put his own view across but he accepted the amount and mostly wanted to save his reputation. We made the international payment through Revolut, so Terry didn't have access to our card details.
I did some handwashing and managed to get everything dry, on the rails, in just 2 hours, as it was so hot. That also meant a lot of swimming to cool down. Pete went to see Curtis for a couple of beers, while I finished my book, Irena's Gift, a harrowing account of the lives of a woman's mother and grandparents, in Poland, during the second world war. We had sundowners on board, waving to Paul and Tracey, who were doing the same on MP. The swell rolled the boat for half of the night and then we had a screaming mosquito on board. We were tired in the morning and slept until 7.40am. At 0910 hours, we released the mooring buoy and motored around to Tyrell Bay, waving to Paul and Tracey as we passed Magic Pelagic.

On Saturday, I was up early and had cleaned the fridge, washed up and emptied the bins while Pete sat up playing computer games in bed. At 8.45am I dragged him up to launch the dinghy, lift the outboard engine and then sent him to buy diesel and petrol from the yacht club. It was a showery morning, with lots of rainbows but Pete managed to avoid getting wet. On the next mooring ball was a catamaran called 'Unleaded', which had been dismasted and was all ripped open at the back. On our way to the marina, we called by to find out what had happened and ask John if there was anything we could pick up for him. A shackle had worn through, while he was sailing up the coast, causing his mast to fall, taking out the dinghy, which was suspended on davits, which in turn ripped the back off the boat. John had been rescued by the coastguard and towed to the buoy to await repairs. At Port Louis marina, we bumped into Paul and Tracey, with their guests, Tom and Mo. It was lovely to see them again, having spent so much time together last season. From there, we walked to Sherri's but she was closed, so we called into Island Water World to check out availability of new navigation lights. They were out of stock, so we would need to call Kildale Marine and have them send some to Joanna and Steven, who could bring them out to us in December. We caught the number 1 bus to Spiceland Mall and went to Umbrellas for lunch, before shopping. The bus back was a nightmare, with us having to jump off and on again, with 4 bags and a yoga mat, every time someone wanted to get on or off. Back at Port Louis, we loaded up the dinghy and fought our way through the swell to reach the boat, stopping by Unleaded to drop off the WD40. A swim was needed to cool off. We set about lifting the new dinghy, with the engine, on the starboard side of the yacht, adjusting the lifting lines to get the dinghy level, it being the first time we had run through this procedure since the old dinghy was scrapped. The weight had the boat listing to one side. Just as we were happy, Paul messaged to arrange for us all to go to the yacht club for drinks, so we lowered the dinghy back into the water. We had a great time, yakking away for half an hour before reading the menu to order some small plates. Even the karaoke was good; mostly locals with excellent voices. As is usually the case, we stayed too long and ended up returning home in the dark. The sea was calm but a long swell remained. Torrential rain at 1am had us jumping up to close the hatches but all in all, it was a comfortable night.
We slept in until almost 8am and I went for a decent swim, as there wasn't much current. We checked the weather forecast, which showed torrential rain on Tuesday for the third week in a row. As we needed to see Sherri on Monday, we may have to stay put until Wednesday. Chase and Natalie passed us on their catamaran, Benevah, with Bea barking her head off. After a light lunch, we dinghied over for drinks on board. Bea jumped into the dinghy as we arrived and was really friendly, a bit unusual for her. Perhaps she remembered us rescuing her when she fell off the boat, back in June. Next stop was Knife and Fork at Port Louis, where we had Korean style chicken wings; delicious, as Chase and Natalie arrived just as we were about to leave. Back on board, we cooked our curry but just had a couple of Waitrose ginger biscuits for supper. The curry would keep for tomorrow. Overnight, there was a massive storm, with thunder, lightning and very strong winds. It was quite scary and then everything just went calm.
Monday would be a busy day, as we prepped for departure for Carriacou, so we were up with the lark at 0615. First stop was Island Water World, which opens at 8am, as we needed Aerospace 303, which is like sunscreen for your dinghy and spare filters for the watermaker. Then we climber the steep hill to Sherri's as she was due to open at 9am. There was nobody home and we were soon told that she was late due to an issue at home. Next was Huggins Foodland for supplies. Loaded up, we returned to the boat to unpack. Fast Manicou was due in Port Louis at 1045 and we had placed an order with him for beer, wine, fruit juice and pork loin, so we returned to the marina to meet him. Frustratingly, he had forgotten out order, so all he had was the 3 litre box of Hardy's red wine. We also had an issue with the adapter for the outboard fuel tank, so it was back to Island Water World for a new one and another trek up the steep hill to see Sherri. She was in this time. As it turned out, Terry had already paid Sherri (Grenada Yacht Parts and Services) for the new pump and we managed to find out that the price was 1337 EC, not the 1600 EC that Terry had told us it would cost. That's a 20% markup. Sherri wasn't happy, as it makes her prices look high. We weren't happy either, as Terry was obviously going to be sending us another bill. After 4 hours of pratting about, we were back on board and making water again, while the sun was out and the solar panels were keeping the batteries topped up. We measured the output and made 5 litres in around 14 minutes, which isn't bad. At 4pm, we met Paul and Tracey and Chase on Grand Anse Beach for sundowners. The dinghy dock there was more substantial than we expected but rather sandy. We went to Jason's, in the food court by the craft market and then down to Umbrellas for a cocktail. Again, we came home in the dark, using the phone torch as a light. We had the curry for tea and went to bed but there was little sleep to be had, with another ferocious storm and heavy rain.
In the morning, Tuesday, we ran through preparations for leaving. It was still raining lightly but the forecast said it would stop around 9 to 10am. We lifted the outboard engine, then the dingy, removed the tiller extension and fuel tank and stored them away. The small cockpit locker was full of water, so we emptied it and then cleared the blockage in the drain. Everything was made shipshape down below and we were ready to leave at 0850 hours. Goodbye St George's.

Monday the 11th November was a showery day and very humid once the rain stopped. We spent most of the day in the bar at the Cove, looking at charts for the ICW (Inter Continental Waterway, on the east coast of the USA) and waiting for Terry to contact us about the watermaker but we heard nothing. It was an early night, with the hatches closed due to the inclement weather.
The following day, we took the shopping bus from the Cove, via Clarke's Court, to the usual places. The rain was torrential, at times and the road to Clarke's Court was flooding. Having returned to the Cove with our shopping, we had to remain in the bar until 2pm as the rain had become a thunder storm. When we did get back on board, the bucket was completely full of rain water and the dinghy was a foot deep in water. We changed the mooring lines to the black stretchy ones, as the wind was yanking on the non-stretchy lines, jarring the boat and both of us in it. Sheldon and Kyle arrived to refit the watermaker, which was working fine in the workshop but they couldn't test it as the water was thick with mud, after the storm. We agreed that we would move round to Grand Anse next morning and pick them up in the dinghy. We headed to the bar, for happy hour, where we were joined by a Dutch couple, Nic and Mar, who we got on with very well.
Wednesday, we were up at 0615 hours and it was bright and sunny. We filled up with water and lifted the dinghy and engine, ready to leave the dock, once Randol had arrived and given us our bill. It was agreed that Dexter would come by to assist with untying the lines on the buoys, at 10am and another yacht would take our place on the dock. We prepped our mooring lines. At 0925, Sheldon and Kyle arrived to test and then fix the watermaker, so we then couldn't leave. The test failed again. At 1330 hours, Sheldon found the problem, a hairline split in a three-way valve that was pulling in air. They said they had a spare in the workshop, so would fix it the next day, in Grand Anse. We had a late lunch at the bar, with Nic and Mar and lamented the situation. At happy hour, we met up with Nic, Mar, John from Four Winds, Jim from Mobius and eventually, Susie from Spirited Lady. Mike and Jenny (SY Happy) were also in, having tea with friends. We left at 7pm, leaving Jim and Susie to chat for another 2 hours.
Thursday, we were up at 0615 again, preparing to leave, when we had a message from Terry saying the boys were coming to the Cove to fix the watermaker. We said we were leaving but eventually agreed to move onto a buoy outside the Cove, so the other yacht could come in. We slipped our lines at 10.10 am, with Sheldon and Kyle on board and picked up one of Dexter's buoys; got it first time! With the 'new' 3 way valve, the watermaker worked. We borrowed a TDS tester from Jane on Coco de Mer and the PPM value was 310. Anything under 750 parts per million is fine for drinking. At long last, we were in business. Pete took Sheldon and Kyle, one at a time, as our dinghy is small, across to Clarke's Court. We had a relaxing afternoon, with a breeze, out on the buoy, before taking the dinghy into the Cove for happy hour, with Nic, Mar, John and Ian. Susie was having dinner with Jim, on Mobius. We had a much better night's sleep, out on the buoy, with a nice breeze through the cabin and no mosquitos.
We departed Woburn Bay at 0745 hours on Friday with careful pilotage through the reefs. Outside of Prickly Bay, we raised the foresail and had a lovely downwind sail to the most south-westerly point, coming round to close on the wind as we headed towards Grand Anse and Gren Mor mooring field. With a mile to go, we put the engine on as we couldn't get any closer to the wind to make our destination. There were a few dive boats and divers to avoid on the run in and then the calorifier blew, filling the bilges with hot water. This seems to happen when the water overheats and the pressure increases. An investigation is required, behind the companion way steps, to confirm whether there has been an expansion tank fitted! We picked up a buoy at 1015 hours, appreciating the breeze out here. We cleared the bilges and then set about making water for the first time. We ran the Spectra 150 for 2 hours and 45 minutes, before back-flushing to remove saltwater from the membrane. We launched the dinghy so we could get in the sea for a swim, before clearing up the aft cabin from the chaos caused by the watermaker refit. Around 3pm, Tracey and Paul, on Magic Pelagic, arrived back from their trip to Carriacou, with Paul's brother and sister-in-law. One more yacht and all mooring buoys were taken. I saw my first sunset since arriving in Grenada but with cloud on the horizon, there was no green flash. Shortly after, the full moon rose, lighting up the sky and illuminating the sea. So far, we had not received any communication from Terry, regarding further costs for the watermaker fitting. Perhaps he was going to honour his promise that all work subsequent to testing was included in the test fee we had paid. We had also told him we would pay Sherri directly for the new pump. Fingers crossed! We had the hatches open all night, as there was no rain. At one point there was no breeze but by the early hours, I was actually feeling chilly, with the wind blowing through the cabin.