Cat and Mouse on the Dock
08 October 2013 | Port Louis Marina, Grenada
Lynn
As Ken and I were heading back south with ‘Silverheels III’ after the Carriacou Hash Weekend, we discussed heading in to a dock to get a couple of things done. Since the dinghy was in stripped down mode for the tow, it would mean one less thing to do when we finally arrived. We figured that we could equalize the batteries and get a couple of other jobs done that are much easier done on the dock, including finding and fixing the @#*%ing water leaks in the dinghy.
Pro’s and cons of the marinas were tossed back and forth by us, and we decided to give Port Louis Marina a try. It has the nicest facilities, and apparently their rates aren’t that bad. It also meant that we wouldn’t have to do another potentially rough trip around the south end of the island to get to one of the other marinas. I called them on the phone and got Danny, the Assistant Manager (another Hasher). He mentioned, as an FYI, that if we stayed for over 12 days, the monthly rate would be the least expensive option. Hmm, something to consider.
So, as we continued down the lee of the main island after a rather rambunctious inter-island passage, we thought it over. ‘Silverheels III’ hadn’t really has a good going over on a dock in over four years. We could get the jobs done, and with the luxury of a month, do it without killing ourselves, as is the norm with some of the earlier shorter stays. Yup, we would commit to being dock rats for a month, but we could always leave earlier if we wanted too. It would mean moving our fenders from their comfortable positions as back rests on the stern rails, but we could tough it out!
Here we are, on “H” dock, with a side-tie to a dock. With an older style boat like ours, a med mooring is not something I want to contend with, as the transom is awkward (especially with the outboard hanging on the rail), and the bow is pretty far off the dock. (Med mooring is being wedged between two other boats and getting off your boat by the bow or the stern). We have a modem for internet, as the marina is trying to deter yachties from pirating the WiFi. There is a lovely little pool, great shower and washroom facilities, and I know a surprising number of people around here, and I don’t mean just cruisers!
This marina is popular with cruisers who prefer to spend the summer on the dock. Many are still here, so we are seeing lots of them, including a great birthday party on a large trawler. I confess that it felt a little strange initially, but it is getting a little easier. Probably having a great bakery on the premises helps! I don’t have running trails, but I am still hitting the road, and one of the dock masters here (surprise, another hasher) has suggested some decent routes for me.
We have created a list of jobs to do, and are slowly working our way through. With the benefit of a little time, we can still do other things as we want to, without the need to go “Omigosh, we only have three days left on the dock!” One of the jobs on the list is to put our new “Rocna” anchor on the anchor rode, as that will now be our primary anchor. Switching anchors is one of those jobs that is so much easier to accomplish on a dock. Now we have to figure out how to effectively secure this anchor to our bow when underway, referred to as “catting”. The “Delta” anchor fit into our bow arrangement very easily, and was easy to “cat”, but this Rocna is proving to be a bit of a challenge. We also have to use stainless wire on the shackles to make sure they don’t come undone, referred to as “mousing”. When Ken put on the list “anchor”, I had to add “cat and mouse”… I just had to!
The water tanks are now very clean again, and the bilge has had a good fresh water rinse. The head and the hoses are getting a nice vinegar and water soak. The outboard will get a little maintenance with a new zinc and possibly a lower unit oil change. The diesel will get fresh filters and oil. I have found some other little jobs to keep me occupied, including cleaning up, and possibly out, some of the lockers. I’ve inventoried the canned goods. The galley is going to get a major cleaning, including, heaven help me, moving the stove and getting in behind it (a sandblaster might be suitable for that job). The batteries will be regulated one of these days, now that Ken has created a way for us to utilize the 220v shorepower on this dock; our boat is wired for 110v, and the battery charger doesn’t care what it gets. The decks will be scrubbed to within an inch of their lives, and the hull will finally get a very overdue waxing. And hopefully we will finally figure out how the water gets into the dinghy and put an end to it, although that is the job I have the least confidence in. The crack in the companionway will be epoxied, and the “not-so-bright work” will be dealt with by being sanded and oiled, with no more Cetol to be used. The calmness in the basin here lends itself to fixing the deck light up on the mast, and probably a look-see at the top of the mast since the gear will be out, anyway. At least, these are the jobs that immediately come to mind.
Good thing we are here for a month.