Footnotes from Water Music

After a month of what was meant to be gentle pottering down through the Leeward & Windward Islands, it is time for Water Music to be on her way again. The last month has brought consistent, robust trade winds of rarely less than 20 knots and often gusting up to 40knots - particularly in some of the anchorages we went to. How we could have done with this wind for the Atlantic crossing itself!

Jay & Gillian Devonshire joined us in Grenada on Friday 22 Feb and that enabled us to do some sightseeing round the island, hiking up Grenada's hills, swimming and leaping in waterfalls, shopping in local markets, going to Full Moon parties, Jump-Ups and reggae parties and going to the cricket. Sadly the latter was not a great success as the last 48 hours consisted of rain. When it wasnt raining, it rained and felt a bit like the Isle of Wight in November - all bar the temperature. Again we loved our time in Grenada and managed to get lots of jobs sorted out on the boat - including getting our electrics sorted, the fridge fully working and our propelllor anode replaced. The skipper noticed that the anode had worn very badly after one night in Martinique and we have been searching for the right size as a replacement ever since. We went into the timber joinery shop in Clarke's Court to ask where we might get one from and were told that one of their people was going to Trinidad the following day and would we like him to pick one up. What a fantastic service and something we shall always be grateful for. This duly happened and we fitted the new anode on Monday evening - fortunately not dropping any of then pieces as I attached them whilst at anchor!

And so we planned to leave first thing on Tuesday morning, with a short hop to Carriacou to re-accustom our sea legs, before undertaking the passage (400Nm) to Bonaire, which would take us well to North of the Venezualan islands and, hopefully clear of any rogue activity there. Well no plan ever really survives and the first thing to change was our departure time. Customs & Immigration were (sort of) open in the morning - but the key person didnt turn up until 1000 and so our departure was delayed to accommodate them. We then looked out into the Caribbean Sea and with 25 knots of wind coming from the North East decided that a 20 mile beat was not really necessary and that we would be better simply going West. So after a slow start into a very confused sea, we passed Grenada airport and hoisted the heavy spinnaker at 1320 on Tuesday. That settled us down a lot and, as time wore on the sea got less confused. The spinnaker came down just before dark and, with an autopilot coping very well (what a joy to have that working again!), we trundled west under a wonderful, clear starry night - with the Pole Star in one direction, the Southern Cross in the other and Orion overhead.

That wouldnt last - would it! At dawn the locking nut under the goose neck fitting came apart - exactly what happened leaving Lanzarote. This took a while to fix, but is now sorted as best we can. The Vang needs a little further attention - but no doubt we will have time to sort that out later.

Right now we have just completed Water Music's fastest 24 hour run of 215 Nautical miles (mostly in the right direction) and are running down the miles. At this rate, we would hope to arrive in Bonaire before dark tomorrow evening.

A happy crew - waiting for a break from endless Sarggasa weed so we can catch some fish!