Yacht Larus

You know you’re back in cruising mode when you have the same meal day after day until it’s gone. Waste not, want not, but by day four you’re close to not wanting it. It’s not something I plan to do but it isn’t that easy to judge just how many dried beans you need to soak and cook for a meal or two. And then by the time you’ve added any vegetables that need to be used up and those included for aesthetics, taste and nutrition, it’s really easy to find yourself with a lot of chili.

Happily, this was a particularly nice chili that I serve on buttered toast with grated cheese melting on top. I do have other ways of using up chili but Tim wasn’t interested in Chili Tortilla Lasagna or Eggs Ranchero or plain old Chili with rice, just bring on the toast and cheese.

After the chili, we had two nights of Spanish Tortilla which is layers of potato and onion slices poached in olive oil. It’s mixed with whisked egg and cooked on top of the stove and then finished under the grill. We served it with Greek Salad, day one, and coleslaw with beautiful, ripe local avocados, day two. The local avocados are larger, smoother, and a brighter green than the imported Hass variety and really are very beautiful.

I’m now trying to decide on chicken or pasta, as we get asked on every flight we’ve been on recently, for dinner tonight. I’m going with pasta with a black olive tapenade simmered with tinned chopped tomatoes. I have a jar or black olives that really needs to be used up sooner than later and ditto for the currently lovely fresh Antiguan-made feta that would be really nice crumbled on top. There we go, sorted, and I’m looking forward to it already.

We are back on Larus and are now anchored Antigua after motor sailing in light winds from the BVI. We met up with friends in Jolly Harbour before moving to English Harbour for the snorkeling and walks and now we are in Falmouth Harbour so Tim is close to where his is starting his Ocean Yachtmaster course tomorrow.

A couple of days ago Tim decided to recommission our watermaker. We’d pickled it before we left for Miami and as we’ll be in the water for the foreseeable future, it was time to get it running again. Guess what? It couldn’t get up to a high enough pressure to push saltwater through the membrane to make fresh. Tim spent a couple of days troubleshooting the various parts and the only thing left that it can be are the high pressure seals in the high pressure pump. We either need a service kit to replace the seals or wait till the Larus is in Trinidad in May and have it serviced there.

Mechanical equipment likes to be used and we often have one problem or another when we’ve had to leave Larus for work or travel. This problem is more irritating than most.

But it’s good practice to be frugal with water again. It’s very easy to get used to using, within reason, as much as you like. We’ve been going up alongside the fuel berth in English Harbour to buy water and don’t want to do that more than we have too.

We’re enjoying being back in Antigua. I’m always amazed at how beautiful an island it is. It’s quiet now but the big yachts are beginning to gather for the Classics Regatta in April. It will get very busy soon but right now we’re enjoying the quiet.
Tomorrow, Easter Monday, is a special day here in Antigua because of the kite flying. Except for the fact that Tim’s course starts tomorrow, we could have made our way up to the Devil’s Bridge on the east of the island to watch. We’ve only heard of it second hand and will have to wait for another year to see it ourselves.