Perfect work on the new bimini modifications made in Carriacou

Prickly Bay, Grenada

June 2, 2007  Saturday

Prickly Bay, Grenada

11.59.852N; 061.45.745W           Sailed 40 NM

At about 8:30 this morning Bill started cleaning the anchor chain as it was slowly raised.   We did not want that dirty, stinking mess down in our anchor locker.  So Bill stood on the bow with a bucket of soapy water and a scrub brush and scrubbed down the chain in 3-ft sections as we slowly raised it.  This got the attention of Andy at In Stitches and he came zooming out in his dinghy with the final bimini pieces.  Maybe he was afraid that we had decided to leave without waiting for the final pieces – and that we were trying to skip out on paying his bill!  Actually, he was just joking with us about that.  Turns out that the only person who has ever not paid his bill was a local politician.  Figures.

The side panels fit perfectly.  We think we will very much enjoy having this additional shade.  Plus we hope that it will help keep at least some of the mosquitoes and flies out.  There are lots of gaps and spaces that could not be fit tightly due to those silly things called running rigging, winches, and cleats that are required on sailboats, as well as the mizzen mast.  I hope to find several yards of bridal veil netting to crumple to fill those gaps for those few times that insects really are annoying.  Total cost for the altering the bimini extension and making 4 side shade panels that zip together and 2 heavier mesh rear shade panels was about $1,000 USD, including labor and materials.  We think that was a very reasonable price, plus we had the convenience of dealing with people who spoke English so there was no language barrier. 

We had cleared Tyrrel Bay and were on our way south by 9:45 a.m.  Winds varied all day between 22 knots and 30 knots; seas were the 7-ft to 9-ft as predicted; light squalls were visible most of the day but only a couple managed to aim their drops on us.  All sails were triple reefed.  When current was against us our boat speed would drop down to as low as 4 knots; but at other times our boat speed was over 8 knots.  At one point Bill changed the genoa to be only double reefed instead of triple reefed – and our boat speed shot up to over 9 knots!  That was a bit too fast!  Since we were not in that big of a hurry to reach Grenada, we soon took in the genoa back to being triple reefed.  It was a very enjoyable sail.  Even when we reached the bottom of Grenada and took in the sails and motored the final few miles directly into the waves and wind, it wasn’t nearly as bad as we had expected. 

We anchored and soon found it was too rolly to stay there.  So we pulled anchor and set down again farther back, closer to Spice Island Marine.  It is much calmer here.  ALLEULIA! and ELUSIVE are anchored nearby.

One nice thing we have discovered about the new bimini side and rear shade panels.  For some reason they help create more breeze through the boat and in the cockpit.  That is a nice surprise.

BTW, the Texas flag that John brought us in February is now shredded.  These flags simply do not last very long.  And I had triple stitched that flag for reinforcement before we ever put it up.  And our SSCA blue Associate burgee is also shredded.  Don’t want to buy another blue one and pay for international shipping because we are in the process of being sponsored for Commodore status.  If we pass approval then we will be buying a red Commodore burgee in 4 months.  Hoping I can find a fabric store on Grenada where some blue fabric can be purchased for repairs.