Trinidad to Grenada 15 December 2010

I had a strong desire to leave Trinidad not least to get sailing again. Anchorages there are limited, the air quality is poor and sea pollution unhealthy. All the signs were that there would be suitable weather for the passage north on 15 December. Chris Parker a weather guru warned of squalls.

Two other yachts were leaving the same day and plans were discussed over coffee after clearance from customs and immigration. The passage through the Bocas to the open sea was straight forward in calm conditions allowing time to stow warps ,fenders and put a reef in the main. As the open sea neared it was clear sea conditions were rough. Once out there the winds strengthened, gusting to 32 kts with very short choppy and confused seas. Sometimes the bow platform dug deep into breaking waves and I was soon drenched. I had to motor sail to stand a chance of keeping to the course but after a couple of hours things improved enough for me to start sailing, now with double reefed main and yankee. Gradually the wind veered enough for me to maintain a course well east of the desired course, always a good thing given the variable conditions and strong west going current.

In the middle of the night the wind dropped so much I couldn't sail the course and once again the iron horse was called up. Before long though the wind returned and now I was going to arrive before first light. I had to heave to off the southern end of Grenada before entering Prickly Bay as the sun came up. Not the most enjoyable sail and you will understand why I failed to produce any pictures on the way.

PREPARING PLANE SONG TO LAUNCH

My return flight to Trinidad 9 November was direct as damage from hurricane Tomas had made BA's crew change in St Lucia impractical which meant I arrived in daylight at Plane Song. During her layup Plane Song was fitted with an airconditioning unit over the fore hatch which kept the interior dry and free of mildew and made living aboard for the next month more comfortable. Equally beneficial was the shrink wrap cover over the topsides which minimised damage to the varnish work.

The first job was to fit new engine mounts and crankshaft seals. This was done with the engine suspended from a bar across the companionway. Other work was needed once the engine was lifted and it was certainly the right time for the work to be done. Naturally the job took twice as long and cost 50% more than estimated. To add to the financial strain I then discovered were on the way out having given 8 years service. In the time available I had to fit AGM batteries which are likely to give the best service.

One leftover job from earlier in the year was to inspect and clean the paraffin supply tank which a crew member had topped up with 30 litres of water. This involved dismantling the quarter berth roof and aft bulkhead along with the SSB ATU. A couple of days work in the tropics. Earlier efforts to remove the water via the vent tube had been reasonably successful as there was very little to clean up. But then it only takes a small amount to block the cooker burners.

And then there were the ants-the little fire ants whose sting is painful and if scratched the blisters go septic.

I was stung so much whilst I was rubbing down the hull that I had the yard move PS to a better spot. There was a nest inside one of the blocks supporting the keel. I was well advised when PS was put on the hard to grease everything that would provide a route onto the boat. Once aboard these guys are not inclined to leave.

I was not the only one under attack. A nasty bug got into my laptop despite the usual defences. Getting this put right was not a simple task in Trinidad. A further complication was a glitch with the Wirie wifi booster which had worked in the UK. This was not finally resolve until I met up with the designer on his boat in Grenada. The system is very effective and unlike many of its rivals supported by user friendly software. The after sales support I enjoyed was outstanding.

PS was launched 9 December and once again it was a skillful and efficient operation. I docked in the small harbour at Peake's to bend on the sails and provision. The mechanic made the final alignment check on the propeller shaft. I started passage planning for the sail north to Grenada.