atahualpa domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home3/aboarddi/public_html/blog/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114The first turtle we spotted looked like many years ago a shark had taken a bite out of it. We managed to take pictures of this chap along with many others. Can’t upload them yet. That will have to wait. Under Dignity a large shoal of fish had congregated. When we returned, completely forgetting the no fishing rule, I hand lined some hooks with bacon fat on them thinking I had nothing better to do. Within minutes I had three small fish aboard. I then realized why these fish weren’t so shy. I double checked the pamphlet to verify that even hand lining was not allowed and reluctantly put everything away. I put the three small fish away too. Into the freezer. On our next trip I’m going to fit one of them out as bait for something bigger. I feel my luck turning in this aspect.
We slept very well last night with no bilge alarm to wake us. Waking this morning I discovered Jim, researching from afar, had identified our seal from a picture I sent yesterday. Not only that, he’d discovered the correct maintenance procedure. Apparently we’re supposed to inject a cc of special grease after every 200 hours of use. Well – we’re long overdue this one and this is certainly the reason we’re having the leaky seal.
Knowing I’d put in a lot less than 1 cc yesterday I decided to try and do a proper job. I popped off the cable tie and it immediately started squirting water. I then spent the next two and a half hours trying various ways to squeeze grease into the seal getting a lot of it over me in the process. Helen was in support on this operation as to help move the grease around I had her engaging the motor in forward and reverse. The task seemed futile. Whenever I thought I was making ground I would clean up a little and the water would start squirting out again. I then decided to use the wound irrigation syringe we have in the medical kit. This allowed me to get grease squirted inside the seal. I found the most effective solution was to squirt the grease into the seal while the shaft was turning. As it stands (or sits) right now, the leak has stopped. I’m not sure if it has stopped for good as I dared not do any more shaft rotations. I am leaving it to stand for a day to let the grease settle. Tomorrow we’re heading for Canouan. We’ll learn then how good the fix is. It is possible that having dried up, the seal is damaged. Just to be safe, I also injected grease into the starboard shaft seal.
We’ve had another excellent snorkel today. Excellent except for the bloody bird that got into the cabin and shat everywhere while we weren’t looking. For now, it’s back to relaxing and reading. We may go ashore some time if we can be bothered.
It is quite different being here a second time. The first time here it was magical. Second time it’s still pretty nice but the surprise element has gone. If we go ashore it’s to tread in our previous footsteps. The only advantage this time would be to take our better camera. The weather, being so rainy/cloudy/sunny is not as photogenic as last time so the incentive is not there.
Canouan has it’s attractions. It has a peak to climb and an anchorage on the west side where we can dive from the boat. If we can at least contain the port shaft leak we’ll continue north after a couple of days visiting Bequia again and maybe St Vincent mainland.
]]>1) Yesterday when leaving the land at Union we forgot to raise the dinghy stern anchor. No obvious protest as the anchor came up of the ground. Only realised as dinghy was running slowly. The anchor had been spinning through the water unwinding the three strand rope attaching [...]]]>
1) Yesterday when leaving the land at Union we forgot to raise the dinghy stern anchor. No obvious protest as the anchor came up of the ground. Only realised as dinghy was running slowly. The anchor had been spinning through the water unwinding the three strand rope attaching it to the dinghy. As the three strands unwound, the individual strands coiled around themselves further. Result: the rope became a mess of clumped up strands. Took me about an hour of rope stretching, coiling, uncoiling, massaging to fix.
2) Last nights sleep was lousy resulting from being woken approx once an hour by bilge alarm. Checked things out at first light only to find port shaft seal leaking. Gentle prodding turned small drips into steady trickle. Leak must have been building for some time as it has corroded parts of my ground plane installed last November. Remedial action so far has been to slightly compress seal with cable tie and to work grease between seal and shaft while shaft was rotating. I’ve also cleaned and raised corroded ground plane for SSB to minimise further damage albeit at probable cost of effectiveness. Drip is now occasional and under observation. Hopefully drip can be triaged until August when we plan to haul Dignity for bottom painting, etc. Unfortunately this is right under our berth. We may have to move cabins to ensure ready access to shaft. Big thanks to Jim down in St Georges with whom I’ve bounced around ideas.
3) The birds round here seem to be ‘trained’ to expect food on and in boats. Where birds go, so they shit. We’ve found two splodges already.
So far we have done none of the things we wanted to today. I feel tired and grotty.
*This* is the life.
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]]>Worlds End Reef
Worlds End Reef
Tobago Cays
Mayreau
Our first excursion from the boat was [...]]]>
Our first excursion from the boat was to take the dinghy over to another Cay this time called Petit Bateau. This time we were unable to walk around the little island but there was a path across it and a path, of sorts, to the summit. On the west side of the island we found a place where they cook lobster on the beach and there were a couple of tee-short vendors. We left this place and climbed to the summit. Along the way we could occasionally hear the odd iguana scurrying away but we could not catch them. The Tabago Cays never fail to stun whatever viewpoint you catch them from.
In the afternoon we dinghyied over to Baradel where we’d had sundowners the night before (or was it two nights ago – can’t remember now). There were quite worn but quaint trails to the summit of this little cay which of course we climbed. This time we saw very many iguana including four at one once at one point. This time, wouldn’t you believe, we’d left the camera on Dignity. In the end we must have seen a dozen or so including some precariously balance in the trees on twigs which looked far to small to carry them.
We then went snorkeling in the turtle watching reserve right off Baradel. It’s an area fenced off to prevent anchoring where turtle grass grows and hence attracts a few turtles. We were treated to seeing six turtles at once including one accompanied by a large ramora which took turns clinging to it’s topside or bottomside depending on whether the turtle was grazing on the seabed or not. We met anne and Jim out here and shared these experiences with them. We finished our swim out on the Horseshoe Reef. The water was a few feet deep and very clear which allows us to get very close to the fauna and flora and see all the detail and colour.
In the evening we picked up some DVDs to borrow from Bees Knees. Back on Dignity we watched Galaxy Quest which was very funny and entertaining.
Today we’re off to Mayreau. Our plan is to head to Saline Bay and check out the shore life. Being Friday evening there should be live music. Our budget over the last week has been minimal so we may go out to eat or at least drink. Tomorrow we may then head up to Saltwhistle Bay on the north of the island. Bees Knees have similar plans but intend to visit the bays in the opposite order.
]]>We agreed with Jim and Anne to go and explore and snorkel around Petit Tabac around 10am. This involved dingying out through a small cut in the reef and making our way over boisterous water to the calm waters surrounding Petit Tabac. Ashore we walked all around the island. On one side it was fine sand (closer to what you see in the movie) and on the windward side the shore comprised rock and, mainly, broken coral. We then took the the crystal clear waters and snorkeled together. We found the current a little strong so we broke of the snorkel and dinghied back inside the main reef to continue our snorkel towing the dinghies along with us. Here, in more crystal clear water, we saw more marine life including turtles in the reserve area.
In the afternoon Helen and I dinghied over to one of the cays called Jamesby. We climbed to the summit to take in the view and, of course, take pictures. Even though the cay had one smallish beach we found we could walk all the way round often on smoothed over rocks walking under rocky overhangs. As we rounded each corner many crab would be disturbed and scuttle off to find cover.
At 5pm we again met up with Jim and Anne and four from another boat the Bees Knees knew, Arctic Tern. They were Devie, Hunter, Jay and Deb – the first two being the boat owners, aboard for three years already, and the latter two friends/guests. They were all National Park folk from Alaska and very interesting people. We hung around watching the sunset from the beach on Baradel, another Cay. As it got dark we all headed back to our boats with Bees Knees coming over to ours for evening meal. We finished off the Tuna Curry as well as a vege curry Anne had made.
Today we’ll hang around the Cays again. More snorkeling and more island exploring is in order.
]]>Here we reunited with Bees Knees. They already had plans for the evening so we settled down to a Tuna curry and watched the movie “The Secret Life of Bees”. Today we shall explore the Tobago Cay. There are many turtles and rays here we understand. Each of the little islands around us has beach and an interior to explore. Should be fun if the weather calms down. Right now it’s a bit windy and the chop has made it’s way here too.
We’re now anchored on a gorgeous patch of turquoise send all on our own. Off in the distance North/West/South of us are the islands of Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union, Carricou, Grenada and more. To the east, the Atlantic ocean gently roars with nothing in the way of the wind all the way to Africa. Petit Tabac (that’s where Capt Jack was marooned) is craftily concealing most of the 40-50 boats anchored a mile or two west in the main part of the Tobago Cays. There is little but much to do in this little patch of heaven.
1. Round corner to Friendship Bay via Petit Nevis 2. Mustique 3. World’s End Reef, Tobago Cays 4. Canouan 5. Mayreau 6. Union Island View Grenadines plan in a larger map
]]>1. Round corner to Friendship Bay via Petit Nevis
2. Mustique
3. World’s End Reef, Tobago Cays
4. Canouan
5. Mayreau
6. Union Island