Back in Grenada

Howdy to all.

Carolyn and I have made it back to Moondance after a 5 month visit back home in La. Grenada Marine (the boat yard in Grenada where we left Moondance on the hard) is OK. We were put well up into the yard a good distance from the water. This was good for hurricane season but not so great while we live on the boat and make repairs. It is hot, humid and nothing of a breeze except just before a rain.

The good thing is most everyone is very nice and helpful and the marine store is in the yard with most everything you could need. We should be finished with the fiberglass work (nicks, cracks, and filling in the holes left behind when I removed the old knot meter from the bottom of the boat) and the bottom job tomorrow. Then we start on a water tank leak and getting the engine back to it's prime. It will be nice to be back in the water. I'll take pics tomorrow.

Hurricane Season Count Down

Carolyn and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time back home with family and friends. We visited almost everyone and even made some new friends. We even had some friends that came over and visited with us. We look forward to getting back to Grenada and starting another cruising season and meeting old friends down there. We will get Moondance ready, including a little fiberglass work and a bottom job and be in the water as soon as possible and hope to take a few pictures of the process.

Yes, we purchased a new camera, so updated pics will be coming with our blogs. We hope to cruise back up the windward and leeward islands again, visiting some of islands we missed on the way down the first time and revisiting some of our favorite islands again. We have friends, Troy and Deana, and Steve and Pam who plan to get to the Dominican Republic by hurricane season next year and into the Windward islands the following cruising season. That means we will have to spend two more seasons in one of the worlds most beautiful cruising grounds, "life is good."

Friends

We had a visit by Bab's and Tim from Texas. They wanted to experience what it is like to go cruising so we left Grenada and sailed to other nearby islands. We stopped at Isle Rhonde, Terryl Bay in Carriacou and the Tobago Cays. Six days later we returned to Clark's Court Bay in Grenada and enjoyed some local sites like the Rivers Antoine Rum Distillery. After 11 days they had to return home. Everyone had a great time.

Now it is time to start getting the boat ready for a haul out and we will fly home for hurricane season.

Grenada cont.

After getting settled in Grenada we started seeing and doing things as we learned what was available. There is a lot to do and enjoy in Grenada. The first night out we went to De Big Fish bar and restaurant. There was a great band playing and we had beer and pizza with one English and two French couples. The next day was a walk to the stores and local bank. We walked for about 2 miles to the two different malls and had "fish water" in the park by the sea. Fish Water is like a soup with lobster, conch, fish, dumplings, potatoes and dasheen with a melody of seasonings and was very good. We ate this because one of the local schools was having a fair day in the park as a fund raiser. We are suckers for almost any kind of benefit like this.

Prickly Bay can be quite rolly and was, so we sailed from Prickly Bay to Clark's Court Bay. Still rolly but not as bad, so after we picked our little spot that was away from the other boats but still close enough to get to the marinas and beaches were things might be happening we dropped the main hook and I put out a stern anchor to hold us pointed to seaward. That cut down the roll to nothing except for when the rain and thunder storms would come through.

Clark's Court Bay is nice with 2 marinas and a third accessible by dinghy just around the corner in the next bay. A small village is right there with some groceries. So for we have been to movie night (free movie) where everyone brings munchies to share, hamburger night/ social, did an island tour and will be going to watch the big leather back turtles come ashore to lay their eggs at night. We have seen most all the spices grown locally and how they are processed for sale and consumption. We have also seen the last original water wheel being used for the production of rum in the western hemisphere. Rivers Rum Distillery is still operated the way it was since it started in 1785.

So long for now.

Grenada

After a week in Carriacou we sailed to Prickly Bay in Grenada and will explore the southern coast for a while. My computer wifi antenae is no longer working now so we have make use of whatever is available. At present we are using a computer at the local marina for short messages and e-mail. We will have have my laptop checked out when we get to the states.