I am writing this from our hotel room in Barbados (and very nice it is, too!). The sailing season has come to an end and Merryn is safely tucked away on the hard at the Spice Island boatyard in Grenada. Even in the closing days, we have had a great time, including surprise encounters with some of the Viking rally sailors that we thought we would probably never see again.
When we left Petite Martinique we hoped for a good sail down to Grenada. We picked a route past the Eastern coast of Grenada, meaning we effectively completed a circumnavigation of the island, even if the first half of the circumnavigation was done back in February. Typically, however, the winds had veered to the South East and had dropped, so much of the propulsion came from the motor. We entered Benji bay, a beautiful bay popular with liveaboards, and spent several days there before a short onward trip to Prickly bay, which we first visited in February. We got word that Stan, one of the Viking rally sailors, was celebrating his 65th birthday in Port Louis, so we took a taxi with Erich and Sabine, also of the Vikings, to help him celebrate. Cate even managed to paint a watercolour card for him!
The first couple of days in Prickly bay were relaxing and we enjoyed daily swims and the occasional trip ashore. The evenings, with a full moon rising, were especially beautiful. With each passing day, however, the winds and swell started to pick up, and we eventually abandoned the anchorage after about five days to seek better shelter in Port Louis Marina, just around the corner of the island. Once there, our work began! We took down the foresails and running rigging, pickled the water maker, serviced the engine, scrubbed the decks and applied anti fungal paint (vital in the humid climate), and generally cleaned and stowed everything in preparation for leaving Merryn on the hard during the Hurricane season. Once the work was done, it was time to return to Prickly bay for one final night before going into the boatyard. There we faced an interesting challenge. We had decided to leave the mainsail up for the trip round to Prickly bay from the marina (it provides greater stability for the boat even when motoring, and is a vital safety precaution in case of engine failure). That meant we had to drop and remove the mainsail on the boat at anchor, rather than in the shelter of a marina. We waited all day for a lull in the wind, then got the sails down, wrestling with vast swathes of sail to fold and bundle it up – surprisingly well, and we celebrated with a glass of champagne (coincidentally, it happened to be our wedding anniversary too)!
On the 23rd of May Merryn was hoisted ashore at the boatyard at the head of Prickly bay, and we moved to an apartment nearby, allowing us to complete the preparations for the off-season. All was not work, however, as we discovered still more Viking sailors – Satomi and Rob (double-handers like ourselves) had returned to Grenada and were at anchor in Prickly bay. We met up for a lovely evening, swapping tales of our sailing routes. For our part, it was really useful to get their insights into good places to visit in the Leeward islands, which they had reached this season, and where we hope to sail next year. The four of us went out for a curry and were treated to a celebration cake!
Jobs aside, we still found time to relax – we hired a car and drove around the island, visiting Petite Anse beach on the northern tip of Grenada. The apartment even had a small pool, ideal to cool off at the end of each day. Eventually, of course, our time on Grenada came to an end and we flew out on the 27th of May to Barbados, where we are now. We decided to break the journey here as it is much cheaper to fly with a stopover than to get direct flights to the UK, and it means we have a chance to see a bit of Barbados as we will be here for a couple of days. Cate had studiously researched accommodation options and found this lovely boutique hotel tucked a little way inland. The USP for the hotel seems to be its extensive collection of peacocks – there are dozens of them, and one obligingly even puffed up his tail feathers, though I suspect more for the benefit of a nearby female than for us. Today we visited the capital, Bridgetown, and we hope to see some more of the island tomorrow, before the long flight home.
Our next planned adventure is a cycle trip to take our new bicycles from the UK to our chalet in France. We will be taking a route from Belgium down along the Meuse river, then via the Jura mountain range, Geneva, and across to the Alps. Keep an eye on the next chapter in our blog; we hope to post daily updates on our cycling journey.
Well, what a cracking trip then cycling to follow! Love to you both Xx
Thanks Gary,
We seriously need to get fit now! Hope you and Kris have a great summer xx