Well our intrepid sailors are marking time now, doing nothing much, but at least alongside with piped water and power. New seals on Fridge and freezer lids, sewage tank pumped out , bit of shopping and sightseeing. Bilge float repairs. There is always something!
Down to one post per month.
It is their intention to move to a hotel, put the boat on the slip to carry out maintenance, see out the Hurricane season.
I do remember reading their blogs from their first voyage and they were on the move all the time island hopping, sightseeing, but for this darn virus they would be doing it now.
There will be a few more pics of the after end of the boat shortly, just got to crank up the steam computer topside.
20
And finaly Gerrys other main project.
I got a little out of synch with Nicky as they lost the Internet during the preparing for the Huricane Gonzola.
Here are a series of images as Nicky & Gerry prepared.
Gerry has taken over the mantle of "Put Another Spring Out" = Cooper.
More later 3 at a time.
As mentioned earlier Nicky has shut down the blog until something is happening.
Gerry tells me they are in the rainy season now. AC set to 27* C to take out the humidity.
I am sure some of us in the South of England would like to do that.
But we have sailed and worked under worst conditions ie 120* F in the boiler flat. Hot nights sleep going through the Red Sea in summer with no AC, at least we are not working now and can sit in front of the fan in a dark room with a cold drink.
Gerry & Nicky went souvenir hunting, old habbits die hard.
Its not exactly a tent is it, just wait until it is washed, it will be an interference fit.
Nicky was not showing hers off.
Grenada Quarantine HarbourYatch Club.
Coopers Quest
Re: Coopers Quest
by David Fox » Sun Jul 26, 2020 10:43 am
- David Fox
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:56 pm
- Location: Newbury ,Berks
Re: Coopers Quest
by David Fox » Mon Jul 27, 2020 10:08 pm
25th July Port Louis Marina, St George, Grenada
Weather:all over the place, everything except snow! Wind increasing, waves n/a yet
Toilet Valves & Hurricanes.
Heres Nicky: Our week started out as the usual mundane, what can we find to do today, sort of week. Our marina neighbor on our port side (the 44foot Catalina) left the dock without so much as a goodbye, or maybe she did bid us farewell and we were still in bed asleep. Anyway the upshot of it was that there was now an empty slip on our port side which had a side tie up to the dock which would be a lot easier for us to get on and off of our boat rather than us having to clamber over the stern transom and risk life and limb to get onto the dock. As soon as he realized our neighbor had gone Gerry was up to the marina office to request a move across to that slip. Unfortunately the dock master was on a rostered day off and no one else in the office knew anything about the discussion that Gerry had had with the dock master when they agreed that we would be able to move into that slip when it became vacant, we were going to have to cool our heels until he was back tomorrow. The issue for the day was how to keep Gerry occupied and not fretting about how much we were moving from side to side now that we had no windbreak in the form of another boat to our port side!
After deciding not to go on an island tour having heard another woman talking about it.Gerry spent the afternoon not doing very much other than cleaning out the sea water strainer for the air-conditioning unit which was gunked up to almost closing all the holes over and it had only been done a very short while ago when we found the oysters growing inside it.
One of the other yatching friends said he had a valve suitable for the after loo, so a job at last for Gerry.
Tuesday turned out to be an even quieter day, if that's possible. We started off by moving our boat into the slip next to the one were currently in aided by the dock master and his underlings, so we were now tied up side to and able to get off our boat with relative ease. There is now a gap between us and the large catamaran and we hoped it was going to stay that way. Gene supplied the valve for Gerry to try and fit to the toilet sea water flush inlet. Out came the usual assortment of tools and Gerry vanished into the toilet only to reappear some time later saying that it was a complete failure, the valve was meant for a fresh water system which works under pressurized water whereas the sea water inlet we use is not a pressurized system. End result - it kept Gerry occupied for a while but we ended up back at square 1! The evening bought the start of the excitement for the week, Gerry had been looking at the weather for the area and because its 2020 and we haven't got enough aggravation with Covid !9 stopping us from doing anything and going anywhere, a hurricane (Gonzalo) was forming and looked to be heading straight towards Grenada! Oh Joy! There hasn't been a hurricane hit on Grenada since 2004 so the excitement ramped up to hysteria pretty quickly even though it was still at least 4 days away and not forecast to be any more than a category 2 - if it eventuated, we would need to keep a close watch on the forecasts and updates.
Following day it was young Savanhas 8th Birthday, so Nicky had made up a Scavenge Hunt and they went round the Marina with her to help her. So a different sort of birthday, but obviously memorable for a young girl. During a stop for lunch:
Of course the talk around the table turned to Gonzalo and the most recent update - it was looking like we were going to get a direct hit at that point and would need to start preparing the boat for that eventuality. Dale and Lorie were panic struck as they had checked their insurance policy and discovered that they weren't covered here in Grenada, they had to be a further 2 degrees south for their insurance to be valid in a hurricane ( that meant Trinidad)! We were OK, our insurance includes Grenada. They were tossing around all sorts of possibilities including making a dash to Trinidad which is still not open to cruising boats or anyone else for that matter. We said we should all sleep on it and see what the up-date says in the morning.
So then Dale suggested a trip to Budget marine, I again suggested he call to make sure they had what he needed as everyone would be out looking for extra fenders and dock lines, he came back saying yes they had plenty so he and Gerry took off in a taxi to fetch Dale some more fenders and Gerry picked up a new strainer for the air-conditioner water inlet. While the men were away Nicky made the boat safe on the outside removing canvas, curtains, seats and anything that could become a projectile in a hurricane from the cockpit and stored them in the quarter berth. When the men got back they ran up their alternators and main engines in case needed. The old deep sea training coming to the fore again.
Friday rolled around and there was an influx of boats heading into the marina to get out of the anchorage in case the hurricane arrived, as we know only too well the holding out in the anchorage is not good at the best of times never mind when there are gale force winds. Most of the incoming boats were large catamarans that couldn't fit between us and our neighbor so we still had the gap. Almost every boat had people on deck taking down sails, wrapping mains, removing awnings and canvas enclosures, doubling up on dock lines and removing anything that would be damaged if left out on deck in a moderate blow. It was looking a bit dark around the hills and we were anticipating the start of rain by early afternoon.
By the time we were eating dinner the forecast for Gonzalo was looking better for us, it hadn't strengthened into the hurricane they were expecting and the projected path had wobbled and veered away from Grenada somewhat, there was even talk of it being downgraded to a tropical storm. The funny thing was that it was headed more towards Trinidad now, not that that would have been good news for a few boats that had decided to take off and try to reach Trinidad and take shelter there. There was a warning put out by Trinidad that they were still closed and if you arrived there you would be asked to prove that your life was in immediate danger ( from at least a cat 4-5 hurricane) or you would be turned away or arrested. It was just as well that Dale and Lorie had remained in Grenada.
Saturday morning arrived with even further downgrading, thank goodness, it was now just a tropical low and we could expect winds of up to only 35knots maximum and some rain. The marina had put out a message that the water and power would be turned off - just in case! We had hopes that they would reconsider as the danger seemed to be a none event but at 11 am the power was switched off and it will need to be checked for safety by an electrician before they switch it back on again! So now we are sitting inside a boat with no air - conditioning, its hot and humid and there is no likely hood of it getting much better until they turn the power back on, damn Gonzalo! We have heard that some 60 people who made a run to Trinidad are in serious trouble with the authorities there threatening deportation, jail time and all sorts of things that you really just don't need when you think you are keeping yourself safe from hurricanes, we just hope those people haven't stuffed it up for those that might still try to go there when and if they open their borders. We had one other concern to keep us amused, the dock master told us that they would possibly be putting another boat in between us and the catamaran, we both protested that it had to be a small boat with lots of fenders as neither of us had any more to protect our boats from colliding and it would be a tight squeeze in a storm. As it happened the boat didn't show up so we still have a gap between us, we hope it will remain that way. By 4.30pm the hurricane had been downgraded even further and was now not even going to affect us apart from a bit of rain and a maximum wind speed of 30 knots so it was literally a storm in a tea cup. We all breathed a sigh of relief and waited to hear when the power and water was going to be turned back on. Gerry got our power cords ready and just as he did it the electrician walked past and said power would be back on in 10 minutes. Sure enough by 5.30 we had power and water restored, thank goodness we could crank up the air conditioning and get cool again. The internet has gone down so we will probably have to wait until Monday to get that sorted out, Gerry is beside himself as he can't watch all the YouTube stuff he likes to watch, I'm just a bit annoyed as I can't edit the blog
TWTWTW
Well thats all folks see you next week
Weather:all over the place, everything except snow! Wind increasing, waves n/a yet
Toilet Valves & Hurricanes.
Heres Nicky: Our week started out as the usual mundane, what can we find to do today, sort of week. Our marina neighbor on our port side (the 44foot Catalina) left the dock without so much as a goodbye, or maybe she did bid us farewell and we were still in bed asleep. Anyway the upshot of it was that there was now an empty slip on our port side which had a side tie up to the dock which would be a lot easier for us to get on and off of our boat rather than us having to clamber over the stern transom and risk life and limb to get onto the dock. As soon as he realized our neighbor had gone Gerry was up to the marina office to request a move across to that slip. Unfortunately the dock master was on a rostered day off and no one else in the office knew anything about the discussion that Gerry had had with the dock master when they agreed that we would be able to move into that slip when it became vacant, we were going to have to cool our heels until he was back tomorrow. The issue for the day was how to keep Gerry occupied and not fretting about how much we were moving from side to side now that we had no windbreak in the form of another boat to our port side!
After deciding not to go on an island tour having heard another woman talking about it.Gerry spent the afternoon not doing very much other than cleaning out the sea water strainer for the air-conditioning unit which was gunked up to almost closing all the holes over and it had only been done a very short while ago when we found the oysters growing inside it.
One of the other yatching friends said he had a valve suitable for the after loo, so a job at last for Gerry.
Tuesday turned out to be an even quieter day, if that's possible. We started off by moving our boat into the slip next to the one were currently in aided by the dock master and his underlings, so we were now tied up side to and able to get off our boat with relative ease. There is now a gap between us and the large catamaran and we hoped it was going to stay that way. Gene supplied the valve for Gerry to try and fit to the toilet sea water flush inlet. Out came the usual assortment of tools and Gerry vanished into the toilet only to reappear some time later saying that it was a complete failure, the valve was meant for a fresh water system which works under pressurized water whereas the sea water inlet we use is not a pressurized system. End result - it kept Gerry occupied for a while but we ended up back at square 1! The evening bought the start of the excitement for the week, Gerry had been looking at the weather for the area and because its 2020 and we haven't got enough aggravation with Covid !9 stopping us from doing anything and going anywhere, a hurricane (Gonzalo) was forming and looked to be heading straight towards Grenada! Oh Joy! There hasn't been a hurricane hit on Grenada since 2004 so the excitement ramped up to hysteria pretty quickly even though it was still at least 4 days away and not forecast to be any more than a category 2 - if it eventuated, we would need to keep a close watch on the forecasts and updates.
- Hurricane Track
- Hurricane Gonzalo.jpg (10.79 KiB) Viewed 36854 times
Following day it was young Savanhas 8th Birthday, so Nicky had made up a Scavenge Hunt and they went round the Marina with her to help her. So a different sort of birthday, but obviously memorable for a young girl. During a stop for lunch:
Of course the talk around the table turned to Gonzalo and the most recent update - it was looking like we were going to get a direct hit at that point and would need to start preparing the boat for that eventuality. Dale and Lorie were panic struck as they had checked their insurance policy and discovered that they weren't covered here in Grenada, they had to be a further 2 degrees south for their insurance to be valid in a hurricane ( that meant Trinidad)! We were OK, our insurance includes Grenada. They were tossing around all sorts of possibilities including making a dash to Trinidad which is still not open to cruising boats or anyone else for that matter. We said we should all sleep on it and see what the up-date says in the morning.
So then Dale suggested a trip to Budget marine, I again suggested he call to make sure they had what he needed as everyone would be out looking for extra fenders and dock lines, he came back saying yes they had plenty so he and Gerry took off in a taxi to fetch Dale some more fenders and Gerry picked up a new strainer for the air-conditioner water inlet. While the men were away Nicky made the boat safe on the outside removing canvas, curtains, seats and anything that could become a projectile in a hurricane from the cockpit and stored them in the quarter berth. When the men got back they ran up their alternators and main engines in case needed. The old deep sea training coming to the fore again.
Friday rolled around and there was an influx of boats heading into the marina to get out of the anchorage in case the hurricane arrived, as we know only too well the holding out in the anchorage is not good at the best of times never mind when there are gale force winds. Most of the incoming boats were large catamarans that couldn't fit between us and our neighbor so we still had the gap. Almost every boat had people on deck taking down sails, wrapping mains, removing awnings and canvas enclosures, doubling up on dock lines and removing anything that would be damaged if left out on deck in a moderate blow. It was looking a bit dark around the hills and we were anticipating the start of rain by early afternoon.
By the time we were eating dinner the forecast for Gonzalo was looking better for us, it hadn't strengthened into the hurricane they were expecting and the projected path had wobbled and veered away from Grenada somewhat, there was even talk of it being downgraded to a tropical storm. The funny thing was that it was headed more towards Trinidad now, not that that would have been good news for a few boats that had decided to take off and try to reach Trinidad and take shelter there. There was a warning put out by Trinidad that they were still closed and if you arrived there you would be asked to prove that your life was in immediate danger ( from at least a cat 4-5 hurricane) or you would be turned away or arrested. It was just as well that Dale and Lorie had remained in Grenada.
Saturday morning arrived with even further downgrading, thank goodness, it was now just a tropical low and we could expect winds of up to only 35knots maximum and some rain. The marina had put out a message that the water and power would be turned off - just in case! We had hopes that they would reconsider as the danger seemed to be a none event but at 11 am the power was switched off and it will need to be checked for safety by an electrician before they switch it back on again! So now we are sitting inside a boat with no air - conditioning, its hot and humid and there is no likely hood of it getting much better until they turn the power back on, damn Gonzalo! We have heard that some 60 people who made a run to Trinidad are in serious trouble with the authorities there threatening deportation, jail time and all sorts of things that you really just don't need when you think you are keeping yourself safe from hurricanes, we just hope those people haven't stuffed it up for those that might still try to go there when and if they open their borders. We had one other concern to keep us amused, the dock master told us that they would possibly be putting another boat in between us and the catamaran, we both protested that it had to be a small boat with lots of fenders as neither of us had any more to protect our boats from colliding and it would be a tight squeeze in a storm. As it happened the boat didn't show up so we still have a gap between us, we hope it will remain that way. By 4.30pm the hurricane had been downgraded even further and was now not even going to affect us apart from a bit of rain and a maximum wind speed of 30 knots so it was literally a storm in a tea cup. We all breathed a sigh of relief and waited to hear when the power and water was going to be turned back on. Gerry got our power cords ready and just as he did it the electrician walked past and said power would be back on in 10 minutes. Sure enough by 5.30 we had power and water restored, thank goodness we could crank up the air conditioning and get cool again. The internet has gone down so we will probably have to wait until Monday to get that sorted out, Gerry is beside himself as he can't watch all the YouTube stuff he likes to watch, I'm just a bit annoyed as I can't edit the blog
TWTWTW
Well thats all folks see you next week
- Starboard Salon looking Aft.JPG (10.48 KiB) Viewed 36854 times
- Starboard salon looking forward.JPG (10.67 KiB) Viewed 36854 times
- David Fox
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:56 pm
- Location: Newbury ,Berks
Re: Coopers Quest
by David Fox » Tue Jul 28, 2020 5:23 pm
More internal views of the yatch.
- Quarter berth storage looking to starboard.JPG (9.07 KiB) Viewed 36848 times
- Starboard Quarter berth looking forward bookshelf and engine access door.JPG (4.96 KiB) Viewed 36848 times
- Nav Station.JPG (9.44 KiB) Viewed 36848 times
- David Fox
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:56 pm
- Location: Newbury ,Berks
Re: Coopers Quest
by David Fox » Fri Jul 31, 2020 7:36 pm
- nav station switchboard1.JPG (11.27 KiB) Viewed 36823 times
And finaly Gerrys other main project.
- Aft head.JPG (73.27 KiB) Viewed 36823 times
I got a little out of synch with Nicky as they lost the Internet during the preparing for the Huricane Gonzola.
Here are a series of images as Nicky & Gerry prepared.
Gerry has taken over the mantle of "Put Another Spring Out" = Cooper.
- Springy Cooper
- Put another Spring Out.JPG (101.17 KiB) Viewed 36821 times
More later 3 at a time.
- David Fox
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:56 pm
- Location: Newbury ,Berks
Re: Coopers Quest
by David Fox » Mon Aug 03, 2020 7:42 pm
Continuation of preparing for the hurricane that never came, but all good practice for future.
Nicky is shutting down the Blog until October as they will be slipping the yatch for a bottom clean and a bit of sail repairing. So there will be a lot of deckhead surveys going on and burger bar eating. Most jobs are done for Gerry to fiddle with, so its going to be a bit of a boring time whilst they sit out the Hurricane season. Even idylic Caribean islands can perhaps become a bit old after a while.
I have her latest blog to go through, but there is nothing of real interest of a Seafaring or Engineering nature to report.
There are still 8 more images to post and thats about it. I will be in touch with Gerry by email now and then so will report anything of interest from him.
Should anyone who sailed with Gerry wants to contact him, send me an IM with your email address and ship sailed on with him and I will pass it on. I am sure he will be happy to respond and catch up with you at these times of inactivity.
- Double Lines Port Side.JPG (111.97 KiB) Viewed 36791 times
- Extra lines & fenders Port Side.JPG (114.18 KiB) Viewed 36791 times
Nicky is shutting down the Blog until October as they will be slipping the yatch for a bottom clean and a bit of sail repairing. So there will be a lot of deckhead surveys going on and burger bar eating. Most jobs are done for Gerry to fiddle with, so its going to be a bit of a boring time whilst they sit out the Hurricane season. Even idylic Caribean islands can perhaps become a bit old after a while.
I have her latest blog to go through, but there is nothing of real interest of a Seafaring or Engineering nature to report.
There are still 8 more images to post and thats about it. I will be in touch with Gerry by email now and then so will report anything of interest from him.
Should anyone who sailed with Gerry wants to contact him, send me an IM with your email address and ship sailed on with him and I will pass it on. I am sure he will be happy to respond and catch up with you at these times of inactivity.
- Attachments
-
- Port Side Fenders.JPG (94.7 KiB) Viewed 36791 times
- David Fox
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:56 pm
- Location: Newbury ,Berks
Re: Coopers Quest
by David Fox » Thu Aug 06, 2020 4:39 pm
More views of Opal being prepared for hurricane.
That Overboard Discharge will be the reefer plant cooling water
- Dinghy tied as extra fender.JPG (127.95 KiB) Viewed 36763 times
- Cockpit curtains & cushions removed.JPG (107.01 KiB) Viewed 36763 times
That Overboard Discharge will be the reefer plant cooling water
- Doubled up stern lines.JPG (99.92 KiB) Viewed 36763 times
- David Fox
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:56 pm
- Location: Newbury ,Berks
Re: Coopers Quest
by David Fox » Fri Aug 07, 2020 9:34 pm
- Main lashed down.JPG (113.41 KiB) Viewed 36740 times
- Cockpit curtains & cushions removed.JPG (107.01 KiB) Viewed 36740 times
- Table secured & chart plotter covered.JPG (116.16 KiB) Viewed 36740 times
As mentioned earlier Nicky has shut down the blog until something is happening.
- David Fox
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:56 pm
- Location: Newbury ,Berks
Re: Coopers Quest
by David Fox » Wed Aug 12, 2020 1:23 pm
- St George view from 360.2300.JPG (164.43 KiB) Viewed 36682 times
Gerry tells me they are in the rainy season now. AC set to 27* C to take out the humidity.
I am sure some of us in the South of England would like to do that.
But we have sailed and worked under worst conditions ie 120* F in the boiler flat. Hot nights sleep going through the Red Sea in summer with no AC, at least we are not working now and can sit in front of the fan in a dark room with a cold drink.
Gerry & Nicky went souvenir hunting, old habbits die hard.
- Extra Large for Gerry.jpg (74.7 KiB) Viewed 36682 times
Its not exactly a tent is it, just wait until it is washed, it will be an interference fit.
Nicky was not showing hers off.
- GQHYC tee shirt front.JPG (9.09 KiB) Viewed 36681 times
Grenada Quarantine HarbourYatch Club.
- David Fox
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:56 pm
- Location: Newbury ,Berks
Re: Coopers Quest
by David Fox » Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:24 pm
Gerry and Nicky are still in Grenada, but recently have been doing some sailmaking- adjusting the mainsail by re-reeving the two reefing lines so they have two functional reefing points ( perhaps Half Ahead and Slow Ahead), with the help of a shoreside sailmaker. Checking the sail can only be done if the wind is dead ahead or no wind at all otherwise 'he cannot get it up' , Gerry said.
They also added some deck awnings to keep the foredeck cooler and hence the cabin. A couple of deck prisms (solid glass skylights flush with the deck) were removed, cleaned up and reasealed with silicon caulk, instead of pitch and oakum. Downloaded updates to the navigation software, which set it back to the factory setting ( expect it beats laboriously carrying out chart, lights and pilot book corrections, as most 2nd Mates seemed to do in daylight hours, bit like painting the Forth Road bridge).
You hear of hurricanes in the Caribean heading towards the US, but Gerry just gets late afternoon thunder showers. So most jobs on deck are 'Job & Knock' before the rain.
It seems San Blas may be opening soon so Gerry is trying to to finish off these projects. No doubt Nicky is checking stores, making her lists and cooking up ready meals from scratch to freeze for while deep sea.
Next time I am on the steam computer I will try to upload some images from when they had a run ashore, a bit of Nature.
They also added some deck awnings to keep the foredeck cooler and hence the cabin. A couple of deck prisms (solid glass skylights flush with the deck) were removed, cleaned up and reasealed with silicon caulk, instead of pitch and oakum. Downloaded updates to the navigation software, which set it back to the factory setting ( expect it beats laboriously carrying out chart, lights and pilot book corrections, as most 2nd Mates seemed to do in daylight hours, bit like painting the Forth Road bridge).
You hear of hurricanes in the Caribean heading towards the US, but Gerry just gets late afternoon thunder showers. So most jobs on deck are 'Job & Knock' before the rain.
It seems San Blas may be opening soon so Gerry is trying to to finish off these projects. No doubt Nicky is checking stores, making her lists and cooking up ready meals from scratch to freeze for while deep sea.
Next time I am on the steam computer I will try to upload some images from when they had a run ashore, a bit of Nature.
- David Fox
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:56 pm
- Location: Newbury ,Berks
Re: Coopers Quest
by David Fox » Thu Sep 10, 2020 2:55 pm
Looks like Gerry being Captain has allowed the crew, Cook, Helmsman and the Chief Gopher a few half days for a run ashore and take some pics before he had a munity.
They are still in Grenada, so here are some local nuts!
Not quite the Almond I remember from Christmas's past, but these are Grenadian Almonds.
More another day, unless Webmaster will give me a Dispensation to load up more than 3 per day.
They are still in Grenada, so here are some local nuts!
- Almonds growing1920.JPG (82.56 KiB) Viewed 36282 times
- Almond nut outer skin removed, showing fibrous husk1930.JPG (49.71 KiB) Viewed 36282 times
- Almond hard shell cracked open with whiite nut1932.JPG (81.98 KiB) Viewed 36282 times
Not quite the Almond I remember from Christmas's past, but these are Grenadian Almonds.
More another day, unless Webmaster will give me a Dispensation to load up more than 3 per day.
- David Fox
- Posts: 325
- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 5:56 pm
- Location: Newbury ,Berks
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