Green Grenada

So we are back on the beautiful island of Grenada for 5 months to sit out the hurricane season and relax after our hellish journey from the Florida keys. What an island, the locals are super friendly and very proud of their home. It is extremely well kept, no litter on the streets only fruit from all the trees. Mangos, star fruit, Noni, almonds, avocados, cashew nuts, cocoa, sour sop, breadfruit, coconuts, bananas, plaintains and lots of spices, lemongrass, Basil, cinnamon, all spice, coriander, and of course nutmeg. I didn't realise how many types of mango there are, even one named after me, a Graham mango. And with the sea full of Mahi Mahi and lots of rain, no one starves here.

Just a small selection of what we picked off the roadside one day

So much life as well, giant caterpillars

Lizards everywhere

Yoda the crab

We took a mooring ball in Prickly bay. The partying started almost immediately. We met up with yottie friends old and new and even stayed up until 11pm one night.

BEFORE - Crews of Starhunter, Dolce, Mir, Bold Venture and Charis

Sometime later

The world cup started and was a pleasure to watch with all the different nationalities. A great location, the Containers, where all the locals, yotties and medical students from the university hung out.

Halftime during the England Mexico game with some Mexicans. They weren't quite so happy at the end but were good company and good losers.

The lone, flag flying, Scotsman. (He wasn't alone for long)

Come on Scotland

Chris and Karen arrived. We moved the boat around the corner to True Blue resort. Couldn't have got the boat much closer to this great Margarita. 

The Brewery and very alcoholic ginger beers

La Phar bleu

Hog Island

St Georges market

We had a great guided tour of the island. Learned about its history and got taught about all the fruits and spices, stopping every few minutes to pick some random fruit. We saw the Mona monkeys, never again, one of them peed on my shoulder much to the amusement of everyone.

We had the ubiquitous Rum distillery tour. They even started the 200 year old water wheel, made in Derby,  that powers the sugar cane squishing.

Also had a trip to a waterfall to cool off after a hot day.

Me old bamboo

Sour sop ice cream, yummy

Sadly our friends left but I think they enjoyed their stay in Grenada.

I had a week to service my engine and replace the exhaust elbow. 450 hours since the last service, a very naughty boy. After changing the exhaust elbow and doing a full service, which included changing the impeller, the cooling sea water is now gushing out of the exhaust. I found bits of impeller blocking the water pump inlet which have been there since before we bought the boat. Such a good feeling having got what feels like a new engine. 

Old and new elbow. 

Ali and Tim arrived. Tim brought me a present, an Insta360 camera. Amazing gift, thanks Tim. It's a whole new world to me. You have to pick you perspective from a 360 degree video clip. Not like any video editing I have ever done before so it will take a while before I get anything worth showing.

We took them to all the our favourite places but also went to many places we haven't been before. We started by sailing around the corner to meet our mates in Woburn and Hog island for a few days. They got the full experience sailing back from Woburn. We flew, 7 knots with just the Genoa. The world cup was still on and we visited containers to watch a few games. 

Match day buckets of beer

Tim won a mini world cup on a keyring for answering world cup trivia correctly. 

We hired a car and did the same trip we did with Chris and Karen except Mandy and I were the guides. And yes, we went to see the bloody monkeys again.

Also went to a place called Laura herb and spice garden where the lady takes you around a garden and shows you all the herbs and spices indigenous to Grenada, super interesting, soooo many herbs and spices grow here.

Noni, smells horrid, like really strong cheese

We had a guided tour around the Belmont estate where they make chocolate in the traditional way from locally grown cocoa.

Went around the corner in the boat to visit BBC beach for the day and decided to stay for the night as it was so nice. The vegetable rotis on the beach where amazing. There was also a guy sitting there making bowls and little birds out of palm leaves. All for the grand price of £5. Also watched a football match in one of the bars.

Took a visit to Grande Anse beach

And before you know it they where gone, so sorry to see them go. 

So then it was boat jobs. We have 4 months and if we do 1 job a day we should have a new boat by the time we leave Grenada. Some jobs we've done so far: Fix leaking water pump in generator, grease the rudder, fix a leak in our bedroom we've had for 4 years, replace bilge pump and watermaker switches, fix drawer in galley, fit an extra fan to the beer fridge, replace seals on all deck fillers, make alcoholic ginger beer, remove 3 air conditioning units and ducting, tidy and sort tools with all the extra space from removing AC units, top balance both lithium battery banks, polish stainless steel on deck, replace end stops of gib cars, replace broken circuit breaker, fit 2 reading lights and USB charge points in our bedroom, replace broken analogue 240V moving coil display. 

Some jobs are harder than others, for example the AC unit removal:-

In between jobs we do have some fun. Every Sunday is a good crack on Hog Island. Welcome to Royston Vasey, you'll never leave.

Current remaining jobs:-

Change anode on prop shaft

Thumb screws for wiring panel

Fix Button changeover for upper/lower helm steering 

New Fuel hose for genny

Climb mast to check rigging and aerials

Add companionway holder opener

Stop port side window leak

Water speed log clean 

Tidy Watermaker valves

Fix Bilge cam power

Service Winches 

Fix Steering wheel cover

Fix lifejacket zip

Fix Fan in engine room

Replace Battery charger switch

Diesel tank leak

Fix Lost GPS signal on VHF

Stop Back window leak

Clean bilges

Seal Chain plates 

Fix blinds

Fit Nav lights for dinghy

Clean Bilge pump sensor

Replace engine Oil pressure switch

Investigate sluggish Starter motor

Fit end caps to unused Seacocks

Change gearbox oil

Anyway time for a beer.