Preparing to sail....just another day in Paradise.  Yes the weather is beautiful and the seas are turquoise and the views are inspiring but...our day is cleaning, organizing, fixing, trying out the new dinghy and engine.  Stubbing toes regularly, losing those screws that you just put down, damn that mosquito (wouldn't have that problem if we were sailing and not at a marina!).  Buckets of seawater to clean the deck (while neighboring boats have staff and use fresh water), get that engine room blower wired up, turn on the engine and generator, check that all batteries are charging, figure out where to stow things so that you remember them and they don’t crash and land during sailing…and whenever you finish your list start the next.  Boats are demanding and they are never fixed...it is just a matter of what is going to break next!  Ken is in his element - as for me....I have forgotten the joy of high heels, make up and fashion!  Bruised, bloodied, swollen and sweating , sporting the frizzed hairstyle, I am the new image of the Caribbean!  Yeah put that on your brochure!

Monday Jan. 26^th

We set sail!!! Our departure from the dock was without incident!  Just local guys who knew us cheering us on!  Ken motored us out into the sea while I tidied away fenders and dock lines.  And yes, to all those who reprimanded me…one hand for me and one for the boat…and I was taught that but you would be surprised what stays in your head and what doesn't when you are anxious.  After the hatch incident, and the bruises are still the most impressive I have ever had, I think I learned a couple of lessons…about closing hatches, holding on and carrying a fender in a manner that still allows you to see the deck.  I hate to think how I will learn the rest of my lessons….

Out in the Sir Frances Drake Channel Ken handed over the helm and I pointed into the wind while he got the main sail up first and then the genoa.  Winds were very light, 5 to 8 knots (for the uninitiated that is not much of anything).  Ken was getting used to the winches etc.  Once up, we set off on a beam reach and started trying her out.  We did about four tacks (turns into the wind…if I get the sailing lingo wrong forget about it…it won’t hurt like the hatch drop!).  Ken was ecstatic…we got her up to 7 knots with ease (that must be good cos with little wind Ken was in seventh heaven).  And me…well I was happy at the helm, looking at the Garmin GPS which makes a lot of sense and holding a course.  But before you think we are finally free of problems…

Ken went below to open the fridge (it opens from above for one area and from a door to get to items below).   Well…from the helm I could hear familiar rage cursing and I could see glimpses of Ken moving seat cushions but nothing intelligible was coming out of his mouth.  When he finally came above I found out that the fridge door handle had simply come apart in his hand and bolts and springs were now sliding around the cabin sole (that’s the floor!).  OMG!  He held the door closed with the seat cushion until he could get to it to fix it.

More….

We had decided to spend our first night anchored off Norman Island in the Bight.  We had been there before and we checked the guides etc.  As we entered the anchorage we realized it was busier than we had ever seen and there was limited space for anchoring but we saw a mooring ball dead ahead and so Ken motored towards it and I hooked it FIRST TIME another one of those good moments. And yes I made sure that I was wedged in so that I wouldn’t tumble in. (Side note: in case you are unaware I am a lousy swimmer and trying to master the art of treading water). As we had already turned on the windlass (yoke that lowers and raises the 220 foot anchor chain, kinda handy) in preparation of anchoring Ken decided to use it to pull the anchor in tightly (just a tad) and so operated the windlass – which did nothing…well it spun on the shaft but, as Ken most eloquently put it, was less than useless.  Windlass had been working, Ken had checked and run it often, but we got new chain and it seems that when the mechanic put the gypsy (part of windlass that grabs chain) back on he forgot something.  Well at least we were on a mooring ball so Ken was not going to have to hand pull chain and anchor!!!!

We dingy’d over to the Willy T (floating steel boat which operates as a bar).  We had a drink and took in the reality show that daily unfolds.  Pretty much everyone was plastered and they were young (college age) and old.  They were jumping off the boat, removing bikini tops to throw into the water and then retrieve; they were “mooning” other boats and generally falling around.  Now, I must admit that we have jumped off the Willy T in the past and Ken did a beautiful dive on this occasion but now that we are serious sailors (well I am trying to be but give me a year or three) we had one drink only!  Also the fact that the boat needs so much TLC renders one responsible.

Dinner on board was a delight.

Waking up to a beautiful Caribbean day….first call to the mechanic’s boss who got back to Ken with the suggested fix for the windlass.  Ken got it fixed and is dying to try it out…I simply want it to work but not so anxious to ‘try’!  Spent day exploring Norman Island….great views.  Then snorkeling near the caves made famous in Treasure Island.  The fish were incredible!  Colors and variety aplenty.  Dinner on board and tomorrow’s adventures await.

Taken from one of our walks...