What's the Saying: Things Happen in Three's--Well it is TRUE!!

The last few weeks we can say have certainly not been without frustrations. Saying this however, we did have a fabulous time treating ourselves to a week in Ft. Lauderdale for our Anniversary. We shopped, shopped, shopped and had a great time. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.

Foreground is High States in Prickly Bay.







On one of our hikes we found this quiet reefed bay.

















Our next hike we found this lodge...Jim & Toni are you moving to Grenada??

With going to Ft. Lauderdale we decide we should leave the boat on a mooring ball at Clarkes Court Bay Marina which is east of Prickly Bay.We initially anchored off Whisper Cove for a few days. When time came to head for the mooring ball our Garmin GPS Plotter did not work. YIKES!!! I know, I know; back in the late 70’s when we started sailing we only had a CB and compass… but boy when you are spoiled having a GPS Chart Plotter in these waters full of shallow reefs we really do depend on its operating. On the mooring Randy tried everything to repair the Garmin to no avail.

Of coarse now on a mooring ball close to the Oasis Bar we can't not go to the weekly Wednesday Hamburger Night and be entertained with fabulous pan music.
















So, we're on our way and our connecting flight to Ft. Lauderdale is through Trinidad. This has got to be the nicest coffee shop we have ever been in.
















We decided to take the GPS Receiver with us to Ft. Lauderdale. West Marine was excellent, checking our unit on their system deciding ours worked. So back to the trouble shooter in Kansas and its decided we need a new update chip. Within two days we receive the chip at the Hotel. Fabulous.. Well, fabulous until we get back to Grenada and find the chip is empty, yes, no data on the data chip. After another call to Garmin they apologize and send a “loaded” chip to Grenada. Chip uploads no problem. But, the unit is still not working….Back to the trouble shooter. The decision is it must be our antenna. So now we try to order an antenna from Kansas and for some reason they cannot ship out of the USA. Now remember, we did get the data chip shipped from Kansas to Grenada. Oh well, we won’t go there.

Back in Grenada we decide the dinghy bottom full of barnacles and fouling organisms really needs a good cleaning. Off we go first over to Whisper Cove for a short visit and then on to Hog Island with our scrappers, drinking water, and a bit of cash in case the beach bar opens as we are sure we are going to be thirsty doing this labour intensive task. Needless to say we try and get the dinghy up on its side on the beach to start this monstrous job and the hull is so full of water we can barely budge the dinghy.




Randy decides enough is enough we may as well return to High States. Well, if not only a number of Randy’s repairs start to re-leak but the port flotation tube really lets go from the transom. We try both paddles in the leak but the leaks only gets larger; Randy uses his foot plus the towel we took along. I am bailing as fast as I can then Rand tells me to get up onto the bow as far as I can which helps a bit, we move the anchor and chain up forward which helps more and then Rand moves up to "mid ship"while still trying to cover the hole with his foot. By the time we reach High States we are submerged to the gunnels. Gas can floating, the Merc almost submerged, not a pretty site.

Deciding we have no choice but to go to a Marina slip we have more excitement / stress. High States motor will not start. Randy spends the day troubleshooting and finds one of the wires disconnected.

So Friday, May 8th we arrive at the marina dock in time to take the weekly 10am shopping bus into Island Waterworld, “biting the bullet” purchasing a new dinghy. This should arrive a week Monday. We have also asked Jonathan the owner at Island Waterworld to order us the Garmin Antenna that we need.










I finish this Calabash bowl for Charmella.


















On Sunday Raymond came by and said he would take the dinghy to the garbage for us for 30EC which is just over $10.00. Randy said sure. As Raymond was getting ready to load the dinghy into Raymond's boat the head of the marina security said he would take it off Raymonds hands and try to repair it. Raymond got his 30EC from us and did not have to move it.... that's good business Raymond.





In fact, the dinghy delivery Monday has gone by and we have not yet received either the dinghy or antenna so it looks like we will be at the dock a while longer.

We do make time for another hike, this time over to Hog Island . We had to climb through the broken fence to cross the bridge.
















“CEL E BRATE CEL E BRATE Dance to the GPS”….Yes, After many frustrating hours of Rand figuring out the wiring in “this old boat” the GPS is up and running---No small feat. Radar also back to normal. However, our favorite piece of equipment, our ENGEL freezer is not freezing. It will freeze on 120V not 12V??? More trouble shooting for Rand...We are now told our dinghy should be here Wednesday the 27th or Thursday the 28th.

With all these recent repair challenges that Randy is working on, I decide to take advantage of being at the dock and start a major “spring cleaning”. I am pulling apart every “nook and cranny”--- washing everything with vinegar…this should really help keep the boat clean from mold when we go home for June…..Joy you would be so proud of me.



Of coarse we still have time to have a few happy hours with our new friends Ash and Sue (S/V Osprey)























With Ashlie one of our favorite barmaids hamming it up for us.





















HAPPY BIRTHDAY'S to our son Sean who turns 25 this year, our cruising friends Marie France & Yvon & our dear friend Kate.

Along with HAPPY ANNIVERSARIES to our brother Dave &sister-in-law Brenda and our dear friends Jim & Toni and Glen & Shelley.