We are launched!

We are launched!

Friday 15 Nov 2024

It’s been a wild couple of days preparing for the launch. It’s probably a good job that we were a day later than expected because I’m not sure we would have been ready in time. 

We managed to get all the critical jobs done by Thursday evening, including two major re-provisioning runs, but it wasn’t easy. After the incredible deluge on Tuesday, the water supply for most of Grenada was off. We gather that silt-laden runoff into the reservoirs clogged the water supply filters and it took more that 24 hours to restore the system. Our timing was impeccable as we managed to fill the water tanks on Cotinga just before the water went off. 

During the lay-up the team that was looking after our boat reported that the GPS unit had snapped off the support on the radar pole. We brought out a new unit, but we now believe that it was the Sirius radio receiver, rather than the GPS. We dropped the radar pole and were able to replace the post the unit was mounted on, so that worked out well. However, we aren’t sure the Sirius radio / weather system is working correctly - we don’t seem to be getting any data, but we may be out of the satellite range.

As dusk approached on Thursday, with our launch scheduled the following morning, the boatyard hauled an enormous steel barge and parked it right in the driveway between Cotinga and the launch ramp. We were assured that they would make room down one side for the tractor and trailer to fit. We were skeptical, but it all turned out fine. The team arrived at 9am this morning and backed the trailer into position. They raised her up and Martin Daniel, the man who has done a fabulous job polishing the topsides of Cotinga and painting the anti-fouling, turned up to put some anti-fouling under the keel bulb. The tractor then towed Cotinga down the narrow passageway with less than a foot of room to spare. The next steps were really exciting! The four of us climbed back on board Cotinga (via a ladder) and prepared bow and stern lines on both sides. The launch team walked these lines down docks on either side of the ramp as the boat was pushed into the water. They held us steady whilst we started the engine (first turn-over) and then we backed out and took off! 

It was only a mile or two of motoring to a pleasant anchorage closer to the entrance of the bay. We dropped the hook in 30 feet of water and spent the rest of the day finished up boat preparations. The first task was figure out why the fridge wasn’t working. It turned out to be a broken electrical cable to the pressure sensing unit, and easily fixed. We then added a couple of cans of refrigerant to top up the system. Next job on the list was to refit the dinghy davits and launch the dinghy. Then it was put up the genoa and finally, fit the reefing lines to the mainsail. By 5pm we were all exhausted - the culmination of many days of hard work. 

There’s a fine breeze out here on the water and wonderful smells from the galley, where Pete and Jo are cooking a fish stew. There’s a strong chance we will be imbibing rum cocktails later!

Mike

The tractor trailer in place

Martin Daniel applying the final anti-fouling paint to the underside of the keel bulb

Great concentration and exquisite control of the tractor - trailer, a process that has to be seen to be believed

I wasn't joking when I said it was a tight squeeze!

Through the narrowest section

It was at this point that Pete, Jo , Gloria and I got back on board for the final push down the ramp ... a thrilling experience!