Sandy Island and Saline Island

Sandy Island and Saline Island

Sunday 17th Nov (afternoon) to Tuesday 19th Nov (evening), 2024

On Sunday afternoon, we departed Tyrrel Bay for Sandy Island.  As it was quite a short trip we just motored.  We were pleased to find moorings available and after a little messing about, Cotinga was securely tied up. 

Once we started to look around, we were shocked to see that the island had been breached by Hurricane Beryl.  The palm trees seemed quite battered.  We wondered what the condition of the nearby reef would be. To re-acquaint ourselves with snorkeling, we dug out our gear and attempted to swim to shore.  A few technical difficulties were revealed, causing us to turn back toward Cotinga.  More adventures awaited us in the shape of weather events.

As the evening progressed, the wind whipped up.  For a few hours we were experiencing 25-30 knots.  Even tied to the mooring, the boat was yawing side to side and rolling quite a bit.  Eventually, the wind dropped and we all went to bed.  Overnight, we experienced multiple heavy showers.

On Monday morning, Mike found an abundance of water in the bilge.  After an extended bout of pumping the bilge was virtually empty.  It’s not clear what made him check again about 3 hours later.  Disappointingly the bilge was “full” again.  A tasting suggested that the water was salty—setting off alarm bells.  Checking with the salinity meter, we got a reading of 300 ppm—fresh water!   Water tank leaks sprang to mind!  We turned off both tanks and excavated to get to the top of the port tank. Opening the inspection port revealed a water level that seemed consistent with use by four people for 4 days.  Getting to the starboard tank required removing the settee base on the starboard side (which can be pulled out to make a bunk).  Once again, we removed a large number of nuts and washer to open the starboard inspection port.  Water began leaking out as the port was being lifted.  The starboard tank was clearly full.  

Other sources of fresh water were considered. The first being the drain of the galley sink.  Dumping of salt water down the sink did not result in any water in the bilge.  In a similar fashion, we tested the deck drains (many heavy rainfalls could have sent fresh water to the bilge if the hoses were leaking). The deck drains were not the issue.  After much head scratching, Mike decided to check the engine compartment.  The tray under the engine was wet.  Starting the engine, the source of the water was finally determined to be a hose on the salt water circulation system.  The hose clamp had completely failed! Not only that, the salinity meter had sent us down the wrong rabbit hole altogether.  Some hard work got a new hose clamp installed, the engine tray dried, the inspection ports screwed back down and the tools put away.  

After a belated lunch, we set off in the dinghy to snorkel the reef near the eastern end of the island.  Mike bravely rowed us into shore.  Without the weight of the engine we were able to pull the dinghy up the steep beach, well beyond the water line.  Pete and Jo elected to walk to the western end of the island.  Mike and I set off toward the eastern end to get in the water and snorkel.  The waves were quite a bit more intense at the point where we tried to get our flippers and snorkels on!  Not only was I unable to get into the water with my gear on, as I retreated up the beach, I got bowled over by a wave and lost hold of one of my fins.  Despite determined efforts we could not locate the second flipper.  I sat on the beach while the others checked out the reef. Apparently, plenty of fish were observed although the coral was badly damaged.  

The evening turned out quite nicely. Dinner was followed by time in the cockpit watching the lightning (that never came our way) and looking at the stars. The night, however, was disturbed by heavy rain showers, mosquito attacks and rainwater dripping into the aft cabin.  “There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep and that was nothing like a good night’s sleep.”

Tuesday started a bit slowly as most of the crew had experienced interrupted sleep.  We set off eventually to Saline Island (or Bay?). A reef to the north of the island creates a narrow channel along the island’s shore.  Here there is room for three boats to anchor.  We were boat number three.  The current is strong in this area and we had some difficulty getting the anchor to set.  The weather looked very threatening adding to our uneasiness.  We gathered all our gear and set off in the dinghy.  A snorkel buoy allowed us to tie up the ‘dainty dog’.  We had a good swim about looking at fish and some coral that looked pretty good.  We weren’t swept away by the current but found that Cotinga had turned through 180 degrees while we were in the water.  After lunch and a rest, we returned to Tyrrel Bay.  Most of our party went ashore to dump trash and get more fresh fruit and veggies.  I remained behind to write a contribution to the blog (much overdue).

Gloria  

Sandy Island mooring field (part of the Carriacou Marine National Park)

The happy (motley) crew after our mixed success snorkeling trip. (Photo: Pete Leeming selfie)

Sunset from Sandy Island

Threatening weather Sunday evening 

Ditto - wide angle lens

The squall arrives at Sunset

Same location - another evening and a new set of beautiful clouds

Dawn at Sandy Island

Storms to the west of us - Saline Island

Fine Sailing to Carriacou

Fine Sailing to Carriacou

Saturday 16th - Sunday 17th Nov 2024

We left Petit Calvigny anchorage on the south coast of Grenada around 8.30 am, motored out of the bay and motor sailed with our Genoa around the south-west corner of Grenada to St George’s. We planned to take a mooring here and spend the night, but there were no moorings free and it seemed quite rolly. We had been in two minds whether to go all the way to Carriacou in the first place, and with good south-easterly winds we decided to just keep going. We need to use the motor a little in the lee of west side of the island, but once we approached the northern tip we again picked up a good breeze. We had an outstanding sail for the remaining 20 miles up to Carriacou. The winds were 12-14 knots on the beam, and with full main and Genoa and pretty smooth seas, we sailed at close to hull speed ( a little under 8 knots) the entire way. Our route took us west of the undersea volcano “Kick ‘em Jenny”, staying outside the exclusion zone. We dropped anchor in Tyrol Bay and had a very pleasant evening on board. We strayed up past “passage makers midnight” (8 pm) but not as late as “sailors midnight” (9 pm).

This morning we took the “Dainty Dog” into town and tied up at the dinghy dock at Carriacou marine. The evidence of hurricane Beryl is all around. There are many boats in the harbor that are missing masts or have been sunk and re-floated. On shore most of the houses look like they have roof damage or completely lost their roofs. However, it does appear that a tremendous amount of progress has been made tidying up and repairing structures. The vegetation looks like it is recovering fast and the island looks much greener than it did when we were last here at the end of May. We walked along the front, chatted to a few people, took some pictures and enjoyed a cold drink in a beach side cafe. We were able to buy a few supplies (eggs, avocados and more ice) before returning for lunch on board.

It is brutally hot down here, but we did just get some cooling and a lot of rain form a passing squall. Our plan is to head round the corner to Sandy Island later this afternoon.

Mike

12 27.464 N, 61 29.328 W

Pete at the helm on route to Carriacou (photo: Jo Leeming)

Looking down on Tyrrel bay and the marina where we park the 'Dainty Dog'

The new dock and fuel supply building at Tyrrel Bay Marina

Young girl playing on the beach - Tyrrel Bay

Fishermen cleaning and selling their catch. We bought two beautiful red snapper and sauteed them in butter for dinner.

Wrecked Boat - Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou

Remnants of a vessel wrecked on a reef - Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou

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!

Tough Transitions

Tough Transitions

Wednesday 13th Nov 2024

We are so lucky to be able to have a lovely home and beautiful boat, and to be able to spend our time divided between the two. We really enjoy our lives at home and on Cotinga, but the transitions between the two can be tough, in either direction. There is just so much to get sorted, endless lists and jobs to complete.

The past 5 months, living back home, have been great. We enjoyed settling in to a land-based routine, catching up with friends and family, and having a complete break from our sailing lifestyle. I made a 2-week trip back to the UK in August and Gloria went up to Maine a couple of times to see her sister. In October my brother Martin came over to visit and we all flew out west to see Tasha and Mac, and spent a few days touring the Olympic peninsula. The months flew by, and before we were ready, we were hard at work preparing to leave the house and head back to Cotinga.

We left home at the ungodly hour of 3.30 am. Our friend and neighbor, Frank, kindly gave us a lift to the airport … what a hero! Our flights to Grenada via JFK went fine and with a ton of gear (four checked bags plus carry on), including boat parts and some food items, we decided to declare the boat parts. This all worked out easily and was not a great expense. A short taxi ride brought us back to Clarkes Court marina, where we will spend four nights in an apartment before being launched on Friday.

Our friends Pete and Jo are going to join us on the first leg our our journey from Grenada up to Martinique, and they have already arrived and are staying at an AirBnB a couple of miles away. Fortunately, they have a rental car which is really helpful for getting together and re-provisioning. I have to confess that I thought we were launching on Thursday (my mistake) and so none of us had anywhere to stay for the additional night, but we have managed to book a room here at the marina for the extra night. We could stay on the boat, on land, but that’s not very comfortable, so we’ve opted for a cozy but air-conditioned room!

When we left Grenada in June it was hot and dry. Yesterday, our first day trying to prepare Cotinga, was the wettest day I have ever seen in the Caribbean! There were heavy showers in the morning and then a thunderstorm in the afternoon that dropped torrential rain for over 2 hours. There were landslides on the island and roads were cut off by flooding. There was a waterfall off the edge of the upper area of the boatyard. We did manage to get a few jobs done, but it was a challenge.

The biggest problem that we have identified so far is that the two screw clamps on the outboard motor were seized solid, presumably due to steel / aluminum corrosion. Without these clamps you can’t attach the outboard to the dinghy or the rail of Cotinga. I bent both of the stainless steel screws (10 mm) trying to get them off. I eventually managed to free one, but snapped the other clean off and had to drill it out. The first screw fitting has now been replaced with a regular 10 mm hex bolt, but the drilled out hole would not hold the bolt tightly, so we have had to put a nut on the inside make it function. It’s going to be a pain in the butt to take the outboard on and off the dinghy, but it’s the best we could do.

I haven’t yet had any time to take photos so I’m going include a few of my favorites from our recent trips to Cape Cod and to the Olympic National park in Washington.

Mike

My brother Martin up in the mountains at Olympic National Park, WA

The Pacific ocean at Olympic National Park, WA

Foggy morning near Forks, WA

Spanish moss hanging from a tree in the Ho rain forest, Olympic NP

A flock of eider ducks fly by the western shore of Cape Cod, MA

Sunset abstract at the beach near Rock Harbor, Cape Cod MA ... a personal favorite

Living the Dream!

Living the Dream!

Tuesday 4th - Thursday 6th June 2024

The haul out went well and Cotinga is safely parked in Clarkes Court Boatyard, Grenada. We completed the first half of our two year plan! She is  resting on her keel with an additional seven jack stands supporting her. We also chose to pay extra for a hurricane cradle, which is an additional rigid steel support with four arms that should keep Cotinga upright should there be storm conditions.  Finally there are four heavy duty tie down straps, each attached to a huge concrete block. The staff at the boatyard are highly professional and my only reservation about the situation is that we are only about 8 feet above water level in the event of a large storm surge.

On Tuesday afternoon we moved in to an air conditioned apartment for three nights, which happens to be right next to the boat. We have been sweating our brains out, working through a long list of projects in high temperatures (~86 oF / 30 oC) and high humidity, and it has been a blessing to be able to return to a cool room and shower. As well as preparing to leave the boat for five months, we have also been trying to ensure that everything is ready for when we return in November. Essentially we have crammed in all our off-season boat jobs into a few days. We have spent hours cleaning and tidying inside the boat, removing all perishable food, boxing or double bagging staples like rice or pasta that we hope will be okay. We have bleached and drained the water tanks; the diesel tanks are full and treated with biocide. The engine has been flushed with fresh water, the batteries have been charged to max capacity with our portable generator and the dinghy is strapped down on the foredeck under a tarpaulin. But the biggest and messiest job by far has been working on the undersides of the boat. 

Cotinga looked like she was growing a beard when she emerged from the water. A thorough power wash removed most of that growth, and on closer inspection most of the antifouling has held up well. The exceptions are the areas where the “electrolysis” caused the antifouling to burn off. Although there aren’t lots of barnacles, these areas are pretty rough. The latest theory is that inadequate priming around metal fittings in the hull (grounding plate, zinc attachment point, rudder skeg, prop-shaft housing and keel bulb) and direct contact with copper containing antifouling paint is the source of an electrochemical reaction that causes this “haloing”. What we have done is sand and wire brushed the areas immediately around the metal fittings to remove the antifouling, and then applied two coats of underwater primer (Primekot). We also wimped out and hired a local sub-contractor to machine sand the rough areas, lightly sand the rest, and apply fresh bottom paint. He will also clean and polish the topsides for us, all whilst we are away. We try and do as much work as we can ourselves, but this seems like money well spent. We did clean and service the Max-Prop propeller and that looks good.

By the time we finished yesterday evening we looked like a couple of bedraggled survivors rescued from an oil slick … soaking wet and absolutely filthy. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo. It was at this point that Gloria uttered the words “Living the Dream”. We do think that anybody who is contemplating a cruising lifestyle should spend a week working on a boat before they buy one … unless they are super rich and can hire others to do all the dirty work. But where is the fun in that! Our thoughts over the past week or two have been dominated by all the jobs we have been working on, so it’s a good time to reflect on the past 8 months and the experience as a whole.

I think we both feel that this has been a fantastic trip; more enjoyable than our 2017-8 journey to the Caribbean. Some of that is undoubtedly due to the impact of the loss Gloria’s parents in January of 2018, but we also think that the two-year plan has allowed us to travel more slowly and enjoy the places we have visited. We have been to some wonderful places, walked on pristine sandy beaches, swam with turtles, enjoyed some incredible snorkeling in crystal clear water and witnessed countless sunsets with cocktails on deck. The tropical rainforests and waterfalls, along with some of the hiking we have done on the islands, have been amazing. As ever, it has been great to have friends and family come and stay with us, and we have also met many wonderful people along the way. It’s also worth noting that we have done some really fine sailing since we have been down in the Caribbean, although our journey down was a bit lacking in wind for much of the time. Cotinga has mostly worked well - she truly is a fine boat and our confidence in her makes a difference. We did have a seam rip on the mainsail and I broke the oven, but other than that (and the dreaded electrolysis) everything has worked well. I am particularly happy with the combination of cell phone and Iridium Go satellite system for communications. That combined with the Predict Wind weather tools and forecasts from Chris Parker have provided us with excellent weather and routing information, albeit at a cost ($). We had a few bumpy passages and some uncomfortable, rolly anchorages, but overall I think we have been fortunate to have had great weather. In the past few weeks it has become a little too hot and humid for our taste, so it will be nice to take a break and enjoy the summer and autumn at home. 

This voyage has been an incredible experience that we will never forget. We recognize that the blog is primarily for our own benefit, as it creates a diary of our travels that we can go back and revisit in the future, filling in our memories of what we did and how we felt at the time. Thanks for reading and sharing our adventures with us. We hope you have enjoyed what we have posted so far and if you have suggestions of what you would like cover in the future then please let us know. 

At this point we will sign off for a few months and resume our blog in the middle of November when we return for the second year of our big adventure. 

Launch date: 14 Nov 2024

Mike

Cotinga is raised out of the water using a huge travel lift. this is the only boatyard we have ever been to that puts a diver in the water to ensure the slings are in the correct place (and not for example wrapped around the propeller)

The travel lift lowers Cotinga and she is temporarily blocked up on stands for power washing

The diver does double duty power washing ... well he is already wet!

A separate tractor trailer picks up Cotinga and drives her to the space where she will be stored. The boats are packed incredibly tight and I had to go up a ladder and remove our davits before this process could be completed.

A view of the jack-stands (green) and the heavy duty hurricane cradle, which is T-shaped with supports at the front and stern. At Nanny Cay in Tortola in 2017 I saw rows of boats that had blown over like skittles and the jack-stands punched through the hull. The hurricane cradle should help to avoid that

Looking back towards the keel - you can see the structure of the hurricane cradle and the silver Primer paint on the bulb

A view from the bow with our dinghy tied down under a trap on the foredeck. Three boats are within 3 feet of Cotinga at the stern. The bow of one is just 6 inches away from the rail of Cotinga.

I love taking abstract photos around boatyards. I finally got a quiet hour this afternoon and had fun with my camera. This image was created as a panorama from 5 separate pictures, each of which generated using focus stacking of a separate set of images, all taken with a 105 mm micro lens and a tripod. 

This image is also a 3 - photo vertical panorama of a rudder assembly

This photo of the same vessel as above, was generated from a 30-photo focus stacked set, in order to generate a sharp image across a wide depth of field

A bow thruster (or as we like to refer to them - a "bow cheater") that allows you to push the bow of the boat sideways. It helps a lot with docking ... but we do not have one!

Hull lines