Hot, sunny.

In the morning I call Barefoot Cruising and ask to speak to someone regarding my missing ASA cert. Turns out she is not in til Monday so no point in going there today. In fact, we never do go.

Well, jobs to do of course. First thing is install the new MPPT controller. Easy-peasy, right? Well of course, no job is easy on a boat – every space you have to go is cramped in the best case, inaccessible mostly. The new controller is too big for the backboard holding the old controller so I have to McGiver it to attach to the wall above the old 220V inverter. This is temporary, I’ll have to move it in the fall when I have a drill and the new inverter. Cables are too short, gotta squeeze every millimeter out of the cords to connect.

I hook it up. Same thing, won’t start because the PV voltage is not big enough to kick in, has to be 5V higher than the battery voltage.

Sigh. So what is going on? Used to work fine. I’ll measure the voltage coming off the panels themselves – if there’s voltage there, gotta be a cable problem.

There are three panels, two +ve and -ve aggregators which put them in parallel mode. I measure plenty of voltage but also break the -ve connection, it is so old and brittle. What else is new? WTH am I going to do now? I fiddle around with it a bit and manage to McGiver (two McGivers on one project) the -ve cable back into the aggregator – it is actually much more solid than it was. Maybe that was it?

Back at the controller I look in the electrical area and voila! The charger is blue light and charging. That was the problem. Big sigh of relief there, we need that solar working.

We laze away the days pretty much. Debate going for walks/hikes but neither of our feet are up to it. My gout is nasty now, and Christy skinned her shin falling off the Princess Margaret sidewalk, and we’re just not motivated.

We do go to the Princess Margaret beach every day. Christy likes to swim at the beach, I’m just as happy to swim off the back of the boat. But it’s nice to go ashore. Jack’s, at the beginning of the beach, has a nice pier to tie up to so that makes it easy. Especially, since the two of us cannot haul our dinghy up a beach – it is too heavy.

We’ve experimented with our crappy little anchor. Doesn’t work. Anchor in the water. Doesn’t work. Pull up the motor and tie to a tree. Works but you end up with sea water splashing in the back of the dinghy. We tried to land at Lower Bay but didn’t have a long enough painter and left with our tails between our legs.

We need a new dinghy. Lighter, smaller, smaller motor. Christy can’t pull start this one. It has the potential for electric start but then you’ve gotta drag around a battery in the boat too.

On Sunday we walk over to Lower Bay for a home-made lunch on the beach. We’re trying to find the place where we honey-mooned 25 years ago. It’s a nice walk and peaceful even by Bequia standards. It’s really nice in Lower Bay, you don’t get the locals partying all day Saturday and all day Sunday with boom boxes going full blast. It’s their place and their thing and they’re not big drinkers but it’s just loud. Lower Bay doesn’t have that.

We can’t find our old cottage, we think it must not have survived the 25 years and been replaced by some very fancy houses. This would be a good place to live on Bequia.

We find a shady spot on the beach by Da Reef bar, have Christy’s sandwiches and relax. Christy goes for a swim (I’m not feeling it) and then does her exercises in a shallow pool on the beach.

We ask if the band is playing today, yup 4 pm to 7 pm. Maybe we’ll come back, they’re a lot of fun.

With only twelve days left before haulout, we realize we need to start heading back to Grenada. Tomorrow we will head for Mayreau.

Back at the boat, my health has deteriorated further and there is no way I can get off the couch nor walk to Da Reef to see the band. Nor can we land our dinghy onshore. We’ll save that for next season.

Lying in bed feeling lousy all I can think of is “Why am I ill and getting sicker?”. Christy has no symptoms, in January the kids were fine while I deteriorated. What am I doing that is different from them? Christy and I eat all the same foods, drink all the same water, something I am doing is affecting me. Then it hits me – at least it’s the only thing that makes sense to me – coffee. In January and now, I make my Rocket Fuel coffee every day while neither the kids nor Christy drink it. It explains also why in the mornings sometimes I think I am cured but by 11 or 12 I feel crap again.

Christy guffaws at my suggestion but I am determined to test the theory.

No coffee, no booze, that’s not what I thought sailing would be about!