Hot, sunny. Rains now and then.
We’re up and out early, arrive Clarke’s Court just after 8 am. We want to meet Jose to ask him to move the boat stands so we can finish sanding and painting the spots covered by the 9 stands holding the boat up. As always he’s accommodating and promises to do it. One thing with Jose, if he says so, it will get done. Confirm with Rick in the office that we’re still on for tomorrow (yup) and then go to do other things.
We haul up our anchor chain (that’s a good workout) and clean up a bit. Just leave enough supplies about to finish painting later today.
I convince Christy NOT to haul our huge 20 HP Honda back up on the boat. We are hoping to sell it (it’s listed on the Grenada Cruisers Buy and Sell, though no bites yet) and if we do put it up there, it’s just going to be a drag to bring it back down, even though I made a harness for it. Instead, we’ll take it to the Treasure Trove used gear place across the bay when we rent a car. They’ll take it on consignment.
No word from Ricky re. the barrel.
OK, off to town via bus after we cross the harbour. We walk from the #2 down to Port Louis Marine (PLM as it is called around here) to inquire about moorings outside and also get cash from the ATM there. We’re hoping to buy a second-hand dinghy today or tomorrow so we extract enough cash to pay for the most expensive one.
Stop for groceries in Port Louis, wait for the latest rain storm to clear, then bus back to Woburn in time to meet Nils, the first dinghy seller we have an appointment with.
We cross paths in the dinghy area at Clarke’s and we both dinghy back across as his dinghy and motor are at the Treasure Trove. Dinghy and motor looks good, he seems to be a decent guy. We tell him we’re seeing another boat this afternoon and will let him know. Christy and I both agree that if the other boat doesn’t work out, we’ll buy Nils’.
Back at Clarke’s Jose has moved the stands on our boat so time to get to work. Thankfully Axel (young French guy we met who has helped us as much as we have helped him) has a power sander which makes cleaning off the stand patches infinitely easier. Quickly, I am done that job and quickly Christy gets a coat of primer on. Then it’s time to meet the second dinghy owner.
They don’t show. Christy realizes there may have been a miscommunication but doesn’t matter now.
Back we go to finish the painting. We do a coat of anti-fouling on top of the primer and a third coat all around the boat at the waterline. Supposed to wait 24 hours but that ain’t gonna happen. We launch tomorrow. Even have to wait out some rain.
Hard to imagine two happier people when we finally get out of the marshmallow suits, masks, gloves. Boat looks good.
Off to the Cruisers Gallery – Clarke’s little bar/restaurant where we each order a fruit smoothie which is mostly frozen fruit juice blended with ice. Oh. My. God. Those are so good it is sinful. C-c-c-cold and sweet and wet. Over the next couple of days we will have a pair a day.
We run into Nils in the bar and tell him we’ll buy his dinghy. All are happy now.
Dash back to the boat where we put the final coat of anti-fouling on the patches and dinghy home in very dark conditions but very satisfied after another long day.
