Luckily We Like Grenada . . .

We are still in Grenada, although no longer in the boatyard at St. David's. The last item, a minor part for the generator, arrived on Thursday and was quickly installed. All that was left was settling up the bills, which Peter had to dispute a bit.

I had remembered to buy a card for Peter and get candy for the kids for Valentine's Day before we left the States, so we were able to recognize the holiday. We also had a delicious lunch at the Waterside Restaurant at Bel Air Plantation Resort, a very short dinghy ride from the boatyard. Peter and I also enjoyed taking the kayak out for the first time this season and exploring the adjacent bay.

We left the dock of Grenada Marine on Friday, Feb. 15, and anchored in the bay for the night. It continued to be windy, and swells were coming in, so our first night at anchor was a bit rocky and I did not sleep well. The anchorage did not pass the refrigerator door test: If the door slams closed on its own, the boat is rocking too much!!!

However, I woke up to yet another beautiful day here at 12 degrees latitude. We spent the morning bending on the headsail and the staysail and getting ready to sail and left the harbor just before noon. Outside the bay, the wind was pretty consistent at 20 knots and the waves were about 7 feet at 8-10 second intervals, so we went speeding off at 7 knots with just the mainsail. On our initial course, the waves were hitting us on the beam, rolling the boat from side to side. We were perfectly safe and not at all uncomfortable--except for poor Matthew, who does not like tipping or thrilling roller coaster rides on the waves. When we altered course, his mood altered also as we had following seas, and we made it to the entrance to Clark's Court Bay, a few miles west of St. David's on the southern coast of Grenada within an hour.

We decided to dock for the night at the marina, which is a lovely little place, because we needed to get a taxi to town to clear customs for departure and get groceries. We are very pleased that we chose to dock here, because getting things done in town was convenient, particulary since the customs office is at the yacht club and we were able to enjoy a great lunch there. (Most importantly, we were able to stock up on MILK!)

There is a nice, small group of yachties here at Clark's Court. The marina hosted a pot-luck dinner last night (Feb. 16). The kids, being the only young people here, chose to stay on board Epicurus and watch "Yu-Gi-Oh!" episodes on the internet and play games. Peter and I enjoyed chatting with people and then joined in the fun of karaoke singing and dancing. The yachting crowd is well-known for partying, and most cruising guides list happy-hours right up there with marine supplies as essential information for anchorages and ports. Although we sometimes need supplies for the boat, we haven't had any need for the listings and critiques of bars, and this was actually our first time to participate in drinking and socializing and partying at a bar. We had a very good time, as the crowd was lively but not rowdy, a variety of food for dinner was nice for a change from my adequate but not exciting meals, and the people were interesting and articulate.

The marina is also nicely situated by Mt. Hartmann National Park, a sanctuary for the endangered Grenada dove, and we took a leisurely hike earlier today on a trail the follows the headland toward a point opposite Hog Island. We are getting ready to leave for Trinidad around 6 p.m. this evening, making a night crossing. However, the wind has not abated and the seas look rough, so if it's really uncomfortable, we'll turn around and come back. Luckily, the entrance to this bay is well-marked and straight-forward, so it will be easy to re-enter if necessary.