Grenada Day 11

We go to the boatyard late again today so that Mike get some PC work done before we go.  When we arrive, the yard is virtually empty of people except, unfortunately, for the crew on the TMM boat next to us who swear constantly and loudly.  I’m not even sure that they are speaking English most of the time but they sure know the ‘f’ word and it peppers whatever they are saying every couple of seconds.  They were told off about it the other day, the marina employee looking in my direction when he was asking them to be respectful of other people around.  I can swear like a trooper myself at times and don’t get offended as such by others using such language.  I just find it irritating when it is done constantly – it shows a certain ignorance and lack of imagination.  Ah well, I just turn my music up to drown them out.

We inspect the boom – it looks better than I thought it would but I am still not happy with it.  Mike rubs down a couple of places then I apply a second coat.  We need to get this on quickly as the guys will be using the electric sander tomorrow and this coat needs to be dry before they do.  I use the tiny bit of paint that is left over to put one coat where the new bracket will to attached to the mast for our new reefing line arrangement.

Photo:  Painting the mast – will the excitement never end?

I go off to cook something for tonight’s meal.  My supply of mis-matched items is now becoming even more mis-matched.  I will have to go shopping soon.  I settle on angel hair pasta with anchovy, garlic and chilli dressing.  Whatever I prepare has to be eaten cold, and angel hair pasta is a bit like rice noodles when cold and tastes good.

Just three hours after arriving, we get a lift back.  We have lunch at the hotel.  I have salad as I am so desperate to eat some fresh, raw stuff and I’m sure my two glasses of grape juice (more often called Sauvignon Blanc) count towards my ‘5 a day’.

Mike goes back to finish working of the WCC stuff and I go for a swim.  By myself.  A first.  I swim up and down the beach.  It’s lovely.  I meet a couple of Grenadians, Gordon and Jane and we chat for about half an hour up to our necks in water.  It turns out that Gordon used to work in at GCHQ in Cheltenham where I taught, on contract, for a while and also lived in Norwich near my sister; Jane worked in London doing her nurse training.  What a small world.

Around four, I go back to the cottage to rinse off and to drag Mike off the PC.  We go for a walk along the beach.  It’s more crowded than usual, being a Sunday, but still lovely.

  Photos:  Views up and down the beach

Afterwards we go for another swim.  Mike leaves me in the water to go back for a shower.  I probably won’t be able to move tomorrow with all the activity!

After my shower I decide to use my hairdryer.  The electricity in Grenada is 220 volts with British sockets so up to now I have unable to use my US dryer.  However, we have found a transformer under the bed for the US fridge.  I plug it in and start drying on slow speed.  Its very slow so I crank it up and the dryer starts to make strange noises.  I turn it off quickly before noticing the strange smell coming from the direction of the transformer.  Turning to look at it I see thick clouds of smoke.  Shit.  I yell for Mike and pull everything out of the transformer and disconnect it from the wall.  We now have no working fans or plug sockets in the cottage although the lights still work so obviously I have blown a fuse somewhere.  We put the red hot transformer outside on the concrete step and go in search of one of the owners to explain what I have done.  Unfortunately the breakers are all under the cottage, just three feet off the ground (what electrician in their right mind would install them there when we are so close to the beach?) so Gerry goes under with a torch and flips the switch.  The fans come back on.  Phew!  Nancy provides me with a new transformer and a British hairdryer.  Mine (if it still works!) can go back to the boat.

We eat our cold pasta – it’s actually rather good!

Just before going to sleep, I make a very unwise decision.  I get the WCC manual out and begin to flip through it.  I am then unable to sleep as I give myself nightmares about what we are about to do next year!  Mike tries to reassure me but fails.