To Carriacou and back!

Leaving to Carriacou was bitter sweet.  While excited about the Regatta, we were also very sad to leave our Caribbean mum Linda from Kool Kat.  Linda is heading back home to the US on Monday, not to return until December, after we have left Grenada.  We had a wonderful Southern breakfast on Kool Kat the morning before we left and felt very loved and cared for (and perhaps a bit spoilt).  I made it back to Toodles before the waterworks started, and I had a good cry again that night before going to bed.

Very early the next morning, after waving a final goodbye in Kool Kat’s direction, we left Prickly Bay.  We had a calm and pleasant sail until we reached the tip of Grenada where we met wind against tide.  No, it wasn’t dramatic, the waves weren’t 10feet high, but it was enough to send poor Pickle in to a spaz.  Running up the companion way with ears back and screaming her cute little head off, Pickle announced that she was not enjoying the passage.  My heart leaped into my throat as she attempted to make it on deck, catching her before she could get a paw onto the cockpit sole, and got her downstairs holding her in a baby-with-a-full-diaper position (arms outstretched to avoid inevitable scratches).  I hurriedly threw items out of a cubby hole in the back cabin and attempted to put her in there, but she was stuck solid to the cabin’s mattress by her claws.  Gary attempted next, more successfully after a hilarious stereotypical defence put up by Pickle – spread eagle, all four limbs in all directions hanging on to sides as she is pushed into the cubby hole.  But there she stayed safe and sound until we reached Carriacou.  I, however, had managed to make myself sea sick from my time down below and failed to recover for the remainder of the voyage.  Upon entering Carriacou I was seriously questioning my ability to cross the Pacific Ocean – but more to be said on this in a later blog.

One thing I failed to mention was that there was a storm brewing.  When we left Grenada, the reports were still vague and didn’t worry us too much.  However, once we had reached Carriacou the reports were that it was likely to turn into a tropical storm (then perhaps hurricane) and was heading in our direction.  We were planning to do the regatta on Susie’s boat (you will remember her from earlier blogs such as “Out and About with Susie in Dominica”).  Susie was alone on her very large boat that cannot be single handed.  She made the decision to head south while she still had the help of a fellow cruiser to help get her boat to safety – very wise!  While disappointed that we no longer had a ride for the regatta, we were very quickly cheered up by the thought that we could head back to Grenada to be able to see Linda off on Monday. 

Our trip back to Grenada from Carriacou the very next day was much less eventful.  After seeking advice from Pickle’s Mum, we put Pickle in a wonderful cubby hole under the chart table before we left, and heard no complaints.  I had a great voyage back, no seasickness at all, my faith in my ability to cross the Pacific somewhat restored. 

So here we are once again in Prickly Bay, awaiting the storm.  It has not reached hurricane strengths, and is very unlikely to before it reaches the windward Caribbean Islands.  It’s path looks to be north of us, and we should only get some rain and a bit of wind.  Gary is happy about the rain hoping nature’s water maker will fill our empty tanks, and another Aussie cruiser is unmoved by the predicted wind strength calling it “a good sailing day”.  To this, our US friends said “if it is a good sailing day for an Aussie, then it must just be a light breeze for you Kiwis?”. “Yes” we replied “just a gentle breeze”.  Joking aside, our fate is with Hughie (the weather god) and we hope he will be kind.

If you are interested in our storm have a look at this weather site - www.nhc.noaa.gov/