Hog Island, Grenada
12.00.039N
61.44.580W

Well, today we moved from Prickly Bay to Hog Island. A man named John (Sea Witch) came by to say that I had done a nice job relaying information to Chardeaux. He had been one of those who had offered the name of a mechanic. I thanked him and asked if he had heard anything further about them. He had not. In fact, later at the Sunday night barbeque, I asked everyone who said that they knew them or had heard the exchange, whether anyone knew for certain that they had made their destination. No one had. In fact, I learned that Lorraine’s husband is legally blind. To be quite honest with you, I’m worried. I wanted to ask Mia but learned that he too, had left for points further north. I’m hoping that he joined them when they couldn’t make it in and went with them to Carriacou.

In the meantime, Gary commented that Dale had a good rapport with King Neptune in that we had been able to anchor on the first try in a spot where they had dragged only a short time before. I can now say that it’s due to the fact that Dale has made a habit (of late) of making generous offerings to the King.

When we were in Chacachacare, one of his fins went missing when he washed them off and laid them out to dry on the back transom. On our crossing from Trinidad to Grenada, the bow light bulb fell into the briny (although he swears he never touched the bulb itself) when he went to check on why it wasn’t working (even though we had confirmed that it was working before we left our slip). Today, he decided that since the outboard on the dinghy was starting to run rough, he’d clean and rebuild the carburetor. I’m sure you can see where this is going. When he dropped a nut into the casing of the outboard and it disappeared (no lie, we both checked everywhere and neither one of us heard anything drop), he was extra careful for the rest of the procedure. He was in the process of putting everything back together when a small plastic piece that the choke fits into decided that it was a superball and bounced high into the air and into the drink. You’d hope plastic would float. It doesn’t. Unless it’s garbage.

It’s been said that water is magnetic. You can work all summer on tiny bits and pieces while you’re on the hard and never drop a thing. But the second you try to make a repair after your boat is splashed, everything goes directly into the water and sinks.

Needless to say, he grabbed his head (why do people do that) and swore a blue streak. I was in the process of heading in his direction to offer assistance but decided I’d be better off staying as far away, and as quiet, as possible.

Later, we hitched a ride with Rainbow Rider to the barbeque where John, remember John, said that he knew of a local who was extremely good with Mercury engines and might actually have a replacement part. If not, there’s a Mercury representative in town. John and Debra have been here for the last 4 years making repairs to their boat which was damaged in Hurricane Ivan. In that amount of time, I guess you learn who the good mechanics are.

Instead of heading on up to Tobago Cays, we’ll be staying in Grenada for a while longer. It seems we waited for parts the last time we were here. Remember, cruising is fixing your boat in exotic places.