Day for a Duck.....

What a 24 hours weather-wise....rain, Rain and more RAIN !!  (See, it is not always sunny in the tropics !)  Yesterday it rained longer and harder than I have ever seen it rain since cruising.  It even beat the rain during the remnants of the tropical storm that rolled over us while docked at Charleston last fall.  

So why so much rain,  you ask ??  The Ntl Hurricane Svc would say that it is the result of a tropical wave that  is anchored over the windward islands which may develop into the next tropical Low.   But, no, I don't think that is the real answer....I think it it the Greek goddess Iris (and her sisters)  busting my chops....

Iris is the Greek goddess of rain.  She is also a close friend and confidant of Demeter, Persephone's mother.  Until this week, Persephone has relied on Iris to provide rain to fill her onboard water tanks.  Now that I have installed a watermaker, Iris is miffed, feeling slighted, and unnecessary.  (Most goddesses-ancient or otherwise- don't liked being miffed or left feeling unwanted....).

Although Iris is very beautiful, her sisters, the "Harpies",  are really nasty.  The Harpies have women's faces but the bodies of vultures with wings, claws and strong beaks that can "break stones"; if you catch my drift.  The Harpies are the representation of storm clouds, squalls and evil winds.  Their sole purpose is to torment men when asked by a goddess.  I am sure that they would be more than willing to help out their sister, Iris and torment me....nice family I crossed by buying a watermaker.  So, in true ancient Greek fashion, Iris, aided by her sisters, are deluging Grenada with rain rendering my new, expensive, watermaker superfluous and unnecessary. Go figure...... The water tanks are overflowing, and I have only turned on the watermaker to test it !



Here are some pictures of the offending device:

This is the high pressure reverse osmosis unit

These are the waterpumps and filtration system

Sorry Iris....and will you ask your sisters to 'back off'....Thanks !

Tormented in Paradise.....Capt Dave

   

Hot, Hot, HOT !!!

There is only one way to cool off on a hot, summer afternoon in the tropics....jump overboard with a coldie !!

Photo by Eric on "Compass Rose" 

Grenada Morning....

Rainbow over Persephone in Mt. Hartman Bay

Every day seems to be fading into the next day here in Grenada. August has been 'jungle hot'; even the locals are complaining about the heat and humidity.  The thermometer has not dropped below 80 degrees even at night. But, it is paradise, so how much can you complain ??

Persephone has been a busy place over the past couple of weeks.  The preventive maintenance projects have been completed (oil changes, engine maintenance, waxing and polishing) and new projects are now underway.  When Mike and I installed the generator two years ago, we left a space in the aft cabin for a watermaker.  I wanted to give cruising a try for one full year before making a decision concerning a watermaker.  After a year, I have concluded that a watermaker is more than an expensive luxury; it is a convenience that upgrades life aboard. Winter is the dry season in the tropics and last season we went for weeks at a time (literally) without any rainfall.  When all of out tanks are full, we have a mere 115 gallons of water. We were constantly planning our destinations, and length of time we could stay at the out-islands based on the status of our onboard water supply.  When water was available, it had to be hauled from shore to Persephone, and we had to pay for  it at an average of 50 cents per gallon.  In addition, the quality was often questionable.  So, the decision was easy, a watermaker was ordered and should arrive here later this week.

We chose the Spectra brand which will make water at the rate of 14 gallons per hour.  (Actually, a watermaker doesn't "make" water, what it does is processes the seawater to remove salt, impurities, virus and bacteria etc; the result being pure water).  The install process is not technically difficult, but it is time consuming.  So, I will keep you informed of my progress. 

Glass of cold water anyone ??

   

Pretty Mas....

Dirty Mas wound up around 8 am on Monday morning.  The streets were cleaned and "Pretty Mas" stepped off on Monday afternoon.  Again, I will let the pictures tell the story:

 

From left to right:  Eric of "Compass Rose",  Dawnelle of "Celtic Dream", Two Brits which joined our group, Diane (in the yellow tee in the middle) of "Jabulani", Lynn and Ken of "Silverheels III", and Steve of "Sailacious"

"Dirty Mas...."

It has been Carnival Week here in Grenada.  According to the locals, you don't  'go' to Carnival; you 'play' Carnival.   After playing Carnival, I have a whole new definition for the word "party".  Grenadians have raised partying to a fine art as the entire country plays and plays and plays some more !!

In the wee hours of Monday morning,  Grenada plays "Dirty Mas".  We arrived shortly after 4 AM to play with the locals.  This is a huge street party where the party goers are covered in paint (water based body paint)  and a few douse themselves in used motor oil.  Many locals carry chains and have salted fish in their mouths as a reminder of the days of slavery.

I cannot possibly describe Dirty Mas....I will let the pictures tell the story:

Here is "Captain Carnival" blending into the crowd:

As dawn breaks, the partying continues:

 
                       Captain Carnival hang'n and chill'n (note the chains in the background):

           

         Covered in used motor oil:                    Behave yourself ??!!

                                       
                                             Eric from "Compass Rose"....

From left to right:  Andrew (a boat boy from Dominica), 'IB' from "Passport", Dawnelle and John from "Celtic Dream", Eric from "Compass Rose", Captain Carnival himself from "Persephone", and Lynn from "Silverheels III"

Under the Big-Top !!!

This is a view of Mt. Hartman Bay, Grenada.  Persephone is in the foreground just left of center.  You can spot her with the stripped awning.

This picture is the reverse angle of the shot above.  This was taken from Persephone looking at Secret Harbor where the previous picture was taken.

After nearly a month of "off and on" working on the awning, here is Persephone sporting her tropical weather ensemble.  The awning is quite large (24 feet by 12 feet) so we chose a pattern with stripes to jazz it up a bit.  The result was a circus tent effect....So, here's Persephone "Under the Big Top" :

The sun in the tropics during the summer is brutal.  So, an awning is the key to shading the deck in order to reduce the interior temperature of the cabin.  The issue is keeping the awning horizontal to the water and drum tight.  Otherwise, the wind will get under the awning and it will act as a sail, which would put a substantial strain on the anchor (an anchor failure is NOT an option !!).   After lots of experimentation, we finally got it right.

Dave on "Elysium"  (who is anchored next to me,  and gave me great advise on how to get the awning tight) used a digital thermometer and checked the heat of the deck under and outside the awning on his boat.  Under the awning the deck was 84 deg F, outside of the awning the deck was a sizzling 114 degs!  On Persephone, I have found that the interior temp had dropped between 5 and 10 degrees since erecting the awning....It is still a work in progress, but it is going great !!  In fact, I am sitting up on the deck, under 'the big-top' as I am typing this Blog.

Staying Cool in the Tropics !!  Capt. Dave

ARRIVED GRENADA !!!

Ten months and one day from cutting the dock lines in Connecticut, and over 2,000 nautical miles under the keel, Persephone proudly sailed into Mt. Hartman Bay, Grenada.  Grenada is at the "bottom" of the eastern Caribbean, in the "little latitude" of 12 degrees north; only 720 miles from the equator.  Grenada is located south of the "normal" track for hurricanes, so Grenada will be "home" for the next four months.  I will only leave Grenada if a rogue hurricane threatens and a run has to be made further south to Trinidad or Venezuela.  Over the last year, Persephone has been pushed hard, and has arrived here without any damage, major repairs and no big issues (the biggest repair/issue was a $125.00 pump used to drain the shower).  Most of all, she has taken great care of all who have sailed aboard her. So, over the next several months time will be spent on washing/waxing and preventive maintenance in preparation for the next leg of the sailing lifestyle.....where ever that will take Team Persephone...

Where it all began 50 years ago:

         Sailing "THE SHRIMP" on Cape Cod Bay in the Summer of 1960