October 31st. All my life I have looked forward to October 31st. While other children loved Christmas, I loved nothing more than Halloween. It was the one night a year when you could stay out after dark and terrorize neighbors without any consequence. Not only could you terrorize them, they rewarded you with candy. What holiday can possibly top Halloween? Now, October 31st represents a new wonderful event….the official last day of hurricane season! When you live on a boat, weather is the most important thing and no one with any sense ever questions it. For insurance purposes, there is a “hurricane zone” which is shaped like a large rectangle (see picture below). As you can see, Grenada is where we have been since July and it is just below the box. That does not mean that hurricanes do not come through Grenada but they are rare and usually have not had time to build into a strong force. If you are caught in a named storm within the hurricane zone, most insurances will not pay any claims. Which brings me to the so-called “increase in storms” due to climate change. All the studies I have read since beginning our adventure (and old timers I have talked to) agree that the increase in storms is due to our ability to track and monitor storms in the modern age (1). In the past, storms that did not make landfall were only reported if a ship happened to be passing through the area of the storm. Now, we can track storms the moment they begin to form off the coast of Africa. We monitor the storms diligently throughout the season and more often than not, the storms swing out to sea before ever causing any issues which means those storms would never have been known in earlier times. Storm names come from a list that was adopted in 1953 (males were added in 1979) and the list repeats itself every six years. Storms that are particularly violent and deadly are retired and replaced with other names. For example, Katrina and Hugo were retired and I would bet that Ida will be retired after this year as well. So, when you hear the news begin the “panic porn” over a named storm, take a minute to review the track possibilities in depth before you panic. Most of the time, they are reported as “approaching the US at a rapid pace” but the news neglects to report that the majority of tracking predictions see the storm swerving out to sea. For example, this year, 17 named storms were predicted. Named storms do NOT mean hurricanes. You may be surprised to learn that there were 14 named storms and only five of those storms reached hurricane wind levels and only three made landfall in the States. One was Ida in New Orleans which was a big one and the others were Elsa and Nicholas that weakened quickly once they made landfall. We felt very blessed this year to have only had a few strong winds during Elsa and no major issues here in the Caribbean. We are very ready to get back on the move and look forward to figuring out where we will land for Christmas!
Until then, we finish all our projects this week and then we are on a plane back to the States for our usual Thanksgiving festivities! We have added in a side trip to the Mayan Riviera so I am sure we will have some beautiful pictures to share upon our return. Until then, there will be no blog until December so have a wonderful Halloween and Thanksgiving!
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In the world of survival of the fittest, I always believed that cats were far superior to dogs. Cats that I have owned have captured lizards, mice and birds and they accomplished these feats while being fed two square meals a day. In contrast, the dogs I have owned have generally slept most of the day with their head in the food bowl waiting for the next pour. Let’s face it, most dogs are not Lassie! Grenadian dogs and cats have shaken my core beliefs this week. There are three marina cats. Like most cats, they have the boaters well trained and rule the marina with an iron paw. They show up promptly at 8:00am and 4:30pm and wait expectantly for their bowl of food to be delivered. For the past year, the cat caregiver at the marina has been a woman named Denise. Her husband claims that she cooks more for the cats than for him. She arrives promptly on time with a bowl that rivals the best Poke bowls in Hawaii. If Denise is a minute late, the lead cat paces by the pool furiously glaring about at the rest of us who obviously did not get the 4:30-is-feeding-time memo. Denise arrives just in time to avoid a cat revolt and after she lays out the feast, she is rewarded with the lead cat walking within two feet of her and the other cats staring suspiciously from under a bush. Denise swears they love her dearly but as unbiased observers, we are not quite sold on that idea. In fact, the other day, I happened to walk by at 8:00am and one of the cats came running out and slid to a stop at my feet, demanding that I feed him. I am guessing that Grenadian cats think that all tall, white women look the same. So much for undying love and loyalty.
Until this week, I had not seen local dogs in the marina. The only dogs in marinas usually belong to boaters. They are made up of prima donna dogs that never even get their paws wet to I Am Dumb as a Rock dogs that insist everyone in their path of destruction loves them dearly and wholeheartedly. I was out working on a deck leak the other day when I heard a loud splash. There are only a few reasons that one would hear a loud splash in a marina and most of the reasons are not good. I jumped up to see if a diver had jumped in to clean a neighbor’s boat but as I reached the side of the boat, I saw a local dog standing on the dock pacing back and forth excitedly looking in the water. My gaze then fell upon a dog in the water. The dog was paddling furiously with a huge, bright green iguana in his mouth. Iguanas in the islands grow to be at least 18 inches long so they are formidable. As the dog in the water (we’ll call him Buck) held on tightly to his prize, he looked back tauntingly at the dog on the dock (we’ll call him Duke). I could hear the “nanny nanny boo boo I have an iguana and you don’t” taunt floating in the air. Duke gave a death stare to Buck when a smug look came upon his face. It was then that Buck realized his predicament. In a marina, if a person falls or jumps into the water, he better hope there is a ladder somewhere close by or he is not getting out of the water. Marina docks are generally built high off the water so that people can easily disembark from their boat decks. The docks are not designed for anything to be able to climb out of the water. Buck come to this realization a little too late. His head darted from side to side looking for an escape route while hanging on desperately to the iguana. It was at this time that I realized I was more than likely going to have to figure out a way to rescue this not so smart animal. Suddenly, Buck started paddling. He made his way around the front of the boat as Duke ran down the dock keeping him in sight and I dashed to the front of the boat doing the same. Buck kept paddling. I ran to the back of the boat, down the ladder and followed Duke down the dock keeping my eyes peeled for the paddling Buck. As I saw Buck turn to the right, I knew he was attempting to swim to shore which was a good 100 yards across open water from the marina. Duke also latched on to this plan and sprinted to the end of the dock which dead ended into a fence. He turned and raced back toward me at full speed. We both watched helplessly as Buck got his paddling feet tangled in a boat’s mooring lines. He stopped paddling and tried to balance on the lines. Then, the unthinkable happened….Buck dropped his iguana. Faster than I had ever seen a dog move, Buck leapt from the lines and grabbed the iguana again. Prize in mouth, he continued his paddle. Duke and I continued tracking his progress. As he hit the current, he began to struggle a bit and I could see him tiring. Just let go of the stupid iguana already! But no, Buck held tight and with a final push, made his way to shore and climbed to safety. Duke then jumped around side of the fence and ran over to meet Buck where they both ran off happily with their dinner. So, dogs versus cats in Grenada….dogs win hands down on the survival of the fittest test. Other than the demise of an iguana, the other excitement this week was the final placing of the last two fuel tanks! Bill worked hard all week to secure the tanks (I would say hard as a dog but he did not come close to Buck level efforts!) Now all that remains is attaching the final fittings and testing the entire system. Both crew and Galt are ready to be on the move again so wish us luck! Over our two years of boat ownership, we have met many different people from many different places. One thing that we have discovered is that most boaters fall into one of several categories: the Around-the-Worlders, the Never-Leave-the-Dockers, the Single-Handers, the Money-Makers, the Super-Sailors, the Better-Than-Hotelers and the Unicorns. At different times in their boating lives, boaters may float between the categories but their true selves generally come out in the end.
The Around-the-Worlders: Most of the boaters we have met fall into this category or at least in the wannabe Around-the-Worlders category. They are determined to cross oceans and follow in the footsteps of ancient mariners. Their main goal is to prove that they can accomplish their personal goal to sail across an ocean. We will often hear them say, “I just want to prove that I can do it!” Bill and I do not fall in the Around-the-Worlders category. We do not even fall in the wannabe group. An average crossing of the Atlantic in a sailboat like Gone Galt would generally take about three weeks if the weather cooperates. Twenty one days. Of nothing but water. Of nothing but water than can land you in the Lifetime Movie of the Week or even worse When Vacations Attack. I look at crossing an ocean the way Bill looks at eating squirrel….I COULD but I don’t WANT to or NEED to. The Never-Leave-the-Dockers: The Never-Leave-the-Dockers are quite the opposite of the Around-the-Worlders. They are the “someday we will get there” folks. They spend years finding a boat to buy. Then, once they buy the boat, they spend years fixing the boat so it will be “ready to go when we are”. If there is one thing that boaters know, it is that if you wait on your boat to be ready to go, you will never leave the dock. When we were in South Carolina waiting for Bill to retire, we had Galt in a small marina with about twenty boats. During the few months we were there, three boats went up for sale. Two husbands died and one had a stroke. I told Bill that we better get on the move soon or he was doomed. The other doom for Never-Leave-the-Dockers is the dreaded grandbaby….once the grandbaby arrives, no way that grandma is ever leaving that dock. The Single-Handers: The Single-Handers are by far my favorite boaters to watch. These are the men that started out sailing with a wife or significant other but have ended up single. Do not underestimate the challenges of living in a small space off the grid, especially for females. The boat life is hot, sticky and very buggy. The Single-Handers are generally really good guys but they tend to be perfectionists which generally does not equal live easily with a woman on a boat. Yet, they continue to search for that elusive perfect gal that can drive a boat, do boat projects, cook, clean and look like Angelina Jolie all without breaking a sweat. The Single-Handers even have websites that are much like dating sites set up to find “crew”. We have definitely seen a few “catfish” in our time and I tend to get a chuckle as the “crew” come and go within a couple of weeks of arrival. I have learned not to get too attached to the Single-Hander groupies because they were sold on the Youtube fantasy of relaxing in the sun all day wearing a bikini. Those days are rare in boat life and let’s face it….Angelina Jolie is not going to sign on for a life of mosquitos and constant hot flashes so the Single-Handers have no choice but to continue to peddle the fantasy! The Money-Makers: The Money-Makers are the charter boats. Depending on the size of the boat, they generally have crews ranging from two to ten people. The Money-Makers are the worker bees of the hive. They are constantly on the move taking tourists on everything from day trips to month long adventures. They supply, clean, sail, host, repeat. I respect the Money-Makers because running charters is like a Bed and Breakfast on crack. At a Bed and Breakfast, the owners see a visitor in the morning, feed them and then send the visitor out to explore. On a charter boat, the owners are with the visitors 24/7. They have no control over the weather, the crowds or fish biting the hook. I cannot imagine the demands they face daily. The Single-Handers always look forward to the arrival of the Money-Makers that are not on charter for the week because the crew tend to be in their twenties and they like to drink by the pool wearing bikinis. Unfortunately, the Single-Handers are always disappointed that the Money-Makers are not like the reality shows where they get drunk and run around topless. Ah, those Single-Handers….always so optimistic! The Super-Sailors: The Gods of the sea, the Super-Sailors. They are much like the super soldiers in the Marvel world. They live to sail. They are happiest when their sails are full and they are heeled over with their heads bouncing on the surface of the water. They embrace high winds, high waves and the thrill of it all. The faster the boat, the better. They can jump nimbly from point A to point B, they never have a line that knots and they laugh in the face of danger. They are a beautiful creature to behold. All the other sailors sit in awe of the Super-Sailors. When the non-Super-Sailors are in a fight, we throw the Super-Sailors out at our partner for a winning blow…”Well, excuse me if I’m not doing it correctly! Perhaps you would like one of the Super-Sailors to come put up with your ****!” Super-Sailors are a rare breed…. The Better-Than-Hotelers: This category is where Bill and I belong. Our group loves to travel and decides at one crazy point in life (usually after a few too many beers) that living on a boat beats always being in a hotel. After all, if you have a boat, you do not need to pack and unpack and you never accidentally leave your toothbrush at home. Opposite of the Super-Sailors, we move the boat because that is the only way to get our place of residence to the next destination. We wait for the best wind and the best waves to insure smooth sailing days. We readily admit that a day of sailing without going anywhere just does not make any sense to us. Our boats are fat, slow and comfortable. Our lines may be knotted and we may not be nimble but when the sun sets, you can bet that the Better-Than-Hotelers have the best night’s sleep! The Unicorns: Last but not least, we have the Unicorns. The Unicorns are the multi-millionaires and billionaires that live on mega-yachts. They sit around all day sipping their umbrella drinks served to them in champagne flutes on silver trays by slaving crew. They never work and just count their money from sun up to sun down. Why do I call them Unicorns? Because they do not exist. Don’t get me wrong, the mega-yachts definitely exist. They are dreams that float by and cause everyone to stare in breathless wonder. However, the millionaires and billionaires are never on the boats relaxing. Their crew enjoys a life of luxury that is unequalled but whenever we ask about the owners, the response is usually along the lines of “Oh, they rarely come on the boat. They are always working.” So, in life, perhaps you want to aim a little lower than being a Unicorn so that you can enjoy the simpler life! Before we left on our adventure, a boating friend I met told me that I would be shocked at how many people live the boating life. She was not incorrect. I have been amazed at how many of us there are in the world. We often hear people say, “I wish I could live like that” and our answer is “You can!” It just takes some planning, some saving, a few sacrifices and a giant leap of faith. So, get to planning and go live the life you want! After all, you only get one! “We’re all just going to need to figure out a way to live with it”. Ahhhh, finally the blessed words out of the mouth of Grenada’s prime minister. The country was unlocked this week, restaurants were reopened as were all businesses and beaches. Curfew is still in place but we all know that curfew has nothing to do the prevention of spreading germs but with the control over citizens….but I shall not digress. So, back to $1EC wing night on the beach at Coconuts Restaurant! I am not sure who was happier, the staff or us, so we will call it a tie. My only sadness was that they did not have my favorite wing sauce (mango spice) due to the abrupt reopening of everything but they promised they would have it for me this coming week. We took two friends with us and for only $40 US dollars, we had 12 beers and around 40 wings among us. What a deal! The trip to Coconuts was our reward for getting motivated enough to continue the final push on our boat projects. Bill has successfully removed the port side fuel tank and installation of the final new tanks should be completed this week. Once fuel tanks are completed, that leaves us the new autohelm installation and we will be ready to go! With the most recent weather report that stated an extremely low chance of any further hurricanes forming in the region, the boaters are all ready to be on the move again. By the end of the week, we will have lost at least five more neighbors so our dock will be almost empty. Pool discussions have turned to next adventures and destinations which is certainly a lot more interesting than solving the world’s problems. Our current plan after we return to Grenada from our usual Thanksgiving trek to the States is to head to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I had never even heard of St. Vincent and the Grenadines until we got to the Caribbean. Evidently, the Grenadines are very beautiful and have crystal blue water like the Bahamas. I have been mapping out our route so we will be ready to get on the move in December.
We thought we might be on the move sooner than later this week. When we checked into Grenada, we were given a slip of paper for the boat entry that we must renew monthly. We were also given a form that stated our arrival date and our planned departure date in December. What we were not given was the very important piece of information that our Visa to stay in Grenada only lasted for three months. We were in the pool one day when someone mentioned that they needed to extend their visa. “What visa?” we asked. “The one that lets you stay in the country for more than three months” was the reply. You could see both of us calculating our July 2nd arrival date to the current date and then the realization that we were officially illegal aliens! Next steps involved driving to the immigration office, filling out a form and paying for a three month extension. Not one person in the immigration office scolded us or even mentioned the fact that we had been in the country illegally for a week. I guess as long as I showed up with a credit card, they were happy to have us. In order to pay the fee, I had to go into the treasurer’s office that was shared with the government Printery. I tried to discern what the purpose was of the government Printery but alas, there were not enough context cues in the waiting area to make that determination. I did figure out that if we were ever in desperate need of pink copy paper, the Printery had us covered. Along all the walls and shelves were reams and reams of pink copy paper. From floor to ceiling. No other color was within view, just pink. Bill guessed that paychecks were printed on pink paper but even if that were so, it would take them years to use all the pink paper. If you have concerns that you might get a pink slip with you next paycheck, no worries…there is no possible way there is any pink copy paper left in the United States! The final mystery of the week was revealed when I cleaned the front cabin. The front cabin on the boat is used for storage and is the “catch all” area especially during project time. As I shoveled out the mess, dusted and reorganized, I found an abundance of storage container lids. No sign of the matching storage containers, only lids. When you live on a boat, one thing is certain….nothing ever really disappears unless it falls overboard. I searched the boat and found that every storage bin on the boat had a lid on it. Then where did all these lids belong? I personally bought every storage container that we use on the boat prior to leaving the states. Each container had one lid. Each lid went with one container. But alas, I have a pile of unmatched mystery lids. Ah, much like the missing sock in the dryer, something to ponder this week…. |
AuthorSally Miller Archives
May 2024
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