We decided a week before Christmas to just replace the davit system completely, new hydraulic pump, motor, electronics board, etc. It just seemed easier instead of trying to replace it bit by bit as it continues to give us fits. The week before Christmas.
On January 10th we were informed that the replacements won’t be here until January 29th. It then has to clear customs and be installed. Meanwhile the dinghy that we towed all the way from Grenada developed a fuel leak and the tank is under the rigid floor with no access. We think it just got beat up pounding the waves behind the boat. Gary found a six gallon stand alone fuel tank and now that is sitting strapped into the dinghy so we can get around. Looks like something else to add to the growing list of repairs when we get to Florida in May. Then Gary discovered a loose wire in the davit system and now it works although we don’t trust it much.
So we have a few more weeks to entertain ourselves before we start moving north again. We’ve played golf twice now at the St Lucia Country Club. Sandals bought the club a year or two ago and is in the process of renovating the course so they only have nine holes open that you play twice for eighteen. But the good news is that it is a REAL golf course with a driving range (unlike Grenada) so it was fun. We also went diving again with ScubaSteve’s outfit. Very professional and mostly laid back. That’s the way we like to dive.
When we arrived here at Rodney Bay there were a number of boats with the WRAC flag flying and over the next week or so many more arrived. WRAC is a world boat rally and the next leg was leaving Rodney Bay for Santa Marta on the 11th, roughly 800+ miles. Our friends Rose and Scott on s/v CloudShadow are participating as they are heading back to Australia. We’ve been watching their progress via the website and will continue to track them on their journey. The day they left they took about 34 boats with them and the marina looked a bit empty.
I went to a “ladies luncheon” which is a weekly event led by a couple women who are here on boats for the season each year. There is yoga by the pool in the morning M/W/F, and various social events all of which are announced on the cruisers net each morning at 8am. So there are things to do while we’re here. We’d just rather be underway.
We’ve decided to leave for Martinique tomorrow for a week and come back to St Lucia to pick up the parts when they arrive. It’s only 30 miles away so is an easy up and back. We’ve also heard from Liza and Kaz and they are going to meet us there. We haven’t seen them since we left Grenada.