I’ve written about our daily life, weather (which dictates our life), squalls, injuries, adventures, food, fishing and fun aboard avalanche as we voyaged 1600+ miles, but I haven’t finished the story. So here goes.
Once we got here at 0215 on Sunday morning we all went to bed or back to bed until after sunrise. We had all grown accustomed to operating on 6 hours off watch and then getting up, so we didn’t sleep in. We were pretty much up and about having coffee at 0800. We had a full day ahead of us and we wanted to get the work done. The first step was to launch the dinghy. We carry it in davits above the swim platform when we’re underway. Then the dinghy engine had to be lifted out of the sail locker forward and attached to the dinghy. Fortunately on avalanche we have spinnaker halyards and electric winches, so lifting the engine is a matter of careful aiming and manipulating as the halyard carries the load.
Once the dinghy was functional, the crew showered, fed and presentable, we headed to immigration to check in. Unfortunately this year that process was unnecessarily unpleasant. Normally when checking into a country only the captain may go ashore, while the crew is quarantined aboard with the yellow flag flying. Last year because of the World Cup cricket games in the Caribbean many island nations, Antigua among them, tightened their security measures. The primary change had been that every crew member had to appear at immigration in person. For that reason all 5 of us trooped over to immigration together. Well, the immigration officer on duty was on a power trip, because he read Jake the riot act about not leaving the crew quarantined on board. Jake explained that he had tried to radio immigration to learn this year’s requirements (they don’t moniter the radio). We had tried our cell phones, but Leo’s battery was dead (he’d forgotten his charger) and our’s was out of money (pay as you go). We had gotten advice from another captain on the radio that the entire crew was required to appear. Properly chastised we quietly and obediently filled out our forms. (Which we had to personally sign. So, if we had stayed on board as required, Jake would have had to pick up forms, bring them to us on the boat for signature, then return to immigration.) It was very interesting that when the supervisor came into the office power trip guy became pleasant and ingratiating. Our crime was no longer severe, but easily overlooked. In the end we were all allowed to enter Antigua.
Once officially entered we switched from the quarantine flag to the Antiguan courtesy flag and went to work. When we are offshore there is salt everywhere. Despite the fact that we go through squalls and have fresh water rinses, the bulk of the water out there is salty. Because we are all on deck and below deck, we all go through galley cabinets while making meals, we’re all at the nav desk on the computer or making log entries, and we all go into our staterooms and heads we are carrying salt on our clothing and body into the interior of the boat. Any salt left will attract moisture followed by mildew, and in 80+ degree heat that would be an unpleasant situation. So the priority is to rid the boat of the salt. We attacked the salt in 2 teams: boys outside, girls inside. The guys washed with joy, rinsed and dried everything above the waterline. Kim and I used vinegar and water on every surface inside the boat. Then, of course, heads had to be cleaned. The galley was really quite clean, after all we’d cleaned the oven after the Thanksgiving stuffing fiasco.
Once the salt was gone we all began our holiday. Leo went home. Kim, Ben, Jake and I went snorkeling over at “Nudie Beach” hunting for lobsters. Although we didn’t find any lobsters (much to Ben’s disappointment) we were pleased to see that the reef is growing again. Jake,Ben and Kim tried a little longer at Bishop’s Reef with continued lack of success. After a quick shower we headed to the museum and park at Dockyard, the historical site of Lord Nelson’s battlement, lookouts, dock and ship services, and housing. There we had a quick drink at the inn, which is part of the park before heading out for a wonderful celebration dinner that wasn’t prepared by any of us!
The next day Ben and Kim and I climbed the trail from Pigeon Beach in Falmouth Harbour to English Harbour and Dockyard. We had a nice hike, some good exercise, Ben got some great photos (some of which are posted on the web site), and we did a little touristy shopping. A good time was had by all, but, alas, the vacation was over and Ben and Kim headed for the airport. Jake and I felt deserted!
Since the crew left Jake and I have spent the last 10 days getting the boat put back into cruising condition. Anything that is extraneous to sailing the boat is stowed away while we deliver. Things like placemats, platters, the food processor, deck cushions, swim fins, the grill, the awning and dive gear are all packed away. (After all, when someone is standing at a 15 degree angle trying to keep the salad parts on the cutting board, while bumping through waves and checking the radar for squalls, how can you expect them to sort past 3 platters looking for the salad bowl?) Once we get here I have to pull those things out and stow away safety gear like jacklines, weather cloths, the ditch bag, duvets, life jackets, tethers and what seems like a big pile of other stuff, even a saw for cutting the rig apart if necessary! We’ve gotten the job done. The boat is in fine shape.
Today we brought her into the Catamaran Club Marina, where Leo will check on her daily while we are gone and take care of a couple of minor repairs. Bringing the boat into the Cat Club is always exciting and never for the faint of heart. Both Jake and I heave a big sigh of relief when she’s safely tied up. We had Leo on board to help as well as a neighboring yachtsman to help with lines. The goal was to bring avalanche in past the bows of about 20 boats to our assigned spot. Once there we were to line up with our stern to the dock and back into a spot 21′ wide. Easy, right? Not exactly. Add 25 knots of wind from the quarter (which wants to blow the bow away), realize our boat is 16′3″ wide and we have 18″ fenders on each side. That is over 19′. Meanwhile the water just off the bows of all these boats is only about 6′ deep, so you can’t bail out away from the dock. The spot we are assigned is always in about 7-8′ of water, we draw 6′ with the board up, but with the board up Jake says steering avalanche is like steering a log. It is a very nerve racking experience. Jake gets us to the spot and turns the bow away. When we’re oppositie the center of the hole I drop the anchor and let out chain as Jake backs. At that point Jake has to try to steer his log into the hole. This time he got it in really well. There was one adjustment when a gust of wind pushed the bow off course, but he was able to go forward, we could check the bow with the anchor and after that he got it straight in slick as a whistle. Looked effortless. However, we all had our fingers crossed that the wind wouldn’t blow the bow off course, that we don’t hit either of the expensive boats on each side, that the anchor chain will allow the boat to reach the dock and that the line handlers will get the lines to the dock. Sigh of relief, job well done. We put the passarelle across and hooked up the power cord and we’re home for the next couple of weeks.
Tomorrow we head back to the frozen north for Christmas and a few days before returning to avalanche for a real vacation time in the Caribbean. Please continue to check our web site because we will be adding to it in the new year as we head out–we’re thinking south toward Dominica and Martinique this year.
Meanwhile happy holidays from the crew of avalanche, Jake & Marnie
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