Day 3 Caracaou

The morning of Day 3 before we have our first decent length sail to Carriacou, Grenada we have TWO birds on our rigging.  It should be another great day. 

May I explain why I have a paper bag in my hand while I’m sitting in the head?  Even though our 48’ boat is only 2 years old, apparently it isn’t very good at chewing up the TP before it goes into our holding tank. Therefore, if we insist on wiping after our business is done we have to save our toilet paper in little brown bags until we are +3 miles off shore to deposit them to the mulching gods of the West Indies. I hope I can break this habit when I get home!

Our morning lesson started with more detailed charting, this time laying out a course and noting things like True North, variation to Magnetic North plus magnetic deviation.  Also things like latitude, longitude, degrees and minutes, spring and neeb tides and current set and speed.  I write these things down not to impress but in hopes of remembering them for our test in the morning!

Jenni, not unlike my wife Angela, is learning I’m not always a good listener.  It may appear I’m not listening but I’m just really, really focused on holding my course. Really!! 

Bill does some spotting to the shore of Grenada as we follow the coast line heading northerly before some open ocean sailing to Carriacou. His  real job is to let us know when we’re +3 miles from shore so we can throw our little brown bags overboard. 😬

Dave got me a nice photo of our pirate flag flying while I was driving the boat.  Since were spending our time heading to a more distant point and not tacking and jibbing for practice all the time he did a little sun bathing while he was up there. 

Bill is taking his turn at the helm while we tack in open waters heading mostly northeast now. He and Jenni are watching the “tell tails” (little streamers) on the jib. Since we’re heading as far into the wind as we can effectively do we’re steering the boat based on the sail’s performance for best speed. Therefore we watch the sails, not so much the compass or GPS. 

Thumser gets his chance to keep eyes on the sail too while he steers. We took 30 minute watches at the helm most of the day, practicing our sailing and motor-sailing. 

About 4 hours into our sail we pass the landmark rocks known as The Sisters on the course to Carriacou.  

Each day of school Jenni leaves more and more of the sailing decisions and actions to us, each of us taking turns as “captain” as well as grinding the winches, trimming the sails or fetching food and beverages from the galley.  She had a reasonable amount of time to rest today and get over her cold. Poor woman. Maybe there is hope for us?

Approaching Tyrell Bay on Carriacou we had some real-time practice of boating right-of-way with another sail boat’s captain who might have missed that part of the course. 

Bill took his turn driving around the harbor and anchoring our boat which led to our first beers of the day around 3 o’clock. Not a bad sailing day and an early anchor too!

Steve and Jenni took the dinghy ashore for more provisions while Bill, Dave and I studied for our written test tomorrow. Jenni then treated us to one of her favorite drinks to savor sunset by, Dark and Stormies (Dark Rum & Ginger Beer). After sunset we rendezvoused with two other LTD sailing school boats for dinner at the Slipknot.