Thursday 5th April

Tyrrel Bay
Carriacou

12 27.328 N
61 29.291 W

As always Gerry was up and disappeared to the boat almost as soon as the sun was up. I stayed in the chalet and packed up our belongings – it looked like we had moved in for ever! Then between the two of us, Gerry and I relocated our stuff back on to the boat. As soon as the lift operator arrived at work our boat was lifted up into the sling so that the last bits of painting (where the supports had been and the very bottom of the keel where it had been resting on the blocks) could be done. Dale and Lorie arrived as the men were going to go into Hillsborough to check us out this morning, whilst they were doing that Lorie and I were just going to sit and chat, enjoying the air conditioning up until the very last second. The men returned from Hillsborough just before lunchtime, they had checked us out and had collected our main sail from the sail loft on the way back – it was sitting on the end of the dock waiting for the boat to go back in the water. Gerry checked on the final bit of painting and reported that he was happy and that it was done to his satisfaction. Lorie and I then talked the men into taking us for lunch, the only place open was the pizza place so we walked along the beach to it and enjoyed our last pizza in Carriacou. Once lunch was finished it was a walk back to the yard where Dale and Lorie left us to return to their boat for a couple of hours prior to the launch of our boat back into the harbour. Gerry and I headed back to the chalet , Gerry paid our bill at the boat yard and then the yacht club so that we were debt free before taking off. We had arranged to put the boat back into the water at 15.00hrs, Dale and Lorie arrived just as we were about to begin. The travel lift moved the boat into position and Gerry pressure washed the residue of paint dust and grime off the deck, unfortunately the water that they use to pressure wash is recycled and it was a bit smelly, but rather the smell for a short while than the blue paint being traipsed through the boat every time we moved. Dale and Gerry helped with the lines until the boat was lowered into the water, they then jumped on board and re secured the back stays. I then jumped on to steer the boat whilst Lorie fetched our dinghy from the dinghy dock and secured it to the back end of our boat. The slings were removed and we were on our own, motoring out of the yard slip and out to an anchoring spot in the harbour. Dale had abandoned us at the dock and he and Lorie made their way back to their boat once we were setting our anchor. They had arranged with some friends of theirs from Trinidad to have cocktail hour on their boat and we were invited to go along. Once we were anchored Gerry set about running the water maker whilst I fiddled around preparing some cocktail nibbles to take along. A little after 17.00hrs Dale and Lorie collected us in their dink and we made our way across to John and Patti’s boat, Panacea, where we spent a pleasant evening telling tales and sharing stories with them. Gerry and I were still trying to catch up with sleep and we made it a fairly early night. We were going to have to put our sail back on in the morning before leaving for Grenada and Dale offered to come over and help us do it. We fell in to bed thankful that the ordeal of re painting the hull was over with at last.