The best-laid schemes
Due to unforeseen circumstances, I need to return to Europe posthaste. I’d planned on sailing the islands during the off-season and into the hurricane season before returning. Now, I have to reschedule everything, and because of the uncertainty involved, I don’t know if I can return before the end of the hurricane season.
I’m drinking my coffee and mixing remote work with planning my departure. I’ve got my flight for next week sorted, but the important part is getting Zanshin lifted and put onto the hardstand, and I haven’t heard back from the yard. My flight is on Tuesday, but Labour Day here in Antigua isn’t on the 1st of May, it’s on Monday, May 4th. Since the Travelift doesn’t operate on weekends, it means either Tuesday morning before I head to the airport for my afternoon flight, or Friday. That would be tomorrow, and I know I can’t make that.
I’ve got to get the genoa down and folded, then I need to get the dinghy up on deck and set up some solar panels for the battery trickle-charge. Then various tasks need to be addressed: finding someone to take my food supplies, getting laundry done, prepping the watermaker and water tanks, general cleanup, removing the bimini and dodger, getting all the lines set for the hurricane season, packing, etc.
Haulout
I’d not had any luck getting things arranged for hauling out Zanshin; neither my e-mails nor the phone were being answered by the yard. In desperation, I rented a car for a day and drove the long way to Jolly Harbour, braving the proliferation of potholes on Fig Tree Drive (arguably the worst road in Antigua).
Once there, it didn’t take long to sort out the details with Lindsay (the yard manager) and Donna (office manager). While the Travelift is booked solid all next week, Lindsay will let me stay on the seawall, and once he finds a slot, he’ll pull the boat forward and into the haulout pit.
Back at Nelson’s Dockyard
As today is election day, no public sale or consumption of alcohol is allowed while the polls are open, so Happy Hour will have to wait until after 18:00. I got my dinghy out of the water and was surprised by how much growth I had, despite moving around a lot. I’ll let it dry overnight (and stink up everything downwind of the boat), then scrape it off tomorrow or the day after.
Dropping the genoa headsail will have to wait until the wind settles down a bit. I’ll most likely do that tomorrow morning. First thing, right after imbibing my first coffee. But I did my 17:30 run to the laundry to pick up the cleaned sheets and towels from last week.
Evening
I showered, shaved, and otherwise made myself presentable before venturing out into the night. I planned on using the rental car to drive to Mauro’s, but they were closed. Indian Summer, on the other hand, was open and bustling. I had some poppadoms to start and then lamb korma (very mild) with rice and naan. All washed down with some Kingfisher beer. Tasty indeed!