Cariad refit at Carriacou Marine!

With Al’s Uncle Pete completing an epic two weeks of work on Cariad and me arriving during his second week we started to get through the job list. We have a long spreadsheet of jobs. We now have working electrics with the solar panels able to trickle charge the batteries, new alternator wired in and working, 3 lee cloths, sails are good with the main jib and storm jib getting check-in at InStiches, the hull was sanded back, epoxy added and two layers of antifoul added… There are so many other things like new anodes but now we are ready for the mast to go up and to get Cariad into the water. Hopefully, by the end of next week, we will be en route to Martinique to pick up our crew and pal Harry and also lots of yummy food. Fingers crossed that the job list stops getting longer and that it all comes together. 

Grinding the rusty chain off the anchor chain! Safety first kids...

Our hull made a beautiful abstract pattern...lots of expoxy use.

"It's a process."

A quote from Al earlier in the week from one of our debriefs. There is a process for the progress of the boat refit, a process of how we communicate, how we tackle a job...so many different processes. We debrief/couple debate over a beer on Tony's balcony most evenings after boat work to check the spreadsheet is on track and that we are working well together and communicating because without teamwork no adventure is possible! 

Someone definitely told me boating was a glamorous sport?!

Where are the G&Ts? Cleaning out our water tank. Tony retrofitted this and it's excellent, most of the time you can't get at the water tank on a yacht to clean it. #waterislife

Tony's beautiful balcony. Samuel has let us stay in Tony's house whilst we refit the boat. Its great to get away, reset and have a good nights sleep after a beer on the balcony.

InStiches in Carriaou, Andy is a great guy and is sorting us out after we found our spare jib is ripped and not reparable.

Gaaahh it is so annoying when paint gets somewhere where you don't want it haha

Our mast is ready to go up. Some new running rigging, new rigging wires and new tri colour light!

Measuring up...

Engine service!

Al's pit for the last week whilst he sorts out the electrics.

Randy is a bus driver that lives near us in Windward (Meldrum) and he regularly takes us about the place. His horn is very distinctive. 

Gus is an awesome guy. He has helped us so much over the last few weeks with odd jobs!

Al's Uncle Pete was an awesome workforce for the two weeks of the trip and really got us on track.

Flares as old as me!

Dead gas bottle....

Beautiful new bottles. Safety definitely first here kids.

Happy painting. Except when I am told I missed a bit :D

Happy that the beach is so close that I can cool off when I need to!

The stopcocks have been a nightmare! Finally sorted and rebedded. Vinegar works a treat!

Our commute to work - stunning.

 The Azores high is forming nicely. Hopefully, the jetstream sorts itself out so that the low-pressure systems stop being so aggressive, especially for the second part of the trip from the Azores to the UK!