The rear airplane door opens and there is a rush of hot moist air that is typical of Grenada. We are back and anxious to claim our bags of US goods to move back onto Lost Loon. There is that time we must wait getting through immigration and then the potential for getting stopped at customs ( it has happened before) . But Luck is with us as we manage to exit the airport in about an hour with just a nod.

We are only 10 min from the boat, but it’s rush hour in Grenada and our driver takes a short cut through dirt and water rutted roads. However efficient we think he is, his real intent is to get back to the airport for one more fare. He drops us at the Spice Island Marine hate and we collect our apartment key and unload our bags there. Despite the setting sun, we are anxious to see how Lost Loon has fared over the last 7 months!!! Yes, it’s been that long. We decided to stay for the birth of a grandson in Minneapolis and so happy we did!!! But truly the longest stretch we have been away from our second home in the last 4 years.

We find her sitting in a different location, nestled between 2 other lonely monohulls. With a ladder we make our way aboard. We know what to expect now… yes she’s a bit grimy and dusty , but the insides look fine and the whiff test meets with approval. You see, a boat tends to become moldy or mildewy when closed up in hot humid weather for so long. We do our best to isolate the insides from the harsh outside weather, but find occasional problems. Little did we know that the ants are a problem in this marina. They found me first in the grass and them I found a few in the boat the next day. And aside from a few pieces of clothing that might have been left damp, we were in great shape.Dinner is at a restaurant at the marina.. expensive but delicious coconut carrot soup and salad as we make our mental list of the next day’s work. . We also discuss better dinner plans for the following day. We do t have a place to cook, aside from the boat, but that’s so crammed with equipment it would be nearly impossible.

Day 1 …we put away the boat cover we had spent time rinsing off the night before, sanded the boat bottom and did a good rinse of the topsides. I spent time de-anting a few spots and throwing out some food items that looked invaded as well as re arrange the plethora of sails and equipment that we store inside for the summer. We did most of the work through rain showers all day..lunch : simple local made ham and cheese sandwiches from the pharmacy mart. Dinner is at Dodgy Dock resort for a smorgasbord of local foods.. pork, chicken, fish, conch, lasagne, ham, etc. Local restaurants bring their food and patrons can pick up a variety of meals . We had whole snapper baked and local vegetables, and chicken curry. Half way through dinner the skies opened up and it poured. And kept pouring for 2 hours. Lucky again some friends of a couple we had walked there with gave us a lift back to the marina.

Day 2

Painting day. This is an important part of keeping our hull clean during the season. We apply 1 good coat of heavy copper paint to resist grow of all kinds of critters. Mike does most of the work in a paint suit in 85 degree heat and I get some of the details. We were blessed with clear weather until 1 hour after we finished and had a downpour! Lunch : Grenada National fish Oil Down. Usually chicken or pork and starch veggies in a Tumeric broth. Dinner oasis for lamb,

Day 3

We did a thorough scrubbing of the topsides, moved equipment on the deck and started waxing the fiberglass part of the boats’s hull. I spend 3 hours prepping and patching huge areas of wear on the dinghy. Laundry and more re- arranging. All again between rain showers. Lunch is Roti we buy from the vendor at the ACE Hardware store where we walk looking for a few parts.

By evening we had begun to see the sole of the boat’s inside. Dinner was at the container park near the university. There are restaurants converted from transport trailers and they serve everything. We opted for lamb wrap and lamb dinner. The container park is usually mobbed but we found with medical students leaving for break it was pretty quiet.

Day 4

Mike is in the bosuns chair 3 hours replacing the stainless mount for the radar. I am at the deck Manning the halyard that keeps him suspended up there. Repair of the anchor windlass. The dinghy is now inflated and scrubbed. Mainsail and staysail get put on and all sail parts inspected and greased.More re arranging and preparation to move aboard Day 5 and splash. We think maybe we need to get more done and can put this off another day, but we so want to be in the water. Lunch is the 2nd chicken roti warmed up from yesterday and a bag of microwave popcorn. Dinner: popcorn and well the pizza and wing place doesn’t look inviting and there is nothing much open on a Sunday …..and we are soooo tired we go back to the apartment and crash after 4 days of sun up to sun down work. By now I have made countless trips up and down a 20 ft ladder, mike has spent more time in the bosuns chair that he has since we bought the boat, our backs and feet are beat!!!

Day 5

The plan is to reschedule for launch on Day 6, but day 6 is full, so at 0830 we decide we can be ready by 2.. really? Mike quickly finishes putting up part of the dodger, mounts the solar panels, puts on the wind generator. I meanwhile schlep 5 bags of clothes and supplies we have brought from the US in 4 trips from the apartment to the boat and try to make some semblance of order of it all. We move the dinghy from the ground to the davits on the back of the boat and secure it. By 1230 things are as good as they will get. We shower have more popcorn and get a quick meal from a local vendor at the marina.

While Mike meets the crew, I settle our finances with the office. As I’m getting done I see Lost Loon in the slings waiting to be launched.

It’s a great moment when she’s hanging over the water and they move the ladder close enough to step aboard!!!

Engine all full once we are set into the water. With a bit of forward motion the crew throws us the lines and we are once again sea-born!!!

Five full days of nothing but work, and all for the love of sailing.

Our celebratory dinner!

Happy Holidays friends and family!!! XOXO