Back At Belmont

Immediately after getting the clean bill of health for the engines from Matthew, we filled our water tanks, using our double filters (amazing!), we came back to Belmont. The water seemed crystal clear after Prickly Bay. The living organism growth on Ruyam II in two weeks was incredible. Under the swimming ladder a forest was growing; around the propellers and on the sail-drive covers two whole communities of barnacles and shellfish. We had to get to work and clean those areas. Poor Al used his snorkel for an hour to scratch them out, doing some damage to his hands. Thanks to the new coat of paint, Ruyam II’s bottom is free of all that! (Unlike last year, which got cleaned thoroughly, and quite expensively, I might add). 

We did our shopping and cleaning, and were sitting happily in our cock-pit, watching the sun go down, when we started to rock like crazy. If there are no northerly swells, rocking happens due to some power boats, usually the water taxis running along, but they are not too bad. This rocking was continuous, and we saw the culprits. Tens of power boats, the monstrous pleasure-crafts used for fishing sword-fish and such in the ocean, were coming towards the harbour, one after the other. Their wakes were as monstrous as their power and speed. The boaters did not seem to have any idea about the damage they do to the anchored boats just outside the harbour; or they did not care.  It took all of them almost an hour to vanish into the harbour, the rocking a bit longer. Later we learned that they were here in Grenada and had come from all over the Caribbean for the annual Big Fish tournament that takes three days.

Same thing early in the morning the next day. Al was adamant that we should not endure it one more evening, so we decided to eat out in Carenage, where we can go directly by dinghy. But of course, by the time we got underway, they started filing up at the entrance to the harbour, and we had to cross their path to go to Carenage. The wakes were so high that I thought we were going to be toppled over while hitting them head on. Al had to slow down, and both of us yelled with the top of our breaths to get them to slow down, but they showed no sympathy, they did not even understand what we meant! Al swore to them which also ticked them off.   

Anyway, we crossed over, fearing our lives, and got to the other side intact, thankfully. We had a nice meal at BB’ Crab Shack (a little on the expensive side if you ask me), but at least free of the constant rolling. By the time we got back, all the power boats were docked at the yacht club, which was sponsoring the event. I guess the owners were assaulting the hospitality establishments around there, which might be a good thing for the local economy. Oh well.