Monday, April 15, 2013

Adventures at Clarke’s Court Bay


Al wanted to take our guests to the restaurant at Whisper Cove Marina, to participate in their chicken special offered on Thursday nights. So on Thursday, we braved the 9 feet waves, 20 knot wind on the nose and counter current for about an hour to get to Clarke’s Court from Prickly, and tried to anchor several times. Although our usual anchoring nook was not crowded, there was one big mono-hull too close to where we wanted to stay.  At first try the anchor slipped, so I had to retract it with difficulty. Ever since we had anchored in this bay the first time, our chain got badly twisted from constantly turning around 360 degrees. As a result, weighing anchor got more difficult every time; chain slipping on the windlass and rattling like crazy, slowing the process considerably. 

After almost spending an hour, we anchored albeit a bit too close to the other boat, and started getting ready to make a short dingy ride to Le Phare Bleu Marina at the adjacent bay to the east, to show the facility to our guests and have lunch. I somehow got the bright idea to take a shower while Al and Selcuk were lowering the dingy. I noticed in the process that the water in the shower floor was not going anywhere. I yelled for Al’s attention, who promptly dismantled the pump, but could not see the problem. He connected the lines to the starboard bilge pump to drain the existing water. Afterwards he re-connected the regular shower pump right side up this time! Thinking that problem was probably a priming issue, which seemed to get it working after all. I was hovering over Al while he was sweating from his labours in such close quarters, and started to glare at me for rushing him. So we decided to stay put and have lunch at the boat. While we were sitting at the cock-pit after eating, Al saw the mono-hull swinging towards us, and thought that it was too close, and decided that we should move to a mooring ball instead. The dingy was in water, but still hooked to the davids.

Al started the engines, and I labored over weighing anchor, and came over to the helm to suggest that we should try the moorings of Whisper Cove instead of the one almost adjacent to us, since we were to spend the evening at the marina. Made sense, who needs to ride in the dingy, all the way back in the dark? Al turned the boat around to change route, and immediately stopped, running down the back steps.  Apparently he looked back to check the dinghy, and saw that it was lying on its side. Both of us rushed down, to turn it around. Al released the dingy painter (line), which is always tied at the cleat on the side, and was able to push the side back. Al also got hold of the gas jug which was swimming next to the dingy. Thankfully the security cable was still holding it in place, and our outside shoes, which would normally be in the dingy, had been safely removed earlier for the trip. Phew, no harm done, just a run of adrenaline for no apparent reason, other than trying to make a short cut.

We got to the marina around the corner from where we were in five minutes, and approached one of the few mooring balls. Wouldn’t you know it, at the precise moment, it started to blow thirty odd knots, or so it seemed; but I was able to catch the loop at the top of the ball, and slipped both of the lines through. While Al and I were tying the lines, the owner of the marina rushed to our side in his dingy, and informed Al that we had to tie the lines to the pennant, not to the top of the ball. What pennant? The one that he had to reach down and bring out.  He helped to slip in the lines and explained that they were in the process of attaching floaters to the pennants, and in the meantime they were providing the service themselves. We thanked him, and I suggested he took our guests to the marina, so that they could use their WiFi before dinner. Poor things, they had been ready to go out the whole time, and were set back with one thing and the other. We stayed back at Ruyam II to tie loose ends, and removed ourselves around the dinner reservation time, to relax after the ordeal. My medication was almost done, so I was able to enjoy a glass of wine at last!

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