The Third Time Could Be More Charming

Last year we stopped in Antigua because we wanted to. We were
tired of finding a new mechanical problem that could only be
fixed a few islands up (with, of course, the question of the
engine's heat exchanger that did have to be fixed on the docks
of Fort de France in MQ, taking two weeks.)
This year, the mechanical problems were solved a week after they
were identified by us by the good workers at Antigua Slipway.
However, this year we had a new mechanical problem which explains
why this is only now being posted from the USVI. Jack's back
went.
Big time. He was seriously concerned by the pain. Those of
you who knew Jack in his 30's know that orthopedic pain is something
he is pretty well hardened to. After a week of conservative
cure, massage, rest-in-bed, our usual drugs, a trip to the pharmacist
for muscle relaxants, we determined Jack really had to see a
back specialist.
Antigua Slipway had a recommendation (think of all the orthopedic
problems a boatyard is heir to) and after a trial sail to Jolly
Harbor (why not try to recover in a lovely, convenient marina)
where it became clear there would be no more sailing unless or
until a diagnosis and recovery could be found.
Fortunately, Antigua has an excellently trained (University of
Edinburg, Cornell Hospital of NY) Indian-educated Dr. Singh.
He even taught at the Univ.of the W.Indies, where Jack's orthopod
in the States was educated. If positive reinforment could cure
instantly, it wouldn't have taken Jack another two weeks to be
ready to try sailing again.
Meanwhile, Laurie had been trying to figure out other ways to
get back to the US, if Jack couldn't sail. We have been out
long enough. Fortunately, Laurie's long time colleague, J&L's
long time friend, and good sailor Scott volunteered to get a
crew together. We are blessed.
Even more fortunately, we left Antigua from Jolly Harbor with
a good forecast to St. Bart's. As luck would have it, of course,
the forecast was wrong. Inspite of twisting following seas,
buckets of rain, we arrived at the anchorage in St. Barts, picked
up a mooring and J only felt the need for rest and excessively
annoyed the next morning.
We waited three days in St. Martin to recover from the voyage
and reprovision. Food in Antigua is expensive, as the government
has a 30% tax on any imported item, and virtually everything
except what you can buy from a local is imported.
Last night we left St. Martin at six p.m, hoping to make Round
Rock and the entrance to the Sir Francis Drake channel at six
am. This is the dreaded Anegada Passage that so wiped us out
three years ago. Piece of Cake! After Anguilla, the storm clouds
abated leaving us a soft, starry, moonless night. Light winds.
A motor-sail, but no twisting. The radar worked perfectly and
gave us the speed, direction, and closest point of approximation
for the few vessels we saw on our way. The autopilot worked
perfectly and we made Round Rock at six am. On the dot.
Today has been a lay day, with the exception of clearing customs
in St. John—much less of an ordeal here than in other countries.
And when we get to an internet point, you will get this.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Two years ago the plan was to return to America from Trinidad
(after six years away from US waters), stocking up along the
way with a holdful of French wines and delicacies as we passed
through Martinique.

Jack managed to break his arm on the very morning of our big
day of Martinique provisioning. Always the optimist, he only
figured that something was wrong when, after the accident, he
tried to put the rental car into reverse with a push down and
a wiggle to the right—and he could not do the push down or even
think about the wiggle to the right, on account of the rather
intense pain. Clearly it was a bad sprain. We drove around
the island and bought some stuff (Laurie at the wheel) and returned
to the boat some hours later, realizing that we needed to rethink
our plan.

We hung out in Martinique for about two weeks until Jack was
able to use his right arm again (light loads only). The rethinking
was that Horizons should pass the next hurricane season back
in Trinidad and start all over again the next year. (Insurance
is cheaper if you do it that way—and we were not sure that we
could get out of the hurricane zone, with the accumulated delay
and the right arm problem.) It was in Trinidad that Jack, checking
in with the local orthopedic man about that ever-problematic
right knee, mentioned the accident in Martinique; the orthopedic
man groaned audibly and pulled a face that suggested intense
pain. Brightening, he suggested an xray—and the xray showed
a 6-week old hairline fracture of about 1-1/2 inches at the head
of the humerus that was healing nicely … out of pure dumb luck.
(By November Jack was showing up at the Hartfield YMCA and the
arm had healed sufficiently to put 35 pound loads on the machines.)

So, better luck getting home the next season, 2011.

Hah!

Last year, mechanical problems slowed our northward journey.
It seemed that every two days on the water produced a breakdown
of one thing or another that required a week for finding parts
and getting the repair done. (In addition to minor breakdowns
that fit comfortably into the critical path dictated by the major
ones.)

By the time we got to Guadeloupe, we realized that we could get
back to America only if a) we pressed forward as hard as we could
to beat hurricane season and b) nothing broke in the meantime.
Trindad was no longer an option, so we arranged to pay the extra
insurance and keep the boat on the hard in Antigua for the coming
hurricane season and to hell with it. Third time's the charm,
2012 ought to work out brilliantly, so many problems having been
solved.

Which brings us to the present year. Plan: fly to Antigua and
spend two weeks making the boat ready, then head north to the
Virgins and then a leisurely ride through the Bahamas, with American
landfall somewhere between Fort Pierce and Beaufort NC sometime
in May. Reality: spend two weeks in Antigua finding out what's
making the boat unseaworthy and another two weeks waiting for
parts and tech time for fixing those problems—and then, when
everything else is under control, Jack's back goes, and also
his hip. (The knee has been no worse than usual, a blessing.)

But thanks to the local orthopedic man, who got his medical degree
in India, became qualified as a surgeon in Edinburgh, did orthopedic
training at Cornell in New York City, did some teaching at the
University of the West Indies in Kingston, and settled in Antigua
twenty-five years ago, and all the wonderful meds he prescribed,
Jack was good to go in two weeks, only a month later than planned,
so there was/is still plenty of time. But Jack's unreliable
joints were a new factor—he's good until the next time something
goes, so we have been recruiting crew for the Puerto Rico to
Florida leg. We think we have lined up some hearty adventurers,
at least provisionally. So on March 15 we boogied on out of
Antigua.

Antigua to St Bart's was a long ugly passage that kept us busy
from 0500 to the early twilight. Next day was an easy ride to
the French side of St Martin, where we bought food and wine and
rested up a bit. Saturday night was a very easy ride to St John
in the USVI, and here we are.

We can get to Puerto Rico readily on our own—and there we will
meet crew, so that we get to America by sometime around early
May (and don't call it Mayday!).

Meanwhile, Anne will visit us and we'll explore the Virgins and
tinker with the handful of small jobs that remain.

Today we made it to Red Hook St. Thomas, and luckily, a mechanic
that the Island Packet dealer here knew, was on the dock and
diagnosed and fixed the leak in our diesel return line for only
$30. Jack is cleaning up the solid diesel that leaked beneath
our wine cellar floor while Laurie does much laundry. It's the
little things….