Petronella's Voyages: February 2017

Current Location: St Anne Anchorage, Martinique

Well, we are still here. This week has been the story of a water pump, friends and boat ownership.

First off, the water pump. Regular readers (I do believe there are some) will know that the water pump on Petronella has been a problem since we bought her. This is the pump that bolts onto the crankshaft. Rotation of the crankshaft turns an impeller that pumps water from the sea through a heat exchanger and back into the sea via the exhaust. The heat exchanger plays the same role as the radiator on a car, cooling the fresh water that keeps the engine from overheating. We have two of these pumps, neither of which is really functioning any longer. Each time one breaks I try to rebuild it using replacement parts and bits from the other one. This time I think it is past mending. Just when we are trying to sell her too. So, you might think – buy a replacement. Yes and no. These pumps it seems have been out of production for more than 25 years and I can’t find a second hand one either. So we need a new type. Boaties love this sort of problem so everyone has been chipping in with their chosen solution. In the end we opt for a Johnson F6B-9 as the solution. Here’s a lovely picture of them both.

Old pump still in place on the crankshaft

New pump in St Martin prior to shipping (thanks Alex!)

The Johnson had to be sourced from St Martin further up the island chain. At present Fedex tracking system tells me it has arrived in Martinique but is stuck in customs. This is silly because it is “Yacht in Transit” delivery which should mean no duty payable. We shall see. Even once it arrives I have to find a chap who will build a circular plate to go from the new pump to the crankshaft pulleys. More expense, and more chance that it won’t all fit together. Thanks to Dave and Vera for transport and consultancy, to Dick and Jack for ideas and to Alex and Carla for organising the shipping from St Martin.. Now I just need it to come together.

Meanwhile things are moving forward with boat sale although unfortunately we have withdrawn from our purchase of Tiger Lily as the owners were not prepared to do the required investigation work. Our mate John A though still seems very keen to buy Petronella. It’s all looking promising but we still have the water pump, survey, insurance and registration issues to finalise. Fingers crossed. Meanwhile we have started sorting out documentation and things that we will need to take back to the UK if and when she sells.

Finally we’ve had Dave and Vera over here for the week. D+V live next to our house in Cumbria and are frequent visitors to Petronella. This could be their last time aboard her. They hired a car for the week which not only allowed us to take the liferaft into Le Marin for service and to chase up waterpump bits but also to explore the island a bit. Martinique is tres, tres Francais (sp?) and very varied. Fort de France the capital feels more like an extremely busy western European capital and with the petrol drivers’ strike on Wednesday we could have been in France itself.

Outside of the capital though it’s a mixture of beaches, small rather scruffy small towns, the famous St Pierre with its volcano, and super green, jungly jungle. We’ve seen it all this week. Mount Pelee is the third most dangerous volcano in the world – well that’s what they call it because in 1902 it erupted after weeks of rumbling, killing over 30,000 people. Even today it looms over the town. Only one guy, so the story goes, survived. He was in solitary confinement in the town gaol. He was rescued 4 days later when people managed to get to him and let him out. He subsequently became a star act with Bertrams circus, displaying his burns and recounting his story.

The famous old theatre at St Pierre with the devestating volvano (Mount Pelee) in the background

The solitary confinement cell where the only survivor of the earthquake was found, days later

Up in the jungly jungle. Poisson with refried beans, rice and dasheen, a root vegetable. Plenty of carbs!

Current Location: St Anne anchorage, Martinique

Petronella at anchor in St Anne

Not the 'shuffling under the bar' limbo but the 'nothing much has actually happened' limbo.

It's always hard to write a blog after such a long break as I don't know whether to relate the 'what has happened since last time' story or to pick out a few notable incidents. This will probably end up as a bit of both.

After the big storm we decided to move Petronella into the marina in Le Marin. This is always stressful partly just because manoeuvring a 20 ton, 14.5m, hard to steer in reverse boat in tight spaces is inherently stressful and partly because we say we are only 12m long to save money! This means we end up in a narrow channel with little in the way of escape routes. My walkie talkie fell off my head and we made the decision to buy some posh ones back in UK. Anyway we got tied up with only a nudge from the marineros boat.

Next to us was another steel boat and her lady owner. Her partner had been taken seriously ill and returned to France. Valerie and her dog Luna were trying to decide whether she should continue to sail, now on her own as her partner wanted, or if she too should return to France. Domestic decisions and choices to be made wherever you look.

Soon though it was time for the UK. Flight from Martinique to Paris and our first time on the super fast, slightly tatty Eurostar back to St Pancras. Martinique actually operates as a department of France so at check in here you go through the usual EU entry process but when you get to Paris there is no immigration and you just walk straight out. Weird.

Our time in the UK was the usual packed time. Visits to see Gill's sisters and uncle Sid, Simon and Jane and friend Lynda in Cumbria all gave us opportunities to catch up with good friends and relations. Dave Wilton and Val and Andy dropping by on their journeys up the M5 and we caught up on all the 'life-admin' jobs that don't get done whilst we are away. For Christmas we had a lovely time. My mum is doing well without dad but it is a long, hard process of readjustment. Phil and Jane are slowly coming to terms without Sam and we were all joined by Emma, our younger daughter, for the holiday period. It was lovely to see Em for almost a week and it was a good break for her. Her first management role at just three days a week together with an MSc meant she was ready for a break. Lovely to see you Wombat! No such reunion with Jen though. We missed her badly and I think she missed us too far away in Uruguay. Gill's camera had broken so I was tasked with taking the festive people photos. But I forgot. Oh dear, unpopular was putting it mildly, though I did get a good picture of the fridge stuffed with food on Christmas Eve!!

Soon it was New Year and we were invited back 'home' to Cumbria for the annual gastronomic extravaganza. Dave, Vera, Chris, Audrey, Helen and Jonathan told us that this year was our turn for the main course so our excellent Beef Wellington joined, exotic canapes, three fish starters, amazing puddings, cheese and plenty of booze rounded off by the usual 'fireworks in the rain' from Ross. It really was great to be back with the Cumbrian crew. If anywhere still feels like home then this is it. Thanks guys!

New Year's Eve with good friends

The Aftermath

Our house in Cumbria is still not finally sold and it looks as though this might take a bit of time yet - but it will happen so we are pretty chilled about it. The car required more work. Thanks Phil and Jane for acting as the go-between here.

We also caught up with Hugh and Linda. Linda has been accepted on the first two stages of the Round the World Clipper race this year. At 60 something she will be one of the older crew members but I have to say I'm pretty envious. Gill is not!!

Soon we were winging our way back to Martinique and into the continuing story or selling Petronella and buying a new boat, hopefully to one day take us through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific. However, things are not plain sailing. We've had a great guy from Miami interested. Download his book (https://www.amazon.com/Unlikely-Voyage-miles-alone-wooden/dp/0692601430) for a good read an idea of how he would be the ideal new owner for P. He came out for a couple of days sailing with us outof Fort de France. Perfect conditions and he fell in love with her.

Showing John A the ropes

The pretty village of Trois Islets

Trying out the lightweather sail donated to us in the BVIs

But he's having family problems and trouble with the US insurers getting insurance. Now we are talking with a French professional saxophonist as well in case our first buyer falls through. We've sent details now to 28 people so hopefully we will get a sale eventually. If John A does buy her we will sail P up to the Bahamas with him and his Brazilian wife. Watch this space.

At the same time we have had a survey done on Tiger Lily II, a 47' Hylas yacht, American made and well respected over here. Unfortunately the survey showed a potentially serious rudder problem so the owners have taken her back to Grenada to identify the problem and fix it. We might still be interested once we know how serious the problem is. Meanwhile we are tentatively looking further afield for a replacement.

Tiger Lily has a TALL mast. Rigging inspection.

That looks like a VERY, VERY stiff rudder

As a result of all this we are still here in Martinique. Our friends (and my osteopath) Dave and M-C have made it across the Atlantic after a slow and problem ridden crossing in their beautiful Najad 49 and it was fantastic to meet up with them last week. Now Dave and Melinda in Sassoon have set off from the Canaries and are headed down towards the Cape Verdes as I type. It all makes me want to get moving again but until we know the fate of Petronella it is hard to know which direction to move in. My guess is we will end up in Antigua for Classics Week as a further shop window for P.

Fishing at anchor is going well. My reputation is starting to run before me and I was asked to help with basic angling techniques on Carpe Diem.

Four at once (and another one had just dropped off)

Lesson 1

A new angler is born...

....and the older one fishes on into the night

Checking the local crabbing lines

Here in Martinique we have friends all around us, both new and old. As well as the WiFi enabled patisserie (yum!) we've walked and run along the mangrove swamps to famous Saline Bay and held beach sundowner parties watching Venus, Mars, Cassiopeia (sp?), satellites and, new for me, Sirius competing with the fireflies as the sun goes down. Temperatures? A steady 24 to 27 degrees Celsius. Just pleasant.