We're finally on board

Hi everyone

The purpose of our blog is twofold: one, a way to keep family and friends informed of our travels and two, a diarised record for us to keep when the journey is over. We hope you enjoy it and it gives you an insight of what it's like to live on board a Cat and cruise The Caribbean.

After seven months of preparation and a 44hr journey from Oz (roughly 23 hrs flying over 3 legs) we finally boarded our new home for the next few years, and she's a beaut! Kool Kat I is a 47' Leopard Catamaran with four berths, four bathrooms, a galley kitchen overlooking the saloon and nav station with glass doors to the outside saloon and deck. She's got everything that opens and shuts; washing machine, fridge, freezer, air-con, outdoor shower and lots more we are yet to discover! All part of the fun.

The previous owners, Texans Linda and John Moorhead, left her in fantastic condition and over the years had equipped her with everything one might need, right down to pineapple and mango corers!

She's been moored in Hartman's Bay, Grenada, since September last year with George employed to keep an eye on her, turn on the engines and give her a bit of a clean whilst she waited for us to arrive. He did a fantastic job and she was spotless when we boarded her.

Mal checking water tanks

Sue watching Mal!

Our first day (Sunday) saw us unpacking, sweating, drinking, resting, sweating some more, swimming, resting again and generally testing that everything was still working. It's a little rocky and I'm feeling slightly queasy on and off during the day.

 Had another swim where we tried out the flippers and face masks and started a health regime of chin-ups off the back of the boat with a couple of laps around her. The water temp is around 28 degrees, heaven :)


Took Kitty (dinghy) into Secret Harbour Marina and had a couple of burgers for dinner. Bed is really comfortable but we had a terrible night's sleep waking to all the new strange noises. Still on AEST, we got up at midnight for a cuppa, a vegemite toast and a good chat. Sat outside with the most gentle warm breeze caressing us - loving this temperature. Chatting was more like strategising about how we were going to move around to Prickly Bay (only one bay away) the next morning (Monday). She is due to come out of the water at Spice Island Marine on Tuesday at 8am for a bottom scrub and new anti-foul and Mal needs to coach me about what my job is. We need to turn around and safely manouevre a 14 metre long and 8 metre wide vessel for the first time and hitting another vessel may not be a good look! Midnight chats are good; us retirees can catch up with a nana-nap during the day!

We're up at sunrise (about 6.30am), we've tied George's buoy onto the mooring and we're motoring out of Hartman Bay by 7.15am. It's quite choppy but we're only out in the sea for 20 minutes or so and then surfing the waves into Prickly Bay. Now comes the fun; we have to pick up a mooring. Sue's got the boat hook in hand giving expert hand signals to Mal who's on the helm and because of the size of the boat, can't see the buoy when we get close. We get it on the 3rd attempt and we're quite pleased with how the partnership is working on our first-time experience on Kool Kat!
 

OK, we get organised, lower Kitty into the water and go ashore at De Big Fish. Mal knows Ricky, the owner, and we spend alot of time here over the next few days drinking lots of coffee, eating meals and using the wi-fi. We still have ours to set up on the boat so this place is a godsend. We're starting to get used to "island-time" - everything happens in its own sweet time. Quite a nice concept actually!

De Big Fish

Mal handling Kitty-Kat

Tuesday is D-day. We have to motor into the haul-out area so Kool Kat can be lifted out of the water with only a foot or two away from concrete walls on either side of her. We've got all the lines ready and we are assured there will be lots of helpers there to guide us in. As we're approaching we can't see anyone and anxiety levels rise; slowly we see a little movement and when we're almost there out come two guys, followed by two more. It's quite scary but Mal does an amazing job. I'm rushing around moving fenders so we don't graze the sides. I had a refresher earlier on knots and was quite chuffed that I remembered how to do them under pressure! Phew, she's in and they commence the haul out. It's fascinating to see how big she is out of the water and how many barnacles have grown to love her over the past five months!

Not so squeezy!

Hauling Out

Can't get any fresher.

She'll be out of the water for a few days and we book into an apartment across the road. On the way I purchase a fresh coconut juice and the sweetest bananas from a guy who sells fruit and veg to cruisers every Tues and Fri at De Big Fish.

This might be enough for our first blog although I can't wait to tell you about our fabulous dinner last night and the interesting family I met this morning but that will just have to wait.

Thanks if you've read this far. Until next time, lots of love Sue and Mal xx