Splashing back to paradise - Sailing Tarka Ep. 13

This time on the Adventures of Tarka. I enjoy some leisurely sailing on other people's boats. Tarka gets a shiny new paint job, and a friend visits as we take Tarka up to the Grenadines for a visit to paradise. Working on Tarka in the boatyard is both frustrating and miserable. In addition to the sanding and the painting, there were lots of little projects that needed to be completed, and I had to get a super special cutlass bearing shipped in all the way from Sweden, as my boat is a bit special like that. But really, I miss being on the water, and I had no trouble saying yes when invited out for a sail with friends on the pirate ship Tanagra. It was a perfect day for just a bit of leisurely sailing. I was clearly happy to be away from my landlocked boat for the day, that's for sure. Tanagra is a beautiful boat, and after a day's sailing, we took her back to the anchorage and got a fresh rinse from the squall on the way. Ali and David also invited me to join them to sail their boat around the island to a different anchorage, and of course I said yes. We also all got together to participate in the 1000th hash. It was a big event, and by far the muddiest of any of the hashes so far. Okay, enough with the fun Brian, get back to work. While sanding away the old paint, I found a shadow of the name that Tarka once sailed around the world with burnt into the gelcoat. I don't know exactly why, but I was really excited about that. My friend David came over frequently, eager to lend a hand. Together we rolled and tipped Tarka with brand new shiny paint. Apparently we also stirred up a bunch of curiosity in the boatyard. As a final touch, I decided to pay tribute to Tarka's past, and had a local sign company give Tarka a slightly modified name. With that, Tarka was ready to splash. However, I very nearly sank her as I forgot to close the through hole I was working on. Luckily though, I remembered right about here, climbed aboard, and closed the hole. That would have been embarrassing. I think Tarka was happy to be back on the water. Or at least I sure was. There were still a few things to do before my friend Sarah visited, like putting a new masthead light up. But lucky for me, I actually enjoy climbing the mast. Do you think it shows? When Sarah arrived, I quickly put her to work. A month in the water here quickly found the bottom of the dinghy, and someone had to clean it. But once the chores were done, we set off north to the Grenadines. And we had a bumpy but otherwise pleasant sail. The first stop was Carriacou, where we found a nice anchorage to spend a few days. We tied up and got on the water with the last little bit of light that remained. We didn't really feel like inflating the dinghy, so we just swam to shore. Plus, there were lots of fish to see on the way, so it was actually a good thing. We passed the time lazily. For me, it was a nice change of pace to not have to be fixing something on the boat for once. We were on a bit of a schedule though, and after a few days of paradise, we moved on to the next paradise. I had been to the Tobago Keys on my way to Grenada, and was excited to be back. Sarah and I spent a lot of time in the water chasing turtles. Coincidentally, my friends Ali and David were anchored nearby, as they were making their way north back to the U.S. to sell their boat. This would be the last anchorage our boats would share together. We were also treated to a few unforgettable sunsets, and I think if it wasn't for the hurricanes, I would be too tempted to spend a lifetime here. But there were other places to see, and anyway, Sarah has to catch a flight back to the U.S. soon, so we began to make our way south back towards Grenada. We spent a night at Petit Martinique, but I really couldn't find a good place to anchor, so I anchored on a patch of sand in the middle of the channel between the two islands. It was a bit awkward, but it was fine for only one night. We made the long dinghy trip to shore, and treated ourselves to a local dinner at sunset. Early the next morning, we set off back for Grenada, and had some of the best sailing conditions I've seen to date. I was also determined to see dolphins on this passage, so I kept a sharp eye out on deck. But all that staring out on the ocean actually had me excited for my next big offshore passage. If only the ocean could always be this calm. We decided to anchor in a quieter anchorage this time, and we were by ourselves here. It was nice having company on target for a change, but it was time for Sarah to go back. For her, this was a vacation, and for me, it was too, as I didn't have to work on my boat for a whole week. In just a few weeks, I'll be setting off on a 400-mile voyage to Bonaire, which will be my longest passage to date. I'm excited, but I'm also a bit nervous. There are a few things I want to improve. One of the major weaknesses of Albin Vegas is their windows, which have an unfortunate propensity to pop out if a big wave has taken over the beam. Storm boards are an option, but because my windows leak anyway, I decided I'd replace them with oversized polycarbonate. I'll also be replacing most of the rigging out of an abundance of caution, and sizing it up slightly. I'll be doing this job myself, on anchor, so that should be fun. But right now, life on target is quiet again, and I've got this anchorage all to myself.