Today Laurie became a first time Grandmother!

 

This is Bexley, she was 7lbs 2oz

Work list for today.

Today was another busy day on the boat. The part supplier wanted to see the pump so I had to take it out and take pictures.  So this was today's work. I took out the pump and Laurie was sewing a new cover for the BBQ. It was very hot and at the end of the day I got to have a shower. Usually we have a shower every other day or every two days but I have had a shower every day for the last there days, very lucky!  Today I also made a new base for a new battery,  so tomorrow I may go into the marine store and buy a new battery and cables. Busy week but we do have to take some time to go to the beach. So Saturday may be that day if nothing comes up in the mean time.



We are starting to act like tourist!

We have lots of time to take a break now and we are having a bit of fun. Yesterday Paul our new friend who is helping me with my electrical problem brought us over a red snapper. I was a big one and we had half of it for dinner. It was so nice of him to do that, every one is so friendly here.

Paul and his friend Patrick invited us to go for a sail to Happy Beach 3 miles down the coast. We had a great day and when we arrived we found out it was a nude beach! Sorry no pictures of that!

Great boat it's a 42 Pearson

Laurie Patrick and Paul

Getting in the shade

 Great beach!

 This guy is here to watch over all the nude sun bathers!

After a long day sailing and swimming at the beach we sit back and watch the sun go down.

 

 

Solving our electrical problems in St Martin

I have been learning a lot about how a boats electrical and solar power works. Since I have had the solar power and the inverter installed there has been a power issue. I was told by the inverter installer that with 3 panels and 3 batteries I would have so much power I would never have any problems! I am finding that this is very wrong. It makes me feel the person that set this up had no knowledge of solar and inverters and battery power. I have 3 solar panels on my bimini top and 3 batteries in my house battery bank. I have been told by the experts here if I want to be able to not start my engine to charge my batteries I would need 2 more bigger solar panels and at least 2 more batteries. That would cost me another $2500.00 . So I’m trying to do my best to keep the cost down by doing a little bit of a work around. My inverter is one of the problems, it’s too big and it uses too much voltage. It’s strange to think it takes a lot of voltage to make just a small amount of voltage but that’s the way it works. I have to buy 2 more mini inverters and use them instead of my big one and that will save a lot of power. I will try this first and see if it will drain my batteries. If it does I will add 1 more battery to my house bank. Sounds easy but on a boat adding a battery is a big job. I did get all of the connections to the water maker finished and it works now BUT, the big inverter does not have enough power to run the pump. So I might have to buy a small generator to run the pump so I can make water.
 

 Trying to make water

 

 The supplier has found an engine fresh water pump for me. They are hard to find and he found one and I think it was in Europe. Normally these pumps are about $600. to $700. I found one at Bristol Marine in Port Credit that’s near Toronto. He tells me he can get one and he will sell it to me for $2500. Here’s a guy that would sell a bottle of water for $1000. after a disaster. My supplier will charge me $800. with shipping. The pump will be here in 3 weeks so that gives me time to do other things while we wait. I have to do one more test with the water pump and if it doesn’t work then I have to figure out is it the pump or the inverter. If I have to buy a new generator they will be in stock in 2 weeks. So this will give us time to get off the boat and explore. Finally!

 We had a great sun set last night.

 

 

Working hard to keep up with the repairs.

I have been having an electrical problem so while I was trouble shooting it I was running the engine and the overheat alarm went on. More troubles, just what I needed. So I stopped work for that day because I had to let the engine cool down before I could look at why the engine was overheating. Sometimes it feels like the problems never end, as a lot of boaters would say welcome to sailing! After looking around I found a leak in the fresh water pump. This will be a little more difficult that the raw water pump. This pump pushed the antifreeze through the engine. I announced on channel 10, this area’s network channel that I was having problems with my engine. I got a reply right away and I think I’m in luck. He’s an electrical engineer and he says it would be no problem to get the pump fixed and then look at my electrical problem. The pump has to be put in a press and the bearings have to be taken off and new ones put back on so it sounds like he has the equipment to do this work. That’s one good thing about having problems in an area where there’s a lot of boaters you will find someone who can help you.

 So far this season we have managed to avoid the tropical storms, they seemed to go to the north or south of us. We have to cross our fingers and hope nothing comes this way. All the boaters who raced quickly south to Grenada to miss the tropical storms have had around three so far. I hope they don’t get any more.

 After the engineer comes to help me fix everything up we will get off the boat again to have some fun.

Last night having dinner we saw this!

Something you would only see in Venice.

We finally got off the boat to explore. 

We have been working hard on boat jobs and are starting to get some work done but there’s a lot more to do. Sunday I finally got the water maker working. I started it up on Saturday and found a lot of leaks and a defective water filter. Off to the marine store to buy a new filter and start at it again Sunday. With the new filter and redoing a lot of the fittings it worked. We ran it for an hour and made about 20 gallons. I want to do a few more upgrades on it and it should be great. Monday we took the bus into Philipsburg for a day off the boat. We didn’t know what to expect because our cruising guide tells us that beside the casinos and the duty free shopping there’s not much to see. We were dropped off in town and went straight to the beach area witch look very nice.

No one on the beach

 

 Me and the blue and white camel I rode in on!

 

Walking down the board walk to the end we decided to walk back through the main “Front” street. There are lots of jewelry stores almost every other store is a jewelry store. Then out of nowhere came a German fellow named Bijon. He caught us of guard and reeled us in like a couple of dead fish. Time share guy! But wait, he said it’s not time share it’s something else and you also win a prize he said. Laurie was interested in the free prize so it was off to the office and get the sales pitch. We got in and the room and we had a view of the ocean and it was air conditioned. That was ok for me, I could sit and relax and stare out the window at the ocean and the beach. After the presentation the heat was turned on. This guy didn’t know who he was dealing with! I just said “Forget About It”. The free prize was a 3 day and 2 night stay at a hotel. “Forget About It” So now that we were cooled off it was back out to the street for some site seeing. This town can be compared to Playa De Carmen.

 

The street was closed off and people were standing in the street trying to get you into their store to buy jewelry. As I said almost every other store is a jewelry store. This town does well when the cruise ships come in but when there are no cruise ships this time of year we felt we were the only people in town and everyone wanted our money. But I told them “Forget About It”. So we had some lunch by the ocean board walk then went home.

 

Next week we will head over to Maho bay. This is a famous spot to watch planes take off and land. They come so close to you it’s almost possible to touch them when they land.

 

 

 

 

 

We have to take a break!

It's been all work and we have to stop. So we promised ourselves to go to Philipsburg the capital of the Dutch side next week when we get good weather. We have walked around a bit to get to the marine stores and it's very difficult in the heat. So when we start exploring we will have to take our time and go slow. The temperature gets in the high 80's but there is a lot of humidity and the sun is very hot. Laurie's stated sanding the old varnish on the boat and I'm still working on the water maker.

Laurie sanding and getting ready to varnish.

This is a bar in the middle of the lagoon. It's closed for the month of August like everything else.

 Mauna Kea with Cole Bay village in the back ground.

Here's a new Jamaican drink called Ting.

What else would they call the ting!

 We were looking for a place to have lunch but this looked a little hot!

 

We have done some running around but haven't seen anything yet!

 

We have been doing some shopping and looking for parts to finish the water maker. Wednesday we decided while in France do as the French do. So as we were out we stopped and bought a baguette a bottle of wine (or maybe 2) some French cheeses and a few meats and that was dinner. It turned out to be a great diner and a great night. We even started talking a little French! WE WE!

Thursday we had to go to a marine store on the Dutch side of the island. We got what we wanted and also walked up to the ACE Hardware store for a few more items. Laurie loves going to the hardware store!
 We have also been keeping a close watch on the weather. So we have moved from Marigot Bay to Simpson Bay Lagoon and hooked onto a mooring ball for the rest of hurricane season. We are an area surrounded by hills on 3 sides and we are right next to the "Witches Tit". Yep that's what it's called! See below.

Chart

Witches Tit protects us to the north

 Hills protect us to the east

We hope we don't get wind from the south or west

 

 

So once again it time for;

 

So Here's Interesting Tidbits S.H.I.T. for short.

 

St Martin and Sint Maarten is an island divided across the middle. The north part is French and the south part is Dutch. There is a story that is unsupported by historical fact that the French and the Dutch  were so civilized that rather than fight over the island they had a Frenchman armed with a bottle of wine walk in one direction starting in the north end of the island. A Dutchman equipped with a bottle of Gin walk in the other direction starting at the south end of the island. Where they met would be the boundary of the two countries. The French have more land because the Gin was a lot more stronger that the wine!

 

 

All work and no play!

 

Tomorrow we will be in St Marin for a week and we haven't seen to much, just a little of the down area. There has been 3 days we haven't left the boat. I have been installing the new water maker and Laurie is stuck doing boat chores like polishing the chrome. She can't get in the boat because everything is all apart and there's just no room. I think I might have it ready to start in 3 days and then we will see if it runs smooth. I am expecting some water leaks as did our friends on Isabella. After this is completed we will move on to the next project. I am thinking about getting a wind generator to top up the batteries where the solar cannot. Boat work is never done! But after the water maker is working we will take some time to look around before we start on anything new. We have lots of time before we leave St Martin.