Ambition - Sailing Adventure - Merrill and Maryse: April 2018

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Les Saints to Antigua - Classic Regatta

We so enjoy Les Saintes – there is always something going on in this beautiful spot. While messing about on the boat this afternoon, we had a rather unusual visit!

Please excuse the quality of the video - I haven't learned to edit yet!

They arrived with an invitation to take in their show tonight in the town square. This group of folks on three sailboats from Bretagne, France are a travelling sea circus called … Seacus

Well it is not the Cirque de Soleil by any means, but they did entertain us with magic shows, music and a number of video presentation. Turned out to be a fun evening!

I had learned from another Hylas owner who has a similar vintage boat to Ambition, that he had experienced failure in one of his deck cleats due to crevice corrosion. This occurs when salt water is allowed to remain in contact with stainless steel for extended amounts of time without oxygen. All the deck fittings on our boats are attached using a caulking compound. As the caulking ages, it looses it adherence to the stainless steel letting salt water creep in under the fitting. Since the gap is so slight, air has no chance to get in the crack as well. End result corrosion of the stainless.

I decided that I would start pulling off the deck cleats to check for crevice corrosion. I started with the first two that were the easiest to access in the anchor locker. They are through bolted so getting to the underside was a piece of cake. Using a pry bar, pulled the cleats up and out. Used a Dremel to clean all the bits up and then reinstalled them. On one of the cleats while tightening the first turn using a socket, I snapped off one of the two threaded studs!!! This falls into the "NOT GOOD" category!

completely corroded

It is amazing how “brand new” the stud looks and yet it failed with so little effort! Ok now I have a new project, pull out ALL the remaining cleats to see if more will fail.

Broken stud

Glad to report that after removing all 10 cleats, no others failed during reinstallation and I really put as much torque on the studs as I could. This is reassuring! Just one cleat to order from Taiwan.

Cleat with studs

Reinstallation almost complete

We have made our way from les Saintes to Deshaies and then on to Jolly Harbour, Antigua where we cleared in and hung out for a few days before moving Ambition to Falmouth in advance of the start of Antigua Classic Regatta.

There were far fewer classic yachts in the harbour for this years racing compared to last year, but they are still so very spectacular. The boats are covered with folks sanding, varnishing and getting the yachts all buffed and ready .

The 4 race days provided a lot of excitement as the winds were strong and the seas were 8 to 10 feet. We took Ambition out to the race course and got more than a few pictures of the action. I also include some pictures taken by the pros who were MUCH closer to the action than I dared get!

J Class Yacht - they did not race however

Chillin' between races....

Chronos

Same yacht out on the course with her sistership - 157 feet long

Ashanti V

Rhea and Chronos

Columbia

This boat was being towed back into harbour after running into one of the 157 foot yachts ???? The mast in more than 2 pieces, hanging off the stern.

How can this happen???

Ruth

Columbia

Doesn't this just look like the best job on board???

After Classic Regatta wound down, there are a few days before the Antigua Race Week starts – this is the exact opposite of Classic Regatta. The classics are all older (pre world war 2 designs) and the Race week is all about the very latest in designs and materials. We are looking forward to seeing the action.

In the meantime here is a picture out our front door – we are anchored in Green Island behind a reef that protects us from the ocean swells and waves - nothing but sea in front!

We will return in a day or two to Falmouth for Race Week then we will be on the final stretch of our winter. Then back to Jolly Harbour to prepare Ambition for her summer out of the water.

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Carriacou to Les Saintes.

A quick motor 4 miles to Union Island to clear out of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Lots of mooring balls EC$60 per night. Customs and Immigration are great here! We are tied to a mooring ball right inside the shallow reef and the kiteboarders are having a field day here!

Restaurant and Bar in Clifton, Union Island

Moorings in Clifton

Sailed to Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou, Grenada. A nice little toot! Cleared in to Customs EC$110.

A relatively large new grocery store in town. Very nice.

Met the folks at Lumbadive and set up schedule for starting diving the following morning.

LumbaDive PADI 5 Star

First time I see this – a modified trimaran what you tie you boat up alongside if you want stainless steel fabrication or repairs!

The Stainless Shop AFLOAT

Getting our diving certification accomplished was our prime reason to come to Carriacou – unfortunately Maryse needs to wait to see a dive doctor in Montreal before completing her in- water portion of her certification.

LumbaDive has atradition that all certifications are honoured with a toe nail painting – im case, they used a roller instead on the little brush – a Mant family trait of BIG toes!

A very bumpy and salty sail from Carriacou to Bequia. Made good time but we were beat at the end. The rolling on the swells was tough. Cleared in Customs at 5PM and all is good.

Started to wash / rinse Ambition from all her crusty salt - but I got lucky and 10 minutes in and it started to rain - just long enough to let me chamois the fresh water off - SWEET.

We met up with old friends that we met in the Bahamas who are here for a resort vacation – great catching back up with Laura and Graeme from Ottawa.

We did a LONG and difficult walk today with MJ, JF, Coleen, and Jeff and Marsha (UJammin) great sights and a stop for adult beverages at the end. Lunch and back on board - early to bed with a Tylenol each. Lights out…DONE!

In to town for a few provisions and clearout of customs - off to Jack's for rum punch happy hour with Hope and Cassiopee. Lots of laughs and then back on board Cassiopee til 10ish great friends.

A great sail today from Bequia to Rodney Bay St. Lucia and early this morning we saw our first whale. It was on the surface and like ALL - by the time we got the camera out, it slipped below the surface and all we could see was that he was still there, just not very visible.

St Vincent

St Lucia - The Pitons

Next stop - Fort de France. Full sails including staysail WOW! Stopped at Marina D'Abrizzio for fuel. Then back to the fort for anchoring and customs clearance.

Shopping this morning - crazyness as everyone is out for Easter shopping! Decide to stay put as the ocean swells are N so no use going to St Pierre for the next few days. Early morning the entire cities dump truck and cement mixers are clogging up downtown for a labour strick – the noise is unbelievable!