Grenada surprise birthday party

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Left Key West in 2009, couple of years in the Med, and return crossing finally Ken and Kristine sailed the Grateful Red solo. first stopping in Marigot Bay in St. Lucia then sailed to St. Vincent and the Blue Lagoon. the Blue Lagoon was crowded so we hired a guide to visit the Montreal Gardens. Cruised on to Union Island and the Paradise Island Bar. Spent a couple days at Uniion Island then sailed to Port Louis, Grenada…Ken was surprised by Gordie and Anna flying in secretly to Grenada for ken\’s 60th Birthday. Party time! A Terrific 60th! (Didn’t Gordie and Ken just graduate from Oregon High, must be his 40th??)

 

Las Palmas Departure

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After a successful Gibraltar to Las Palmas sail the Grateful Red had a number of instrument issues primarily no auto pilot. Paul the instrument guru was flown to Las Palmas for onsite part change out and repair with Ken helping. With repairs ongoing the crew of Curtis, Jack and Mark arrived. In the ’09 crossing Curtis, Jack and Ken crewed the Grateful Red the 2,300 miles from Bermuda to the Azores. For the 3,000 mile return crossing from Las Palmas off the shore of Africa to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean – the earth is fatter in the middle -Mark joined the “crossing” crew. A successful safety inspection by the race committee, rounds of preparatory beverages and completed instrument upgrade the start date arrived with the boat ready. The Atlantic Rally Crossing ’11 had approximately 250 participating boats, about 10 catamarans/90 monohulls with an average boat length of 57 feet and the shortest boat was 32 feet – the Grateful Red at 40 feet was on the small size. As the Grateful Red motored out of the Las Palmas slip the throttle cable broke – boat could not be motored – a 3,000 mile sail and the Grateful Red was towed to the start line! The start was windy, crowded and a blast. For the first 15 days the winds, weather and crew were terrific. Fifteen to twenty five mile an hour winds, downwind sailing – spinnaker all day at eight plus knots, drop the spinnaker in the evening and sail reefed main at six to eight knots at night – fabulous sailing. The Grateful Red was on target for a 17 maybe 16 day crossing hopefully beating the 17 day crossing accomplished by Mr. Columbus in 1492. Life is good.

Safi to Las Palmas, Spain

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Another 300 mile sail to Las Palmas. Safi is the port where it was proved that one could sail from Africa to South America in boat built solely of reeds and materials found in Africa. The current from Safi to the Caribbean is two knots – essentially one can and has floated from Safi, Africa to the Caribbean When the Grateful Red started the winds were less than ten knots, a milk man dead down run and ….. now filled with diesel ….. use of the engine got us on the way. By the end of day one we had the main reefed in and in Las Palmas in two days of sailing. Next sail was the ocean crossing – Las Palmas to St. Lucia. Gordie, Paul and Kristine did some island touring with ken and matt trying to resolve instrument issues for the crossing.