2026-06-27 Projects complete, long flight to Idaho, and car shopping.

We worked on the boat all day Sunday. Dean got all the buffing done, and then left the wax on, and did not buff out.  The yard guys say this is the best way to leave the boat, and when we get back just wash the boat.

The hull is really quite clean and shiny under the coating of wax

We did walk over to Immigration office to turn in our paperwork for our upcoming departure.  Got caught in the rain on the way back. Kris brought an umbrella, but Dean did not want it, and was drenched by the time we got back to the boat.

Monday was a rest day, with most all projects done, we were able to take a day and just do a few putsy things to get the boat ready.  That is until they told us they needed to move the boat.  So up we went in the trailer again, and moved over to the spot right next to our old one.  A whole 25' move, but lots of work for the yard.  Dean took photos from the ground, and Kris went along for the ride.

Kris on the boat as it is being moved.  They would never allow you to do that in the USA

Putting Charm in her new spot for the next 4 months

Tuesday Kris did laundry, getting all the sheets, towels, clothes, etc. washed and stored for the next 4 months.  Dean defrosted the fridge and freezer, and we gave our extra food to a neighboring boat with 3 teenagers on board - they were happy for the extra food.

Started laundry at 7:00 a.m while it was still a bit cool

We went out for lunch and picked up our paperwork from Immigration.  It dumped rain again, but cleared up by the time we needed to walk back.

Sitting on the patio, having lunch, watching the rain

At 8:00 p.m. the taxi picked us up, and we headed to the airport.  No issues, with the flight, except the airplane was soooo cold neither of us could really sleep.  

We got into Houston early in the morning, airport fairly empty.   Had a quick breakfast, then caught the next plane to San Francisco.   Had 4 hours there, so walked around a bit.

Houston airport - not many people  around

Houston airport

Kris goofing around in the San Francisco airport

Watching the robotic coffee machine in the San Francisco airport

Got into Boise only 15 minutes late, and our son Derek was there to pick us up.   Got some food on the way back to his place, as we were quite hungry, and had a wonderful night sleep.

Thursday we started early, with Kris having an eye checkup at 9:00, Dean a doctor at 10:30, passport photos taken, then drove to have lunch with Deans Mom, and then and then went looking at cars.   

At lunch with Deans mom Nita.

Friday was more car shopping, and we found a car we think might work, but during a test drive noticed some shuddering at around 30 MPH, so suspect needs new transmission fluid, or torque converter.  The car dealer has it scheduled for maintenance to fix on Monday, and if they do, then we will most likely purchase it.

Our room at Derek's, a bed on the floor in the theater room.  It's a comfy mattress, so no complaints.

Saturday we looked at two more cars, then drove over to have lunch with Deans Mom, and also his brother Lee and wife Eddie.  Good lunch, then back to Derek's and helped him put a couple of layers of fiberglass on an efoil board he is building.

Fiber glassing the custom efoil board Derek is building.

We will keep looking until we find a car to buy, then head over to Bend, Oregon to spend time with Kris's dad.

2026-06-20 Hauled out, working on the boat

When we decided to haul out early, we thought well, we will be able to do more work before we leave, and less work when we get back.  But probably will have some time to just sit around as well, as we don't have that much to do, and have 11 days on the hard - HA - we have been working every day, and still have more to do.

Haven't taken many photos - honestly we just don't think about photos when doing our projects.    So apologies for that.

Our list of things done this week include:

We have our spreadsheet, and just check things off as we go along.

Dean has been the buffing king once again, and the hulls and deck are buffed and then coated with wax, but wax not wiped off to protect against dirt and grime while we are gone.  He got the bottom sanded and ready to put on new paint when we return.     He had to time his work with the rain - which sometimes so is hard it fills up the little ditch behind our boat.

Small ditch by our boat full of water

Kris mostly working on engines, doing oil changes for engines and sail drives.  We took out the starboard sail drive looking for a small leak, which we really did not find, but put in some epoxy and paint and cleaned everything up as well.

Saildrive out, engines pushed forward

We did go out to lunch one day, which was a nice break.

Can't go wrong with burgers, fries and cokes for 2 people for $18.95

We also took the shopping bus to the big discount store and priced out items for when we need to provision on our return.  Also got enough food to last us the 8 days we had left on the boat

Small mall with movie theater, KFC, Subway, Burger King, Dairy Queen, Starbucks, and more - but we only when to the Price Smart membership store

Inside Price Smart - they carry Costco brands

Walked over to Peakes boatyard a couple of times, as they have a marine store with a decent selection.  There is a small marine store in our yard, but not as big.

Peakes boatyard

We both have sore bodies and hands, but only a couple more days, and the big projects all done.  Now just miscellaneous cleaning until we fly out Wednesday morning at 12:30 a.m.  - yucky time, but hopefully we can sleep on the plane.

2026-06-14 Trinidad and haul out

Well, plans change quickly sometimes.  We were planning on hauling out on the 18th, but we kept looking at weather to go to Trinidad, and it did not look pleasant, except for sailing overnight on Tuesday the 9th.  That would give us about 8 days to hang out in Trinidad on the water before being hauled.  Not something we wanted to do, as the anchorage here can get lumpy, and it is protected from wind and hot.  

Plus, we were just getting tired of sitting and waiting so - change of plans.   Called our yard, and yes, they could haul us on the 12th instead -6 days earlier than planned.  So Monday we headed to town in Grenada, back to the RAM store, and got more groceries.   

Nice dinghy dock in Mt. Hartman Bay

Lots of pretty flowers along the walk

Like how at a small pharmacy we stopped at they don't sell the whole container of M&M's, but bag them up into small bags to sell.

The Ram grocery store - biggest and newest one around

Nice they have put in recycling for plastics - which seem to be well-used

Walking back with full backpacks and bags with groceries

Tuesday we got the boat ready, went and checked out of Grenada and went out for a nice lunch, and then set sail around 7:00 p.m. for Trinidad

View of Prickly Bay anchorage

The Cove restaurant - where we went for lunch

Woburn Bay anchorage and haul out yard in background

Sail to Trinidad was OK, little lumpy at times, then nice and smooth, then thunderstorms and rain, then no wind, then put in a reef, then take it out - you know the drill.  But overall gentle seas and most importantly, all from behind, wind and seas - which was the goal.

Sailing overnight you can see the gas drilling rigs from a long way off

Coming into Trinidad in the morning, through the Bocas del Dragon cut.

Trinidad check in was still an incredible experience.  They have added an extra step that you must do online now for immigration - so we thought it might be easier - but it actually took longer this time than last time - although we did fill out about 3 fewer forms, but lots more time stamping and dating the forms, and then at least 15 minutes to process the "online" form.   So about an hour just for immigration, and we were the only ones there when we started.

After check in complete, we went out for a nice lunch at the "expensive" restaurant.   $34 USD for two panini sandwiches, two cokes, and a side of fries.  

Every outdoor restaurant here has at least one cat around to help clean things up and keep the birds away.

Our fancy lunch out.

Thursday the 11th was Dean's birthday, oldest he has been.  We went into the yard Powerboats where we will be getting hauled, and filled out our paperwork, then stopped at the little store in the yard and bought 2 Mountain Dews for his birthday treat.

We decided to make a dessert for his birthday - so dug in our baking stash - and found a bag of something.  When we buy desserts like brownies in a box - we remove the items from the box, cut out the instructions, and put it all in a zip lock bag.  It stores better and protects against bugs.   Unfortunately, we forget to write on the bag what it is on the inside, so this time it was a surprise for a while until we smelled lemons - so then we knew it was lemon bars for dessert.

Mystery desert, instructions, but no idea what it is until you open the bags and start cooking

Pizza and Mt. Dew for birthday dinner

Friday the 12th was the haul out.  Spent part of the morning fending off our boat from hitting another - as the moorings here are tight, and during tide changes the currents swirl a bit and everyone faces every which way.    After the tide changes everyone settles and it is no problem.    

The harbor here is not big, and a mix of industrial and pleasure craft.  There are a lot of permanent boats moored in the area in various states of falling apart.

Watched this large ship designed to lay cable come into the harbor

Chagauramas harbor

Chagauramas harbor

Cable boat in Chagauramas harbor

At 3:00 we motored over, and got hauled out.   By 4:30 we were out, blocked, and had our air conditioning installed.

We rented an air conditioner while here.  It is window style A/C, but they have built custom fiberglass mounts for them designed to direct the air through a deck hatch.   They work well.

Trailer is already in the water, we motor over to it, then the 4 people in the water, and three on land carefully maneuver the boat onto the trailer and position the lifting supports

On the trailer, maneuvering into position

They spend time with a level to get the boat just how you want it - bow up, down or level.

Our A/C unit installed in the hatch

Kris started working Friday night, draining the oil on the starboard engine while it was still warm.  Dean scrapped the hull down, getting all the small barnacles off.

Saturday the work began.   Both sails off the boat, folded and stored.  Both forward lockers emptied, cleaned and dried.  Removed one leg of bow pulpit as it was leaking, cleaned polished and re-sealed it and re-installed.  Oil change on starboard engine finished, and prepped engine and guest room to remove the sail drive.   Props off the starboard side, and sail drive to hull fairing removed.  Cockpit cushions cleaned.  Sling seat removed and ready clean.  New lock installed on dinghy outboard.

Today started rainy - so we will see what we can get done.  That is one negative about Trinidad.  This time of year you get rain almost every day.  Sometimes it 15 minutes and done, sometimes hours.  You just have to work around it and plan your projects accordingly.

2026-06-06 Grenada, and just hanging out

 Sorry, not good on the photos this week.

Spent a couple days in St. Georges.  They only allow mooring now, so we did not stay long, as the anchorage got a bit rolly as well.    It was cloudy, and lots of  Saharan dust in the air. 

Cloudy days in St. Goerge's

Sarahan dust makes for red skies at night

We went to town to get groceries, and stopped at two stores, but ended up not getting anything as the fresh stuff did not look that great - guess we timed it wrong as the shelves were a bit empty looking.   We went for a walk to stretch our legs.  Took some photos of typical houses in St. Georges.  All the photos below were taken on the same street within 1/2 mile of each other.

Putting a small restaurant in the front of your home is very common.

Monday we left St. Georges and motored down to Prickly Bay.   Prickly was a bit rolly, but not bad, until of course nightfall, when it got worse.  We had to defrost the freezer again, as it is getting icy every couple of weeks now since our fan broke.   We rigged a temporary fan, but it is allowing the freezer to ice up a bit more.

Defrosting almost done, ready to put food back in

Tuesday we walked to the Ace Hardware store and got some supplies in preparation for our upcoming haul out.  We stopped at the large Ram grocery store as well, and we upstairs where they have bulk groceries.  Spent some time taking photos of food, with prices, so we will know if we want to stock up there or in Trinidad when we come back after hurricane season.

$75 EC for a 12 pack of Mt. Dew - that's $2.31 per can.  Won't be getting it here.  Dean is out of Mt. Dew, but this was too much to pay - so we did not get any

After groceries, we went in for a nice lunch, and then back to the boat, to enjoy the choppy rolly anchorage.

Wednesday we left Prickly, and went to Woburn Bay and looked for a good spot to anchor, but it was mostly boats on mooring balls, or anchored in deep water, so we went back to Hartman Bay, and anchored there.   There is a bit of chop and roll at times, but not near as bad as Prickly Bay.

Friday we took a walk to see the new haul out yard here in Hartman bay,  and continued down the  road to the bridge by Hog Bay to check it out.  Not a scenic walk.  Mostly gravel road, and then a dirt road.  No cars, but lots of trash along the road that people have dumped.   Oh well still nice to get out and stretch the legs, but it is getting hot now, so it is a very sweaty time just walking.

One of the nicer sections of the walk

View of Hog Island Bay from the bridge

New haul out yard in Mt.  Hartman Bay

We will hang out here as long as the anchorage stays calm enough until time to head to Trinidad probably on the 15th.  We haul in Trinidad on the 18th.