LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 27:
Wednesday, March 01, 2000
0900 I go ashore and clear customs for a mere $9.00 (US). While ashore, I am approached
by two cabbies offering a tour of the island. They both offer this at the "Government standard"
price of $60.00 (US). I tell them I will have to discuss it with the rest of my crew. Both cabbies
tell me they have a VHF and monitor 16. I tell them thanks and head back to the boat.

0930 We hoist the anchor and motor over to the marina area of the port where wereset the anchor.
I discover that the internal hose (in the chain locker) for the pressure wash down system has ruptured
and flooded the forward V-bunk area. I pull out the bedding for the V-bunk and hang it about the
boat to dry. I tape up the rupture and pressure test it. It is holding. The bedding dries quickly, as
the humidity is very low.

1100 We all go ashore in the dinghy to the marina where we pay $5.00 (US) to leave it for the day.
We wander around a bit and chance to meet a gregarious taxi-tour driver - Michael Bridgewater
(Michael B for short). Michael offers to take us for a tour of the island. His price is the "Government
standard". Michael B makes a special effort to walk us to the front of his van so we can see the sign
on the front, which says "Y2K ready". He wants us to understand that "he has it all together." As we
start our tour, Michael shows us pictures of his two kids hanging in his van. His son (4) attends preschool
in the next town. His son's mom is a teacher. His daughter (about 2) lives in Louisiana with her mom,
who is also a teacher. Michael is not married - never has been he explains. And when we asked, he said
he does not have a special "thing" for teachers and he was never the teacher's pet in school. He takes us
on a wonderful tour all about the island and keeps us quite entertained throughout the day. The highlights
of the tour for us (besides our tour guide) are an outlet for Carib Batik fabrics, the old fort (extraordinary
in its size and engineering) at Brimstone Hill, the magnificent views all around the island and the monkeys
at the southeast end of the island. When the tour is over we return to the boat and rest up. Later we go
ashore to the Fisherman's Wharf for dinner, where we have a mixed verdict on our meals.

Thursday, March 02, 2000
0800 Two huge cruise ships are arriving and anchoring adjacent to us. We are glad we did our tour
yesterday!

0900 We head ashore in the dinghy to pick up some fruits and vegetables. We land at a beach opposite
the market but it is not yet open. We must wait until 1000. We take the opportunity to have breakfast at
an open-air restaurant. Afterward we wander into a few shops but refrain from making any purchases.
Eventually we slip into a grocery store and make a few purchases. Afterward we return to the boat and
make preparations for getting underway.

1230 We hoist the anchor aboard and motor over to the commercial pier to clear out of St. Kitts. The
water wash down hose ruptures again in the chain locker and floods under the forward bunk for the second
time in two days. I decide to suspend use of the wash down system until the internal hose can be replaced.
 I lift the bunk cushions as soon as I am able and wipe up the water. The bedding is more soaked than it was
yesterday morning. We drop the hook. I go ashore to customs and clear us out for St Barts with the understanding
that we will not actually depart the island until tomorrow morning early.

1300 Back at the boat we hoist the anchor and head down the coast.

1330 We anchor at Whitehouse Bay to do some snorkeling. While Bob and Dawn go off in the dinghy with
snorkel gear, I hang the bedding for the V-berth about the boat to dry and then fix the two whisker poles.
When Bob & Dawn return, I go over the side to have a look at the zincs under the boat. They are all still in
place - doing what they are supposed to do. The zinc on the prop looks like it will last a little while longer
although at one of the 3 securing bolts the material is nearly gone. At the other two bolts the zinc is still fairly
well intact. I am trying to watch this zinc closely because last summer the prop zinc was vanishing about every 6
weeks. I suspect that the zincs were thrown off the prop after a certain portion of the material had deteriorated
around the bolts. What I am seeing now would seem to support that suspicion. I am beginning to think there
is a deficiency in the design of the zinc for this prop.

1530 Bob and I putter over in the dinghy to the site of a tug boat wreck and I go into the water to have a look
with the snorkel gear. There is a substantial amount of the tug still there. The prop and shaft are still mounted
in the after portion of the hull. If it is made of bronze it is probably worth a small fortune if someone were to
recover it. There are a couple of engines lying on the bottom and a lot of other debris. Tropical fish swim in
and out of the wreck. Afterward we return to the boat and hoist the hook so we can go anchor off Friars
Beach, where we go ashore for a walk. Returning to the boat we witness one of the most beautiful sunsets
any of us has ever seen. The whole sky is afire in bright red. The color is reflected in the water and in the wet
sand on the beach. It is spectacular in its beauty. Back at the boat we decide this anchorage is a bit rolly, so
we hoist the hook and return to the previous anchorage for the night. We make angel hair pasta, salad, and
Italian bread for dinner. Bob & Dawn each have a Carib Beer, which we bought earlier today.
END OF LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 27


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