Dropping the Hook

Sydney to Tortola, BVI: 1 May-27 Jun 08

Anchoring off Benures Bay

This was a plan hatched on a beach in sunny Phuket (Thailand). We fell for its tropical charms and wondered about a retired life abroad….as you do after a great snorkelling trip, a few rounds of the nearby marina on hire bikes and one too many Tigers! So then, just how did the Motleys end up afloat in the middle of the Caribbean?

Meet Windjammer III, a 46ft charmer, all woman and at just the right price for an improved version of our “living overseas and seeing the world from the comfort of our own home” vision. Windjammer is a Hunter 460, purchased in Oct/Nov 07. She is comfortable below, most of the kinks are now ironed out and we are well provisioned to head out on our first BIG adventure: cruising from the British Virgin Islands south to Trinidad via the Leeward and then Windward Islands.

Under the Chicken Tree

Captain Salt and Kid Wonder, who is known locally round the docks as “Hollywood”, have been on site at Nanny Cay, Tortola now for a good 7 weeks righting all WJ3’s ills and ails. This included all new rigging, installing a new prop shaft and adjustments to the rudder. All this whilst living aboard in the boat yard under the “chicken” tree. This tree apparently comes alive at night with all manner of bird life and the story goes that Hollywood’s head was used one night as a staging ramp for a rooster’s bid for freedom. Had the rooster seen too many re-runs of “Chicken Run” or had the boy imbibed too many fine Caribs (the local brew) that night??

Nervous Cap'n?

The Galley Slave arrived just after WJ3 was "splashed" on 23 Jun. At least WJ3 floated – off to a good start! But a worried Captain Crisp soon had the throttle in pieces, later followed by the engine, the aircon unit and finally the fridge and freezer. Let me tell you they’re all working fine now, which is just as well – it’s a more than balmy 33 c outside on A Dock.