Who Dun’ It
The moon was just shy of full and that burnt island smell was in the air when the siren interrupted the sound of lapping water against Gerty’s hull. It’s not often we hear a police boat anywhere, let alone in a peaceful harbor. St Vincent is known for petty crime, so we were not alarmed by the commotion. Until a helicopter hovered onto the scene. “Attention, all crew should remain inside your cabins,” we heard the announcement from above, “there is a fugitive on the loose.”
There we were, quarantined in Young’s Cut anchorage, awaiting our COVID test results and subsequent clearance into the country when all hell broke loose. The mistress on the super yacht had been murdered, the French Captain from the Catamaran had blood on her hands, and the German stowaway was found trying to make a getaway on the Ovni’s dinghy. A classic Who dun’ it!
Quarantine was so boring that when we weren’t playing chess, working, or cleaning the bottom of the boat, we dreamed up a murder mystery plot based on who we imagined resided in the boats floating nearby. What really happened was nothing.
On day eight, we were set free. Thirty minutes into our escape, the bilge alarm went off. A water maker hose burst. Sixty minutes after that we tried to anchor and the windlass went caput. That’s when my tooth started aching for real.
One new filling to my upper right molar and one replacement water maker hose later, we made it to Union Island.
Only the windlass remains on the fritz. The motor is clean, the anodes are shined, the battery has been checked and rechecked, but after three hours of Michael working inside the very awkwardly shaped chain locker, it is still finicky. Hooray for free moorings when you need one!
Last Remarks:
Thank you to my Caribbean savior, Dentist Jean Batiste, for your expert work, especially during the pandemic.
Thank you to our quarantine neighbors for keeping us company from a distance: SV PURRR, SV Privateer, etc.
Thank you to our friends and family in faraway places for keeping our spirits up. We miss you!
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You had me at the murder mystery, but I suppose that’s not a surprise coming from the writer in residence and the tedium of your quarantine. Michael is looking better than ever, so something must be going right. I’m glad your teeth are all nice and comfy and tight again. Most of all, I am looking forward to you coming home!
Love, Mom
I think he looks good with a tan. Not spotty like me. ha!
A fugitive on the loose was very exciting reading – at least for a few nanoseconds. It would make a good short story for Jill to work on. A real tooth ache is excitment no one needs – better that it happened at a mooring in St. Vincents than out at sea. We are always impressed by the number of parts and different thingies with strange names that are on your boat. I don’t know what a windlass is but hope you can get it fixed. Sending much love from snowy Maryland.
Sending love back from Union Island. Windlass is the motor thing that looks like a winch. Winch is the thing that winds the lines (rope). Ya know those silver looking turning things on Gerty? Anyway, windlass has big chain winding around it, instead of rope. Chain is attached to anchor. Anchor is VERY heavy. Windlass is awesome luxury that lifts heavy anchor and anchor chain up and down. Many people have to crank it by hand. This requires patience, muscle, sweat. I love our windlass for obvious reasons!
Another idyllic looking backdrop. Sorry about the quarantine and the tooth and all the random things that need fixing on the boat but seeing as it is 34 degrees in Atlanta I don’t feel too badly for your troubles at the moment. All looks fabulous and I am so jealous of your endless adventures. Please continue to send updates so I can continue to live vicariously through your exciting life. Sending love ❤️
Another idyllic looking backdrop. Sorry about the quarantine and the tooth and all the random things that need fixing on the boat but seeing as it is 34 degrees in Atlanta I don’t feel too badly for your troubles at the moment. All looks fabulous and I am so jealous of your endless adventures. Please continue to send updates so I can continue to live vicariously through your exciting life. Sending love ❤️
Stay warm! light a fire. One thing I miss on a sailboat is a nice warm fire when it’s snowing outside. yum!
Hahaha! Great opening line – you had me and then I laughed out loud. Just like the movie Rear Window. Yes, I love your reading and hearing your stories, and seeing your photos. Glad your tooth is fixed and yes Michael looks Goooood! 😉 and so do YOU. I very much enjoyed our long phone call and hearing your voice. It’s freezing and very windy in Florida. But at least the sun is shining. Going to get dressed now for a very cold game of tennis. Love me.
You hit it on the nose- Rear Window was exactly how the whole thing started!
Loved the “Who Dun It?”. What a great story line. Keep it going!
As to the windlass, Bill suggests checking the reversing switch. It’s in a small box near the windlass. It reverses the polarity of DC windlass motor and might be stuck. Or your deck switches are not working. Maybe Michael has resolved it by now.
The opening was so exciting and well written.
However when I got to the murder I suspected it was fictional. The start of a good novel.
Keep enjoying and I hope no more aches or breaks!
Bella
So here’s the really scary and extremely sad thing about the murder mystery. Our friends told us that they picked up a deceased woman about three days after I wrote that. Horrible! The story is sketchy. Could have been a boating accident. To think it could have been true takes the fun out of it!
Oh no, not another water maker host burst. At least you already trained on Flora‘s 😉.
Good to know you both are fine and still taking your boat repair skills to an even higher level. Wish you were closer to Flora, though. Miss you both.
Greetings from Puerto Rico.
Of course we immediately thought of you when the hose burst! All good thoughts 🙂
You really had me at the opening! I was like, “Why didn’t she tell me this when I spoke to her earlier this week!” ha ha. You should develop this story line – it would make for a great novel. Jill, aka Agatha, Gallin! Glad you got your tooth fixed and the boat fixed! Never a dull day in paradise. Lots of love!