Wind Generator Check Up

The wind blows alot in our anchorage so it's good to have this back in action

One morning on the cruisers net, we discovered that there is a fellow liveaboard that services ALL things wind generators.  Ours has been working fine but a couple of people have comments “sounds like your bears are going out” when they come on our boat.  SO….we decided to have Mason of s/v Out of Africa check it over.  Turns out we did need new bearings.  Mason knew exactly what to get and gave Tom the parts numbers.  Budget Marine (one of two awesome marine chandleries here in St Martin - think West Marine but with the actual stuff you need!) had the bearings.  

Prepping to put it back up

Mason worked his magic which included sharing tons of wind generator maintenance knowledge with Tom.  His philosophy is that Tom will need to know how to service and troubleshoot it himself.  He gave us the worksheet he uses when servicing each unit with important information for future reference - how kewl is that!  Tom re-installed it and it’s been happily spinning away making free energy for us since!  

No easy feat getting it back on the mount on the arch

FYI - Mason is also a very good guitar player and singer who performs at a couple of places on the Dutch side of St Maarten.  We went to hear him at Pineapple Pete's.  If you have the chance, go hear him play. 

Power Of A Net

Cruising Community French side towards Port Royal and Marigot City Center

VHF Channel 10

As I mentioned before VHF Channel 10 is the cruisers channel here in St Martin and each morning there is a cruisers net, except Sunday.  Mike at Shrimpy’s runs this net and does a great job with a good dose of humor thrown in to keep it light and entertaining.  The purpose is to share important information with all the Cruisers.  He kicks it off by saying “Goooood Morning Cruisers.  This is Mike at Shrimpy’s and I will be your net control for this morning’s net.  Any objections please come now.”  (*Other nets throughout the Caribbean on VHF and SSB have a different person as net control for each day thus sharing the responsibility.)  Then he covers the following items in order each morning

 Weather

·        Safety/security

·       Arrivals/departures – “If you have just arrived in St Martin please give us your boat name, the      names of your crew and a little bit about you.”  

·       Announcements – like on Wednesday he reminds everyone about cooking gas (gas bottle refills at Budget Marine drop off before 9am for return after 4pm).  Additionally he reminds cruisers of the services Shrimpy's offers.  Others like Coastal Canvas announce their services.  Custom Fit announces the services they provide cruisers and cruiser Mason on s/v Out of Africa announces that he services all wind generators onboard his boat.  Another cruiser announces that he repairs clocks.  Yet another cruiser announces they have flats (cases) of Oettinger beer - supposedly Germany's best selling beer (as near as we can tell the equivalent to PBR or Natty Light in the US)... for $16 each delivered to your boat.  Time Out Boat Yard has been announcing the last week about their Marine Flea Market coming the first Saturday of the month.  

·      Buy/Sell/Swap/Items looking for – cruisers announce things they have for sale, or for free and other cruisers come on to ask for things like – explore charts for Bahamas.

·      Anything in general –this wraps up the net with anything else anyone wants to announce, ask, get assistance on and such.  s/v Sea Life announced the Sheer Hell Hike coming Sun 9am –some hike up really steep hills for all that want to join them….we did not!  But s/v Terrapin did.  See their hike here s/v Terrapin.

There immediately after there is a flurry of radio calls with boats trying to connect with each other on the various items mentioned on the net or make plans for the day.

 

Cruising community Marigot Bay - outside the lagoon on the French side

Cruising community inside the lagoon on the French side need the causeway bridge

 Jan 29^th

Tom and I were just finishing up a late dinner in the cockpit when an announcement came over the VHF on channel 10 – “All cruisers, all cruisers.  There is a medical emergency on a boat in Simpson Bay Lagoon off Witches Tit.  A cruiser has had a seizure and medical assistance is needed from someone with medical training.”  Numerous boats jumped to action.  The original caller acted as net control for the emergency taking the various radio calls, organizing the actions and communicating with the crew (wife) onboard the boat with the emergency.  Shrimpy’s was contacted to arrange transportation to the hospital on the French side.  It was amazing to listen to how fast everyone responded.  Within 5 mins a retire EMT trained cruiser was onboard the boat.  Within another 10 mins, they had the guy off the boat, into a dinghy and on the way to Shrimpy’s.  In the mean time, several other boats launched their dinghies and headed to Shrimpy's to help get the guy out of the dinghy, up onto the dock, into Shrimpy's and finally into a car - no easy feat.

  

Shrimpy's Laundry and Yacht Services

Shrimpy's dinghy tie up spot.

Inside Shrimpy's doing some internetting for $3 each computer each session.  OR you can buy a Shrimpy's T-shirt for $10 and if you wear it in, you get free internet for your computer only.

Some of the used yachtie items for sale off to the right.

Tom checking out the street scene in front of Shrimpy's.

One of the unique dinghies here in St Martin

There is a very strong cruising community here in St Martin – in and around the lagoon.  A big reason for that is the cruisers themselves but also Mike and Sally at Shrimpy’s.  They own Shrimpy’s Laundry and Yacht Services.  Yeah….an odd combination but it works.  They have laundry services, secondhand yacht items and services.  The services cover a wide spectrum - like taking people to the airport to get a new main sail or taking a Soda Stream CO2 canister over to the far side of the island to be filled or acting as mail receipt address for cruisers and of course internet….all for a fee but hey, they need to make a living.  Mike also runs a morning cruisers net each morning at 7:30 am on VHF channel 10.  More later on this.