Haul Out and the Hotel California - You Cannot Make This S&%* Up!

After a few days at Le Phare Bleu Marina in the southern end of Grenada, we headed to Clarke's Court Marina for haul out.  It is a very professional operation with the largest travel lift I have ever seen.   The lift made our boat look tiny.  Hauling or launching is always a concerning time for a boat owner as many things can go wrong. Note the anxious owner in one of the pictures below. 

Fortunately we had nothing to worry about.  It was a low wind day, making for a very smooth haul-out.  There were about 10 guys helping us, including 2 divers who go into the water to ensure that the slings are placed in a way that they are not damaging any of the through hull fittings or the Sail Drive (propeller).  

Once out of the water, Adventure I was placed on jack stands with chains running between them, and then attached at the bow and stern to 4 very large cement blocks. The blocks are to stop the boat from moving in case of high winds or surge from a hurricane.  In addition, they levelled the boat to ensure that water would run off during the rainy season to come. 

Now that Adventure I was out of the water, we needed to find a place to stay for the few remaining days before our flight.  We had a reservation at a place called Royal Clark Gardens, one of the few available that would take a dog on a busy Easter weekend.  Unfortunately, this place left a lot to be desired.  Imagine the worst student housing you have ever stayed in.  It was worse than that and then some.  The mattress had been placed in a room with no window so we asked for it to be moved to the front room which had a window.  In the process of helping her move the mattress to the front room, we came to realize that although the bed had nice clean sheets, the bottom of the mattress was black.  Can you say bed bugs?  In addition, the stove was fuelled by a large propane bottle which was located right inside the house. Can you say gas bomb?  Roger was adamant that we would not stay there, so he successfully booked us a villa at Le Phare Bleu Marina where we had been staying previously on the dock.  The villa includes an air conditioned bedroom, an outdoor kitchen, living room and patio with swinging chair.  We were living in luxury!

Over the next few days, Roger and I got the boat ready for storage, cleaning all of the surfaces, and covering the main ports with silver tarps. It is essential that the boat is left void of any food or it is an open invitation for unwanted crawling pets.

In the evenings, we had an opportunity to hang out with some other sailors staying at Le Phare Bleu.  It is quite a popular spot, especially on Wednesday wing night.  Some people even stay year round at the dock, using their boat as a condo.  Pirate has also made friends with a group of kids who are staying here, as well as some three legged dogs, which are quite common in the islands.   This is Shelley.  Very sweet little dog that comes regularly to visit us.

Roger also took the opportunity to join PCYC (Petite Calivigny Yacht Club) which operates out of Le Phare Bleu Marina.  For an annual fee of $150 EC ($55 USD), Roger can use the Hobie Cats or lasers.  The money also supports the junior sailing program.  

We had hauled out on Thursday, and by Monday morning we headed to the airport at 3 am to catch our flight back to Miami.  We got our bags checked in and got Pirate weighed and ready to get on the flight. Here is where things started to unravel. Our flight went through Port of Spain in Trinidad, and Caribbean Airlines said that in addition to the health certificates, rabies titre test and vaccination certificates, we also required a temporary import permit for Pirate for the 2 hours she would be on the ground, being transported between planes. The temporary import permit was something they had failed tell us about ahead of time. As a result, we were denied boarding.  

Fortunately, Roger was able to book us back into the same villa at Phare Bleu while we worked on a solution.  We went back and forth with Caribbean Airlines over the next few days, and after reviewing the call logs of our conversations with them, they realized that we had never been informed of this requirement, so it was definitely an error on their part.  They went on to say that they would book us the following Monday, but would charge an additional $600 for the difference in the flight costs.  At this point, I was fuming but we had no choice if we wanted to get on the flight. In addition they now decided that the combined weight of Pirate and her crate was over the limit so they could not take her. Roger escalated and even found the email address of the CEO of Caribbean Airlines and offered to further escalate directly to him. Customer service thus quickly decided they would refund the extra $600 and seek special permission to allow the overweight load. 

In the meantime, not knowing if we could get an import permit in time, I booked Pirate on Amerijet - a cargo carrier which travels direct to Miami.  This was no small feat.  Only the Amerijet office in Grenada can book the flight, and they do not answer their phone or email.  So we took a taxi to the airport, got a security badge and headed into the Amerijet compound.  Fortunately they would be able to take Pirate, but we had to bring her with her crate before they would book the flight.  So we headed back to Le Phare Bleu to get Pirate and her crate.  After $360 EC in taxis we had her booked on the Thursday flight.  Relieved, we booked ourselves on an American Airlines flight arriving at the same time as Pirate.  Exactly 10 mins after booking our flights, Amerijet called to say they cancelled the Thursday flight due to lack of cargo.  We were now back to square one.  

At this point, it felt like Hotel California..."you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" ♫

We now have approval to fly with the Pirate as excess baggage, which fortunately, negates the need for a customs broker, which would have been required if she had flown Amerijet in freight.  As we speak, we are waiting for the import permit which we have been told will arrive today (Friday) by 4:00.  So, crossing our fingers that we get back to Marco soon.....