It is amazing how the days just fly by. I can’t believe it’s been three days since my last post.

I have started to develop a routine. Still on my mooring in Benji Bay, I get up every morning at 6a. I either stretch & strengthen on the foredeck or I go for a long swim.

I pick a “parcours” of boats around which I do a swim. Made it up to 1.1km, still quite a bit to go to my target of 2km every day.

Afterwards it is time for a nice breakfast, still my favorite meal of the day.

Then I get to work. It is amazing how many items are on my list. JACE is so much “more” of a boat than our Towanda was, so much more sophisticated with so much more equipment that needs to be tested and fixed. Facing the task of solo cruising, I play it extra safe. I want to be sure everything is in tiptop shape before I leave Grenada.

My efforts slowly pay dividends and my kanban board shows the progress, with more and more items on the “Completed” side of the board.

I also manage to have some fun and socialize. Wednesday is “Wings Wednesday” (chicken wings for less than $1 a piece and cheap beer to wash it down) at the marina bar in Le Phare Blue around the corner and I am invited to join Mike and Julie, both also solo sailors, and another family who has been living on their boat for 26 years! On Thursday evening I am invited for sundowners (and later dinner) to Aaron, our marine electrician who I mentioned before, and his family. We have a really interesting night and we are both fascinated by each other’s careers and life stories.

Now, I am almost ready!

Today comes the first real test. I need to head back to the boatyard and dock JACE to test the shore power charging system (also part of the electrical refit). I get JACE ready, put out fenders and lines, and go through the maneuver in my mind. I am a bit nervous as I cast off the mooring line and start motoring over. To boot, a shower with some gusts comes through just as I near the dock. I scout out the situation, turn around and rearrange my fenders and lines for going alongside to starboard. Then I approach. Usually there are a bunch of people on the dock and happy to help with receiving and tying up lines. Today, nobody. So I do it all alone, approach the dock at 45 degrees, then turn and stop JACE alongside, grab a line and jump onto the dock, quickly tie up, back aboard for the foreline, tie that, then back for the last. All set. Actually worked very well. I am a little proud of myself.

Thankfully the shore power arrangement works perfectly and so after just 30min I cast off again, this time with a little help from the dock. I motor back to my mooring. Usually you would have a second person on the bow to grab the mooring and run a line through it. Doing it alone, you run a line from the bow to the cockpit and drive past the mooring until it is about midships. Then you grab that line and tie onto the mooring, before motoring backwards. Mike explained the process and it works on the first attempt. Puh, back at the mooring – first test was successful.

Tomorrow, if the weather cooperates (still lots of rain), I have invited Aaron to join me for a few hours of a shake down sail just offshore from our bay. Pulling out all the big sails for the first time, I want to have a second pair of hands with me. Just to be sure in case something goes wrong. I will report on that soon.