This  past year Bergy Bit was stored at Bobby’s Marina - Airport Division  - which we have fondly renamed Bobby’s Marina - Animal Rescue Division.

Currently there are 12 dogs and 22 cats that live in the Boat Yard.  Most of the animals have been rescued by the Boat Yard Manager and are cared for by the Boat Yard Manager and the Office Manager - very dedicated animal lovers.  

Behind the Boat Yard Office and Maintenance Sheds there is a dedicated piece of land that runs the width of the boat yard.  This strip of land is fenced and has plenty of trees for shade.  One third of the land is a dog run the other two thirds is a cattery. During the day the dogs and cats have the run of the boatyard - but at night they are put in there perspective areas.

Here is a look at “ A Day in the Boat Yard”!

The boat cabin is basked in a gray light as the sun begins to rise over Simpson Bay Lagoon. We hear the voice of the Office Manager as she calls the cats for feeding! The engine of the Travel All* starts and then drones its way to pick up the first boat of the day.

The aluminum door on the maintenance shed squeals as it is rolled up and in the distance we hear the Office Manager calling Sparkle who obviously is AWOL this morning - a white and orange striped cat who prefers to hang out with the dogs.  The voices of the workers fill the morning air and the first flight of the day takes off from Princess Juliana Airport (across the road) - setting off a boat alarm! ! It is 6:45AM. ! ! The sun is up and another day has begun at Bobby’s Marina. 

We enjoy our first cup of coffee/tea and make our first trip of many down the ladder. We see other live aboards doing the same.  Heading for the washrooms and showers.

By 7:30 AM the boatyard is in full swing. Boats being put in or taken out of the water. Hulls being power washed to rid them of the sea life collected sailing. The sound of grinders and sanders as boats are prepared for anti-fouling* or painting. People are constantly coming and going checking on their boats, delivering laundry, picking up laundry, checking out the facilities and the permanent residents head off to work or to their daily activities.  Along with the Office Manager and the Yard Manager there are about 10 others who live aboard full time - some on the hard and others at the dock. 

Amongst all of this activity are the boat yard dogs! Across the boatyard I see the puppies Bandit and Desi (Desperado) carrying someone’s flip flop in their mouths!  Rascals!

We continue work on The Admiral’s list - with trips up and down ladder for supplies! !  What you need when you are on the boat is always on the ground and of course when you are on the ground what you need is on the boat - up and down, up and down - we’ve got our ladder legs back.

11:00am and the yard crew takes a lunch break by noon things are back in full swing.

Today our friend Mirjam and Anna come to pick up their laundry and they have one of Anna’s friends with them.  We find a spot on the cement boat pad and Mirjam and I turn rope for the girls to skip.  Skipping rope doesn’t work all that well on a sailboat.  We tried turning Double Dutch but we definitely need more practise! ! 

All day planes land and take off from Princess Juliana Airport - some much louder than others!   The louder ones - set off the boat alarm…..

In the background we hear the Office Manager calling the dogs - it’s ‘Cookie’ time! and soon it will be feeding time for the dogs and they will all be put ‘to bed’ for the night!

In the west the sun is starting to set.  Mirjam and the girls head off as Mirjam wants to be home before it gets dark.

The permanent residents start returning from their day’s activities and the Boatyard workers start heading for home.

In the distance we hear the engines of Air France fill the air - we watch as the huge Air Bus lumbers into the air - just clearing the fence at the end of the runway.  Slowly it climbs over the Lagoon - looking like at any moment it is going to stall in mid-air.  Of all the flights that take off and land I find Air France the scariest to watch.

We watch the sunset behind the hills, in 20 minutes it will be dark. Before it gets dark we set out the mosquito nets, get the bed made and settle in for the night.

The Boatyard is quiet - a plane takes off - there goes the boat alarm…………..

As in other years, while we got Bergy ready to sail, we lived on board in the Boatyard - in boat language this is called ‘Living on the Hard’. 

For anyone who has ‘lived on the hard’ I am sure it brings back fond memories…….

 We don’t mean to offend anyone - but when we ‘live on the hard’, we refer to the Boatyard as our ‘African village’ - everyone’s house (boat) is on stilts - jack stands in boat language, access to one’s home (boat) is by a ladder, there’s no running water, lots of mosquitoes, lots of dust, temperatures are hot and when it rains huge ‘lakes’ form because the earth is too dry to absorb the moisture….. 

 This year there were about 8 or 10 in our little village.

 Our first task when ‘living on the hard’ is to move aboard.  We start by removing everything we had stored in Bergy over the winter - dinghy, dinghy motor, sails, dodger, awning etc…. Then we move our personal things on board, followed by our provisions - ‘grog’ (beer) water, good etc.  Keep in mind everything is brought up or down the ladder…. 

As for water for dishes etc. we bring that on board - up the ladder - in 20L jugs that weigh 50 lbs.  As for the used water is it hauled down the ladder in a 5 gallon bucket.

This year we are fortunate to have power run to the boat via an extension cord - this luxury allows us to be able to run 2 fans at night… 

We are also fortunate to have a ‘Bath House’ that has 2 toilets and 2 showers complete with cold running water and cockroaches. 

A typical day begins as we put away the fans and mosquito nets, make the bed back into the table and take our first trip down the ladder to the Bath House.

 All day, as we work on Bergy we are down and up the ladder countless times.  The general rule is when you are on the ground what you need is on board and when you are on board what you need is on the ground - a Boatyard Murphy’s Law.

 At the end of the day - the cold showers feel good. 

 We make the table back into the bed, dispose of the gray water - one last trip down and up the ladder, set up the fans and put out the mosquito nets …

 This is a the view we had from Bergy’s deck when we lived aboard.

Stay tuned for a day in the life of a Boatyard.

 The Admiral & Gilligan

Aboard SV Bergy Bit

Hello again from Sint Maarten!

After a lovely start to this year of sailing, warm weather with lovely breezes,  we have now been hit by a  ’big blow’! !

On Friday the island was hit by wind up to 40 knots and seas of 10 feet plus.
As conditions worsened Admiral Bob checked on our dinghy. It was taking a real beating, so before things got worse we decided to pull it out of the water.

Conditions worsened by the minute as we started the task of getting the dinghy out of the water.
First step - take the motor out of the dinghy as the dinghy is being tossed almost onto the wharf! One try and it was done! YEAH!

Next step - get the dinghy onto the dock without ripping it to shreds on the barnacles! Two tries and it was done ! Double YEAH! !

OK - so now the wind has kicked up and it is blowing at least 30 knots! ! ! We pick up the dinghy and start carrying it off the dock - so far so good but when we get to the end of the dock we have to turn the dinghy on its side to manoeuvre around the buildings dockside! Have you got the picture yet?? - 30 knots of wind, 2 people, one dinghy - instant kite! ! All I could think of as we picked up the dinghy was we are going to end up in the water! ! Luckily, for us, a couple just coming off their boat saw what was happening and came to our rescue.

The conditions have improved somewhat but we still have the dinghy out of the water and hope to put it back in, in the next day or two.

More on the Wild Wild Weekend - next time! !

The Admiral & Gilligan

Aboard SV Bergy Bit - Bobby’s Marina - Simpson Bay - Sint Maarten