After several trips with friends and family around Saint Martin and Saint Barths we were ready for a change. With a fresh crew including 2 of my best friends we set off for this mostly flat and sleepy Island. This is not a big sail, as you can hit Anguilla with a rock from Saint Martin, but it is a different country with customs, immigration and clearance procedures etc. Anguilla doesn’t really have a “downtown” as the island is mostly villas and resorts but there are a ton of them. The area in Road Bay has the beachfront bars/restaurants. We only stayed for a few days and did day trips to the outer islands of Sandy and Prickly Pear. Bet you cant guess how to correctly say Anguilla. I’ll never tell.
Code Chaos
Our Boat is set up with a mainsail (big triangle attached to the mast) and another triangle attached to the forestay called a jib. These sails are good for almost all conditions in sailing upwind and downwind except when there is too little wind to get good boat speed. This is when we pull out our Code Zero. Now a Code Zero is not a spinnaker but it sure behaves like one. The sail is twice as big as the others and made of a super lightweight material. Just getting this sail set up and rolled out is a bit of a challenge. The other is picking the right wind and wind angle. Once you get it set it’s a “high five moment” and then you watch the magic as this huge sail fills with wind and speeds your boat along at speeds not possible with the regular sails. We once hit 15 knots – which is about 18 miles an hour – a ton of speed on a Sailboat that weighs 36,000 pounds. The problem with the Code Zero is that when you are done flying it you have to put it away. This is the part ours doesn’t seem to want to do. At all. Ever. Every time we couldn’t get it rolled up it ended up in the water. Then you have to drag it back on board – remember its like a circus tent – and then we have to stuff it in the sail locker. So on this trip we had these 2 guys with us so we thought it would be a good time to wrestle the beast. This was made especially hard since we first had to get it put together from the last attempt. But with helping hands we made a plan and executed it flawlessly and the sail carried us to Anguilla in high gear. And then…..we had to take it down. And again…..it didn’t roll up properly and began flogging and creating a bit of “all hells breaking loose” moment so…….we lowered it on to the deck and wrestled it into the sail locker. The only benefit is we had more help.
Where do you buy rubber bands on an island?
After the trip was over and the crew had left Lennie and I had to deal with the sail. Since it wasn’t rolled correctly we had the idea of buying a hundred rubber bands and cutting them in half and tying them around the sail. This way we could get it raised in light wind and then tug on the sheets (not sheets, sheets. The ones that attach to sails) and the rubber bands would bust open and the sail will fly. Brilliant! Store after store had no rubber bands. No office depot. No one could even recommend. The drugstore only sold drugs etc. Finally we went to the market to buy some food and at the checkout counter hanging above my head where I was actually bumping into it was 2 bags of old rubber bands for sale at .49 cents each. Problem solved. Rubber bands installed and sail is ready for the next attempt.
Check out this video from our trip to see the sail flying and all the action. Also…more of my singing.
Eric and Ruth
Great video! We love all your videos and motivating us to do the same. Eric, the husband, will retire in 2 yrs (at age 52, while I continue working…great bargain?) and we plan to get a cat and sail from FL to around the world. Eric loves all your maintenance tips and videos. We both love your humor and energy. We look forward to your many new videos. Thank you!
happytogether
Hi Eric and Ruth, Thanks so much for this wonderful comment. It makes our day that our videos make yours. Glad you are being motivated by them. We have lots more videos coming up and one you and Eric will especially like one called “you bought my boat” that has an interview you might find interesting from a friend who is buying a boat also in pre-retirement. Keep in touch and call or email with any questions. Randy & Lennie
Mark
Hilarious. Chris looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger, what the heck is he eating. Ha. Mark L
happytogether
Hi Mark, glad you watched it. Your our best fan and first fan maybe. I said hi to Chris for you! Randy
Owen
Love these videos! Just 2 years to go and we will be following in your footsteps. That code zero looks like a handful. Got to be a better way.
happytogether
Hi Owen, Glad you are enjoying them! Yes the code zero is tough but only to roll it in correctly. We have been trying with some different techniques but I think it just helps to have additional crew on board while messing with it. Lots more videos coming. Boat lying St. Lucia currently. BTW buy the boat before you retire. It takes time to outfit it.
Randy
Rob
Thanks so much Randy for going to all the trouble to shot and then upload these wonderfully fun videos. It’s especially wonderful to have videos of a modern, upscale catamaran similar to the one we are planning to purchase in Fort Lauderdale as soon as our home sells. If you ever make a video detailing some of the very special equipment you have onboard, that would be very well received!
I hope you get to the Grenada area before the real hurricane season begins in August–don’t want anything to happen to you two or your beautiful catamaran.Be sure to dive the Tobago Keys.
happytogether
Hi Rob, Glad you like the latest edition. Grenada trip is coming up. The boat is in St Lucia now. Cant wait to dive the Grenadines! Randy
Dan
Just a question from a relative newcomer. Could you set the code zero up like a spinnaker with a sock?
On another note, what’s your opinion on parasail as a downwind sail?
happytogether
Hi Dan, Code Zero’s don’t have socks because they are wrapped around the forestay and unfurled. A spinnaker and gennaker use socks along with parasailor. We have debated buying the parasailor for a while. Now that we are in the southern caribbean and heading to the west we may need one. I plan on spending some time at the annapolis show studying them and trying to go for a test sail. I will report my findings. Thanks for the question. Randy
Captain Christine
I am a huge fan of your videos. Love the music and the Rose celebrations. If you ever need an extra crew member for moving the “Happy Together”. I will make myself available. Keep those videos coming.
happytogether
Hi Christine! Thanks for watching. We love getting comments like this. Lots more to come (including Rose’) Where do you boat? Randy