Lyn's Log, 18th June 2006
Trinidad, part 1

Chaguramas, Trinidad.
N10º41', W61º38'
10,719 miles.

After the dentist pulled the tooth, we checked out of Tobago and returned to Store Bay early afternoon for a last swim. At 10 p.m. we set out to Trinidad to arrive well off any dangers by dawn. We made our way round the northwest point into Chagaramas Bay during the morning and were taken aback by the sheer numbers of boats. We hadn’t seen so many boats in one place for a long time. The anchorage (pic) was now full of mooring buoys and all were occupied. On the seaward edge some yachts were at anchor and we joined them. It was a long row to get ashore.

Immigration and Customs had to be revisited even though Trinidad and Tobago are one country, but were very quick, only requiring a look at the papers from Tobago. We then visited the boat yard we hoped to lay up in and found it was a national holiday so we could do nothing until the next day. That seemed to happen regularly during our stay in Trinidad. Chaguramas in the northwest of Trinidad is an enormous complex devoting to yachting, the largest in the Caribbean. There are around ten boat yards. They mostly have small mooring pontoons for a few yachts, but huge yards covered with boats laid up. It is rather like the Hamble on dry land. The yards have chandleries and workshops of all kinds, internet cafes, restaurants and a couple of food stores.

Coral Cove yard, to which we had been recommended, insisted they had no room despite appearances, so we made our way to Peakes Yacht Services. Here they were more accommodating and even had a lift-out for us for the following day. Their prices looked pretty similar to Coral Cove but there are no cooking facilities or swimming pool as at Coral Cove. The location is quite good though. The food store is in the next boat yard, Power Boats, and next to that is the large Budget Marine chandlers. The maxi-taxis to the town of Port-of-Spain outside. There is free wi-fi at the restaurant on site where almost every day we sit on the verandah with a cold drink checking emails etc. We have had bad reception with Skype, so we bought a local SIM card in Tobago and it is much cheaper to use this for England than the world-roaming card we usually use, but text messages are still the cheapest! There are literally thousands of boats laid up here but not many are occupied. People very quickly fly home for many months. Maybe that is why there are so few toilets and showers, and they are not always very clean. We do not know if we will be able to get small jobs done for us, such as some welding, as they seem only interested in the major jobs they have for absent owners. We can't refill our gas bottles as there is said to be a strike at the depot, and no-one will tell us where this is as the yards make a handsome profit for sending them out for you. The yacht has been stored at the back of the yard under a powerful night-time security light (which someone said just helps would-be thieves), next to a large mango tree which is providing us with more small but sweet juicy fruit than we can eat. There is 110 and 240 volt power and water to hand, so ice-cold water, fruit juice, etc. from our on-board fridge is no problem. Our plumbing ashore though is tricky, and we have to rely on a Porta-Potti if we can't face the walk to the communal toilet.

We have started tackling some rusty areas aboard and repainted the cockpit, but most of the work will be done on our return from England. If we replace all our deck hatches we may feel the need to rent one of the rooms. I am now looking forward to a break seeing everyone again back in England when we return on 22nd June.