Adventure, fun and work in Trinidad

PHOTO link ——->> Trinidad for September

Introducing svAeeshah’s ships cat Chico:

We have a new crewmember his name is Chico. He was on FB in Trinidad, as he needed a home. He was lucky enough that two young men drove him and his littermates all the way to Peake’s where we were staying. We both think he is adorable
and of course that he can do no wrong. However Chico has tested us. When he first arrived we gave him a few days to get his ” boat legs” and learn his way around. When we were launched back into the water, the day after he arrived, a squall greeted us in the bay and so his sea legs were tested too.

Chico was very cautious to start off, but he soon adjusted to being on the water. After a few days he was allowed to explore the outside of the boat too, before we knew it he was bombing around, jumping all over, climbing the rigging and cockpit cover, exploring everywhere.

One day we had a little fish in the dingy so we introduced
him to fish. Chico adored the fish, so much so that he devoured half of the fish. That same day he tested our worth too. He disappeared inside the bowels of the boat. I had been on the computer, John was in the cockpit, upon my looking to see what Chico was up to, (as it had been quiet for a while) I heard a meow from within the inside of the inside of the boat’s cabin. The cupboard where the motor to the fridge is to be found was open and I just knew he had gone to investigate back in there the bowels of the boat. John and I were very distressed as there is only a very small opening and no way we could rescue him. Nancy and Dave our friends stopped by just then and came aboard to help in the search. However no Chico could be found, even though he was heard from within the depths of the bilges somewhere in the center of Aeeshah. We were very despondent and sad. We just had to leave him, as we had no way of reaching him or knowing where he was exactly.

We had a previous invitation to visit Alan and Claire on Moonstone for drinks. So we set off to Moonstone and had a wonderful evening, despite being very worried about our missing Chico. Upon returning we had hoped to find him on the top step waiting for us as he normally would, but that was not to be. He was not there, but we could once again hear a faint meow. We looked under the fridge motor and could see a little paw sticking out of a small 2 inch hole in the back of the cabinetry it was waving at us, so finally we knew where he was, but how were we to get him out. John had to remove, the doors, the shelves and cut and pull away part of the boat’s cabinetry in order for us to see his head. With that we encouraged him to put his head through the hole by enticing him with a tin of tuna. We then pulled the rest of his body and we birthed him through the hole. He was not even upset, he just purred and went off to play with his toys as if nothing had happened. By then it was 9:30 at night and we were quite shattered, but there had been a happy ending. Moral of the story was not to have any nooks and crannies available for exploring by a kitten.

So what have we been doing for the last several weeks……

Exploring:

After Ethan and Rhianna left we had just a few days before we were scheduled to be hauled. On the Saturday we went for a walk with a group of cruisers. The walk was through the hillsides around

Macqueripe parkland,

which is a part of Chaguramus too. We hiked along the ridge, down the bamboo trails and along the riverbed. It was very enjoyable plus we saw monkeys! One area was called the Cathedral due to the effect that the tall, green, brown bamboo had along the way it was just beautiful. The following Saturday we rode our bikes there and explored the trails which proved to be great fun. Actually we ride our bikes everywhere, to the grocery store, the
chandleries, other marinas and anywhere in Chagaramus we want to go.

We ventured into Port of Spain a few times.

It is quite an adventure to wander around and explore. There are dozens and dozens of shops all selling hundreds and hundreds of items in every nook and cranny imaginable. A building might look like one shop whereas inside there are dozens of shops all being different. There are street venders and hustlers; people busy everywhere, all types of eateries and choices of every imaginable food. I particularly like the old fashioned general stores where you can find anything you might be looking for. Port of Spain is very diverse as there are Trinidadians who were originally from India and China, having been brought in as indentured servants. Plus with the African slaves, British and Spanish explorers and Native South Americans that arrived have made an incredible mix when it comes to any area of Trinidad.

On the hard, Peakes Marina:

We had chosen to be hauled at Peake Marina/boatyard. For us it looked to be the safest travel lift, most
efficient and the cleanest yard as we intended to live on the boat while up. Being hauled was quite amazing as they used the regular travel lift, did the regular power wash of the bottom, but then there was a remote controlled trolley that the boat was transferred to. This was operated by probably the best operator ever as he was able to move Aeeshah into a spot where there was literally just over a foot between our neighbors and us. There we set up home for the 3 weeks it took to get everything completed. We had reserved an AC, which went into the cockpit and shot cooled air below and made the boat very comfortable. Our neighbors Claire and Alan on Moonstone didn’t have one and I really don’t know how they survived what with the mosquitoes and the heat.

What work was done?

Our main concern was the rudder. It had been seen to in Turks and Cacios as it had become loosened due to the heavy seas. John however had noticed for sometime since then those things did not look or feel right. He feared that the rudder was not safe. Plus when heading downwind in heavy seas we would get
sea water in the stern cabin and head, so something was not right.

Our project manager and rudder expert Graham from Dynamite Marine felt the rudder by trying to shift it. He said, ” there’s not much wrong here mate, you really could leave it as is for now” but John knew it was not right so it was decided to go ahead and drop the rudder and check the bushings/ bearings. Also John wanted the stuffing box repaired and new seals on all. So they dropped the rudder and started to take the whole mechanism/area apart. Well everyone was utterly shocked by what was found. The guys in
Turks and Caicos had not used fiberglass and proper materials on the previous repair, they had used epoxy, which had not cured/hardened, it was soft! So in effect the rudder was not held in place and was moving around within its stock/bearing. Even the bearing was found to be shifting around, as it too was not held in place, as it should have been. This was the worse job that the men

at Peakes had ever seen, and they said they have seen some real botch up jobs. Even the owner of Dynamite came to have a look, as it was so unbelievable!

It turned into a major job,

everything around the rudder had to be replaced. 1st they removed all the old
mess, and then they meticulously made and built up a new area for the rudder to “live in”. The work was exceptional! There were 2 Trinidadian fellows who worked for many hours to perfect the job ….. Thank you Curtis and Abdul. The mechanic who came to work on the shaft and stuffing box, plus to check the engine mounts was also excellent, his workmanship the best we had seen.

Meanwhile

John cleaned the bottom and repainted. Bryan another Trinny, cleaned and waxed the sides and I repaired

the dingy chaps/cover. We both cleaned up and did general work on both the boat and dinghy. We had Chris a fiberglass entrepreneur come and fit us for a new hard top to replace the canvas/sunbrella Bimini. Chris had made a hardtop for our friends on Faulkes and we thought it was just the perfect top. He fitted the sheet of fiberglass, did all the cutting to shape, laid a layer of glass and some hours later when it was dry took it to his workshop. Overall our stay at Peakes was excellent. I would highly recommend the boatyard and all the workers. It was far better than our time up in Grenada Marine last season.

When we were back in the water at TTSA Chris came with the finished hardtop at 6am. We went along side, (the dock), and he and John fitted it on. Then John and I started the whole process of fitting the supports, sea track and covers. (Lots of tricky finicky work) but it looks amazing!

Taste of Trinny with Jessie James:

Our main trip out was a day spent with Jesse James and 8 other cruisers: Jeff & Kate off Mesa Luna, Jo and Greg off of Serenade, Anders of off Tacoma, Bill and Patty of off Anna Lee and Carol off of Dancia on the Taste of Trinidad.

This day trip is famous with all cruisers that venture south to Trinny. It takes you from Chagaramus in western Trinny eastward on the eastern main road through Sangre Grande onto Upper and Lower Manzanilla. You then head south along the Manzanilla Mayaro road with the beautiful Atlantic coastline to your left and the Marina Swamp on your right to Mayaro. From there you head west to Rio Claro towards the Solomon highway where you head towards Port of Spain and
finally back to Chagaramus.

We started at 9am, being picked up at TTSA where we were served: 1 Sandwich and 2 Roast Bake with stuffing this was as soon as we entered the air-conditioned mini van. From there the food stops continued throughout the 11 & 1/2 hours we spent on the tour. The record had previously been 80 something foods consumed. Our tour mates were determined to beat this total, which we did with, an amazing 99 foods consumed by everyone.

And they were:

Sandwich with
Black herring
Roast bake with
Salt fish
Coconut bake and
Bread mix
Pies with spicy potato filling and
Spinach/Calahoo on top
Doubles with channa, (chick peas)
Fried bake with cabbage, carrots, onions and tomatoes
Deep fried Plantain
Pie with “cheese” filling
Sadha Roti
Bochoi & orca mixed fry
Bodi (type of bean)
Savory pumpkin
Coocoo (cornmeal spinach mix)
Beef pie and Tamarind sauce
Cow heel soup with potato and dumps, (dumplings)
Honey roasted peanuts
Salt nuts
A Purtugal (small citrus like tangerine)
Star fruit
Baiganee, (eggplant mix)
Kachourie (chickpeas)
Sahiena, (dasheen leaves (spinach) & split peas)
Fried dry fish (bait fish fried whole eaten whole)
Barbecue pigtail
Macaroni pie
Butter fried cassava
Pelau rice (poor man’s rice)
Spinach/calahoo rice
Dumpling
Stewed chicken
Mauby drink
Series – red cherry fruit
Chennet – yellow berry/ fruit
Plumb – green berry/fruit
Brazil nut – (UFO shaped large pod that encloses the Brazil nut)
Sugar apples
Silk bananas
Rambutan (fruit) sapa kaya
Chicito bananas (fig bananas)
Peanut punch drink
Yellow watermelon (pumpkin and watermelon cross)
Pommeceteye fruit (golden apple)
Sweet potato
Boiled plantain
Curried duck
Curried mango
Curry shrimp
Callaloo
Stewed pork
Bust up roti
Dhall roti
Curry goat
Curry potatoes
Crab (mangrove/swamp crabs)
Sorrel drink
Sour sap and linseed drink
Sea moss and linseed drink
Red watermelon
Roasted corn
Phulourie (ground chickpeas or split peas)
Tamarind ball (a sweet)
Sugar cake (coconut sugar)
Nachar – mango
Coconut tart
Coconut finger
Sweet bread
Pone (cassava & pumpkin mix)
Drops (coconut)
Kurma (Indian sweet)
Bread pudding
Goolab jamoon (Indian sweet)
Toolum (coconut molasses) only found in Trinidad
Sweet red mango preserve
Hot pepper cherry preserve
Cutters in pepper sauce (roast pork)
Sour sap
Coca fruit – picked in dark off the tree
Mangosteen (fruit)
Barbecue chicken Trinny style
Jerk pork
Jerk chicken
Lentils
Festive rice
Pickled spicy cucumber salad
Cinnamon fried plantain
Grilled fish
Macaroni salad
Green fig salad
Barbecue pork
Barbecue lamb
Orange pineapple juice
Coconut water
Passion fruit juice
Paradise punch
Ice cream – either coconut, or pistachio, or peanut

Jessie stopped at dozen of little eateries, stalls and roadside booths as we drove along. All the foods

were Trinidadian, home made and mainly what is referred to as street food. While driving Jessie entertained us with stories, jokes, facts of interest and history of Trinidad. He is a fellow with a tremendous zest for life and people, a real ambassador of Trinidad. It was a very different type of trip, one where you definitely get to see, hear about, taste and enjoy Trinidad in a way most visitors never experience.

Bart’s Bash:

small video click there—>>04 Barts Bash – Small

Shortly after getting back into the water were encouraged to enter Bart’s Bash, which was to be a worldwide race. The race was the first of its kind, a worldwide race held with the Guinness Book of records in mind and to commemorate the Andy (Bart), Simpson who was killed when training for Americas Cup when the vessel he was on capsized. The Foundation set up in his name; inspired by the way he lived his life and determined to achieve great things as his legacy. http://andrewsimpsonfoundation.co.uk/

Over 16,000 boats, at last count, entered the race. There was a set course for all classes and judged on the boats place and handicap.

We were very apprehensive, as never having raced plus we were sort of arm twisted into it by friends. We had another couple we knew Sue and Malcolm invited onboard sooo we went for it. Believe it or not, there were 42 entries of all classes from optimists to a 57-foot Bowman ketch sailed by 2 sailing instructors, and with all the competition we were the 1st cruising boat, 10th overall out of 42 boats over the line that put us at 21st place with our handicap, really very good we think. (Plus we were fully laden – water tanks and fuel full, fully stocked). Oh and the conditions were veritable winds 10 – 18 with showers and we made 6+ knots at times.

Now our “crew” Malcolm turned out to be a fellow who sailed in the BT Round the World Race, he was the navigator and weather forecaster for them.
Malcolm was a real winner, as he really knows his stuff. So John was at helm, Malcolm working the winches, trimming sails, giving advice and tweaking everything, I was helping with winches on tacks and jibes by letting go the lines, Sue was camera, video and lookout, she too did a superb job!. We did have a few close calls, at least it seemed like it to Sue and me. All went really well and all who entered had lots of fun. After the race there was a steel band – pan band – Calypso singers and dancing, food and drinks at the bar along with a prize giving.

Independence Day

was the last day in August and we went with a group of eight other cruisers to a

pan band performance by the Starlift Steel Orchestra.

The mini van dropped us of at 10:00 am and we were a bit dismayed to find we would be waiting until noon for the 1st performance to begin. However we were given breakfast, which was a real Trinny, breakfast: bake, saltfish, watermelon and a soup, either cowheel or corn soup.

The 1st performance was by the junior members of the Starlift Steel Orchestra (aka pan band). It was excellent! The lunch was then available, not many felt hungry after the breakfast. The other performers continued through the afternoon with calypso singers and 2 more pan band performances. At one stage an older gentleman who had been liming, dancing to all the music “dragged” me up in front to dance with him. So I had the opportunity to learn how to dance pan band style too.

The show was rounded up by the main group of Starlift Steel Orchestra playing the classics. They were brilliant! It is especially great to watch as you can actually walk around the band as they play. You find that every area and group sounds different. How they learn to play all the tunes and then come together as a large group is just incredible. Everyone plays by sound; there is no sheet music. Some groups number over 100 players.

Republic Day

was another holiday that was celebrated at the end of the month. That particular night the bay reverberated with the sounds coming from the club O2. The fun started at 11pm and ended at 6:30am. It was loud enough that even out in the bay in our cabin there were vibrations. Very little sleep was had that night and then to top it off one of the many party boats came through at 7am in full swing. In Trinidad a party is a full weekend deal. Their form of “mass” or “Sunday school” is to party from Saturday to Sunday all through the night. I really do not know how they do it.

John’s Birthday

came, we hadn’t organized anything and were really surprised when Dave and Nancy invited us on board
and had Randy, Bert and April too in order to have some Birthday drinks and treats. Nancy had even baked a cake for John, very sweet of her. We had a lovely evening.

One night,

rather early morning at 4:30ish we were awakened by a wind slamming into the anchorage. This wind just roared through the bay – highest gust being 52knotts but it was steady in the 40s for a good hour. The seas rose with the wind and waves were pounding through making the boat pitch and even heel over at times.

We scrambled to secure our shade covers, engine into the winds to keep the boat steady and look out for other boats that had dragged their moorings. It was really quite scary. Thank goodness we always pull the dingy up at night and leave most things put away. We were fortunate that nobody hit us and that we did not drag.

Other boats were not so fortunate, some were holed, several beached on the shore, many damaged. Even the huge party boats had blown off their moorings, and the coast guard appeared to have suffered damage too. On the land trees were down, there was flooding and power outages.

We were very fortunate!