Goodbye Trinidad----Trinidad Customs Incredibly Obliging

Oct. 30th. Thursday. We are hoping to leave Trinidad on Saturday around 0400hours. We went to the Customs office today to confirm the correct procedure to check out at such an early hour. We mentioned to the officer three other boats would be leaving at the same time. The Customs Officer was excellent. He explained we could check out of Immigration 24 hours in advance and recommended we go to Immigration on Friday before 1800hours. He then went on to explain that because of our early hour departure that we could in fact come up to Customs at 2100hours on Friday evening. We were delighted with this news as normal procedures in the past would have us checking out one hour before departure which would be 0300hours and we would have difficulty getting our duty free wine and spirit supplies. The one request the Customs Officer made was that we ask all the other boats that would be checking out at the same time as us to please go see him personally.

So off we went, first down to the Duty Free shop with the good news that we could now check out the night before. This would work out much better for owner too. She agreed to stay open until we all cleared customs. Next we were off to tell Voyageur C, Rum Runner and Half Moon the good news.

Nov. 1st. 0400hours and we’re up, coffee on and we’re stowing away the last bits and pieces. We paid the power bill with our last TT’s.

0500hrs. Carol, Nicole and Michael are up to help us with lines and to say Bon Voyage. What great friends we have made. Now we are just waiting for a bit more light and we’re on our way.

Ash getting top-side organized.

By 0715 we’re sailing out at 7.2 knots---fabulous!!
But by 0800hrs we’ve slowed right down so we have decided to motor sail. Running the engine at 2400 RPM we’re now doing 9 knots because of the current. “AUTO” is on and what a treat…

0950hrs. We’re off Hibiscus. AUTO continues to be his reliable confident self.
1410hrs and we have a school of dolphins keeping us company. Ash took a couple of great pictures that I will try and add.

1500hrs. 12 miles to go..We’ve really made good head way.
By 1645hrs. We are anchored in Prickly Bay. 11*59.822
61*45.858 in 31.3 feet of water.
It’s rolly so Ash and Rand have put out our stern anchor. The trip only took 11 hours.

We are watching Half Moon come into the bay under sail as they have no auxiliary power. 085,086.. Very impressive job.
.

October in Trinidad

Oct. 3 Angostura..Have you heard of Angostura aromatic Bitters??
We finally managed to get to see the site of where the bitters are made. Angostura Bitters are made only in Trinidad and are shipped all over the world. The aromatic bitters were formulated by
Dr. J.G.B. Siegert back in 1824 in a town in Venezuela called Angostura originally for medicinal purposes. This truck is full of dark molasses.

To-day Bitters is added to drinks such as a Shanghai and Rum Drinks. We met a local lady who swore that Angostura Bitters was the best “tonic” in a few ounces of warm water for an upset stomach.

Hand painting of bottles.

This section full of kegs. Kegs of Rum..

We in fact could not take pictures in the Bitters section of the plant. Our only dissappointment was that we could not try more of the nicer rums in the tasting factory. We did not want to take a chance and buy something we were not sure of.

Oct. 6th. Saying good bye to our neighbours on Wasabi/Brian and Isabella are heading West.

Oct. 7th Congratulations to our Canadian Team at the Pan American Female Boxing Championships hosted here in Trinidad. We went to watch the finals Tuesday to support the Canadian Team. Three of our girls were in finals and they all won gold metals..
Congratulations to:
Many Bujold 50Kg. Katie Duncan 63kg. and Mary Spencer 66kg. Jennifer Mc Connell in the 60kg won Bronze.

If you really want to know what we have been doing, our” to do” list is diminishing… We have:
* remade awning and put back up
*washed boat
*varnished teak
*changed anchors
*change engine oil
*changed anti-freeze
*replaced oil filters
*polished stainless
*finished dodger
*made cockpit screens
*ordered and had installed our third crew member “AUTO”
*ordered and had installed stack pack
*installed lazy jacks
*organize back berths to get ready for company
*clean cabin sole
*clean and oil interior walls
*take stove apart and thoroughly clean
*fix head vents
*repair window trim
*fuel additive
*wire in for Auto Pilot
*repair main sail
*re-wire microwave
*fix reef lines
*replace main halyard
*check batteries
*caulk cap rail
*fix dinghy
*fix head door
*repair water leaks in water tanks
*check air connectors
*put stainless from dodger to bimini
*replace flag line
*change mast light
*make hatch curtains
*make hull port light curtains
*add two vent holes in fridge
*replace gasket material in cockpit seats
*fix waste intake
*check batteries
*check solar panels
*test main sail---ease of lowering with new lines
*impeller on Merc
*make lid for ice freezer
*check all air connectors and clean

I am exhausted just making the list…..but as you can see we have been busy.

Oct. 13th Celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving
Bill and Leona

Rodney showing us cruisers the correct way to light charcoal.

Mike and Leona

I had to wear my Victoria, Canada shirt.

Oct. 16th Testing out our new “crew member” "AUTO". Kathy and Kerry came along with Dennis from Goodwood Marine (the company that did the installation.) What a fabulous day. It felt so good getting out on the water. Dennis said if we could have a compass variance of no more than 15 degrees we would be doing well. Our variance came in at 3 degrees….Fabulous!!!

One of the small islands off Chaguaramus.

Oct. 19th.
And a hiking we will go.
Kathy and Leona.

Beautiful long bamboo which made an archway along one of the trails.

October 22 Enjoying poolside….one of the benefits of Cruise Inn.

Randy with Jay and Jennifer

Our neighbours Nicole and Michael (across the dock) and Dave (beside us)

Teri and I.

We have met the owner of the Duty Free Shop and mentioned we had received her flier advertising the great Duty Free Prices. We explained that we would love nothing more than to give her our business before we leave Trinidad and wondered how we could with us planning to leave in a couple of weeks very early in the morning. We also mentioned probably three or four other boats would be leaving at the same time and also wanted to make purchases. She said yes, business was really slow this year and she was suffering. We asked if there was enough boats would she be interested in coming in early to fill our orders. Her question: “How early and how much is everyone willing to buy??”.. We said real early and we would all make it worth her while.
Oct. 23rd. Finally our new mattress foam arrived.

This is the fabric we purchased to cover the foam.

Oct. 24th.. Exercise time at the pool. 0800 hours, right after the net, three times a week.

Oct. 28th ASH HAS ARRIVED.
Ash has barely arrived and we have already put him to work helping Kathy & Kerry put the rudder back on Bellagio.

Then we hike down to see Taima and Phoenix III. The guys are always checking out hydro poles…This one has been hit twice in the last few days .

And then in the evening we went on Jesse's tour for Divali .

Celebration of Light

First we go into a temple.

We are entertained with drums.

This dancer did a number of dances in elaborate costumes.

And then we experienced the local food.

Vegetarian dishes that were delicious.

Lastly we walked the long street that was lit up with small dishes filled with oil.

Oct. 30th. This is one reason why we did not leave today.

Ash on water taxi.