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.
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