Sunday, 13/04/2014. Chaguaramas, Trinidad. 10.40.75N 61.37.93W
Alcedo
David Batten
Fri 6 Jun 2014 11:48
We are sorry this is a rather late submission! Somehow in the rush
to lay up the boat it got lost.
Thursday, 10/04/2014. We managed to extract
ourselves successfully from our berth in Port Louis after clearing customs at
about 10.30 and had a good sail to Port Saline before the inevitable but quite
comfortable beat to Prickly Bay. Conditions were much more settled and the
bay much less crowded than the last time we visited it and we spent a pleasant
evening walking to the point before an early bed in preparation for a 5.00 am
start in the morning.
Friday, 11/04/2014. With the alarms set for 4.00 am,
we were off in good time and by 5.00 am, the engine was off, the sails set with
one reef in the main and a full genoa. After scrambled eggs for breakfast
and with the sun shining, we shook out the reef and were bowling along at 8 to
10 knots with the wind just forward of the beam, Alcedo’s favourite point of
sail. By 10.45 the rig “Hibiscus” which is the first one you come to
sailing from Grenada, was in sight and we were making excellent progress.
Things got a bit more hectic as we approached the north coast of Trinidad, with
a large tanker on a collision course that we had to give way to and some
exciting wind shifts in the narrow channel between Monos Island and
Trinidad. So exciting in fact, that Jane handed the helm over to David,
wisely as there was severe danger of an involuntary jibe and anyway, there were
masses of birds to look at and some very impressive scenery.
The impressive coast of Monos Island at the entrance of the channel and the
more benign coast on the Trinidad side with a yacht in Scotland Bay.
Arriving in Chaguaramas, we had more excitement getting on and off the
customs’ pontoon, as even though it was high water, we went aground both
getting to the pontoon and getting off the pontoon, to the extent that we had to
lift the keel to get away. Customs and Immigration was just a
question of filling in the correct forms in the correct numbers (they have a
plentiful supply of carbon paper much to Jane’s amusement). We enjoyed an
exchange on the merits of having a Toy Boy with the very friendly lady behind
the customs office desk. Documentation completed and after successfully
extracting ourselves from the mud, we negotiated the very difficult manoeuvre in
the tight space between the piles onto B pontoon. Not our finest hour,
with the Skipper determined to use the engine and the dockie determined to use
warps only and more than usual lack of communication between all the parties on
board. However, it was achieved with no damage and we had time to take
stock of Crews Inn and Chaguaramas Bay.
The rest of Friday, Saturday and Sunday has been spent getting to know our
way around Crews Inn, which has a very nice swimming pool and thriving bird
population and some of the yachting fraternity in Crews Inn. The
Skipper’s wife and Jane have also been bird watching early morning and late
afternoon, with great enjoyment as there is a flourishing parrot population,
tanagers, fly catchers, orioles, hummingbirds and thrushes, as well as numerous
vultures, pelicans and frigate birds.
A Blue/Grey Tanager in a papaya tree and one of the many Black Vultures in
the car park at Crews Inn.
Tropical Kingbird with a very large insect and one of the tracks behind the
boat yards which form part of the nature reserve at Chaguaramas.
Tomorrow we are going to the Asa Wright nature reserve in one of Jesse
James's taxis, for some serious bird watching. Skipper’s wife and Jane are
really looking forward to it, the Skipper is less enthusiastic!
Alcedo
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