Life in Trinidad + 360 Degree Photos of Chaguaramas
Aurora_b
Mike and Liz Downing
Sat 12 Sep 2009 02:30
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Most of our days are geared around boat work, as
there's a lot we want to do and time is just flying past. Everyone here is the
same, all trying to get all their jobs done so they don't have any serious
work to do when they leave after the hurricane season. In the heat
things take a lot longer and then, if outside, everything stops when it
rains, and boy does it rain - you can't hear yourself speak as the rain is so
loud. But we do go up for a swim at the pool, go to pot luck suppers (take a
dish to eat and a dish to share) with other cruisers here and on Sunday it's
dominoes by the pool! We never thought we would play dominoes, but tried it 3
weeks ago and have played each week since. They play a variety called Mexican
trains which goes up to double 12. About 20 people play on 4 tables and it takes
about 3 hours to complete. The winner is announced on the cruisers' net on
Monday morning. Liz won last week, so is even more keen. It's a good bit of fun
on a Sunday, when most people try and take it easy. There is a weekly trip to
Movie Towne in Port of Spain. It's a modern, 10 screen cinema just like home.
We've only been once so far to see Harry Potter. There Are trips we want to do
to see the wildlife here, particularly the birds, but they are better later in
September.
The weather has settled into a standard pattern of fine
mornings (blue sky and sun) followed by cloud and heavy tropical rain just after
lunch. It clears up by mid afternoon and the evenings are fine. There is rarely
any wind at all. This pattern changes when we have a tropical
depression/storm/hurricane going through to the north, the weather here then
improves and when the last tropical storm went trough (Erika), we had
4 beautiful days without any rain, cloud cover or wind. It was so hot, even the
teak deck was too hot to walk on without shoes. It also changes when the
doldrums come close, when we have tropical rain most of the day. The doldrums
are where the winds of the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere meet. Its
formal name is the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and it ranges from
about 12 degrees either side of the equator depending on the time of year. We
are about 10 degrees north of the equator and it's been north and
south of us, which is fine, but every so often it has been right on
top of us - not good!
On Wednesday it was time for an overdue trip up the mast to
check for any problems and unfortunately I found one. The fitting holding the
working (inner) genoa was under too much strain and starting to give
way. Luckily it has been possible to get it fixed with the mast still up, but
both of the 2 forestays that we have had to be removed to do it. It was an
unplanned job that took all day to put right. But while up the mast I took some pictures of the surrounding scenery. So if
you wondered what Chaguaramas (which is where we are) looks like, these
will help. It's a 360 degree tour going anticlockwise - starting by looking
north west.
 The bigger boats on the far side are the local
fishing fleet - long liners that spend days/week out in the
Atlantic.
Rain forest surrounds the cove and squawking parrots
(100 or more) fly over us each morning from their roosting site to
the forest and back again in the evening. Flocks of vultures and
frigate birds ride on the thermals over the bay and pelicans fly low over
the water from one post to another.
 95% of all the masts are boats on the hard. Loads
of boats, but most of the people have flown home.
 Top left - they fix oil rigs here. There is a huge
one out in the bay (not visible from where we are).
   The marina is part of this hotel, so we can use
the pool and all the other facilities of the hotel.
 The restaurant over looking the cove -
the lighthouse does show a light at night, but it's for show and not a nav
aid.
 Aurora B, with Liz under the parasol (umbrella!).
Like most boats here we have a sun reflecting cover over the boom and an air
conditioning unit over the hatch.
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