Week ending 28 October 2007
Monday
Today we went into Port of Spain for a few last minute bits, I did not
really need anything. Jimmy came in
to join us after lunch and so I gave him the quick tour and we were much later
back than usual, but the traffic was not any worse.
Tuesday
I
went to the vet with Mike and Ricki, she was pleased to see me, but I don’t
think it upset her. It maintains a
bit of consistency. We are like a
divorced couple, being nice because of the child.
I
am still trying to get the top off the diesel tank, Jimmy tried brute force with
a hammer and a punch, but got nowhere.
Brio had charged up his drill and so we drilled two holes which did not
work with the tool I had made up, but I think the principle is on the right
track. I gave Mike the angle
grinder and in there is a tool that might be strong enough, he is going to drop
it off before 7 in the morning and I can try that; although it might mean
drilling more holes. It is
difficult to imagine how ths filler cap can be so stuck. I am trying not to remove the entire
fitting at this point in time as it will not come up easily and is right down
there with the water. I still have
options.
I
did run the engine for an hour from the 2nd tank and the fuel that
goes in but is not used up drops back into the 1st tank, so I can
fill it that way and then fill the 2nd tank before I
leave.
Non
Linear have joined us on the anchorage and when the wind picked up John got on
the radio to check on his boat. One
minute everything was fine and the next the boat with no mast was heading
straight for the side. I did not
want to worry John as he would not get there in time, but I advised him to come
back. I phoned Bluewater Cat and
Jimmy got in his fast dinghy to put out some fenders. The boat was well out of the way by the
time John got back, but soon came heading straight for him again and Jimmy held
the other boat off while John took the anchor up and moved forward a few metres;
no damage was done.
The
abandoned boat is a real nuisance as it moves completely differently to real
boats with masts and windage. There
followed the usual discussions on how much chain to put out and where people put
out 200 feet and take up too much room when they swing. I did not like to say that I had 185
feet out and was going to continue to do so after last week when the boat took
itself for a ride. The boats either
side of me have the same view on plenty of chain and so we have no problems and
are happily swinging without bothering anyone.
Wednesday
Today I received my parcel from Steve with a guide of the islands, that
is all I was waiting for and I will leave the anchorage tomorrow, my fees run
out tomorrow. I will fill up with
diesel and get some petrol for the outboard, I might put it on the dinghy one
day.
Bluewater Cat and Cheetah 2 are heading out today to Scotland Bay or
Chacachacare and then off to the river.
I only have to find out when Good Time Charlie is planning on going and
then I can sort myself out. I have
to attend my visa extension interview next Tuesday or sign out of Trinidad
before then.
Thursday
My
month at TTSA is over and I set off for Chaguaramas Bay. My anchor shackle jammed sideways and I
could not get the anchor up, so had to leave it dangling all the way round. Mike came over and helped me onto a
mooring and put the shackle straight.
I have not looked at the bow, but it is only gelcoat and I should
probably consider having a stainless steel cap made for the front of the boat to
take this kind of knock.
I
gave away the TV/DVD as I do not have the room or the power supply for
it.
Mike was determined to get
the filler cap off and he brought his generator over and we drilled
through the cap and tapped the holes and put in bolts. A crowbar on the bolts would not budge
them and so I got out the 4lb hammer and a cold chisel and with a lot of force
the bolts bent, but the top moved.
I got the top from the water tank on the bow and put it in the diesel
fitting. We cleaned up the threads
of the battered top and with new short bolts it is in the water fitting. The water fitting is under the anchor
locker lid and so it is protected and I can open it by hand using the
bolts. So that was a very good
job. We got two lots of diesel, 60
litres each time, and I filtered it into the tanks. I have two jerry cans full under the
saloon table and one partly full on the platform under the helm seat. 120 litres of fuel for about £15,
including a gallon of petrol for the outboard. If I had waited until after I had checked
out then I could have got the fuel Duty Free, but the saving is not really
significant at these prices.
I
went to poker and was back on the boat and settled down at 9.30. By 11.30 I had to get up and check the
boat.
Friday
There followed nearly 12 hours of bad weather. 5 foot waves in the bay, lots of boats
rolling and pitching and some getting very close. Some boats left by choice and others
because they could not risk staying.
Big boats left the side pontoon at Crews Inn and one 52 footer smacked
the dock and nearly sank in Power Boats.
I did manage to put out an extra rope onto the mooring buoy and have
taken it back to my mid cleats in the hope that it will help. Luckily I have a good stomach for this
and managed to eat as I was very hungry.
Bob
came in from Scotland Bay just before lunch and Mike and I helped him onto the
dock at Peakes. We will be delayed
a few days by this weather, so maybe I will check out on Monday. The weather did calm down in the
afternoon.
Saturday
Still the swell gets up and it is extremely rolly. I did a small amount of washing and used
up half my extra water supply and so took the bottles to fill up at the dock.
I checked on Bob and he had
computer problems. The computer
needed sorting, but he was feeling stressed that he was not getting on with his
boat preparations, so we took the computer to the wi fi spot where I could work
on it.
Bob
went off to do stuff and I was left to play with his new laptop. It took me 2 to 3 hours to sort the
laptop. It is Vista and I
downloaded and installed 29 Windows updates and 1 for the wi fi adapter that
would not work with Vista. A few
bits of tidying up and I was done. I still need to get his mail onto Windows
Mail so that he can go through it when not online, but that can wait until
another day.
I
got the water back to the boat, high tide is well over normal levels and the
swell started again.
Sunday
Took the three dogs for a ramble with Mike, still trying to decide what
to do with Ricki. I do not get any
sleep thinking it round and round. Is it fair to keep her on the boat all
the time, realistically will I be able to get her ashore all the time even if
she is micro chipped. We think the
best solution is to ask the Rescue Shelter to find her an adoptive home on land,
we will ask the vet when she goes for her next shots.
This morning we were told that one of the maxi drivers was attacked on
his way home yesterday and is in the hospital and may lose 3 of his
fingers. He is the second local
that we know who has been attacked, on top of the yachties. It is a very bad situation here. The elections are very soon, will the
next government make a difference?
I
am making some chelsea buns for a change, before setting off for dominoes. I shall be going by dinghy now that I am
on this side of the bay.
