Friday, 9 March 2007 - TRINIDAD
I
was going to arrive just as customs and immigration were closing for lunch, so I
slowed down along the bay. I tied
up to the customs pontoon and turned the engine off at 13:00 exactly. I did not want to be there long as the
pontoon was fixed and my stanchions were in danger of being swept under and
damaged as the tide went up and down.
The
European islands use Euros and are metric, I have to admit that this is now what
I am used to, they also use pre-carbonated minimal info forms and do not make a
fuss. The other islands, mainly
ex-British, have their own currency, but quote in US$. You hand over US$ or their own currency
and get change in their currency, at an exchange rate that is good for
them. They make more of a deal out
of the paperwork and still use carbon paper, which I thought went out in the
early 70s. This should be the last
check in for several months.
Then I went and anchored.
While the engine was warm I changed the oil and the filter and the
reverse gear oil. I was too tired
to do that really, but apart from making a big mess and spilling a fair bit of
new oil I am glad that was done.
Saturday, 10 March 2007
Chaguaramas has a Cruiser Net and I announced my arrival to the local
world of boaters and asked about haul outs. After the Net I was back on the radio to
one of the boats. Mike came in on
the discussion and offered to take me in, this saved me getting the dinghy
down. I decided to go on the dock
as my batteries really needed sorting out.
Mike had his dinghy so he tied my bow rope to the buoy and then I just
had to spin the boat round and rope up stern to the pontoon. The pontoon is fixed and high. The dock guy asked me, quite nicely, to
tighten up the bow rope, but I explained that I was tired and warned him that I
was going to kill him, tear his liver out and eat it if he did not give me a bit
of time to get myself sorted.
Having got myself off the customs dock I needed to change the ropes
around. I had to swap the rope on
the buoy for one that reached there and back so that I could have both ends on
the boat. A passing dinghy did this
for me. Then I was able to sort the
shore ropes. I had to give a 300$
deposit on the shorepower plug, American type. I checked my battery charger is ok on 50
or 60 Hz and the electrician attached the plug and I have mains electricity for
the first time in ages. I had to
launch the dinghy and row over to the dinghy park to get on and off the boat as
I cannot climb up onto the dock– which is a bit of an effort just to turn the
tap on and off, so I leave it on with the spray end turned off.
Mike came back and invited me to go and meet some friends of his that
were anchored round the corner and soon off to Patagonia. I had an hour to get sorted. In that time I also had to catch an
adrift dinghy, because someone shouted from the balcony of the restaurant, but
nobody came to get it. I lent an
oar to someone to row it back across.
I threw everthing back in the locker and the boat and went off.
Mike has two dogs, they seemed to like me, and a cat – enough said. We motored round the corner and there
was nobody there. We changed to a
different anchorage, I think that was my fault, but it looked a bit scary. Instead we had one with half submerged
wrecks that were going to creak all night, but at least I could see other yachts
moored over the other side of the water and it did not feel quite so odd. Some guys got dropped off by boat and
were having a bit of a party all night.
I certainly would not have anchored there, but the dogs made it ok.
Sunday, 11 March 2007
Spent the day at anchor on Loralae.
Slow Dancing, Beth and Richard, came over by dinghy to tell us about the
Dragon Boat racing next Sunday.
Mike wanted to be shown how to use his sewing machine. It is a very old, manual, but has a good
feel. There was an awning that
needed hemming and the attachment tapes sewn on, I ended up doing this, but I am
sure Mike learnt a lot by watching.
Monday, 12 March 2007
We
got back to our anchorage in the morning.
The people we had gone to meet were in this anchorage. They must have arrived just before we
departed, they said the wind had picked up out there.
Tuesday. 13 March 2007
Motivated myself to take the sails down. The main looks fine, but the genoa needs
most of the stitching redone. I
noticed the mast gap narrows at the spreaders, this may be why I am having
trouble winching it out. I must get
the rigger to look at it, I am going to ask about mast steps and a rigging check
at the same time.
Wednesday, 14 March 2007
I
went on the shopping trip. I had to
find out where to catch the minibus, and make sure I was on the right one. There were two buses picking up at the
same time from the same places, one went to the cash and carry store and the
other was going to Port of Spain town centre. I went from the marina to the security
gate and then was told to go and stand under The Tree. The bus went past me to the security
gate, but the other bus phoned them and said where I was. We were given a map with highlighted
spots. If went up the street
highlighted in brown we were to hold on to everything we had. If we went East of that street then
nobody would be responsible for whatever might happen to us. It was mainly a fabric trip. The material selection here is extensive
and not expensive. There was
nothing I was looking for and Michelle and I took a long lunch. I did buy some Cadburys chocolate,
including Cream Eggs and Mini Eggs, it is Easter soon. I bought a new pair of sunglasses,
400 UV and Polarised for about £15.
I also bought some fruit, now that I can use the juicer and blender as I
have shorepower. Then we headed for
the pick up point where I had a donut and a chilled coffee, it was lovely, but
the air conditioning made me a bit cold.
I cannot see that Trinidad is worse than a lot of places, but this was my
first trip out.
Ken
and Michelle came over and had tea and cake and he answered my battery
query. No surprises, the setting is
ok, but I need new service batteries and should consider putting in more if I
can charge them. They are going up
the Orinoco soon.
Some large boats have long enough passarelles to reach, but the dock is
very rolly and other people have now resorted to using the
dinghy.
Having taken the sails out the rolling is causing the furling gear to
rattle in the mast. The noise is
amplified inside and I had to move into the aft cabin and use earplugs to get
any sleep. I knew this would annoy
the neighbours. The next night at
19:30 the S African broke down first and asked if I could do something about the
mast noise. Unfortuntely not, but I
will go and see the rigger in the morning and see if he has any ideas as I need
to ask him other things as well.
Thursday, 15 March 2007
I
finished servicing the engine, the fuel and pre-fuel filters and flushing out
the heat exchanger. Then I tidied
up the mess. I am so pleased with
myself when I have finished, now that I know that I can do it. If I win the lottery I may feel duty
bound to redistribute the wealth and let someone else do it; I must buy a ticket
sometime.
Then I checked the batteries, following Steve s instructions. The service batteries are ok on
shorepower, but they do not have a green light and I am sure they will be
replaced before I leave with the boat.
The engine battery was ok and the reading went up when I turned the
engine on. I had to put it in gear
to get the revvs up, I must see to that throttle cable sometime. This infers that not only is the
alternator working, but I have put the engine back together properly. I have slightly overfilled the coolant,
but I will drain some off when I get back if it has not evaporated in this
heat.
Then it was time to have another attempt to make the watermaker work
through the proper plumbing with the seacock and the seawater filter. I seemed to have accessed every locker
to get tools or pipes and everywhere was a mess. Mike came by and had a look. There may be an air leak. We work differently, he may well be
right, but I wanted to try something first. I gave up for today and spent the
evening tidying the boat. I only
put the important things back in the locker, everything else is on the side of
the boat to give me less to move every time. I tidied up all the inside and felt back
in control.
Friday, 16 March 2007
Went to the chandlery and bought a smaller strainer and then to the
sailmaker to get some sail thread.
I was going to get one white and one burgundy, but the white only came in
large and I did not have enough money for both. The white was more important. I must get used to the fact that it
feels like I am carrying a lot of money around, but 100TT$ does not buy
much,about £10.
Mike had bought some canvas for a new awning, I think it is to shade the
dogs on deck, which is a good cause.
I was going to sew the seam, but my machine did not work. Why is it that the bobbin case causes
more problem than any other part of the machine. I have lost a screw (in the bobbin case)
and the top spring feed is not right.
Mike showed me where Budget Marine was by dinghy, he had told me before,
but I could not spot which cutting it was when I was trying to find it. We took both dinghies because I need to
use the outboard otherwise I get worried it will throw me out again. The dinghy is not easy to row and with a
lump of outboard on the end it is even more difficult. The motor started easily enough. Perhaps we are getting there. I bought some more fittings to reduce
the stopcock straight down to ½” as I only had fittings to do it in two
steps. I am not happy to play with
the brass fittings with the boat in the water. This takes two big wrenches and if I go
the wrong way I could stress the fitting and crack the hull, this means water
comes in and the boat starts to sink.
If I wait until the boat is out of the water then I cannot test whether
the fitting will work. Mike changed
the brass part and I replumbed the watermaker and it works, but not
properly. Is this a bad connection
letting in air, or the through hull fitting. Enough for today, I tidied up and
cleaned up. Mike picked me up and I
sewed the seam on his machine. I
think this is a work in progress one seam at a time; rather like my watermaker,
one fitting at a time.
I
managed to get on the wifi for the first time in a couple of
days.
Saturday, 17 March 2007
I
had one more go at the watermaker.
I have replumbed it from the seawater intake for the toilet. This basically works better than the
fitting in the locker. I shall now
have to go through the whole installation and do all the joints properly –
Monday.
It
has taken me this long to remember that with wifi I can get the radio. I shall now catch up with the Archers
and then BBC 7.
