Trini -  the 1^st Week!

Trinidad is hot and humid and Chaguaramas is a serious yachting centre although it claims to be much quieter than 10 years ago, possibly partly because the boatyards on the islands further north have become more careful in their hurricane storage precautions.

We have chosen one of the two main yards “ Power Boats”        www.powerboats.co.tt

The yard appears to be well organised with friendly staff, several contractors on site, a small supermarket, an excellent restaurant and even a “Roti Hut” for lunch time snacks! We are being hauled on the 14^th May and are meanwhile carrying out lay-up jobs such as pickling the watermaker, servicing the engine, washing sails, storing clothes and bedding so that they will hopefully be unaffected by the hot and humid conditions.

Power Boats                                                                                                                      Motor boats one side and yachts the other

Sails Restaurant….choosing our steak for the BBQ

There has been a good social life with a fellow RCC member and several OCC members here. The restaurants are good and excellent value and the marina has a pool for late afternoon cooling dip!

Thursday night we joined a trip to the Matura Beach on the east side of the island to watch the Giant Leatherback Turtles come ashore to lay their eggs in the sand. The ‘prehistoric’ giants average about 5ft long and dig a hole with their aft flippers and produce up to 120 ping-pong ball sized eggs before covering them over and dragging themselves back down to the waves.

They will do this perhaps 5 to 7 times during the summer and when one considers that the chance of an egg reaching maturity at 25 years is about 1000:1 it is not surprising that they are an endangered species.

www.natureseekers.org

The 5 mile long beach is patrolled by wardens and to visit you have to get a permit and take a guide to minimise the disruption.

The atmosphere on the beach is almost primeval and you almost expect an Attenborough voice over  describing the scene.

‘Jesse James’ the taxi man is an excellent host and includes dinner in his evening trip and it was 00.45 before we got back to ‘Moonbeam’

I was staggered to note that when Jesse filled up his mini-bus at the filling station that diesel is 15p per litre here!   - However I think wages are also correspondingly low.

www.ichaguaramas.com

www.gotrinidadandtobago.com