34. Ships that pass in the Night

I’ve been in Trinidad for three months already. I just renewed my visa. I guess now I’m part of the hard-core who are staying with their boats over the hurricane season – mainly small, old yachts, tied to beat-up dinghies with tiny outboards. Just like mine.

A big ship in Chaguaramas

Usually we all face east, into the wind, but if there’s no wind a changing tide in Chaguaramas can make strange currents. Out in the anchorage I always think the boats look like they’re dancing as they swing round their moorings in sync. The other day we all did a full 360. The boats on either side of me are on mooring balls; I’m on my anchor, with 120 feet of chain out, so I have a much bigger swing circle. We were slightly out of sync. We all spun clockwise but as I approached 9 o’clock the boat to my left was at 3 o’clock.

Our sterns slowly headed towards each other, but I was sure we wouldn’t hit. ‘Hello, lovely day. Strange currents…’ Six inches, five, two, one, the other captain watched then suddenly disappeared to go turn on his engine. By the time he had, we’d passed, overlapping at different heights. We didn’t touch. ‘Ok see you later…’ I waved, and headed off to 3 o’clock and the boat to my right. Which was rapidly approaching its 9 o’clock.

Had I anchored exactly between the two boats? I thought I was nearer to this boat, which was bad. Again I was going stern to stern and the other boat was looking very worried. ‘Hi. How’s things? Just thought I’d swing by… Don’t worry I’m sure we won’t hit’, I said as I realized we were going to hit and she reappeared clutching fenders. But we didn’t. An inch. I relaxed impressed with my anchoring, my neighbors not so much.

The Vikings have been here for ages

An article I wrote about St. Lucia will be published in the December issue of Sailing Today magazine (out in October), also available online:

http://www.sailingtoday.co.uk

Crew's Inn marina

33. The Great Race

Last weekend was The Great Race – powerboats race from Trinidad to Tobago at up to 130mph. Fire One, based in Chaguaramas came second.

Fire One

I wired up the solar panel Tom gave me, so I now have solar as well as wind power, and shouldn’t need to use the engine, and therefore diesel to recharge my batteries anymore. It also means I can power a small fridge or an autopilot.

Chris Gone Wilder – another Great Race boat

From Trinidad I will head west and go to the ABC islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. After Curacao I would like to go north to Jamaica, maybe via The Dominican Republic. That’s around 350 miles, at least 3 nights – difficult without an autopilot or crew. The other option is to keep going west – to Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica even.

Peake's boatyard

Before that I have to paint the bottom of my boat. I need to haul out Sonic Boom and paint the hull with antifouling. It costs $300 to be lifted out of the water, power washed and put on stands. The paint will be another $500.