30. Trinidad

The passage from Grenada was a good one, made so much easier and more fun, by buddy boating with Honey Rider. I managed to keep them in sight the whole passage, which really made a difference – I could just follow their light (until I overtook them by mistake), and we spoke on the radio every few hours. It took us 16 hours. We set off at 10.30pm and we arrived just 15 minutes before customs and immigration closed at 4pm the next day. Perfect timing!

Anchored in Chaguaramas, Trinidad

We kept in touch on VHF channel 69, which turned out to be the channel Peake's and Budget Marine use. We didn’t know at the time, but all our conversations as we approached Trinidad had quite a big audience; a bit embarrassing, but we don’t care. Anyway, at least now everyone knows Sonic Boom and Honey Rider have arrived in Chaguaramas.

Chaguaramas

We both noticed a sudden rise in temperature as we approached Trinidad. We’re only a few miles off the coast of Venezuela. We also noticed the turquoise blue Caribbean turned green, and later found out that’s due to the massive run off from the Orinoco River. After all the bad things people had said about Trinidad, I had low expectations but it’s beautiful. The harbor is big and commercial, and the water is as bad as Simpson Bay lagoon, but so far I really like it.

I anchored in Chaguaramas Bay and met up with Trinity and Nelly Rose – more World Cup games and happy hour beers. I’ll be looking after Honey Rider while Tom and Sabrina go back to the states, and Trinity while Robert and Kerstin go back to Berlin. It means a little bit of money for me, and I can look forward to seeing them both again when they come back after the hurricane season in October/November. In the meantime I will look for some English teaching work.

Trinidad is the cheapest island so far. The street food stalls are incredibly cheap. There’s a big Indian population here, so great curries. I will have free access to showers and Wi-Fi in the boat yards where Honey Rider and Trinity are staying. At Coral Cove, where Honey Rider are, there’s also a swimming pool.

29. Grenada

Summer solstice in the Caribbean, watching the World Cup with Trinity, and my new Dutch friends from Nelly Rose at Prickly Bay marina. So much fun, football, half priced pizza, happy hour beers, I wish it could go on forever. Trinity gave me their old digital camera, so finally here are some photos again:

Thanks Trinity!

Nelly Rose

It’s so lovely here, I’d like to stay and work, and there are a lot of expats here, but work visas are very expensive, and therefore a disincentive for employers. Having a British passport helps, I asked around, tried with a yacht broker, but it seems very difficult, if not impossible.

Prickly Bay, Grenada

I really wanted to visit the chocolate factory; everyone says it’s great. I had thought I might be able to become their European representative and get them a big contract from Fortnum and Mason’s maybe. Or at least be able to jump in a chocolate river, or make friends with an umpa-lumpa. I did manage to stock up on Grenada chocolate though. So delicious, it won’t last long.

http://www.grenadachocolate.com

Prickly Bay Marina

So I will go to Trinidad for the summer. It’s an overnight passage to Chagauramas. Trinity are too fast for me, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them, so I am going to buddy boat with Honey Rider. We will leave at midnight on Sunday and hopefully arrive before it gets dark on Monday. At 5 knots it would take 16 hours, but we may be able to go quicker than that.