Archiv
CW 12 2002
17.03.2002 - 23.03.2002
Today is Sunday, March 17, and it's 02.10 in the morning as the alarm goes
off and almost simultaneously the next rain comes pouring down. So we won't
leave, we'll wait a little longer, but we'll definitely go today!
It's 5.30am and it's happening: the anchor is weighed and we leave Charlotteville
behind. We could see that we'd been here long enough: the anchor chain was
totally overgrown and covered in mud. Seems like we've been in the same place
for too long!
We've been travelling for a good half hour, but we're not quite around the
corner yet as the sun rises over Charlottevilles rainforest.
| It's simply beautiful every time! And with the sun, our friends the
dolphins arrive. It's been a long time since we saw any. In the bay we also only saw then twice. But now they're back: first there're only two, then more and more come along. It's not important to count them though, but to watch and to enjoy the sight. Two almost bumped together while playing. Funny! Just as they seem to appear out of nowhere they disappear again. But we, of course, carry on. We continue to use the engine for a while and then bring out the foresail. More sail isn't possible. We can't really run before the wind since we don't want to put too much pressure on the mast before we know exactly what's broken. We'd rather be careful for now. |
 |
Unfortunately there isn't much wind so we have to start up the engines now
and again. We heard over the radio that a motorboat that left Trinidad yesterday
is missing. Seven people were supposed to be aboard. And then we see the coast
guard and a helicopter near the coast of Trinidad - probably searching for
the missing boat.
We've been going for almost 12 hours and nearly covered 70nm and that's enough
for today.
Since we're not going to make it to Chaguaramas during daylight, as was to
be expected, we decided to spend the night in a bay and go on tomorrow morning.
After all, it's still more than 20nm.
So just after 5pm our anchor drops to the ground of the Maracas Bay on the
northern coast of Trinidad. Today, one could almost get sick while dropping
anchor. Because of the dirty chain there's a pretty unpleasant smell coming
from the anchor box. Puh!
There isn't much happening here, nothing to see, besides two other boats.
On the weekend though, there's always a lot going on here. This is the locals'
"in-beach". Apparently half of Port of Spain jumps into their cars
on Sunday and suffer their way through endless traffic jams, just to get to
this beach. Two large, beautiful sand beaches and plenty of small beaches,
and that seems to be "the thing"!
We make ourselves something to eat and that shall be it for today.
Monday doesn't start late either and at half past eight we're ready and leaving
Chaguaramas.
It's busy on the water this morning though: a few fishermen are going out
and then there're quite a lot of pelicans, apparently just getting their breakfast.
It's been raining all night! We take off in the rain, we sail through the
rain and 4 hours later we arrive in the rain. Great!
Driving through Boca de Monos we get an outgoing surge, which means that there's
a strong current going against us. In addition we've got gusts of wind whipping
against us with up to 30 knots. But it's over quickly and we moor at the Crews
Inn marina.
Usually the first deed, after arriving at a marina, is to rinse off the ship,
but today our priorities are different. Thomas takes off to get the paperwork
done and to organize a rented car for us. We drive off together, to visit
a wharf that specialises in repairing catamarans, and - as we find out later
- also builds them.
So we go to Aikane, that's the name of the wharf, and tell them what our problem
is.
Of course the gentlemen need to take a look themselves and we agree on meeting
tomorrow morning. We continue towards Port of Spain for a while but then we
also return to the boat.
Even though we're not washing SILVER BLUE today, we've got enough washing
to do. Thomas takes care of the electricity and water connections and I commute
between the laundry place and the ship until late at night. And I still didn't
make it all. Oh well, tomorrow's another day!
Tuesday, shortly after 9am and two gentlemen from Aikane come aboard to take
a look at everything. And as they can see, you can't see anything!
Which was to be expected since the inside of the ship is nicely covered with
wooden panels or wallpaper. And that'll have to come off. They can't see anything
from the outside either, so for Monday our instructions are to take the ceiling
and the wallpaper off the cabin where we usually sleep. Just take everything
off so that one can see everything that's underneath. So Thomas is busy taking
everything down and I'm doing the laundry again. In the afternoon Thomas stops
by a few shops since we still need a few things. I've also got stuff to do
since the logbook isn't on the internet yet; same as this week.
But I'm sure you've already noticed that and it'll be ready on Wednesday.
And then we'll have to move since our bunk looks more like a construction
site then anything else. No problem though, we've got three more bunks to
choose from.
Wednesday also starts with two gentlemen from Aikane visiting us. They examine
and test what they can, look everywhere, and still can't find anything. They
don't really say anything, but we can assume - with relieve - that nothing
is wrong with the structure of the ship. But it's not over yet. So we make
another appointment with them, this time for Saturday, and then we'll go sailing
with someone from Aikane aboard.
Around noon dear friends come to Chaguaramas - the S.Y. Julia arrived! Actually
those three - Ute, Erich and Julia - wanted to leave Charlotteville one day
after us, but, you've already read how trying to leave Charlotteville can
be.
The tow of us make our way to Port of Spain, stop on the way to eat a little
snack, and then we quickly go to the supermarket, shopping.
Today is the official beginning of spring and one can't miss the fact that
Eastern is coming up. Easter-decoration and sweets are everywhere. There's
even a shop here that only sells Easter stuff: all colours and shapes, decoration
etc. I wonder if they also hunt Easter eggs here? Whatever. We make our way
back home and find ourselves something to do.
On Thursday only Thomas has plans - he wants to check out flights and connection
possibilities since we'll go back home for a few weeks. I treat myself to
a nice book, which I only put down if I have to open or close the hatches.
Which is quite often since it's raining all day.
This day ends with dinner at Lighthouse Restaurant, which is right in front
of our door, and afterwards we play a few rounds of pool - where I got beaten
really baldly.
Friday is shopping day and Ute and I take the maxi taxi service Members only,
Jesse James, to Port of Spain and go shopping at the supermarket. That's always
pretty funny here. The taxi picks us sailors up at the different marinas and
takes the whole lot shopping. Then we dash through the supermarket for one
hour. At the till they pack all your groceries into bags for you (that's always
done for you here, unlike in Germany) and then the ships name and the marina
in which it is moored have to be written onto the bags. All bags are put into
a delivery truck and we get back into our taxi and taken back to our marinas.
Our shopping is delivered and we can get everything aboard. So we went shopping
nicely, but unfortunately we didn't get everything we needed - the supermarket
didn't offer much as far as fruit and vegetables go. So Ute and I decided
to go to the market tomorrow (with Members only again), even though that means
we have to be ready at 6.30am.
Thomas spends the morning taking a closer look at the golf course.
And here's a first: I drove a car with the steering wheel on the right hand
side for the first time in my life today. It is rather different and takes
time to get used to, but I encountered no problems and I didn't have an accident.
Not bad.
The old German saying "at night the lazy get industrious" comes
true for us. Since we're going sailing tomorrow we're going to rinse the ship
off first. Actually we only wanted to give it a quick wash but then one thing
leads to another and takes a little longer and by the time we're done it's
been dark for a while.
Saturday, march 23, and my night ends at 5.30am because I'm going to the market
with Ute. We get picked up at 6.30am and half an hour later we're standing
in front of the market halls. Seems to be quite large so we'll have to hurry
since we'll be picked up again in one hour. All the stuff here is sold in
huge amounts. We find out that shopkeepers and hotel owners etc. also buy
here and that's why we can't buy any tomatoes from a stand that has tons of
tomatoes standing there. They'd all been sold to someone else already. We'd
been quite surprised by how early we were supposed to leave, but now we know
that we will have to come even earlier the next time.
This market already starts on Friday evening. From 11 pm onwards the market
people start putting up their stands and offering their goods and the whole
thing is supposed to last until today, midnight. So we dash around the place,
only seeing a small part of it. We walk past a few halls so we really have
to come back here, with plenty of time.
In the last two minutes of our time we buy some meat. Thankfully the conditions
here are more hygienically and humane than in Charlotteville on Fridays and
we actually get exactly what we want.
Back aboard Thomas and a gentleman from Aikane are already waiting and ready
to go. We quickly put the shopping away and off we go. On our way out Erich
joins us and now we're four.
At first we don't have much wind but then a fresh breeze comes up. We set
the mainsail and the foresail and are curious to see what we can find out
today. The wind grows stronger and we even have to reef.
We travel 16 miles for our test and work the boat as hard as we can to create
the conditions under which we discovered the problem.
After approx. 3 hours we're on our way back. Erich leaves us the same way
he joined us: in mid-journey and the rest of us go and have something small
to eat together.
We quickly wash the salt water off the ship and by then the afternoon is almost
over. In the evening Erich and Ute drop by and together we take the dinghy
to another marina to visit friends. Then all of us go out for a drink, but
we get back home and to bed fairly early since we're going on a small tour
tomorrow. Where we're going, what we saw …
… what the next week brought us
… here, in one week:
same time, same place!
so long
Diana + Thomas
We've mentioned Thomas well-tasting rum punsch, or smiley water, so many times
now that it's about time we told you how to make it.
Don't be surprised, the ingredients are for 4-5 litres - and it is worth making
so much since it's a great drink.
So:
a good half bottle of brown rum
almost half a bottle of white rum
1.5 litres pineapple juice
1.5 litres orange juice
150 - 200ml lime juice, or simply lemon juice, that'll also do
a good 50ml of grenadine
fill up with any juice you like. Maybe passion fruit juice or if you prefer
it to be a little tangier use grapefruit juice. Use your imagination.
But this is important: nutmeg, freshly ground nutmeg; add a good half nut,
grinded finely. Mix well, chill and enjoy with lots of ice.
Cheers!
