Archiv
CW 15 2002
07.04.2002 - 13.04.2002
Sunday, April 7, and about time we leave the marina before we turn into "harbour-sitters"
after all.
So, in the morning we get everything ready for departure and around noon we
left the Crews Inn Marina. Just around the corner, not even 500m further we
stop again, to refuel with diesel and get a few litres of super for our outboard
engine.
It's 1pm as we leave the petrol station, and since air temperature is at 38°C
we probably won't go too far, just around another corner, to Scotland Bay.
We left for this little turn with an even log, showing 7000nm; meaning, that
since we left for our world tour on May 26, 2001, we've covered 7000nm.
Like all other bays around Trinidad Scotland Bay is also rather full on Sundays,
but we only want to stay for a few hours, so to say awaiting nightfall here
so we can start off to Tobago then. On our way there we have to go against
the current and the prevailing winds for quite a bit, so it is recommendable
to drive at night when the wind usually calms down a bit which would make
the journey less unpleasant and we'd arrive in Tobago at daytime.
So we stay in this beautiful day for a few more hours, until the alarm clock
will go off in the middle of the night.
After all those pirogues and motor boats, playing loud music, left, a dreamlike
peace spreads and we get to hear something totally different: howling monkeys.
Their screams, coming from the forest, can make one believe there're dinosaurs.
Never before have we heard anything like it, so we just sit and listen to
these strange sounds, amazed and amused at the same time. Purest jungle!
Our program for today consists of dinner and going to bed early, meaning we'll
be in our bunks at 9pm and the alarm will go off at midnight. It's even too
hot to sleep and when the alarm clock rings we feel quite knocked up. Nevertheless,
at 1am we're all ready to go, but we get a small yet unpleasant surprise.
Our radar isn't working properly, hanging somewhere.
Under no circumstances can we use it like that. What do we do now? Driving
along the coast at night, with an almost new moon and no radar, that's quite
a challenge; especially the first passage through the Boca de Monos. After
debating the problem for an hour we decide to go back to bed and take a closer
look at the radar, tomorrow, in daylight.
Just after 8am on Monday morning we're already on our way, following the northern
coastline. We're going to La Vache Bay, 16nm away. We arrive there at exactly
12 o'clock, with no one there besides us. Before we start working we need
to gain some strength first, since our next action will be to crank hard.
Thomas slips into the boatswain chair and I crank him up the mast so he can
check the radar. Apparently there are only 1-2 millimetres missing, keeping
the radar from turning, but it just won't be adjusted properly. The whole
thing was probably caused during work on the rig, but fact is that we still
can't use the radar. We'll simply have to change our route a little; then
we'll even manage all right without it. Under these circumstances it would
be better for us though to leave the bay while we still have some light or
at least twilight.
Accompanied by a small gust of rain we leave la Vache Bay at 7pm, following
the coastline at a safe distance, heading east, before we "turn off"
towards Tobago. Thankfully the clouds disappear now and again and then it's
really not that dark.
We take turns sleeping and so each of us in turns gets to stand guard for
a few hours. Apparently something large passed under us. Our depth gauge showed
7.1m; must have been a large fish!
The current is also pretty "large". Very strong! The engines are
running on almost 2000 rev and we're only just making 3 knots.
Due to the chopping sea we unfortunately have to bring the engines revs down,
since travelling would otherwise become even more unpleasant than it already
is.
1.30am and since midnight we only covered 5 miles. We're hardly making any
progress and staying on course is almost impossible since the drift off is
extremely strong. All in all, not especially pleasant, and not at all as we
really almost stop moving, with the log showing us doing 1.8 knots.
Totally unnecessarily the clouds return and it seems as if someone had turned
off the little light we had. That doesn't make judging the distance to the
other ships, also travelling tonight, easier. Show's you, how comfortable
it is to have radar. But one can manage without; one only has to keep the
eyes open, constantly checking the surroundings.
So we suffer through the whole night and are relieved as we, at daybreak,
are already travelling along Tobago's West coast.
Tuesday morning is for Thomas anglers luck: a tuna fish and a large Red Snapper.
Well done! There was almost a third one, but that got off the hook. And two
are actually enough.
1.15pm and we drop anchor in the Man of War Bay by Charlotteville. We made
it!
It almost took us 30 hours. What a ride! Good to finally be here.
We could really use a small refreshment, so off into the water we go. Again,
Thomas needs to take care of the paperwork and I'll take care of the fish.
In the afternoon we only do what's absolutely necessary and then we'll go
to bed early today since we didn't really get much sleep during the last few
days.
Wednesday, and we're rested, ready for new deeds. Thomas next deed becomes
obvious after breakfast; something is broken again, the cooling device of
our fruit- and vegetable box. I am, (again), behind with the logbook, but
during crossings like the last there simply isn't a chance to sit at the laptop.
Well, then I'll do it now and my program for the day is also decided.
A football competition is taking place in Charlotteville this week, a village
tournament or laymen's tournament, where the people of certain areas and streets
compete against each other. Thomas goes ashore for a game and a beer and I
slowly start preparing dinner. We're having the self-caught fish.
Thursday brings the next repair necessary. After a quite annoying night with
lots of rain and lots of swell the water pump isn't working any more. There
are times when not one day goes by without any of these unnecessary surprises.
Thankfully it's nothing major and Thomas can fix it rather quickly.
This morning it raining again, for all it's worth. That's why our friend Black
Mouth returns from fishing a little sooner and we're still having breakfast
as he comes by to visit. So the three of us have breakfast together and agree
to meet ashore later. As the rain subsides we almost flee ashore, since the
swell is really getting to us.
At Jane's one can get delicious roti until 2pm. Roti is a typically Caribbean
dish, not easy to describe; a kind of flat bread with filling. Usually you
get them with a beef, chicken or goat filling. They're all supposed to be
great at Jane's, but the beef roti is our favourite.
Jane always makes them fresh and tasty, and besides the beef the "bread"
is filled with fresh vegetables, potatoes and chickpeas. So we're having a
beef roti for Thomas and since Jane also bakes very well, I prefer a small
cake today. I find it definitely too hot for something warm and hot today.
A little walk is just the right thing now. First we only wonder through the
streets we already now, but then we turn to a different direction and go uphill,
rather steep. Puh! Arriving at the top the sweating seems worth it since this
street leads to a fortress, Fort Cambelton, from where we enjoy a fantastic
view of the whole bay. Only two cannons serve as reminder that this place
used to be a defence construction. Today this idyllic place presents itself
as a small park, with flowerbeds and a little pavilion. We stay a little longer
than planned because the next rainfall is coming. The pavilions roof offers
some protection, but thanks to the wind the rain isn't only coming from above,
but from all sides as well. Waiting for it to stop raining could take hours,
so we make our way back in spite of the rain. It's madness! Less than 10 minutes
later the next gust of rain comes pouring down onto us. Fortunately we find
shelter under a small garage. As soon as the rain subsides a little we set
out for the next leg, and it's no more than that, just a leg. The next stop
is the Internet Café. We stay there for an hour, killing time by surfing
the worldwide weirdness, before setting out for a final spurt. The rain really
stopped!
Since there's another football match today we watch for a while before returning
to the ship.
Friday morning starts with, wouldn't you know it, it raining. And that after
a night with, wouldn't you know it, lots of rain and swell.
That's no fun any more so we'll simply go somewhere else. We could have been
on our way at 9.30pm, if an anchor hadn't got caught in our anchor chain.
Yes, that's right, an anchor. An old, rusty, rotting thing from a fisher boat
has wrapped itself around our anchor chain a few times. After half an hour
we've surgically removed that thing and handed our "treasure" over
to a few fishermen just bringing out their nets.
Now we can leave and drive over to the eastern coast, close to Speyside. Not
far, only 9nm, but sailing's not on. We're taking the same route Thomas and
Black Mouth took the other time, when they went fishing together. Now I know
why Thomas said that it's an extremely challenging job. The sea is very rough
here and the fishermen's small boats downright smash onto and into the waves.
Of course our fishing line is also out, and even with brand-new bait. But
not for long; a fisherman accidentally cuts our line. How annoying! He comes
up to us and says that he'll keep the bait for us and we should ask for him
when we come to Charlotteville again and then he'll give it back to us. Well,
we'll do that.
Nevertheless we're slightly depressed about what happened, because there really
are a lot of fish here and we would have loved to catch one. Well, then on
our way back (maybe). Around the corner, it really starts up; this passage
has strong currents, chopping up the water. So, once again we let ourselves
get thoroughly shaken.
Goat Island and Little Tobago are on our left and our destination is Anse
Bateau, an extremely beautiful bay with sand beach, palm trees, only one other
ship and crystal clear water. This is where we want to be and the rough travelling
is definitely worthwhile.
We drop our anchor into 4m of finest sand and off into the water we go.
This is beautiful! And since we're here we might as well take a look at the
underwater world. So I grab my mask and fins and go snorkelling for a while.
Reefs that fortunately also keep the swell out surround the bay. That could
be unpleasant; after all, this is the Atlantic side.
My little snorkelling excursion was worth it. Never before have I seen so
beautiful and large parrotfish as here, and schools of fish drifting through
the reef. Lots of small brain coral can be seen, as well as beautiful, unmarred
gorgonians.
Looking at those I forget about time and place, but a slight shiver tells
me it's time to swim back. Of course I have to report on my findings and Thomas
really also has to see, but first we each grab a sponge and quickly clean
the ships water pass. The reefs also impress Thomas and we decide to spend
another day snorkelling here.
But this place doesn't only offer impressions for the eye, no, for the ear
as well. Up till now we thought the whistling concerts in Charlotteville were
singular, but what we get to hear here is no less at all. Croaking and chirping,
going on for hours and in broad daylight. Madness!
In the evening we go ashore and treat ourselves to a drink at the bar of the
Blue Water Inn, a nice and comfortable hotel right on the beach. By the way,
it's the only hotel here.
Since this day, Saturday, April 13, we've got the bay all to ourselves.
Today we want to explore our surroundings ashore and go to a dive-shop to
get some information on dives. And off we go.
Since it's raining again today, we're enquiring about a dive on Sunday, hoping
the weather will be better then and accordingly the visibility under water.
Right now the sky seems to clear and we dare take a walk to Speyside, the
nearest village. On our way we get a beautiful view of the bay we're mooring
in, Anse Bateau, and of Tyrrell's Bay, right in front of Speyside.
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Our relaxed walk turns into a harsh march, going uphill and downhill
and stretches out rather long, since we walk through the little village,
almost to the other side of Tyrrell's Bay. Amongst other things we pass
the ruins of an old sugar mill and the quite large mill wheel, which
is still rather well preserved, is to be seen clearly. |
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After dinner there's a nice movie and a bowl of popcorn and that's it for today and this week.
… what the next week brought us
… here, in one week:
same time, same place!
so long
Diana + Thomas
The culinary tip will be skipped today, since there aren't any.
