Our first week in Trinidad

On May 17th we arrived in Chaguaramas, Trinidad, informed Powerboats marina of our arrival and dropped anchor while they worked on securing our Health Clearance. After an hour or so, we were able to move to our slip on C dock. Andrew expertly backed into a relatively narrow cement med moor dock without panicking me or the boat owners on either side. We met Rawle Walker, infamous for taking care of Billy Ruff’n for the prior owner. We were told to look for the skinny guy in a red jumpsuit and sure enough he was the first fellow we shook hands with on land.

We borrowed the marina dinghy to go across the inlet to Customs & Immigration. That was a bit of an onerous process: sitting in drab rooms, completing multiple forms with the same information on them, in carbon copy triplicate and getting questions answered reluctantly by the bored, but generally pleasant employees hired to facilitate. After another hour, we handed the papers over and with barely a glance at us or the papers; stamp, stamp. “You may go” they said. Welcome to Trinidad!

That evening we met a lot of Trinidad cruising regulars (including the Chris Doyle team of cruising guide authors) at the bring-your-own barbecue under the Powerboats roti hut.

The next morning, we treated ourselves to our first doubles breakfast. This is a hard to described but fabulously delicious Trinidadian specialty made on flat fried dough with curried chick peas and various chutneys. The mother-son team that serve them outside of Powerboats marina make the best I’ve had yet!

That day, we started to make appointments to meet with vendors and service providers to discuss various jobs that we want to get done while we are here. On Saturday, I went to the fresh market in Port of Spain in a yachtie organized taxi with new friends Josie, Shannon and others from the BBQ. There were fish, meats, fruits & veges covering a city block with a few unusual and oversized items I couldn’t identify.

That evening, we walked out of the marina compound gates to enjoy the excellent ribs at WheelHouse Restaurant with friends on Roxy, Solmate and more Powerboat regulars that were saying goodbye for the season to one of their own.

On Sunday, I participated in the regular game of Mexican Train dominos and met some more Powerboats regulars as well as newbies. By Monday, it was time to get down to work. Andrew and Rawle were side by side with their heads in the bilge most of the day and we met with Rico, one of the yard managers to discuss our plans. Over the next few days, he helped us accomplished the following:

1) installed a loaner A/C over the forward hatch on the boat

2) had an initial meeting w/ Hilton, the plumber, and determined that we need to get a contract for new vents for our water system and replacement hoses for (or removal of) the Electroscan sanitation system.

3) met with Keith, the refrigerator guy, and determined that we need to order and install new gauges & sensors

4) loaded & delivered a truck full of lines, canisters, ditch bags, etc. to our storage unit.

5) set up the mechanics to prep the dinghy motor for storage.

6) got the beautiful Moroccan mirror that hung in our head, repaired from the body slam Andrew delivered on our way south in November. 

7) had a new T-clamp made to replace the broken one that supports the glass hatch above the companionway.

8) loaded the floorboards & delivered a second truck full to the storage unit.

On Tuesday, we moved into our neat, little apartment which is convenient to the boat, the roti hut, the doubles stand and the marina services & office. All in all, it’s already been a productive week and it’s only Wednesday!