10-40.701N
061-38.118W

Docked
Coral Cove Marina
Chaguaramas
Trinidad

Halloween; October 31 (Friday)


The Hindu festival Divali is celebrated on Trinidad by the lighting of deyas, tiny clay pots fired by a light flammable oil.  The celebration is especially joyous and intense in the Hindu neighborhoods, where homes are lighted with electrical lights, similar to Christmas in the U.S., and deyas are placed everywhere, some homes having 100 or more.  

Jesse (see below) took more than a hundred cruisers to the neighborhood where he was born, and where his friends provided a traditional Indian meal, served on a leaf, and consumed by hand.  We also had a presentation by a Pundit at a nearby Hindu temple.  

Divali celebrates light over darkness, and honors Mother Lakshmi, the goddess of light.  Good food, good fun, and sharing, are part of this marvelous festival in which neighbors come forward to give visitors food and drink.  (The sharing of food reminded us of Halloween.)  

We left Crews Inn the next day, having a comfortable 20 minute trip to Scotland Bay, where we had planned to spend two nights before leaving to Los Testigos.  On the way over, we noticed that the batteries were not charging, but we gave this little attention, knowing that we could investigate circuits, and probably solve the problem on our own.  It was not to be.  The next morning, we started the motor to check circuits, lifted the floor access doors, and sensed two problems.  The first problem was an unusual sound, like a second motor running in tandem with the diesel.  Then, after a few minutes, an odor, and smoke, definitely electrical.
We stopped the diesel immediately.  Later, we tried the motor again, but the engine battery would not handle the load.  John next switched to the house batteries, and the engine started, but the 12-volt panel was completely out:  nothing, no refrigeration, instruments, radio, all gone.  Immediately, we headed back to Chaguaramas, and tied up at Coral Cove, after hours, with the help of friends Alan and Katherine.  

We have spent the week with professionals, trying to figure it out, and implement a solution.  Earlier today, everyone agreed that the sound we heard was the starter motor, running continuously after the diesel started, that the tremendous load ran down the engine battery, and that the starter motor itself probably burned up inside, indicated by a melted label and the over 720 amp draw when it tries to operate.  The diesel folks come Monday to remove the starter motor, and to judge what happened.  So, we remain in Chaguaramas, looking for new adventures, as the professionals find time to diagnose and to fix.  

*****

Docked
Crews Inn Marina
Chaguaramas
Trinidad

October 23, 2003

The answer is Trinidad.  The question:  what is your favorite island?

Yet we have a problem.  We want to recommend this island, but we suspect that the experiences of the mariner are unique. The experiences causing us to love Trinidad are not experiences available to every traveler: the arrival, meeting other cruisers, socializing in the marina context, completing tasks usually with high quality professional help, participating in tours organized for us, getting things done through the local people and their bureaus, new friendships with Trinis resulting from both intra island travel and completing boat jobs, the music of the island, shopping in the open air Saturday public market.  Between traditional tourist activities, we have a heavy schedule of work to accomplish, keeping our minds and hearts full, and our local involvement intense.  Our circumstance is enhanced by the absence of a schedule, the need to get on a specific plane on a set date.  We are free to relax, and to enjoy whatever comes our way.  We want you to come to Trinidad, but we want you to understand the opportunities here.  This is not an island of beaches.  It is an island of real people.

On the social side, we went to the play "One Night Stand," a comedy starring Donna Head who  ranks with the best performers we have known.  The story involves an attorney who invites a male stripper to her home only to fine that image and reality do not always match.  Another event was the "Argentinean" luncheon prepared by students of the local hotel and hospitality school, about ten minutes from Chaguaramas.  Good food.  Good fun, in part because our table included three gals (Joy, Ruby and Sylvia), friends back to high school days.  Ruby was the lively one, giving us a short rendition of "Coconut Water," the Harry Belefonte tune.  On another night, we went to "Jazz In The Yard," modern jazz in the back yard of the home of a fine musician.  The setting was intimate, and the chicken dinner was fine.

We plan to leave the day after tomorrow, but you just never know.  Yesterday, John opened one of our winches only to find a broken self-tailing mechanism.  This caused him to seek professional help, and all six winches have been removed and are being serviced.  This is a once a year job, not performed for two years.  If Ian comes back in time tomorrow, we will leave.  If not, well, as they say in the island, keep cool, and wait.

*****

October 10, 2003

Jesse James is a fine business person.

Buried in his West Indian soul is a combination of energy, efficiency and intelligence that is common to successful business persons everywhere, but he adds to the package a god given sensitivity that makes him one of the best.

Jesse James operates a transportation and personal service business called "Members Only."  We heard his name months before arriving in Trinidad, then saw it printed in a cruising guide and in a personal sailor's commentary published in The Seven Seas Cruising Association's monthly bulletin.  Every day, at least six days a week and often seven, Jesse and his associates touch the lives of twenty or thirty cruisers, (once in a while, 80 to 100), helping with both the basics and with fun.  His business is to help cruisers to provision, to go to and from standard locations such as the airport, and to organize special trips, just for fun.  

Four times a week, Jesse takes sailors shopping.  We get into the 12 person Nissan high ceiling van and travel to the public vegetable market, or to the Hi Lo Supermarket, or to  The PriceSmart shopping club.  Perhaps PriceSmart subsidizes the effort, because we pay nothing to go there.  For the others, we pay $TT15  up to $TT25, round trip, about 45 minutes each way, with up to two hours of waiting time, and with a special food van to bring us home.  Our provisions all come back in the separate van, with our bags clearly marked and segregated from everyone else's.  You are wondering what this cost us?  Divide $TT by six to get $US.  These trips cost us two to three dollars.  Meanwhile, Jesse always is around to help load, to solve problems, and to smile our way through these hot days.

He charges more for trips to the airport (about $TT150 for two), and for the fun trips.  For example, the day at the horse races.  John started that day with $TT300 in my shirt pocket, and returned with $TT25. The difference was transportation, lunch, beer and bets. This is the kind of gambling we all want:  Five hours of fun, with fellow cruisers, at little cost or risk.  (The minimum bet was $TT2, about thirty four cents.) We did not know the horses, but we got to know Brian Harding, the jockey in the money four times that day, and over 25 % for the season. 

Jesse has taken us and others to The ASA Wright Nature Center, a concert by Denise Plummer, and a play called "One Night Stand."  For every week we remain in Trinidad, we believe Jesse will take us shopping at least once, and he will show us one or two of Trinidad's special events or special places.  For his service and amiability, Jesse, his wife Sharon, and his new daughter, were honored at The Cruiser's concert.

*******

Chichi and I returned to Port of Spain, Trinidad, October 1.  After tiring flights, we exited the airport to a blast of heat, and to the smiling, cordial, welcoming face of Jesse James.  

The single day transition from one climate to another is a shock to system and psyche.  The heat and humidity, combined with uncertainty about the condition of  Pachamama, leave us stressed and tired.  But we know what is happening.  We know that a trip does not begin until at least the third day, that we cannot adjust to our new circumstances and to accept new forms of speech and culture, in less than three days, and often longer.  We've been here ten days now, and we feel comfortable, accepted, in control. We are glad that we are here.

Pachamama was fine, well attended  by Michael White and his associates at SouthernCaribbeanYachtWorks.  The new bottom paint looks great, as does the new varnish applied by Rollin and Richard.  Both jobs presented challenges.  The previous bottom paint was not adhering well, perhaps due to minor laps in surface preparation.  Michael saw the problem, and corrected it.  We would have missed it.  The bottom paint is amazing stuff.  It keeps away the parasites of the sea, extending the period between bottom scrapings. The varnish experts also had challenges, caused by Chichi and me during previous imperfect efforts.  We left bubbles everywhere.  Those bubbles are gone, and the rails look like new. The electrical team at Caribbean Marine (Ryan and Richard) are repairing a design flaw in the 50 amp electrical system, and a few other minor jobs remain to finish before we think about leaving Trinidad.  Our problem is that so much happens in Trinidad that we do not want to leave.  Every week, a new festival or experience.  And we are comfortable, perhaps too comfortable.  The Crews Inn Hotel and Marina is the best.  The pool is two minutes up the finger pier and around the bushes.   The showers have unlimited hot and cold water.  The rum punches, or rums punch, are terrific, and the staff is wonderful, especially attendant Elvis, the owner of the biggest smile known to man.

Jobs:  check all systems; reinstall the two foresails; clean and remove mold with clorox; treat water tanks with clorox; store all the new stuff for which we have no room; plan our travels, and figure out how to get back to Trinidad for Carnival, the obstacles being easterly winds and westerly currents (only fools, like us, go east in the Caribbean); power up the radio email systems; read Travis McGee or Patty Duke.

Fun:  The ASA Nature Center, we should have stayed overnight; The Cruisers' Concert, professional in appearance, but most of the musicians were cruisers; conversations with friends Alan and Katherine, who will ceremoniously change the name of their boat from The Good Neighbor to "Squiz, tomorrow, at five; lively Denise Plummer; hellos from the crew of Lady Sady, Bill and Sara, who also carry "Indianapolis" on the stern; beautiful hours in the pool, looking at the moon, Mars, and each other.