In my last blog post from August, we were preparing to leave Trinidad for Tobago.
Surprise!!!!
Four months later, we are STILL in Trinidad!
Hurricane Ernesto Feeder Band
In August, I was eagerly anticipating Dave's return from his trip to Indianapolis, where he visited his son's family. We planned to set sail as soon as he got back.
After a quiet week on the boat, on my final night alone, I was jolted awake at midnight by a terrifying storm. A fierce weather system, a band spun off from Hurricane Ernesto (not forecasted), was hammering our anchorage through the night. The strong southerly winds whipped up a massive swell, making for a truly unsettling experience.
To my left and right, boats began dragging past me—small sailboats and massive working vessels alike. Tugboats, fishing ships, and even a ferry were yanked from their mooring balls, drifting dangerously close.
With my engine out of commission, I was a helpless bystander, anxiously hoping none of these drifting giants would snag my anchor chain and take me with them.
Meanwhile, our boat was heaving violently, slamming up and down with such force that I was convinced we’d lose our grip on the bottom at any moment. I braced myself, certain we’d end up joining the chaotic tangle of boats piling up in front of Peakes Marina.
Thankfully, the anchor held firm. Unfortunately, Dave’s beautiful homemade wooden dinghy, Half Pint, wasn’t so lucky. I had it chained to the side of Lagerhead, a precaution against the rampant dinghy thefts in the area, and tied with ropes both bow and stern.
During the storm, I wanted to unchain it and move it behind the boat, but Lagerhead was bucking so violently that I didn’t dare climb out of the cockpit. The chain was snapping against the deck like a whip. Even if I managed to unlock it, I feared the waves would snatch the chain from my hands, sending it under the boat and creating an even bigger disaster. I wasn't sure how I was going to hold on to the dinghy while trying to move it back. Reluctantly, I left it as it was.
Smashed Dinghy
As the storm raged on, Half Pint took a relentless beating, slamming against the side of the boat again and again, denting the swim ladder. It quickly filled with water. After a brief moment below deck, I returned to find the dinghy capsized and broken.
By morning, the damage looked even worse. The front and rear transoms of the dinghy were torn open, along with the section that joins the two dingy parts together. Not only was the dinghy still upside down, but so was the attached motor—our brand-new one.
I feared it was beyond repair, but when Dave returned, he insisted he could fix it—all he needed was some space on land to work.
Getting the outboard running again after being upside-down in salt water was no easy task. Dave got it working sporadically but a pair of Trini brothers fixed it for us.
Best Spot in the Boat Yard
We decided to haul Lagerhead out of the water and give Half Pint a little TLC at the sailor's workshop at Power Boats Marina.
But thanks to Hurricane Beryl, which sent a fleet of boats scrambling to Trinidad for haul-out, we had to twiddle our thumbs for a month before we got space on land.
When our number finally came up in September, we hit the jackpot with the primo spot in the boatyard—right by the water! From our cockpit, we had a front-row seat to a beautiful harbor view and got to enjoy ocean breezes. Meanwhile, the other boats were parked in the back, baking in the heat and dust. Lucky us!
Installing a Solar Arch
Dave casually mentioned to a couple of fellow sailors that we were considering adding a solar arch at some point. Our existing solar setup isn’t enough to keep up with our refrigerator/freezer’s and autopilot's energy demands, forcing us to run the engine frequently to recharge.
By sheer luck, they knew of another couple looking to part with their solar arch—the exact brand we’d been eyeing. We gratefully took it off their hands and became good friends with them as well.
We also acquired much bigger used solar panels off a catamaran.
Dave assured me that he could put the arch up in a matter of days. That wasn't quite accurate.
Paint Extortion
While on land, we decided to freshen up Lagerhead’s bottom. The barnacles had taken a toll, leaving our bottom paint in rough shape.
I wanted to grab bottom paint off the shelf, but Dave was set on ordering the same paint we used before from the US. It is really good paint.
This turned into a MAJOR FIASCO. We ordered it in September and it was supposed to arrive by mid-October. However, the dealer kept coming up with excuse after excuse to why it was delayed.
The price nearly doubled while it sat in Customs. We were being held ransom by 3 cans of paint! Do NOT use Majestic at Coral Cove for paint. Mel seems like a nice guy but he runs a crappy business.
He did finally deliver the paint on December 6th, only two and half months late!
Frustration
Not being able to control the pace of the work really got to me. Dave and I have very different work styles. My idea was to plan out the arch in September to give us ample time to have parts made and acquire any parts we needed. But Dave wanted to focus on his dinghy repairs and he's the brains behind our boat projects.
I gave him a gentle nudge in October to think about the arch and he did-he had one part made.
By November, we got the arch in place to take measurements, adjustments, and figure out the next steps.
Meanwhile, the dinghy repair was still chugging along and taking up all of Dave's time.
Dave finally got the arch sorted in December. Which now required frames being manufactured and welders coming to the boat!
I worked on jobs that I could help with like scraping, sanding, painting, cleaning, cooking, and doing some sewing repairs. I also got a part-time remote job. But I really felt STUCK. A very quick trip home for both of us in November to visit family just made me more homesick.
There might have been several temper tantrums of me yelling at Dave to "Hurry up and finish so we can get the eff outta here!!!" and "Stop playing with your damn dinghy and work on something else!" Not the most helpful cheerleading.
Making Friends
One bright spot of time in the boatyard is that we had the pleasure of hanging out with so many truly wonderful people. Some were familiar faces we met on different islands, while others were new friends we made in the yard.
Weekly Routine
It wasn't all work, work, work (which is probably why jobs took longer than they should). Every Sunday afternoon, we joined a big group for Mexican Train Dominoes and Thursday evenings were reserved for the Weekly Barbecue. Saturday mornings, we took a cruiser filled bus to the Fresh Market for produce. One great thing about Trinidad is we can get the food we love here!
We also took lots of trips to Port of Spain with our friends Lance, Shawna and their sweet doggy, Chloe.
We got to know Trinidad even better over the past 6 months.
Independence Day
Trinidad and Tobago celebrates its Independence Day every year on August 31, marking its independence from British colonial rule in 1962. The day is a joyful expression of national pride, cultural heritage, and community unity.
We enjoyed taking part in the festivities. There were lots and lots of steel pan bands and an amazing fireworks show!
Dave Turns 50
Dave’s 50th birthday was a special celebration in the boatyard, surrounded by friends from around the world. It felt like a mini United Nations, with guests from Australia, Germany, South Africa, Netherlands, Brazil, Trinidad, Texas, and California.
Republic Day
The morning after Dave’s birthday, a bunch of us woke up early—at 4 a.m.—to join the Republic Day party downtown. Following the locals, we “chipped” (dance-walked) through the streets behind steel pan bands in the cool pre-dawn air.
Steel Pan Making Lesson
The steel pan was born in Trinidad, and we couldn't escape the island without witnessing its creation. So, we signed up for a tour to see a traditional steel pan maker's magic.
Jesse, our favorite tour guide, informed us we'd watch the steel pan wizard in his backyard. This painted a mental picture of us lounging in lawn chairs on the grass, while a guy hammered out a new drum.
The new drum part was spot on, but backyard? We found ourselves crammed into a tin shack with a dirt floor, surrounded by piles of old 55-gallon oil drums, and presided over by one very tiny, very shirtless man.
On a good day, understanding Trinidadian requires some serious ear straining, but this guy took it to a whole new level of "What did he just say?" Thankfully, he didn't waste much time talking and set to work.
He cut the bottom off a barrel then began passionately pounding on it with a sledgehammer to create the iconic concave shape. He needed perfect hearing to tune drums just right, but I couldn't figure out how he wasn't deaf from whacking that drum like it owed him money!
Just when we thought things couldn’t get more authentic, the heavens opened up.
Rain pelted down and the roof decided it was more of a sieve than a shelter.
It got even sketchier when the steel pan maker started an open fire in his tiny workshop to burn the metal. He heated the drum to a high temperature in a process called tempering.
This step hardens the metal and prepares it to hold its shape during tuning. While he was doing this, we were being
accosted with smoke and sparks from the newspaper he was burning.
Once cooled, the concave surface was marked with the layout of notes. Each note is a specific area on the pan where a sound will resonate.
He then grabbed a chisel and hammer to create grooves outlining each note.
The notes were lightly hammered from underneath to raise them slightly, creating the necessary pitch zones.
As a master tuner, he fine-tuned those notes by giving them small taps and listening intently until they hit just the right pitch and harmonics. Watching him work was like seeing a magician in action.
When he finished, he played Happy Birthday, because why not? One of our friends asked if it was tuned just like the other drums. He casually grabbed another drum from the pile, tapped a note on the new drum, then on the old one, and voilà! Identical sounds.
We all left in awe, grateful to have witnessed this musical wizardry, while also flicking ash out of our hair and drying our shirts from the water that poured down our collars.
Angostura Rum and Bitters Tour
Another icon of Trinidad is the world famous Angostura Bitters. A tour of their distillery offered us a unique glimpse into the history and production of one of the world’s most iconic bitters. It is also home to the Caribbean's largest (dead) butterfly collection.
Unfortunately, the tasting room was still closed from Covid Times but we stocked up at the Gift Shop and enjoyed our own Rum and Bitters tasting party back at the marina in our friends Lance and Shawna's apartment with our dutch friends, Marjolein and Duko.
Diwali
After the abolition of slavery in 1833, British planters in Trinidad needed a new source of cheap labor to work on their sugar plantations. The British government and planters established a system of indenture, which was essentially a new form of slavery. Under indenture, Indian laborers were brought to Trinidad on ships and forced to work on the plantations for three to five years.
Between 1845 and 1917, over 150,000 indentured laborers were brought to Trinidad. Most of these immigrants came from northern India, particularly the states of Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
Many of the immigrants chose to stay in Trinidad after their contracts ended, establishing communities and traditions. 40% of the current population of Trinidad is of Indian descent, Indian culture thrives here.
On Halloween, we experienced the magic of Diwali in central Trinidad.
We visited a Hindu temple and enjoyed an Indian dinner there.
We listened to drummers and watched dancers.
We then wandered the streets adorned with dazzling Diwali lights, most of which were real candles. The festive atmosphere felt like a tropical twist on Christmas with people handing out bags of treats like on Halloween.
The marina also hosted a special Cruiser's Diwali Dinner for us the night before. It was very tasty and we enjoyed all the candles. Power Boats Marina has been very, very good to us.
Cruisers Thanksgiving
We also joined the Annual Cruisers’ Thanksgiving Celebration, marking our second Thanksgiving away from home. While it can’t compare to being with family, it brought a sense of community that helped ease the ache of homesickness. Plus, we enjoyed a bountiful table full of yummy deliciousness.
Extravagent Dinner Out
A Degustation Experience at Meena House, Port of Spain
Sailors get pretty dusty and salty looking over time. To say we are a Rag Tag bunch is to put it mildly. We are known to like a good time and we have enjoyed our fair share of dining out all over Trinidad. For the most part, the price of the meals has been incredibly reasonable.
But last week, Dave and I and our friends Shawna and Lance decided to get cleaned up, dressed up and splurge.
We indulged in the culinary artistry of Trinidad at the Meena House enjoying their Degustation Menu.
Degustation is a french term that refers to a curated tasting experience featuring a series of very small, artfully presented dishes.
We partook in 8 courses of an Indian-fusion meal that was to die for! Dave and I had the vegan version of the menu. The food was incredible and so was the company. Four hours after starting, Dave proudly proclaimed that was the fanciest meal he had ever eaten!
We have really enjoyed all the time we have spent with our California buddies, Shawna and Lance (and their fluffy dog, Chloe too).
GET ME OUT OF HERE!
I wish I could say I was all sunshine and rainbows during our time in the boatyard, but that would be a whopper of a lie. Four months living in a boatyard took its toll on me.
Scaling a 10-foot ladder and hiking across the boatyard every time nature called got old, really old (especially in the middle of the night).
Not being able to dive into the water for a swim was like being a fish out of... well, water. The harbor here is really gross (if you didn't read my last blog).
Living in a boat where every inch is covered with tools feels like we are shacking up in a hardware store's supply closet.
Giving up alcohol and eating healthier probably didn't help my mood either. Who knew kale could be so irritating?
Finally
By December, everything is finally coming together.
The dinghy is officially finished and we brought it back to the big boat on December 4th.
The bottom paint finally arrived on December 6th and Dave and I knocked out 2 coats over the weekend.
The arch is our last big job left.
I'm hoping that my present from Santa this year is to NOT be in Trinidad for Christmas, no offense, Trinidad.
We decided to scrap going to Tobago. It is east of Trinidad and requires motoring against wind and current to get there. Plus I've had enough of TT for now. We will visit Tobago after we have circumnavigated the planet and are on the way up from South America.
When we finally splash (hopefully next week) we will sail north....I'll let you know where we end up!
Beautifully described. So recognizable!
Loved the read and so glad things are almost ready to splash! I love it .. I had my sailboat in the yards In Hawaii many years ago.. got to go home each night but I feel your pain of all the work to scrape ,sand , and paint . In the end she is a thing of beauty and a prized possession for you to both to admire!
Well done to Dave on the dinghy too !
Sam
😍
An obvious test of perseverance and drive to stay the course. Another excellent summary.
Tom and Barbara