Well somehow the post I thought I'd posted about 2 weeks ago is not here and is not in drafts either so maybe I was dreaming doing it!!!
I came along today to post again but I'll try to do this one first and MAYBE try for the next tomorrow! ho-ho-ho!!!
I came along today to post again but I'll try to do this one first and MAYBE try for the next tomorrow! ho-ho-ho!!!
We have been back for nearly 3 weeks now (obviously now longer!!!) and it seem as if we never left!
We traveled from Beaulieu (Carol ran us to Southampton coach station) up to Gatwick Airport on Wednesday and stayed overnight in a delightful B&B about 5 minutes from the airport. We bought some food at the airport (bit pricey but not too bad!) to keep us going that night and possibly for when we arrived back in Trinidad.
The flight over was fine and arrived more or less on time but by the time we had collected our bags and gone through immigration and customs it was about 90 minutes after our due arrival time. We had heard that there could be problems with immigration as we do not have return flights etc booked but we had no trouble at all and were given a 3 month stay which should be more than enough for us.
I had arranged for a taxi through Jesse James who organises all sorts of services for visiting yachties and our driver was there waiting there for us.
We traveled from Beaulieu (Carol ran us to Southampton coach station) up to Gatwick Airport on Wednesday and stayed overnight in a delightful B&B about 5 minutes from the airport. We bought some food at the airport (bit pricey but not too bad!) to keep us going that night and possibly for when we arrived back in Trinidad.
The flight over was fine and arrived more or less on time but by the time we had collected our bags and gone through immigration and customs it was about 90 minutes after our due arrival time. We had heard that there could be problems with immigration as we do not have return flights etc booked but we had no trouble at all and were given a 3 month stay which should be more than enough for us.
I had arranged for a taxi through Jesse James who organises all sorts of services for visiting yachties and our driver was there waiting there for us.
{Jesse is an absolute dream! He runs the Yacht Sailing Assoc of Trinidad & Tobago and provides and supports all sorts of services for visiting yachties: he has organised a radio net at 8.00am each morning with safety alerts (if necessary), weather, news of social events, help wanted, and “Treasures of the Bilge’ where any surplus stuff can be given away, traded or bartered; he arranges shopping trips to the supermarkets and open market delivering you right back to your boat with your stores; arranges sightseeing trips all over the island and also communicates with the authorities to try to ensure all the different agencies (customs, immigration etc) provide their employees with the correct procedures and are consistent. What a man!!}
Picture of the market to follow!
Picture of the market to follow!
Our key for the boatyard hotel was waiting at the security gate as expected and we were able to settle into our room where, after a snack left over from our food, Chris promptly fell asleep! I was in fact wide awake and wandered up to the bar with my internet code (thoughtfully left with the door key for us), had a beer and sent some messages to say we had arrived safely.
After a good night’s sleep, we wandered over to where we had last seen Moontide and there was nothing - GONE!!! Obviously the yard is entitled to move boats around to make the best use of the space available and we had been in an area where a lot of work was done on the big fishing boats so I expect we were in the way. After a short while and the help of one of the yard guys we found her safe and sound. |
We had arranged a ladder (obviously these are usually removed whilst the owners are away unless it is agreed that someone will be on board either working or just checking the boat) and went on board. Everything was fine and we had left her quite organised, folding the sails away and even leaving a drop of gin and some tonics as a welcome, much to our surprise!!
We stayed in the hotel for 4 nights and on Monday moved back home. But OH BOY was it hot and we decided to hire an air conditioning unit and so Tuesday am, Michael came over with an estimate and then brought over the unit and fixed it up above the hatch in the forepeak as the saloon hatch is too small. He was not certain that we would feel the full benefit of it but Chris laid one of our cockpit cushions underneath the air flow directing the air into the saloon and it’s magical!
We stayed in the hotel for 4 nights and on Monday moved back home. But OH BOY was it hot and we decided to hire an air conditioning unit and so Tuesday am, Michael came over with an estimate and then brought over the unit and fixed it up above the hatch in the forepeak as the saloon hatch is too small. He was not certain that we would feel the full benefit of it but Chris laid one of our cockpit cushions underneath the air flow directing the air into the saloon and it’s magical!
The weather at the moment is very tropical! Apparently we are in the middle of a heatwave and also there are quite a few tropical storms where the sky goes very very dark and then down comes the rain. You do NOT want to be out in one of those!! It was the rainy season while we were away and everywhere is looking so lush and green – a great change from the hill fires we left behind!
As I said we are in a corner and very close to a large tree where there are bats at night and in the evening the green parrots have a stopover on their way to roust – what a noise! Unfortunately they are very well hidden and can only really be seen arriving and leaving suddenly whirring their way out of the branches rather like pheasants or partridges. | With a bit of luck you can see some dark marks flying off to the left just after they say goodbye with to each other with all the racket! |
Chris has been getting on with work and I have largely kept out of the way and this has allowed me to take a couple of trips – I’ll follow this post up in the next day or two as I think posting separately makes it easier to read (and I might get this one done today!!)