Our Final Port

We left Buccoo bay on Saturday and met a floating pirogue and an upside down one. We offered assistance, but they declined our help except that they wanted a bucket. We gave them our red one. Later we anchored in Great Cortland Bay near the town of Plymouth. We walked ashore, encountered beggars, a British school boy cricket team from Northampton and we strolled around yet another fort – this time Fort James.

The following day we anchored a short way further NE in Englishman’s Bay. This was a delightful, big bay with a large beach and little in the way of development. There was a discrete café in one corner. We dinghied ashore and managed to land through the surf without incident. We met Eileen and Phil from Rotherham and had a stroll along the beach and chatted. Launching the dinghy to return to the boat was an altogether different affair. Kathy had barely sat on the dinghy seat when a huge roller displaced her and threw her into the boiling, pebble-filled briny. Fortunately, she was only bruised and dazed. Later we watched the local fishermen using a huge seine net to trap a very large number of fish at almost the exact place of the accident. It was a wonderful anchorage and Jeremy spent much time in the water dislodging animal, vegetable and minerals from the hull.

On Monday, a few more miles and we were in Parlatuvier Bay with 16 pirogues and a trawler. Both the trawler and SD dragged anchors and had to reset them. This village had a couple of good shops, a veg stall and a waterfall. In the afternoon we always try to snorkel to cool off and wash. The reef here was great and just as we were returning to SD Jeremy saw a large sting ray. Kathy did not see it, but eventually Jeremy brought her in its direction. It saw us as we saw it. It was six feet across and brilliant and a little scary. Happily it accelerated out to sea leaving us awestruck.

On Tuesday we arrived at Charlotteville (second town of the island). This was most pleasant, a comfortable anchorage. We had to go to Customs and Immigration again, which was not too painful. Across the road was an up-to-date library; however, the restrictions on the use of the computers were draconian. While snorkelling we met a French couple on holiday; he was a lifeguard in Guyana. We then bumped into Glen canoeing. He came to the boat later with two boys. He was chuffed to be invited on board as he is hoping to buy a yacht and cruise the Caribbean. The next day rained pretty well all day. We collected 20 gallons, most of it drinking water and Jeremy washed clothes. Both of us used the fishing rods and within twenty minutes we had four beauties. These were consumed at supper. Jeremy had a go at mending a dripping window which had developed a leak during the day.

On Maundy Thursday we were to leave Charlotteville. We arrived at customs at 0810 and left Immigration at 1020. We left to sail around the North of Tobago. As we cleared the headland, the full force of the Atlantic hit us (on the nose) with 30 knots of wind and some big waves. Sal Darago dashed them aside with little consideration for her human cargo. The anchor dropped in a bay called Anse Bateau at 1415. Glen and his boys turned up again having been on an excursion. This exclusive private resort is protected by many reefs and Little Tobago island, but they were not doing the job fully and SD rolled all night and snatched at her anchor. In the morning we walked along a wide, grassy road for about two miles to a more northerly bay. We heard and saw raucous parrots calling “pieces of eight” (Kathy disagrees with this interpretation). On arrival at the head of the large bay we saw an elderly man chopping coconuts for his hens. He was Arthur Sandy, caretaker of the Cocoa Plantation (now defunct). We had quite a chat with him, including his experiences of the 1963 hurricane which hit Tobago, before returning in the heat of the day to SD. On Holy Saturday, we walked to Speyside and managed to buy some lamb for the first time for ages. Later we went ashore to the bar for two beers paying 34 $TT for the privilege (cost 12$TT in the shops) – still there was a good view of SD, the only yacht in the bay.

On Easter Sunday we left Anse Bateau (far from impressed) and went SW to King’s Bay. We anchored in a wooded corner quite a way from the head of the bay, alone. We had to put out an anchor at the stern to stop rolling, but it was effective. We tried fishing twice and on the second occasion Jeremy caught something but it took the hook, snapping the line. We had bacon for supper. On Easter Monday we walked ashore meeting a minister from Trinidad, who was on holiday, and saw a beautiful waterfall.

On Tuesday we returned to Scarborough and had to go to Customs and Immigration. Fortunately this only took just over an hour and we were able to do some shopping. The yacht Cariad was still in Scarborough with Wattie (not Waddie as previously thought) waiting for our return so he could buddy boat us to Trinidad. He was less than enthusiastic to hear that we intended to leave on Wednesday at 2000hrs. He is on his own and has not singlehanded so far.

At 1000 on Wednesday, as agreed the previous afternoon, we turned up at Immigration. We left for Customs at 1155; Wattie had not been seen by Immigration. By 1400 Wattie came to SD and said he was not coming. His fisherman friend, Terry, had said it was very rough out. Kathy and Jeremy had a pleasant mince supper with Wattie on SD. Earlier Jeremy and Wattie had moved Cariad closer in, out of the swell. At 2000 Sal Darago cleared Scarborough harbour and it was rough for about four hours. After that the wind died down and the engine had to be turned on (no laughing, Ben). We passed through a most beautiful channel called Bocas del Draco and arrived in Chaguaramus, our final destination from Hesketh Bank.

We went for a little motor to Scotland Bay yesterday, but most of our time here has been spent in offices and touring the boatyards and businesses trying to get the lie of the land. It is a big operation, situated in a heavily wooded bay with islands just off. Most picturesque, but a port and very brightly lit at night.

Tomorrow Sal Darago will be lifted out of the water and the mammoth task of preparing her to be left for six months begins. We also have one or two repairs to be done – some osmosis in the rudder, a new hot water tank and a new spinnaker pole come most readily to mind and, of course, the journey home. We left Hesketh Bank on 23/07/08. The log reading was 5112. Today it reads 11122, so that’s just 6010 miles under her twin keels. Apart from the above repairs, she has not given us any trouble, which isn’t bad for a thirty four year old yacht.