Greetings from Trinidad

What a busy time we’ve had since the last blog! Our Ford Focus Estate was sold a few hours before we were to attend the River Wyre Yacht Club laying up supper in Cleveleys, near Blackpool, which is about 40 miles from our house in Wrightington. We owe Dave (Yosser) Hughes a big thank you for the lift to and from the supper. We had a great time meeting up with our yacht club friends, eating a lovely supper and dancing the night away. We were honoured to be presented with the Wardley’s Trophy. Thank you RWYC.

Ellie's Christening at St Felix's Church, Rendlesham

The day before we moved house the M6 was closed both ways, which resulted in our van being in Morecambe instead of Wigan. Consequently, we started packing up three hours later than planned. After a few hours of frantic activity, it became clear that we were not going to fit everything in the van and we would have to make two trips to Suffolk. We shared the driving and made it to Suffolk in about 5 hours. The next day we unpacked the contents of the van into our shipping container in Em and Ben’s garden, made a packed lunch and set off for Lancashire. Jeremy packed and secured the rest of our stuff while I did the final bits of cleaning in the house. It was strange standing in our empty house which had been home for nearly 34 years. I was surprised how little emotion I felt. It’s not the bricks and mortar that make a home, is it? It’s the people who share the house with you and the familiar items around you that make a house a home. Without them it’s just an empty shell.

                                                                                

Christening Cake. The sailing boat and horse represent the interests of the parents. 

This time we were not so lucky with the traffic and were soon in a traffic jam only 15 minutes from home. We stopped for an evening meal in a pub just off the A14 and arrived in Suffolk about 10.30pm. Throughout all this I’d had a heavy cold followed by a respiratory infection and was taking antibiotics. “Try to rest,” the doctor had said. The next day we unpacked the rest of our stuff and returned the van to the depot in Ipswich, swapping it for a white Hyundai hire car. I fell asleep in the passenger seat on the drive back to Woodbridge. We had two days left before Ellie’s Christening.

Lifesaving fan installed in Sal Darago

While Emily, Ben and Jeremy prepared the house for 50 guests, I drove to Gatwick to pick up my Mum and my sister, Pat, who had flown in from the Isle of Man. The Christening went off very well with an informal family service in church followed by a buffet lunch at Whispering Pines (Em and Ben’s house). It was good to see Jeremy’s brothers and their wives along with many Deacon family members. Four generations were represented as my Mum celebrated the Christening of her sixth great grandchild.

Flaking paint had to be removed from the decks

So, did we rest in the week that followed before our flight to Trinidad? No, we went house hunting and managed to view three properties, putting an offer in on one in Eyke, which has since had an offer made by someone else. This has been accepted by the seller.

Jeremy at work on Sal Darago's bottom

Our journey to Trinidad began at 3.15am as we drove to Gatwick, left our hire car at the depot and checked in for our Virgin Atlantic flight to Tobago, with a touch down at St Lucia. A brief Caribbean Airways flight took us to Trinidad where our taxi driver was waiting. After 23 hours of travelling we entered our air conditioned apartment at Power Boats yard.

Our home in Trinidad

Sal Darago was basically sound but had not weathered as well as last time. Some water had got into the bilges and steamed the insides of the boat causing paint to flake off in some lockers, rust on the engine and cooker and some corrosion on some portholes. Outside the deck paint was flaking off under the dirt and dust. She looked very much in need of TLC. After four nights in the apartment, we moved into SD and were saved from collapsing from heat exhaustion by the loan of a fan from Jesse James, Members Only maxi taxi trips and tours. Power Boats had no fans left to hire, but were able to loan us an extension cable. Each day we are up just before 6am, work until midday, sleep until 3.00pm, then work until 6pm. The temperature varies from 31C in the day to 25C at night with high humidity. Mosquitos bite your bare flesh and no see ums jump up and bite your ankles as you walk across the yard. Paradise indeed!