First splash of 2016

So last you heard we were stuck on the hard dock in Trinidad. . . I am pleased to say that we have seen the light and the water! We splashed on the 26^th of February (Happy birthday to Captain Ian) and we were planning on spending the night in the Peakes’ slipway, unfortunately the cleats on the dock are not mooring line friendly, and we eventually decided to go anchor around 10 in the evening after 2 of our mooring lines snapped! We provisioned over the next couple of days . . . quite a process and after a fairly hefty bill (food is so expensive) we were finally set to go . . . but not before a quick trip to the duty free alcohol section . . . Jangles booze cruise was ready to go!

We left Trinidad on the 3^rd March, heading up towards Tobago Cays to meet up with Krista and Bill from Secoudon. On our way up, between Trinidad and Grenada we were super lucky to have a pod of around a dozen dolphins swim with our boat for a good 30 minutes! It was fantastic!

When we finally reached Tobago Cays, the weather and sea conditions were superb! Once we anchored it was the first time either my dad or myself went into the water! We swam over to Secoudon and arranged an afternoon snorkel with them which was followed by a delicious pork fillet for dinner onboard Secoudon. The next day Krista and I went out for a snorkel and got to play with the turtles for 2 and 1/2 hours! Needless to say, our backsides were roasted when we got back. 

We left Secudon to head to St. Vincent to pick up two friends who were coming aboard for 9 days, Robert and Agnes. They arrived on board late in the evening of the 5^th and after refueling the next morning we got underway. As we were coming around the corner to the anchorage in Bequia, the rod went off! Dorado for supper! Secoudon was in Bequia and Krista and I had happy hour in the afternoon when we were noodling - noodling is a sort of water aerobic exercise, which I must say was greatly improved by a frozen strawberry daiquiri. Krista and Bill came over for dinner and we had delicious, fresh fish.

The next morning we were off to the Tobago Cays. We spent two days snorkeling in the Cays and playing with the turtles before we headed off to Petite St. Vincent. We spent a couple of days there waiting out some bad weather before it was time to head back to St. Vincent and say farewell to Robert and Agi.

Agnes touching a turtle

My dad and I sailed straight up to St. Lucia as we were picking up my mom and my boyfriend, Travis, on the 17^th March. Once they arrived we had a quiet dinner on Jangles with Krista and Bill (Yes, Secoudon was there again… but we love seeing them!). My mom’s 50^th was coming up so the next night we had an early birthday celebration with Secoudon at the Big Chef in St. Lucia. We departed early Saturday morning and spent the day sailing to Bequia. Travis caught a barracuda on the way, which we threw back. We provisioned the next morning and had a drink before we left. I ordered and ice cream sandwich and literally, that’s what I got. A piece of bread with peanut butter and 2 scoops of ice cream with chocolate sauce plopped on top. We were all a little flabbergasted and burst out laughing. We Left Bequia and sailed to Petite St. Vincent for my moms birthday.

I had spent 4 days baking and icing biscuits on a moving boat – no small feat I shall add – and made a cake to match for my mom’s birthday. It was all worth it in the end as Travis and I got up early to decorate the boat and my mom had a great morning drinking champagne and opening her presents. We had planned to have dinner at the beach bar but the weather wasn’t great so we stayed in and went the next night.

Our next destination was Tobago cays. Travis and I spent hours in the water, snorkeling and playing with turtles. We saw loads of rays, including spotted eagle rays and even a southern stingray that had no barb! The one time my mom joined us we found a super friendly turtle, which had no trouble being touched. We ended up getting some great pictures with it.

Travis and I went snorkeling on the reef and were lucky enough to see a nurse shark! Unfortunately the current was a bit strong so we weren’t able to follow him to get a picture (no, I am not lying we really did see one!).  On another one of our snorkels (we were like fish so in the water all the time) we saw a different species of turtle, the greatly endangered hawksbill turtle.

It was sadly time to leave the Cays and head back north to St. Lucia as Travis’s departure was drawing near . . . We sailed to Bequia and spent a day there. Our friends from Truant and Jambalaya were in Bequia so we had lunch with them at Jacks beach bar on Easter Sunday. They all spent the entire afternoon at the bar whilst Travis and I went snorkeling (once again). We had an amazing snorkel with great sightings . . . spotted moray eel, gold spotted eel (both in the open), a flying gurnard, a huge porcupine fish.

We set sail early the following morning and only arrived in St. Lucia at nightfall. The following day was a sad one as it was time for Travis to leave. . . lots of tears again on my part.

Our next plan is to head up to Antigua for race week. . . will keep you all posted.

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Trinidad

Once again we are back in Trini Land! Only two members are on board - my father and myself (Jessica) - to get Jangles seaworthy once again! Quite a bit of work to do. . .as much as you can expect when you leave a boat sitting on the hard for 18 months . . . but hopefully we will splash soon!

View from our hotel

We happened to arrive in Trinidad on a Friday. . . which means no one will work until Monday of course! Not to mention carnival was in a weeks time which means Trinidad shuts down for a week and nobody comes to work! Our first stop from the airport was to the doubles stand. . . we love doubles! Doubles is a local Trini dish (commonly had for breakfast) consisting of flat fried bread filled with curried chickpeas. . . super delicious. We arrived at the little Peakes Boat Yard hotel and proceeded to spend the weekend scrubbing the decks and turning Jangles from brown back to her normal self once again.

Enjoying a nice cold beer

We started checking things to see what worked and what didn’t. . . boaters know there is something that always won’t work! We tested out the starboard engine which ran beautifully but when we tried to start the port engine. . . uh-oh . . . white smoke was coming out of the intake! Needless to say, after taking the entire thing apart, we found the problem! Carbon and a stuck valve! We have our spare parts coming in and should hopefully have the engine back together and running in a week.

Next issue we found (the list goes on I tell ya) was a small water leak into the engine bay, naturally we thought it was coming from one of the water pipe valves put upon further inspection we found the source to be the hotwater geyser! After completely taking the geyser apart we eventually found the source of the leak which was fixed easily with a little welding.

Geyser being taken apart

Inside the engine bay

Covers being cleaned, generator poles being replaced, deck work to be done, polishing, viking 8 man life raft being rectified, fire bottles being inspected and electronics being tested, thru hull fittings, seacocks, engine services etc, along with the multitude of tick boxes to be ticked.  Once all these bits and bobs are completed we can hopefully splash with no more issues and start our cruising season up the islands.

Being from South Africa of course, where our exchange rate has recently crashed, everything in Trinidad has become a lot more expensive. Not to mention, just as we arrived here they began a compulsory 12.5% VAT on all work and products sold in the marine industry. . . Cha Ching! We have found, this time especially, that one of our major expenses is food. . . the cost of food is outrageous, especially at restaurants. So we got the gas working swiftly on the boat and did a bit of provisioning and needless to say as my mother is not here, I have now become chief chef, laundromat and bottle scrubber. Food is still extremely expensive to buy, but it’s a bit of a relief to eating in restaurants all the time. I mean for example the average price of dinner at a restaurant is between 80 - 200 TT, which in Rands would be between R190 - 490 for one restaurant meal!. 

We moved out of the hotel and onto the boat once I had 2 cabins cleaned thoroughly, what a job that was! It took me an entire day to unpack my suitcases, trying to find places to put everything! Needless to say. . . which is usually the case . . . I brought way more stuff than I will ever need! Anyway, we are finally unpacked and settled in nicely aboard Jangles. . . although I am sure we will sleep far better when we are floating. 

Luggage to be packed away

We haven’t been all work and no play, we’ve had a little fun in the evenings with our Canadian friends Krista and Bill from Secoudon! They were already on the water by the time we had arrived so I got a little break from being a chef every second or third night as we would have dinner on their boat. Dinner, however, would also be accompanied by copious amounts of fantastic caribbean rum! We had great fun with Secoudon who left Trinidad yesterday. . . so sad. . . but we are hoping to catch up to them up island when we finally get Jangles in the water. . . fingers crossed it will be soon! Thats all for now, it’s time for dinner duty, testing out the grill for the first time with some delicious hamburgers!

My dad and Bill

Krista and me