We are now back in in Trinidad after a five week visit home to see family and friends. "Scott Free" is at the Crew's Inn Marina tied up in a slip and the boat will probably be here until November 1. We are only a few miles from the Venezuelan coast but it doesn't look like we're going to get there. We have many more work projects going on than we expected and all are in various stages of completion. The biggest surprise was the results of our rigging survey, done just after our arrival here on June 22. Our bow sprit (the picture here shows our bow stripped of its' bow sprit) and dinghy davits were both damaged and needed to be replaced. This is a big steel fabrication job and it looks like they will be finished by mid October. We can't safely move the boat until this work is completed, so we'll be here at least until then. This will give the riggers time to complete the rigging replacement also being done. Our transmission was hauled, inspected, cleaned and replaced. We are replacing and/or repairing our canvas work and stripping, sanding and revarnishing a lot of our wood work, exterior almost done, interior to go. Then there's the cleaning and polishing of the exterior fiberglass and stainless steel. Scott has also spent days cleaning up the dinghy.
So it's lucky that we're here for awhile. There are excellent workers and shops for all our projects and the rates are reasonable. The marina is very lovely and has a good pool (we can do laps), small grocery store, and nice restaurant. The harbor is chockfull of marinas, marine industry companies, and cruisers. We're part of a tight knit community of widely assorted people here and there's lots going on. Although the majority are probably American, Canadians, British, French and other mostly European countries are all well represented. Trips by "maxi taxi" (vans seating about 12 persons) go out every day for shopping and sightseeing. On Tuesday mornings I board at 9:30AM for a supermarket, mall, fruit and vegetable stand, meat market and book store. We're back at 12:30 with lots of packages.
On Wednesday we joined a group who went into the center of town to the fabric shops and lunch. On Thursdays the seamstresses come, one for general clothing and curtains, the other for bathing suits. I've had a sundress made and have ordered a tunic and pants of burnt orange raw silk I bought.
We are replacing the beige curtains that are permenantly stained with a soft green. Friday we did an all day trip down south to the Pitch Lake and 2 Hindu Temples (Trinidad is 40% African descent, 40% India Indian descent and the rest Chinese, European and Latin American. Saturday we had a group of friends over for pot luck appetizers and drinks by the pool. On Sundays we play Mexican Train Dominos, and on Mondays there's bridge. Thursday nights there's a pot luck BBQ by the pool and every restaurant has a special evening once a week. Doesn't it sound like we're living in a retirement home?