We arrived in Trinidad on October 22 (from Miami, where we stayed for one day on our way back from Spain in order to collect stuff we had sent to a UPS store rather than schlep to Europe and back). 

Our time in Trinidad was to be one of unusual and large expenses.  Replacement of our anchor chain.  Replacement of our bimini with a new T-top capable of supporting two new solar panels.  Another solar controller for the new panels, and other associated enhancements.  Replacement of our water maker.  Two new chairs for the cockpit.  Stripping the bottom paint down to gelcoat and applying two coats of barrier paint before the application of the customary anti-fouling.  Replacement of the coolant in the genset and John Deere with the superior (and expensive) Cool-Guard II, and cleaning of the exchanger cores.

We had already, before leaving in July, received shipment of 340 feet of 3B galvanized chain to replace the rusty stuff in our anchor locker, so that improvement was already complete.

We had been in communication with Echotec  Marine, and expected them to begin their installation of a model 1200-Pro-3 water maker within a day or two of our return.  We were told that the technician was out sick, and that there would be about a week delay.  Then we were told that a technician had quit, and there would be a delay while a replacement was found.  Then we were told that the delay might stretch out indefinitely.  We went to see the president of the company, and he revealed that he had fired two technicians for stealing from Echotec in order to support their own moonlighting activities.  He said that he would provide expert advice and a bonus/compensation of a number of supplies, but that I would have to do the installation myself.  There was another delay while the components were being assembled and configured for our layout.  (An aside:  a technician had visited the boat before we left in July, and we thought the preparations were to be already completed by the time we returned in October!)  While waiting for the new parts, I completed the de-installation of the old and took the opportunity to sand and apply BilgeCoat to the intended area for the new.  Eventually, with the benefit of visits from the sole remaining technician for brief bits of advice, I did indeed complete the installation.  The result:  production of 50 to 55 gallons per hour; quite a step up from the nominal 17 gals. of the old Sea Recovery unit – with the emphasis on the word “nominal” since the actual production had usually been between 12 and 15.

Meanwhile, Mitchell of West Coast Fabrication began the task of removing the old bimini and installing the new T-top that would be strong and secure enough to support two 250 watt solar panels.  Carlos of Alpha Canvas was commissioned to install the canvas on the new T-top.  There were communication problems between the two, both at the design level and implementation level, with the result that the panel project took much longer than we had expected.  

While this was being sorted out I completed the internal wiring for the solar panels, adding another MPPT controller, a communications hub, a remote digital monitoring panel and breakers both in and out of the two controllers.  So the resulting installation looks like this:  three 145 watt panels on the pilot house, connected in series to a TriStar MPPT 45 watt controller in a cabinet in the pilot house; two 250 watt panels on the new T-top, connected in parallel (out of concern of shading issues from the mast and radar) to a TriStar MPPT 60 watt controller adjacent to the other controller, with both controller inputs and outputs protected by separate breakers mounted in a nice tidy breaker box.  Monitoring is convenient:  I mounted a remote digital TriStar meter (TS-RM-2) on the panel adjacent to the steps up to the pilot house, just under the Xantrex Link 2000-R battery monitoring display.  The TriStar meter can display and set parameters for either controller via a Morningstar MeterBus Hub which is also mounted in the cabinet with the controllers.

Using parts I had brought back with us, I completed a repair of the starboard stabilizer, replacing a worn pin on the knuckle end of the hydraulic ram.

We had ordered two new chairs – to replace one coming apart and to add an extra, bringing the total up to five, since we frequently run out of seats before room when entertaining friends in the cockpit.  When Barb went to Customs to claim the chairs, she was shocked to find that the agent would not permit them to come in duty free as boat parts for a vessel in transit.  Pictures of our cockpit did not prevail.  We ended up paying a whopping 45% duty/tax on the chairs.

For the last several years I had noticed that portions of the bottom paint were peeling off in sheets.  Just prior to the application of new anti-fouling, I had been taking a putty knife and finding the loose sections and peeling them off by hand down to whatever the paint was when we took ownership.  Peake Yacht Services had been telling me that the paint was peeling simply because it was too thick; it was time to remove it all down to the gelcoat and start all over.  Aware of all of the other delays, and daunted by the number of new spots that were peeling, I decided to bite the bullet and OK the peel, thereby incurring another much-longer-than-expected project.  It turned out that the areas not peeling, and the few layers of paint in the areas that had peeled – that those areas were remarkably stubborn.   It took much longer to complete the peel than they had anticipated.  Fortunately, their bid was based on the job and not on the number of hours.

I drained the coolant from the genset and the John Deere propulsion engine and had the heat exchanger cores cleaned, replacing the coolant with new Cool Guard II.  Had a little trouble getting all of the air out of the John Deere system after the refill, but finally prevailed.

As we have done for each of the last several years, Barb and I applied PropSpeed to the propeller and rudder after all other bottom work had been completed.  Application technique is critical; the surfaces must be squeaky-clean and the slick second coat must be applied within minutes of the first etching coat. So application is a two-person job; there would be far too long a delay if the entire first coat were applied before the second began.  I apply the etcher to small areas and Barb follows with the second coat.  We are thinking of hiring ourselves out as PropSpeed applicators.

Of course, all was not work without play during our stay.  We went to the Wheelhouse Pub almost twice a week; once for their swordfish and once for their Bake ‘n’ Shark.  We went to several movies at Movie Town.  We joined a Jesse-sponsored trip to the Starlift pan yard where the Starlift and Tripolians bands performed, as well as a drum and dance group.  Food and beer were available, and we enjoyed the Shark ‘n’ Bake sandwiches and the corn soup.

On November 26 we finally splashed and tucked into a slip at Crews Inn.  Barb and Roberta (Celilo) organized a US-Thanksgiving theme for our friends at Crews Inn, with Barb providing a complete turkey and another turkey breast as well as the celebratory champagne.

We got a weather window earlier than expected, and left for Grenada early December 6.  Along the way we decided to not stop but to proceed directly to Carriacou, where Mike and Roberta were waiting for us to deliver a part.   We arrived at about 9 pm, and anchored in the dark at the rear of the pack.   On the way, the hydraulic system for the stabilizers had overheated, and we had to shut them down.  Our satellite phone system claims it cannot see the external antenna but by going out onto the foredeck I was able to make a call to a stabilizer technician who was convinced that the problem would have to be in the seawater supply to heat exchanger for the stabilizer hydraulic oil.  Next morning I found and removed debris in the seawater hose that supplies the stabilizer heat exchanger, and was so confident that I had solved the problem that we left Carriacou that same day in order to take advantage of what looked to be an almost-long-enough stretch of trawler weather for our uninterrupted passage to Bonaire.  Alas, two hours into the 408 nm, 51 ½ hr trip, the stabilizers once again overheated, and so we made the rest of the trip with an uncharacteristic amount of rolling.  Fortunately, the hull design of the Kadey-Krogen is particularly forgiving of following seas, and the waves were never too far off from 180 degrees.   Yes, we did a little lurching during the last 18 hours (since the first part of the trip was amazingly calm), but it was not nearly so bad as one might expect.

We arrived in Bonaire around noon and I enjoyed photographing the familiar and iconic sights (and sites) of the southern coast of Bonaire.  Alas, we both were stricken with head colds on our long passage, so as this is written we have yet to go diving.   But have no doubt; faithful readers will soon be inundated with pictures of our underwater adventures.