Trinidad has always been for us a mixture of hard work and good fun, and that has been especially so this year.  We have undertaken a number of projects, and of course there is the usual list of things that must always be done to prepare the boat for sitting on the hard while we travel .

Barb spent a lot of time washing down walls and cleaning out drawers and cupboards, and making covers for the boat’s nameplates.  She made herself a dress.  She made reflective/insulative covers for the inside of many of the boat’s windows.  She cleaned and waterproofed the canvasses for the dinghy and the bimini.

I dismantled the seacock for the John Deere and cleaned it up so that it closes properly again. I changed lubricating oils for the dinghy outdrive, the genset, the John Deere and the transmission. I flushed the dinghy outdrive cooling passages with fresh water. I replaced the diesel fuel filters.  I did a bunch of varnishing, both inside and out.  I cleaned and lubricated the dinghy winch and the anchor windlass.   We replaced 330 feet of ⅜ inch BBB anchor chain, and placed distinctive marks every 25 feet so as to be able to tell how much chain we have out when we anchor.  I conducted a “self-survey” of TT2 to support our shift of boat insurers.

On the fun side, we socialized with many cruising friends in a variety of settings, including pot lucks at Crews Inn, swordfish nights and bake-and-shark nights at the Wheelhouse Pub, roti and buss-ups at Grace’s, and a gourmet dinner at the Hilltop Restaurant. The latter is an adjunct to the Trinidad & Tobago Hospitality & Tourism Institute.  The restaurant is staffed and run entirely by its students as part of their education. The menu for the five-course meal on the day of our visit:

1. Herb Chicken Canelloni, Tomato Fondue, Basil Puree, Parmesan, Garlic Crumbs
2. Vehyssoise, Cream Potato and Leek Puree, Scallion Froth
3. Tuna Nicoisse, Sieved Eggs, Green Beans, Peppers, Tomato Confit, Tapenade, Pomme Gaufrettes
4. Roasted Chicken Ballontine, Dried Cranberry Jus, Sauteed New Potato & Onion Fricassee, Vegetable Etuve
OR
4. Grilled Mahi Mahi, Salsa Verde, Eddoes Risotto, Yellow Pepper Veloute, Glazed Vegetables
5. Tonka Bean Panna Cotta, Wild Berry Compote, Creme Chantilly, Rum Caramel

And if you have seen the post previous to this one, you know that we had a memorable experience watching Leatherback turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.

And I had a great time photographing some of the birds that frequent the immediate area around the marinas and boatyards of Chaguaramas.

We got hooked on watching the World Cup while having cable TV at Crews Inn and had to finish watching it at the Zanzibar pub in the Peake boatyard.

I wrote this blog entry while we were on the hard.  On July 15 the boat went into secure storage and the day after we flew back to the States. We are now in Bismarck, North Dakota.  This blog will continue, but as you can imagine, the subject matter will shift considerably for the next few months. Stay tuned for more of “Chuck & Barb go cruising traveling the world.”