Thursday 5th October
We are leaving today, still need to check out which is a more straight forward and quicker process than checking in. By the time we’ve done that, did a bit of food shopping in the marina, it is already midday. We still have to fill the fuel tank and that soon becomes an ordeal. There is a huge motorboat filling up when we arrive, and after half an hour, he has sucked the pump dry! We can’t go without, the little fuel we have in the jerry cans would not be sufficient if we had to motor all the way. So we could go and fill up at the gas station, miles away but we have no transport, in the end the lady takes pity on us and she does help. Whilst we are waiting, we had a drama going on, a beautiful 50 footer, with 3 people on board has tried 3 times to dock on the fuel pontoon, without success. Not quite sure what the problem was but on the 4th time it really goes pear shape with the front banging the dock so bad that the pontoon shook. To make it worse, the lady at the front had done her lines wrong and I watched mesmerised the stanchions at the front bend like they were made out of rubber. So sad, such a beautiful boat…
By the time we finally got going, it is late afternoon, going down the channel is fine but as soon as we are out, the wind goes up to 25/30 knots, the waves are a good 3 to 4 metres high and the current swirling round us is definitely against us… we are not making any progress and given the time, we decide to go and spend the night in Scotland bay just inside the channel. And what a peaceful night that was. We are surrounded by very high mountains shielding us from any wind at all. The water is flat and we had a very peaceful evening watching and listening to the birds. The night was restful too.
Friday 6th October
We try again leaving in the evening, Just as well really, we did not wake up until 10nam… I guess a day just resting and reading will do us a world of good. Our time in Trinidad has been full on. It really does feel like we have not stopped. As the evening approaches, the wind pipes up and we are in 2 minds about leaving but decide to give it a go. It is not as bad as yesterday and this time we are making progress. Admittedly, we will not be able to sail at all, the wind in right on the nose and as it turns out, it dies fairly soon. But after the initial spat of rain in the early evening, and a few thunder and lightning in the horizon, we have a decent and uneventful passage to Tobago.