8 30 2009 Dragon Boat Races
30 August 2009 | Chaguarmas, Trinidad
Devi
We have had a busy day. We skipped our morning bike ride and used the calm morning air to take down our sails in preparation for hauling the boat out of the water next week. We will take the sails to a sail loft and have a look at them for chafe and wear. The sails are relatively new, but they do get chaffed when used so it is best to have a look before a small frayed area becomes a large tear. Now our main salon is filled with two large bundles of sail.
We are anchored in a bay called Hart's cut and we share the anchorage with the Coast Guard, a few fisherman and the dragon boats. Dragon boats are 41 feet in length, and have ornately carved and painted dragon heads and tails. Each carries a helmsman, a drummer whose beat provides the rhythm and a crew of 20 paddlers. The races take place on flat water, usually over a distance of 500 metres, at a sprint. The sport of dragon boat racing originated in China over 2000 years ago. Dragon Boat Racing was introduced to T&T in 2006 as part of the 200 years celebration of Chinese Arrival to T&T. I was surprised to learn that Dragon boat racing is an internationally recognized sport with participants in the Far East, Australia, Europe and North America.
Today there was a dragon boat race a few hundred feet from us so we hopped into our dingy and watched. There was music and celebrating on shore. Trinis don't need much of an excuse to party. Tomorrow is Trinidad