After waiting for 6 weeks for engine parts, it was time to leave Store Bay and start exploring the rest of the island. We had already been to Mt Irvine but were keen to get back as the surf was expected to pick up in the next 2 days. We spent 10 days here enjoying the unusual good surf conditions – so good in fact that the locals from Trinidad had flown down for the week and some had even come from Barbados. Ten days later when the swell died down, it was off to Castara, 10 miles up the coast. A very pretty town surrounded by steep hills. The anchorage was unfortunately very rolly, so the next morning we carried on up to Bloody Bay. After another uncomfortable night we decided to head straight on up to Charlottesville – hopefully we would find a protected spot to anchor in the large bay. About 1 mile outside C.ville bay we caught a black fin tuna! We did not expect to catch anything as the sail from Bloody Bay was only 3 miles. There are 2 anchorages here – Man of War bay or Pirates Bay – we anchored just off Pirates Bay beach. Getting to the beach with the dinghy can be a wild ride as the beach break is huge. How we did not flip the dinghy on our first attempt, I do not know! So after that we decided to rather leave the dinghy at the town jetty and do the walk over the hill to the beach or we just rowed there without the engine.
C.Ville is a lovely small fishing village surrounded by very green hills, no through road and no loud music from beach bars! We have been spending a lot of time at the library, it is well stocked with children’s books and of course it is air conditioned!
It is also quite easy to get diesel from the fuel station – it is right across from the beach. When we got here there was no diesel as the truck was unable to get here because of all the rain so we had to wait a few days before we could start “stocking” up on diesel. The diesel in Tobago is about 1.50 TT p/l (about R2.00 p/l) so we stocked up on 700l. Water is available from the town jetty, although we have had rain every night and have managed to keep our tanks topped up.
We have also met a family on S/V Taugl who have already circumnavigated – they are into their 4th year. Their daughter, Zoe is 7 so a perfect friend for the girls.
The plan is to leave on Monday for Grenada. We will be back in Tobago next year for hurricane season.