It’s a hard rain that’s gonna fall
27 November 2016 | Peake Yacht Services, Chaguaramas, Trinidad
Yes, it was still the rainy season and Peake Yacht Services had somehow selected one of the wettest and swampiest areas of the boatyard for MINNIE B. It has been very comfortable onboard but we needed a wooden pallet at the foot of the stepladder to provide somewhere dry for footwear – anything left on the ground was at risk of floating off. In fact, it was suggested that if the rain kept up we could simply float MINNIE B down the yard and into the water. However, we now know the dry spots and the swampy spots, so next time …
We were straight in to the various jobs on the boat and without cataloguing everything, this has included: dropping the keel for sandblasting and new pivot bearings; new wooden case for the small fridge; repairs to various port surrounds (note to Alubat: it would help if these were varnished on all sides); new controller for the solar panels; new starter battery; installation of a fixed monitor and PC for watching DVDs etc.; new chartplotters and radar; replacement of some headlining in the aft cabins (it was the 10 years’ failure of the foam – messy job); hydraulic ram on the rudder serviced; and the usual engine and mechanical systems servicing.
It has not been all work and no play despite being full on with getting up between 0600 and 0700 and cracking on with the jobs, including dismantling the interior of most of the boat on at least four occasions just to get access to cable runs and places in need of attention. We joined some other cruisers for a trip to Felicity for Diwali. This Hindu festival celebrates the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and so on. Small clay bowls (diyas) with coconut oil and a wick are laid out symmetrically around people’s houses and the resulting lights are quite charming. There seems to be the same kind of competition among some as for Christmas lights, elaborate displays of electrically powered lights have joined the traditional diyas. We were treated to some dancing and drumming at a Hindu temple and a traditional meal served on a banana leaf.
A very nice couple, Yorkshireman Colin and his Trinidadian wife Kay, invited us to their home on the nearby island of Gaspar Grande for the afternoon and we thoroughly enjoyed reminiscences about West Yorkshire, discussing the world at large and having a swim off the beach. Delightful.
We also took in a concert by the Trinidad and Tobago Youth Philhamonic Orchestra accompanied by a singing group, presenting a tribute to Maurice White, the founder of ‘Earth, Wind and Fire’, who died this year. We were familiar with ‘September’, ‘Fantasy’ and ‘No-one else but you’. The music was first class and the singing outstanding but we recalled that other musical genres had our attention during the heyday of EWF. Four of the female singers were wearing gold eyeshadow and tended to sing with their eyes closed, making them look like zombies – it was quite distracting and disturbing, but did not mar our enjoyment of a supremely professional evening.
So, now we are back in the water, having launched on Friday 25th November.
The worst thing that has happened since we got back was Trump. We recall the words of great parliamentarian Edmund Burke, who said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”. There is danger afoot and it would appear that light has not triumphed over darkness in the USA at present.
The saddest thing that has happened is the death of Leonard Cohen, and we also recall his words “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in”.
The most hopeful thing that has happened is the UK High Court ruling that Parliament has to approve triggering Brexit and there is an increasing realisation in the UK that leaving the EU is a very bad idea. Fingers crossed eh?
We had planned to stop reading about the political and economic situation and concentrate on good things, like Alex Thomson on ‘Hugo Boss’ at the front of the Vendee Globe Round the World Race, Ben Ainslie and the GB Team winning the Americas Cup lead-up series, the performance of the England and Ireland Rugby teams, the varied success of the England cricket team, Andy Murray being World No 1 male tennis player and so on. However, the political situation is too dangerous to duck out completely. We live in hope.
We will stay in Trinidad for a short while and then head north – Martinique looks a likely destination for Christmas and New Year, to meet up with old friends … and to be in France …