"On the hard" in Trinidad

Granada and Trinidad are the two go-to islands for cruisers to store their boats during hurricane season. Trinidad has a reputation for being dangerous but upon further research Jeff found that it was the locals shooting each other, not the cruisers...Whew, never mind that stray bullet! And the theft incidents had greatly decreased because the Trinidadians "took care of the problem" ...Uhhhh OKEE DOKEE?!
So like the intrepid sailors that we are, we chose Trinidad because 1) it was recommended by a cruising couple we met who had had a great storage experience there and 2) (the biggie) Our insurance only covers boat storage during hurricane season in Trinidad or ports further south.

So we left Granada in mid-afternoon and arrived in Trinidad in the early morning of the following day, sailing at an average speed of six knots with wave heights of four to six feet. Pirates coming from Venezuela are still known to board cruising vessels on their way to Trinidad. It is best to sail to Trinidad at night and in heavier weather conditions as apparently pirates are fair weather racketeers. We also made a point of not transmitting Radar or AIS signals. Not only that, we had new found friends keeping a sharp eye out for us...

I am very pleased to say that for once I was actually happy to sail in these conditions... nary a pirate in sight!

We moored in Chaguaramas which is a very industrial looking area catering to hardcore cruisers. Our trip was small potatoes compared to several cruisers who had circumnavigated at least once. (It really is all relative isn't it?!) And I'll tell ya', if you need boat work done of any kind, this is the place. Amazingly we didn't need any. But who knows what "Grace" will need after several months on the hard during hurricane season.

There are a few large boat yards to choose from. We chose "Power Boats" again because it was recommended. Recommendations are invaluable in the cruising world because situations can change so quickly.

While on the mooring ball, we spent the next several days getting the boat ready for liftoff into storage. This means taking down the sails, hauling them in by dinghy to get inspected and repaired if necessary. Removing and washing down all lines and canvas. And finally hoisting up the dinghy and securing it on deck.

I began a thorough inspection and vinegar wash down of every article, floor, wall, ceiling, nook and cranny inside the boat. This also means bagging every item that has the potential to mold and the removal of all food including canned goods which rust quickly.

Finally it was time to get "Grace" out of the water. We backed into the slip as, when we return in the future, it will be a heck of a lot easier to pull out of this narrow, concrete slip in a forward motion.

Straps will go under Grace to gently lift her

 Jeff, the mother hen, stayed on the boat until the very last second.

Grace weighs about 20,000 pounds

 He did not leave "Gracie's" side until she was fully parked and secured.

The boat lift drives through the yard to where Grace will set on the hard

We thought the bottom of the boat looked better than expected for being in brackish then salt water for close to a year and this was pre-power wash. After the power wash we had to painstakingly scrape off several stray stubborn barnacles but the bottom paint stayed in tact.

For the following week we continued cleaning, securing and organizing. We rented an air conditioning unit to ensure Grace has adequate temperature and humidity control. We also made arrangements for someone to consistently check up on her.

At one point Jeff climbed the mast to remove the wind vane and took these photos of "Gracie's"  new home.

We left Trinidad knowing that "Grace" was cool, secured and in good company...

We love you Grace! 

A wondrous journey to all,

Pam

Grace will be staying in Trinidad through the hurricane season.  Pam and I will come back in late October or early November to take her out of storage to bring her back to her sweet home in Chicago.  We are looking forward to returning to some of the places we have seen and to the new adventures we will experience.  

Pam and I both want to thank you for following us on our journey.   

Jeff