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Old 02-01-2014, 07:32   #1
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Trinidad

Hey folks,

just arrived to the Caribbean from Europe. I am in Martinique right now, and preparing to set sail to the south (Grenadines and Trinidad).
My idea is to stay in Trinidad for the hurricane season.
Any suggestions?

Cheers!
Mauro
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Old 03-01-2014, 09:27   #2
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Re: Trinidad

Wow! I'm surprised about how many suggestions and comments I've received.....thanks folks ! ahahahh
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Old 03-01-2014, 09:52   #3
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pirate Re: Trinidad

I'd sail North first.. visit Antigua, St Barts and St Martin... lets face it you've 5 months to kill why not see some sights... then cut back South again... stopping at Saba and other places on the way.. it don't start blowing till July normally..
Would not bother with the BVI's.. not worth the effort getting back..
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Old 06-01-2014, 18:22   #4
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Re: Trinidad

I fully agree... In fact done just that.. I have spent time in Trinidad mainly for boat maintenance issues, but after that was glad to be able to explore other islands. Went from Trinidad all the way up to St Maarten. From there sailed back to Trinidad, and instead of just hanging around in Trinidad (or Grenada for that matter) we sailed from Grenada via the Venezuelan Islands to Bonaire, then Curacao and Aruba. Currently in Jamaica actualy. I would choose Trinidad ONLY for boat maintance.
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Old 15-01-2014, 12:13   #5
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Re: Trinidad

Yes there are very few anchorages in Trinidad and hurricane season (August through October will seem long. BTW I am in Chaguaramas now.

Customs and immigration are very strict and restrictive. Cost of living is relatively high (inflation). There are many yards and marinas and almost every day something (BBQ, visit, hike etc.) is organised for the cruisers.

I suggest staying at Grenada with an eye on weather during June and July. You could continue this during all of hurricane season with a plan to sail to Trini when a menace is within 48 hours. Or you spend August, September and maybe October in Trini. Although we had Thomas on Halloween a few years back, this is a rare occurence and you can think of slowly sailing North in October.

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Old 15-01-2014, 13:06   #6
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Re: Trinidad

check a thread frm last week where I noted there has been 12 murders in the first 8 days of 2014.
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Old 18-01-2014, 10:48   #7
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Re: Trinidad

We stayed 2 hurricane seasons in Trinidad and really liked it. There are several docks/marinas to stay including Crew's Inn Marina and Coral Cove. There are moorings in the main harbor as well.

Chaguaramas, where you will stay, is a national park so it is away from most of the crime in Port of Spain and elsewhere. You can also anchor at TTSA just around the corner from the main harbor if you want and it is still within the national park.

Trinidad is the best place in the Caribbean to get work done on your boat and the best place to store a boat because it is below the hurricane box.

Cruisers have daily activities throughout hurricane season and there are restaurants in Chaguaramas as well. Jesse James will take you by Maxi-Taxi to anywhere you want to visit throughout the island.

The chandleries are well stocked for repairs to your boat.

I hope this helps!
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Old 20-01-2014, 16:02   #8
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Re: Trinidad

Thanks to you all, folks.
I think I will stop in Grenada...only 80 NM north of Trinidad, so easy to escape.
I will be in Prickly Bay in about 5 days, then proceed to Clarks Court Marina, next door.
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Old 20-01-2014, 16:13   #9
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Re: Trinidad

Trini a lot of fun. Room to anchor if you look and dont mind being a little crowded. Great for boat work, but not bad to just hang out. Stay out of the city at night.
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Old 21-01-2014, 06:57   #10
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Re: Trinidad

Thank you Cheechako.....everything is brand new to me (a former Med sailor). I am exploring :-) , like the USS Enterprise...
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Old 26-01-2014, 07:52   #11
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Re: Trinidad

Trinidad....why all the positive comments about this dirty, disgusting, rip off Marinas, lazy / incompetent boat workers, highest murder rate Island in the Caribbean?
I've had my Boat on the hard there for two years now on work that should only have taken 3 months at the most.....
Unfortunately, the fact that I couldn't be on site all the time has turned my Boat into a free Hi Lo or Price Mart Store whereby people just help themselves to anything off the boat and simply walk away with the items...Tools, VHF Radios, Auto Life Vests and worst of all, the copious amount of Spares that I had on board.... have all but disappeared!!!!
I sailed in with a fully operational Boat that needed the Hull attended to, I now have an empty Hull with no end in sight as to when the "work" will be completed.
These people have cost me 2 years of Cruising time, which at my age is priceless.
Trinidad......If / when I get back in the Water is one place I will avoid like the Plague!!!
If your coming to Trini....stay with your Boat at all times!!!
Oh Yeah Wonderful scenery....check out Pitch Lake...really worth seeing....NOT!!!!
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Old 26-01-2014, 08:38   #12
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Re: Trinidad

I haul out 2 times in Trini, my experience is if you can do your own work, good, if you need someone do the job for you, stay full time wachting the dude doing the work, dont pay nothing in advance, no Tt bro, finish the work and we talk if you know what i mean, the anchorage is horrible to the extreme, probably is in the top of my list, security? well we never feel in danger, in fact we focus in the boat work and in the afternoons run to any marina or boatyard bar close to the boat and meet other cruisers, or taking trips to port of spain to shooping, never feel in problems.

The place is well know for excelent workshops around, from SS work to repair props and shafts, or anything in between. Prices are cheap for me compared to other norther islands , weather is a pain in the ass if you plan to spray paint or varnish, Coral cove boatyard got a pool and this is really nice in the summer days, so basically you need to swicht your chip and adjust to this particular place, if you take precautions and focus in your boat can be a nice place to espend the Hurricane season ...

Now if you are the kind of cruiser like many leaving the boat there to fly home and leaving all the value inside , contract people to do job in your absence and paying some TT,S in advance probably you get screwed some way, same if you like walking in the dark hours or party in some lame spots in chaguaramas.

Can i say the anchorage is like a nightmare?
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Old 26-01-2014, 10:30   #13
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Re: Trinidad

Wolfy is this a marina or a yard where your boat was robbed of all this?

I have never had such experiences here in many years. In St-Lucia my boat was broken into.

In Grenada my 15hp outboard was stolen while locked to my boat. And twice I woke with someone either boarding or coming down the companionway at night. These were unarmed young men on drugs and I was able to chase them away just by yelling. The police were useless. Oh they asked me to fill forms allright.

True we do not use the same calendar as Caribbean island folks. Rainydad is a very wet place so yes this will delay much boat work. Workers accept more jobs than the can manage during the busy time of the year. The chandelries run out of many staple items causing more delays.

The cost of living is not cheap here (compared to Canada) so when you hire someone at 15$ an hour do not expect a super pro. This is mainly a commercial marine operation installation, so the very qualified will be tempted to work for a better pay at commercial yards. Still I have had excellent work done here at a reasonable price, but never on time.

The homicide rate is way high even for the Caribbean. Few yachtsmen are ever part of those statistics though. The anchorage is an awful place.

And oh yes. the customs are the absolute worse I have ever had the displeasure of clearing with.

Would I recommend coming here just for fun. Only if you are a masochist. To have work done, yes. To leave the boat and fly home, yes.

I really miss Venezuela though. So many places to visit, so many great island anchorages, so many nice folks (although folks are just as nice here in Rainydad).
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Old 29-01-2014, 19:29   #14
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Re: Trinidad

At the end I've stopped in Tyrrel Bay, Carriacou.....so relaxing that I can't be bothered to go anywhere else now (been at sea for 8 months now).
There is a tiny, hectic shipyard here....anybody has experienced it?
I am anchored just in front of it.
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Old 29-01-2014, 22:08   #15
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Re: Trinidad

Quote:
Originally Posted by VieuxMalin View Post
There is a tiny, hectic shipyard here....anybody has experienced it?
I am anchored just in front of it.
Carraicou Marine was the best yard experience for me, ever. We had to do an unplanned quick overnight haul (we thought we were sinking, funny story), and they were super nice, mellow, inexpensive, and very competent.

The owner found us a place to stay on short notice (my daughter can't climb the ladder when the boats on the hard), gave us a ride there, the gentleman who fixed what was broken did a fantastic job and worked until 8pm to be sure we could launch the next morning, and stuff just happened as they said.

Such a wonderful contrast from the lazy and disorganized incompetence we had at another Grenada yard.
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