Power Boat paw paws of Trini

 10^th Sept 2012

Stinkpot raftup starts in Store Bay, Tobago

                       

Saturday 25^th August was a big day for the Trini power boat fundi’s….. especially those who get their buzz from SERIOUS power and speed….. like 100mph plus F1 racing boats powered by 3  performance tuned, popping, spitting and roaring  V8,s !

First over the line

We took about 12 ½ hrs to do the 60 odd miles from Trini to Store Bay, Tobago. These boys, on Race day, left from Port of Spain, some 15 miles further, took just on an hour to do the 75 mile trip. Their boat names also provide some insight to their thinking….. “Hauling Ass”, “Big Sam”, “Wet Dream”, “Feel This!”, “Monster”, "Energiser", "Hero", "Intense", "Rush", "Fire One" etc.

The inter island race, “ The Great Race”,  becomes a huge social event for all the well heeled Trinidadian luxury power boat owners, who stream over to Store Bay one day earlier, to create a Multi Million $ Raft Up . In the process they show total disdain for the cruising yachts anchored there for days, or even weeks, dropping anchors over and across  yacht anchors, way too close for comfort, etc. One irate German /Australian fellow had the temerity to suggest they were too close, and over his anchor, was promptly told to “F…K Off, and get out of my country!!”

  

Tobago, however, although politically a part of Trinidad, is very different. It is clean, and the local people are friendly. The water is clear and inviting, and we caught tuna mackerel from the boat in the anchorage.  The Soca music played over the bay is however, every bit as loud and obnoxious as it was in Trini , so with our visa expiring on 8^th Sept, we started looking at the weather to plan our hop to Grenada.

Thursday 6^th looked good, so we took a bus through to Scarborough to check out. Once again, the Immigration and Customs people went out of their way to make life difficult, exploit us and rip us off with outrageous “overtime” fees, generally pissing us off enough to say “thank goodness we don’t have to go there again!”

Having checked with the Customs guys in Trini, and advising them of our departure from Chaguaramus to Store bay, we asked them to confirm that it was not necessary to clear out with Immigration as well. This they did, after all it’s the same country! We expected our check out from Immigration in Scarborough to be a breeze…. But NO! “Where are your temporary Immigration Papers from Chaguaramus to Scarborough?” After heated arguments and 2 hours, we escaped to check out at Customs.

By now it was 2.30pm, and we were asked what time we were leaving. “About midnight tonight.” That will cost you $175 overtime fee. ”Why?” I asked.  You have to leave within 4 hours of checking out, so if you want to leave at midnight, you must come back here by 8pm, and that would be overtime!!

We also had to pay an additional months cruising permit, because we were never given a letter by Coral Cove explaining that we were in the marina, out of commission with no gearbox while it was being repaired. Producing the dated invoices from Gittens (the gearbox engineers) and Coral Cove, showing our contribution of $15000 to their economy, made no difference.

So in the end, we just “K’d & B’d”, and left. We later learned that the Customs “24 hr period with in which to leave” policy has never been accepted in Tobago, and that all “Fines, fees, and overtime levies”, are paid directly to the Customs office as a bonus, and that this is quite legal!

We ended up having to motor the entire way to Prickly Bay over flat, calm, windless, and fishless sea. After a couple of day’s relaxation, we again hauled out at Spice Island Marina for a final antifouling before heading west.  Our bright red bootstrap decided to peel off with the tape after the antifouling was complete, so it was back to more stripping, sanding and painting! This time with 2 part Awl Grip instead of the 1 part Brightside, which was way too soft.

New red stripe and ready to splash

Magic machine that moves yachts about the yard 

Back in the water, Mary smiling and lobster for supper

Nevertheless, we were back in the water in 4 days, and are now able to start our serious provisioning before we head on down to Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, Santa Marta, Cartagena and San Blas, … to start the next stage of our  big adventure!  

Yes………we’ve made some big decisions which we’ll cover in the next blog!