We met up with my parents and Emma and Macsen again at Crown Point Hotel in Store Bay in Tobago. They had been enjoying the pool, beach and view for a few days and we joined in vigorously. Emma is learning to swim and Macsen is incredibly comfortable in the water (more than we are with him in it perhaps). We spent our few days there eating on the terrace, choosing between swimming in the pool or wave jumping and castle building on the beach and romping around in the grass in front of the apartment, all the while keeping the Pjotter, bobbing on a mooring buoy in the bay, well in sight. Idyllic. Our initial plan was to sail the 20 miles from Store Bay to Pirate’s Bay in a day. We all piled back onto the boat and pulled up the anchor in Store Bay and heady out into a very bumpy sea. The wind was directly against us and we were unable to point very high so we needed to sail way off course in some of the nastiest, choppiest waves that we have experienced. A terribly uncomfortable ride and a really unfair one to subject my parents to after our wondrous stories of comfortable downwind sailing. Decided to drop anchor in Englishman’s bay about halfway as we were all sick of the horrible motion. Englishman’s bay is really beautiful and a good relax on the beach upon arrival compensated pretty quickly for the sail. Unfortunately, the swell in the bay was very rolly at night and none of us got any sleep. Headed out again for another horrible sail to Pirate’s Bay again with wind against and a terrible sea. Fortunately it was a short ride and we arrived in time for lunch. We were all eager to get off the boat so we headed into the little town of Charlotteville and plonked ourselves down for some BBQ-fish at Jane’s Restaurant, which seemed to be solely owned and operated by a large man named James and we never did meet Jane.
We spent a lovely few days lounging around on the beach in Pirate’s Bay, watching the fisherman fish, the pelicans fish and the beautiful big frigate birds souring overhead. It rained for a short period every day, just enough to freshen things up or give us a shower on our longs rows back from the shore. Nana and Dadcu left us early in the morning on January 10th and although Emma knew that they were leaving she spent ½ hour sulking on the steps when she woke up to find their beds empty. Very sad and cute.
The four of us, on our own again, rented a very old car from a rather strange company in Charlotteville and spent a day exploring the small island of Tobago. The roads were twisty and turny and the view beautiful and we drove along alternatively enjoying the views and hoping that the muffler wouldn’t fall off.
On January 13 we headed off to meet the Tangaroa in Store Bay as we planned to head on together to Chagauramus Bay in Trinidad that evening. Our sail to Store Bay was only 20 miles and we had wind from behind and current with us so we cruised along at a comfortable 6,5 knots in fairly flat water and warm sun. To make this short trip even more perfect we caught seven small tunas on the way. Before we were out of Pirate’s bay we had already heard the zzzing of the line two times and pulled in one fish. This was exactly the sail that I would have liked to share with my parents. They will have to visit again soon.
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