lundi 21 septembre 2009

10°40.89N 61°38.041W at 0800 040508



Chaguaramas, Trinidad: NAOMIi went into the water on Friday, it was a tense moment: we had a visit from the Boat Doctor at 08:00 to start up the diesel («no problem») which didn’t start of course and had to be tinkered with, parts to be bought, sweat and blood.... Paying my outstanding bills (must be paid before launching in case one slips out to sea with some unpaid debts), I discovered that we also had to clear locale customs and immigration in Chaguaramas, so we raced off by boat taxi to the administration area and wasted 3 hours - revenge on all the hard times we give our own visitors. Back at the yard we got NAOMI was lifted off her supports, driven to the ramp and slowly let down into the sea. She didn’t sink!!!! we got on board and motored to our slip, First impressions were great, I didn’t hit anything, the engine didn’t die, we weren’t washed out to sea and left abandoned for eternity in the Saragoss sea... Our dutch neighbor was having a rest on deck in his hammock in between romps with a his day prostitute. Our slip is across an little inlet from a night club - NAOMI shacks well into the night to 80s and 90s trash. (a petite souvenir for Pops and Jorgen from Alesund in Norway - GALATEA was rammed at 03:00 by a drunk couple when the nightclub let out. In our slip the riggers fine tuned the standing rigging. We are still discovering new odds and ends in endless plastic boxes in nooks and crannies. We all have our weird ways, we obsess about some things and let others slide. Yesterday I took apart the mast winch which was totally seized up - it looked like it had never been opened. Esa got in late last night (and lost one of his numerous bags with all our emergency food (which must be very light to compensate for the extra tons of gear we absolutely need for the trip), we were saved by a forgotten bag of finnish licorice. We walked around the yard and NAOMI till late and and everyone is still asleep (Esa under some blankets - thanks Mel). I’m up every morning at around 0600 to work out or do some yoga (forgot my mat but am using the artificial grass door mat - found in the fore cabin under two Danworth anchors) before the sun blasts down at around 0900.