So despite the thick moss growing on the bottom of Valkyrie, It was time to scrape the bottom, pull up the hook and head south to Trini.
Trinidad is a large island nation about 85 miles south of Grenada. Sailing to Trinidad, the wind is generally out of the east south-east. So on a good day, it should be a single tack trip. There are a few things to watch out for on this trip. First, there are 2 oil rigs lying north of the gulf of Pria. These are really well lit, and not much of a danger. Next there is a research vessel towing a 2 mile long cable conducting some sort of subsea survey. This vessel was in port when I arrived, so I never saw it operating. Many of the cruisers in Grenada seemed particularly concerned about this vessel. Lastly, the entrance to the gulf of Pria, and Chagaraumus lies only a few miles from the lawless waters of Venezuela. A few degrees off course will land you in pirate waters. An older couple nearly lost their lives in a violent attack within sight of Trinidad a few weeks after I left.
So having said all that, I left Prickly bay about 10am and headed south. The wind was generally light, and I motor sailed the entire way. About 20 miles south of Grenada, I hooked a large Dorado and fought him for about 15 minutes before it spit the hook, right alongside Valkyrie.....shit. That night there were a few squalls and light showers, and I saw a moonbow for the first time. Its just like a rainbow, only at night. Google it, they really do exist(I didn't know either).
The following morning the wind died off to nothing as I approached Trinidad. As soon as the sun came up, I could tell something was different, we were no longer in the Caribbean.... It wasn't so much the coastline of south America stretching off over the western horizon as the water. No longer the sapphire blue color I am accustomed to in the islands, even 15 miles offshore the water was stained brown like weak coffee.
Motoring along in the rolly calm water was slow going, and naturally I missed the incoming tide at Bocas del Mono and had to buck the current all the way into Chag. Bocas del Mono is a beautiful channel with high cliffs on either side, there is also a strong current.... up to 4kts that runs in and out. There is also no wind, and it is very, I mean very hot on a sunny day when your speed over ground is approximately 1 knot. I followed the local fishing boats as they hugged very close along the cliff sides to avoid the torrent of water in the center of the channel. and made it to the customs dock at noon. Tired and a bit dehydrated.
Clearing in in Trinidad is a bit of a hassle. I think I filled out around 11 pages of paperwork. The harbor is bustling with traffic of all sizes. There was no room at any of the local marinas, so I anchored in the shallowest part of the harbor I could find room. The anchor chain free fell for what seemed like forever till it touched bottom.....75 feet down...... I let out all 250' of chain and hoped for the best. Despite the crowded conditions in the harbor, and the constantly changing winds and currents Valkyrie stayed put and never so much as brushed any of the neighbors. The sunsets were especially beautiful with the Mountains of Venezuela in the background.
I never found much to do in Trinidad, aside from oil changes and a few boat projects. The poor anchoring situation compounded by occasional and unpredictable squalls left me nervous of leaving Valkyrie alone for too long. So I stayed 6 days and sailed back to Grenada.
The trip back to Grenada was swift with the wind and current aft. Valkyrie made the crossing so quickly, I was anchored in Prickly Bay by 11pm, a little over 15 hours under sail alone. I seldom enter harbors at night, but Prickly is a large open bay, and I've entered it several times, and I really didn't want to wait 7 hours for the sun to come up. The anchor grabbed the bottom as usual, and I poured a glass of wine.
