By Ed Lowrie
When we decide to cast off our lines and go cruising, there are many expectations, new places, new friends, new tastes, etc. We were told don’t go here, don’t go there! Trinidad was one such place and St. Lucia another. We heard lurid stories of violence and crime in the streets. We had our own expectations: We would follow our own instincts and ride our own ride.
After leaving Galveston, Texas, in the spring of 2021, we meandered around the Gulf of Mexico and up to the East Coast of the US to the Chesapeake Bay, wintering up the Rappahannock River before casting off on April 11, 2023, from Norfolk, Virginia, bound for St. Maarten — a 1,730 nautical mile, 14-day offshore sail.
St. Maarten was an absolute gem. We had some machining done to make a new steering sheave at FKG Rigging and Machining. Fast, good craftsmanship and reasonable prices. After a few weeks in the lagoon, we set out for Grand Case Bay in St. Martin, an absolute must stop anchorage on the French side of the dual nation island with some five-star eateries. We particularly recommend L’Auberge Gourmande(laubergegourmande.com), French cuisine at its best.
We fast tracked down island, stopping at Île Tintamarre, then on down to Île Fourchue. Both offered free mooring balls, but Fourchue had the stunning scenery. From there a little longer trip down to Saint-Pierre in Martinique with stunning views of Mount Pelée, a three-day stop in Anse Noire (a must-see spot with very nice snorkeling), then down to Anse Noire to provision (stock up on wine here; it gets increasingly more expensive as you go south).
Next stop, the first of the “don’t go” there places! Rodney Bay, St. Lucia, turned out to have some of the most polite people I think we have ever met. We took a slip at the Rodney Bay Marina; the customs and immigration officers were helpful and offered great advice and assistance. The harbor master went well out of his way to accommodate us, a man that truly understands customer service.
Next port of call was Bequia, where I was to officiate the wedding of our dear friends Keith Dickey and Rebecca Frontz ( “5,000 Miles against the Trades with an Electric Motor,” Compass December 2022-March 2023). This was a surprise wedding for Becca, who had no idea until the morning of the ceremony. It went off beautifully. Keith had arranged for both sets of parents and six other guests to fly in from the US. Bequia is an awesome anchorage, great snorkeling, provisioning at Doris Fresh Food and Yacht Provisioning, and rum punch at the Lion’s Den right on the beach.
Our cat, Cali, was our sailing companion, and that meant that we if we wanted to go to Trinidad, we had to get clearance in Grenada. And Trinidad was another of those don’t go places!
But we were determined to go. The vet at the St. George’s University small animal clinic in Grenada (mycampus.sgu.edu/web/small-animal-clinic/home) understood the Trinidad requirements, so we got the paperwork and took it to the chief veterinarian at the ministry in St. George’s to sign off. A word of advice: if you ever have to go to the ministry office in St. George’s: NO T-shirts. Closed toe shoes and long pants are required. Ladies must wear a skirt or dress with arms covered and, again, closed toe shoes.
If you have a pet onboard, Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago (YSATT) has a useful guide at trinidad-cruisers.com/dogsandcats.php, which includes this chilling information: “They are very serious about the rules. A recent entry brought a cat in without the proper paperwork. The cat was put down at the airport!”
For bringing a pet in, or for any red tape involved in entering Trinidad, there is really no better agent than YSATT’s Jesse James. We had been referred to Jesse by friends, and their recommendation was seconded by Facebook sources, and by Chris Doyle and Lexi Fisher’s indispensable guide (doyleguides.com). Jesse, as the YSATT web page (ysatt.com) states, is “the person that most cruisers here turn to for help when it is needed.” In our experience, he proved to be a true gentleman and singlehandedly the cruisers’ voice in the Trinidad government. He also operates the Members Only Taxi Service (membersonlymaxitaxi.com), runs tours and shopping trips. We highly recommend his “taste of Trini tour,” a full day tour with at least 20 different dishes from various street vendors.
A short overnight sail brought us to Chaguaramas, Trinidad. Arriving late afternoon, we took a mooring ball ($100 TT a night — about $14 USD). Clearing immigration and customs in Chaguaramas is a little different from the other islands we’ve visited; almost all others use SailClear (sailclear.com). Trinidad is old, and I mean old school. Pick up your five copies of forms, and don’t forget to place carbon paper between each copy! For all you young folks out there, carbon paper is a pre-inked sheet that was used years ago to make copies. Well, it’s still in use today in Trinidad.
Sadly, shortly after arriving in Trinidad, our cat, Cali, fell off the boat and has been missing since August 13, 2023. Jesse provided relentless help and assistance in helping us find Cali, but to no avail. Losing a loved pet is always difficult, and it has taught us a big lesson: If you have a pet aboard, I urge you to have some form of tracking device. There are several different devices on the market, and I only wish we’d had one on our dear Cali.
Leaving Trinidad is going to be very difficult when the time comes, not least if it means we will be leaving our little Cali behind, but we have met some wonderful people, eaten some fantastic food, and seen some amazing sights.
Expectations met absolutely, albeit bittersweet.
Go where your desires take you, and be wary of the folks who tell you don’t go there!
Ed & Cindy Lowrie cruise on s/v Wave Dancer.
