Trinidad, furthest south island of the adventure

Biking though the Bamboo Cathedral in Chaguaramas, Trinidad

Here we sit in Chaguaramas, Trinidad at 10 degrees north latitude. We're only 15 miles from the Venezuela, South American border, and not too far from the equator. This is as far south as Eventyr will sail under our watch.

Since my last post and the departure of our New Haven friends, Dana and I went through a short depression before pulling ourselves together and shaking the "missing friends" blues. We ended up staying in Tobago another nine days after their departure. Soon after Otis, Jon, and Beth left, we met the neighbors anchored next to us, Karsten and Julia. They arrived on their steel hull sailboat from Germany via Turkey, Cape Verde, and Brazil. Their route was far different than ours, involving completely unique experiences (e.g. crossing the Atlantic Ocean). We're similar age, which is rare among cruisers, and spent much of the week hanging out. We watched world cup together, went to the Sunday School party, shared dinghy rides, went out for dinners, and had each other over for cocktails on our respective boats. It was a blast and we were sad to say goodbye when we up-anchored and sailed to Trinidad. Hopefully we can keep in touch.

Toasting with Karsten and Julia

Aside from hanging out with Karsten and Julia, Dana and I accomplished a lot in our last days on Tobago. Aside from boring tasks such as laundry, filling water, diesel and gas, and scrubbing the algae off Eventyr's waterline, we made some time for fun. One day, we rented a car and hiked to a waterfall we had all to ourselves. Another day, we paid for a touristy glass bottom boat ride involving a good deal of rum. We also took a ride over to Mount Irvine Bay to say goodbye to our friend Eamon. All in all, it was a great time in Tobago.

Twin Rivers Waterfall, Tobago

Glass bottom boat picking us up right off Eventyr

Limin' in the Nylon Pool

Seemed advisable after a couple rum drinks

Our 61-mile, 12 hour sail to Trinidad on Dana's birthday was relatively uneventful. We sailed with the wind, waves and current, so finally had a more comfortable ride. We were able to sail the entire way, saving diesel. Some large dolphins swam with us for a bit, which really made the time fly. And, within 15 miles of our destination, I caught a decent sized Mahi Mahi, which was a lot of fun (aside from cleaning up the mess later). Once we picked up a mooring in Chaguaramas, I grilled Dana her birthday Mahi and we listened to a CD of soca hits Karsten and Julia gave her as a present. It was a great day.

Dolphins off the port bow with Trinidad in the background 

Dana's birthday Mahi

We were excited to arrive in Trinidad because back in Bequia during the Easter Regatta, we met several folks who live here. They crewed with Hanna on Jaguar and were a ton of fun. Immediately upon arriving in Chaguaramas and contacting Jordan, he invited us to a pool party the next day and to stay in the comfort of his home that night. Dana and I were not ones to argue, as a non-rocking, swelteringly hot bed has been hard to come by the past 6 months.

Jordan and Austin, who crewed on Jaguar, teach at international schools here in Trinidad, and Alicia, Jordan's girlfriend, is in her residency for dentistry. Alex, Austin's wife who also crewed on Jaguar, works as a management consultant. Dana and I met the group in Bequia and they were all at the pool party along with other friends they know through hashing and ultimate frisbee. It was a super fun group and soon the party devolved into people taking turns diving into the pool catching frisbees.

Jordan showing off for the ladies

Alex laying out

Something I've been excited about since before I left on this trip was being in a foreign country during World Cup. Americans have little interest in soccer, but elsewhere in the world, people go crazy for football. Trinidad is no exception. After running in a hash through the streets of Trinidad last night with Jordan and Alicia, we retired to a bar to watch the USA, Ghana match. It was fantastic to see our boys win and to watch the reaction of all the other bar patrons. I can't wait for the next game!

Getting ready for the Trinidad Hash House Harriers run with Jordan and Alicia 

And we're off! 

USA! USA!

On Thursday, Dana and I travel to San Francisco for my cousin Derek's wedding before heading back to Trinidad. This will be our first time back in the states since the beginning of December, so I imagine it's going to be a bit weird. We can't wait, however, because we'll get to see many family members during the trip. After returning to Trinidad, we'll wait for settled weather and sail the 80 miles back up to Grenada, which will be our last stop on the adventure. T minus one month until we fly away from Eventyr forever.