Bombard Tender Sold Yesterday

We sold our 2008 Bombard Typhoon Tender yesterday and the Canadian chap that bought it picked it up right away and rowed away, as he was to leave Trinidad today. We now have more space (to fill!!) in the port Lazarette. But what shall we fill it up with? Surely it will be full in a few days. Now we wait to be launched and get the new Tender.

BBQ Sunday At Power Boats

Each Sunday the Power Boats Yard (next to our yard) has a great BBQ and the owner and his wife are the cooks. So we went there and had a great meal, but expensive, where we eat Shrimps and Lamb chops, with some Carib Beer. They had live music and the chap played well Cat Stevens, etc, and not too loud. The restaurant was full.

A Pelican watching out for fish.

Propeller Preparation

Last year's "Prop Shield" paint used for the propeller was, in my opinion, very poor and we had a huge amount of growth on the propeller when hauling out in Trinidad. In Fact, I believe that covering the propeller with grease as I did for many years, was better than Prop Shield. 

In any case today we applied the NZ product "Prop Speed" (TTD 2.950/€ 360 for a half litre - ugh) and it is very foul smelling, so we hope the marine growth will also dislike it. Time will tell and watch this space for news.

The propeller after almost a year in the water and the use of "Prop Shield" and sailing about 5.000 Nm. We have never seen such a covered Propeller.

 Chris applying the "Prop Speed" and we hope this will be better.

Work Continue And Progressing.

The works of polishing and cleaning the Teak decks are finally done and the anti fouling should be completed by Tuesday and we hope to launch by the end of next week. We postponed the launch a few days as we wish to take a couple of tours to see Trinidad and Port Of Spain (the capital), which apparently one is not advised to do on our own, because of security and poor (none existing) roads and signs. So, Chris is busy checking the dates and possible tours. 

Mast Work

Our spare (new) radar packed up last year and we have now changed the connections and put in a new cable inside the mast, as well as improving the cabling protections half way up the mast. It was raining a lot today (Sunday) and we had to stop for a while, but here at end afternoon the weather improved, so we finished most of the mast work. Will still have to go back one of the coming days to get it all sorted out and do the final connections of the wires.

Tracking New Dawn

We have two tracking possibilities. One is manual tracking and require us to send our positions to a site in NZ, but it is not always updated. If interested click on: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=KE7YAP  and you should see some of our latest position.

The second system is automatic, but require us to run the AIS transponder and we need to be close to a station or country that support this system. If interested click on: http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=253283000

Photos of New Dawn

Hallberg Rassy has an owner's gallery where they used 7-9 photos of New Dawn. If interested go to: http://www.hallberg-rassy.com/  then go to "yachts"  then to "galleries"  then to "owners galleries" and you will have to scroll down many pages/galleries and look for "HR53 from Luxembourg" or similar, and you should find New Dawn.

Flying Back To Trinidad

Flying over the Atlantic always get me thinking of the different in speed of a sailing yacht compared with a jet plane. The plane takes about 10 h from London to Trinidad, whereas New Dawn took a good three weeks to sail the journey. Also looking down from the plane to the Atlantic, it appears enormous with no land to be seen all the way and it looks well organised and calm, whereas from the deck of New Dawn, the ocean appears smaller and the sea is more rough.

We arrived well in Port of Spain, Trinidad and on schedule on 6 January 2012, after an hour stop in St Lucia.

We were met by the humid heat Trinidad is well known of and also by the driver we had book to take us to Peake Yard in Chaguaramas, located on the north-west coast of Trinidad. There we found New Dawn very dirty and for the first time ever we had black dust inside and Mildew, especially in the aft and lower parts of the boat.

Thus, after a good nights sleep - after a long day, Trinidad is 5 h behind Luxembourg time - the work started the following morning, where the cleaning inside and out was performed by Chris and I tried to get the workers organised, as we had a long list of jobs that needs to be done. Prices were negotiated and things checked and timing done (which always gets delayed).

Today, Saturday 21 January, we have been here 2 weeks and have passed the planned launch time by 1 day. We hope the polishing and anti fouling, as well as raising the waterline can be completed by end next week so we can be launched the following Monday and I can service the engine, generator and water-maker, as well as installing the sheets (ropes) and the sails, etc., etc..

We have ordered a new AB 10.6' RIB tender at Budget Marine and it should arrive around the planned launch time. A RIB should facilitate the hoisting on the Simpson Davits, rather that the Bombard fold up tender we bought in Malta. Chris is trying to sell the Bombard tender.

On The Hard At Peake Yard In Trinidad

 Acrobatic Chris getting used to the ladder and New Dawn's deck high up.

 Polishing has started.