Wonder Where To Store Your Boat in the Caribbean? Peake Yacht Services.

This blog has afforded Scott and I some wonderful partnerships...
When we decided that we would come back home to give birth to our baby girl instead of staying in the Caribbean, we began the daunting task of researching where we would store our other "baby"...

Leaving a boat in a foreign country is not easy, and I've got another post in the works about things to consider when doing this, but for now I'd like to introduce and tell you a little more about Peake Yacht Services, the "The Caribbean's largest and most comprehensive haul-out facility".

I knew we found the right yard when I sent an initial inquiry email and they got back to me...in about six minutes...on a weekend.  That kind of promptness does not happen too often in the Caribbean.  I was so impressed by the level of professionalism displayed in these first email interactions that I knew we had found our next "home".  The fact that they decided to partner with us was just icing on the cake.

The yard itself is a boater's haven and within it's gates they host a chandlery, the Bight Hotel (clean, simple rooms that are a reasonable $75 a night), a snack shop, a travel lift, the fantastic Zanzibar restaurant (where you can get a great veggie burger!), street vendors that sell delicious Trini/Caribbean food for a steal just outside the gates (only between 12 and 1pm!), free wifi and tons of other resources and services for cruisers at very competitive prices.

What stands out the most are the employees.  Because Trinidad is so large (over a million people) and relatively "cosmopolitan" compared to the rest of the Caribbean, much more attention is paid to customer service and efficiency.  From the friendly 24-hour security guards to the women in the office - everyone employed by Peake's are professional, well spoken and incredibly knowledgeable.  It is very refreshing.  Even your water glass will not go empty at the restaurant - the are that on top of things.

While they do have a very secure facility with 24-hour surveillance by both guards and cameras, Scott and I opted to store our Rasmus in their "high security" yard because we would be leaving our boat for so long.  This area is separated from the rest by a fence and a small moat.  No boat work is allowed in this zone and the only people who are allowed in must be approved as well as checked in and out by the front office.   For added assurance there are two very large, scary looking dogs that roam free at night, just in case.

If you are looking for a top-rate facility to either store your boat, complete some seasonal projects or get work done - Peake Yacht Services should top your list.  From what we have found in our experience and research, they are unmatched in their professionalism, breadth of services and pricing (yes, even when compared to Grenada).

The yard is very large and very organized.

The veranda where cruisers can sit back and enjoy some free wifi.

The hotel rooms are great for cruisers who need a night away.

They have a fantastic dinghy dock where cruisers can fill up with free fresh water!

The travel lift can accomodate more boats than most and the crew are incredible! 

Leaving Your Boat in the Caribbean?

Rasmus getting power-washed right after being hauled

de·com·mis·sionˌdēkəˈmiSHən/:  To take a ship out of service.

A lot of you have written with questions on how we prepared our Rasmus for her hiatus out of the water and I promised I would write more extensively on the subject.  Decommissioning a boat is a very sad day (or in our case, days) for many a boat owner.  Lucky for us we have a return ticket to Trinidad, a baby girl on the way, and very exciting cruising plans in our near future so there is a lot to look forward to!  Even so, putting a boat "on the hard" as it's called is not only a little depressing, but an incredibly detailed process and involves a lot more than just taking off perishable food, closing the curtains and battening down the hatches.  Port of Spain, Trinidad is one of those harbors where you see the sad effects of boats that were "ridden hard and put away wet" as it were.  Scott and I weren't about to start cutting corners now and, as in everything we do when it comes to our boat, we went full-monty on the "hibernation of Rasmus".  Here is the list of what we did, and why (I should note that this list is not in chronological order):

1. Go through every single storage compartment and de-clutter - this is incredibly time consuming, and incredibly cathartic.  We got rid of a LOT of unused stuff on our boat and made a TON of space for baby!
2. Empty holding tank, flush with fresh water, treat with chemical - holding tanks are beyond nasty, and doing a fresh water flush will ensure we don't come back to a cesspool.
3. Top off diesel tank, treat with biocide - any vented container with a liquid in it has potential to be contaminated by water and heat, by topping off the tank and keeping it full there is less room for contamination to occur.  In cold climates, topping off the tank will help curb condensation.  In warm climates, it will help to slow the growth of algae.  Biocide is a chemical that will also kill any algae that does begin to develop.
4. Shut off motor battery - won't need that for a while!
5. Confirm solar panel is trickle-charging - we are not hooked up to shore power and want to make sure our house battery will always be trickle charged and full enough to run our bilge pump.  Also, trickle charging your batteries when not in use will extend their life significantly.
6. Shut off propane solenoid on boat and on tanks themselves - gas leaks are no bueno.
7. Close fuel valve
8. Remove halyards and run messenger lines - we have another post on how damaging the sun can be, but believe me - UV rays are REAL people!  Leaving halyards on the mast exposes them to harmful UV rays day in and day out and by removing them we're adding life to our lines.
9. Clean head - after I did the fresh water flush of the tank (by running a hose to the toilet and continuously flushing fresh water into the tank) I thoroughly cleaned the toilet.  Salt water left in a toilet will turn to a disgusting brown/grey slop in a matter of weeks.  We left our toilet totally dry and scrubbed clean. 
10. Power wash hull - most yards will do this right when they haul your boat out of the water.  We are planning on re-painting the bottom of our boat when we return so it's good to get all the growth and as much old antifouling off beforehand.
11. Store outboard and all other loose items on deck down below - this is more for theft reasons than anything else.  If you have something on deck that might be tempting to a thief, stow it down below!
12. Remove and clean all sheets and dock lines, hang on boom - we used detergent and washed and scrubbed all our lines, they are now salt free, soft and clean for when we return.  We hung them on the boom so they get air - better than leaving them all stacked on top of one another in a dark, damp locker.
13. Clean fenders, store hanging on boom - fenders are bleached and scrubbed and back to their former glory.  We also stowed these on the boom.
14. Empty and clean ice box, leave open - iceboxes, in particular, need ventilation when left unused for long stretches of time.  
15. Remove all food and perishables from pantries
16. Empty water tank, remove filter, keep all faucets open
17. Make sure hot water heater is emptied
18. Pickle water-maker - they say water makers are fantastic and reliable as long as they are used regularly.  When not in use, you must "pickle" them so that the sensitive membrane inside doesn't dry out.  Luckily, our water maker is not only a breeze to use (we cannot sing it enough praise), but a breeze to pickle as well.  Most pickling routines are incredible confusing but ours was a matter of changing out a filter.  Some kits will preserve the membrane for 4-6 months, others for 6-9 months.  We are going to have ours re-pickled in 4 months to be safe.
19. Clean and store all silverware in ziplock bags - we did this for two reasons, 1) to protect from the bug bomb we let off and 2) to keep dry and free from rust.
20. Store cleaning supplies in a bin to contain any spillage - we did this because when we were on the hard in Chicago we had a Windex bottle burst and stain our table.
21. Remove all garbage, clean containers - "clean containers" is the operative phrase here!  Make sure to wipe down the insides of all bins with bleach or vinegar, you'd be surprised where little pieces of food might be waiting to turn into a science experiment.
22. Clean and store clothing/sheets/pillows and pillow cases in sealed bags - people who live on boats seasonally are very familiar with "boat smell".  It's not very nice.  We washed all our towels, sheets and clothes and stored them in sealed zip locks with dryer sheets.  
23. Clean and store carpets in sealed bags - again, doing this will ensure we don't turn into a moth motel and return to clean, mildew-free carpets.
24. Turn up all cushions to keep free from mildew - when a boat is closed up, ventilation is key.  We turned up all our boat cushions to make sure they get some air.  Moss doesn't grow on a rolling stone and mildew won't grow where there is air flow!
25. Drain and clean bilge
26. Confirm bilge pump is on in “automatic” position and working - this can be done by pouring a bucket of water in the bilge (which you'll do to clean it, right?) and making sure it works.
27. Clean all overheads and walls & wipe down with vinegar - vinegar retards the growth of mildew, we wiped down pretty much every single surface of our boat with a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water.
28. Clean all flooring and under flooring & wipe down with vinegar
29. Dehumidifier - if you haven't noticed, mildew is a big deal on a boat down in the tropics and a never-ending battle.  We bought a small dehumidifier that will help keep the interior of our boat moisture-free so that we don't return to Jurassic Park.
30. Close all curtains - yep, UV damage can even sneak in through windows, hatches and portholes. Cover them up!
31. Cover boat deck to protect from UV damage and weather - I wrote about our tarp yesterday, this was a no-brainer for us.
32. Turn off all AC & DC switches
33. Remove sails store in an air-conditioned sail loft - the sails on Rasmus are just two years old and we want to keep them in good condition.  For less than $10 a month we stored our sails in an air-conditioned sail loft right near the boat yard.
34. Wash decks - a boat that is left nice and clean is a happy boat!
35. Take photos of boat on stands
36. Fumigate interior with insect bomb - while we never saw another roach (or any sign of roaches) after this incident, we did have some tiny ants aboard.  We fumigated with an insect bomb right before we left and we're pretty sure we nuked the bastards.
37. Grease boat stands to prevent bugs - We bought standard grease from the chandlery and put a thick coating along the top of every single jack stand.  The reason for this is that if any ants or bugs want "in" to our boat via the stands, they'll be stuck in the grease and unable to get aboard.
38. Tape off hole at end of boom to prevent birds from nesting - we know people who this has happened to before and rumor has it, it ain't pretty.
39. Place ant traps and roach motels throughout - just in case.
40. Lock boat (and outside lazarettes)
41. Secure any loose items in cradle area
42. Make sure Nicro vents are on and circulating
43. Open all inside cubicles and lockers to promote ventilation
44. Check/Top off engine oils - if you are due for an oil change you should do this as well.
45. Clean and clear all through-hull openings, close seacocks - but be sure to leave open the seacocks for the scupper drains and sink if you are going to have a dehumidifier on board.
46. Clean sea strainer, flush engine with fresh water - ever run your engine while your boat was out of the water?  It's pretty freaky.  Our engine is water-cooled and we wanted to flush the salt water out of our engine so we ran a hose to the sea strainer and ran the engine for about 8 minutes.  Worked like a charm!  We'll write more on this later...
47. Store dinghy on tarp on bow - while some people keep the dinghy on the davits, we opted to store ours on the bow over a tarp so it too is protected from the sun.
48. Drop anchor and chain, rinse and keep on palette below boat
49. Remove dodger & bimini canvas, clean and store in watertight bin - believe it or not, we found the best way to clean our canvas was to simply scrub them with a stiff brush while dry.  They look brand new!
50. Arrange yacht guardianage for weekly/monthly checks - we have a boat service that will board Rasmus at least twice a month to make sure everything is still in working order.  They will wash the deck, check the dehumidifier and bilge and read the battery meter to ensure we don't run our batteries dead.  We chose Dynamite Yacht Services to do this but there are plenty of others.
51. Email list of approved vendors/persons to Peake Yacht Services - we are in the "high security" area of Peake Yacht Services which means that no one is allowed in or out who is not approved.  It's an area where you cannot have any boat work done, no one can livaboard and where angry looking dogs roam at night.  We had to send a list of approved persons who will be able to access Rasmus while we are away.
52. Leave boat key with manager at Peake's
53. Go home, have a baby, and prepare for life as a crew of three! I guess this one applies only to us?

Have you ever left a boat down in the Caribbean for any length of time?  What did we miss?

Decommissioning a Boat is No Easy Feat

This is what our "task list(s)" looked like this week...those of you who follow our Facebook Page have seen it; but I wanted to re-post it here on the blog because, well, I think it's pretty impressive.  We put a lot of hard work and care into storing our boat for the next seven months or so.  To some of you this might seem like overkill, and only time will tell what we did right and wrong, but the idea of doing all of these things is that we'll come back to the same boat we left.  The tropical sun combined with the salty air, heavy rain, humidity and near-perfect breeding conditions for just about any bug all have a way of making things deteriorate at a rapid rate down here.  If left without proper consideration or attention we could easily return to a boat full of insects, mildew, bubbling decks, damaged halyards, rotting wood, nests in the boom and God only knows what else.  Hopefully, all this TLC we put into Rasmus this week will ensure we return to our little beauty in the condition we left her in: pristine.  I will post the full list of exactly what we did in detail with more explanation when I have time, but for now I must gloat at how much we accomplished.  The other day a woman who works the front office here at Peake's said to Scott and I, "You guys just look like such a perfect couple...Watching you with each other you can see it... you seem like such a great team".  I'd have to agree.  We do our fair share of high-fives, not going to lie...

We should be landing in Chicago late this afternoon.  I only wish I could've prepared myself for the next few months as well as we prepped Rasmus!  Brrrrr...

Love,
Brittany & Scott

Passage from Grenada to Trinidad

90 miles and 16 hours later, we made it to the shores of Trinidad!

We have arrived in Trinidad!...After a fantastic four days of Grenada exploration with my dad and Uncle Tom, we set off from Grenada bound for Trinidad at 5:30pm on Monday night.  The weather forecast wasn't ideal, winds were predicted to be in the low to mid twenties (we prefer to leave for long passages in forecasted winds of 15 knots or less if possible because almost always winds are higher than predicted) and seas were estimated to be eight to ten feet.  We turned to our weather guru, Chris Parker, who told us that conditions would be moderating as the week progressed and the later we could wait, the better.  Being that Tom and my dad were flying out on Wednesday, Monday evening was the latest we could leave.  We readied Rasmus and prepared for what was sure to be a fast and bumpy ride.

Just as we were pulling out of the slip our engine made a bizarre noise.  Everyone looked alarmed.  "That's not right" Scott said.  We all knew it.  Please don't let this be a serious problem I hoped silently.  Scott tried the engine in reverse again. The noise grew worse.  "Tie the boat back up" Scott ordered.  We did.  It was investigation time and we were burning up daylight.  "Something is probably around the prop" I suggested.  Scott and our friend Felix went down to check the prop shaft.  It was then that Felix's girlfriend, Louisa, noticed the marina's Mediterranean mooring leader line... going right under our boat. Bingo.   Not the worst thing in the world - a line around the propeller could be fixed quickly - but not the most auspicious beginning either.

Knowing we were already slightly behind schedule (we were hoping to leave at 4pm) and not wanting to wait for the marina diver, Scott jumped in the water with a knife and got to work.  Fifteen minutes later we were free to go, and quietly backed out of what had been our "home" for the past seven months.  It was sad to say goodbye - but we were ready to leave and knowing that we'll be back next November made it just a little bit easier.

As we left the marina, the light of day was slipping quickly down the horizon and as Grenada gifted us one last sunset, we raised our sails and headed south on a beam reach.  We shut off the engine didn't turn it back on until we entered Boca de Manos on the way into Chaguramas Bay.  As predicted, once we were out of the lee of the island the seas kicked up and the wind built to over twenty knots.  We were flying under full jib and double-reefed main and averaged just under six knots the entire night.  The seas were bumpy and the boat pitched and lurched wildly but sailed well.  Thankfully, the guys let me be the "floater"- and being such, I didn't have to stand watch but remained available if necessary.  I hunkered down in the v-berth and hoped to God I didn't no into labor.  Baby girl endured a WILD ride!

Sixteen hours and ninety miles later we arrived, slightly bruised and battered, into Port of Spain, Trinidad - guided by a large pod of dolphin.  It's incredible how exhausting sailing through the night can be - especially when conditions require physical and mental concentration and hand steering (our autopilot doesn't do well in wind over 20 knots and seas on the beam).  The boys did a fantastic job keeping Rasmus sailing well, I did a great job of not going into labor, and other than a fat lip on Scott from a rogue glass that went flying through the cabin in the night, the trip was uneventful.

Just call him "Angelina".

After clearing into the country, the four of us clamored onto shore, enjoyed a nice, big meal and crashed.  Hard. It was a well-earned rest!

We have been very warmly welcomed by our new friends and sponsors at Peake's Yacht Services and we know without a shadow of a doubt that we made the right decision coming here.  This is an top-rate facility, with an incredibly accommodating and friendly staff who have already taken excellent care of us - and we haven't even been here 24 hours!  I'm looking forward to telling you more about this great facility...but for now, Scott and I are enjoying the benefits of having a nice, airconditioned hotel room for a night!

PS.  If you want to see some great photos of the past five days with my dad and Uncle Tommy - please check out our latest album on Facebook!

Coming in from the Sea

The other day, as I waited on the shore waiting anxiously to spot Scott as he sailed in on Diamant,
I felt a bit like an old time merchant marine's wife, gazing out upon the horizon, waiting for her seafaring husband to return from the sea.  Luckily for me, Scott is only gone a week at a time (as opposed to months or even years in some cases) so I'm one of the lucky ones.  But that doesn't mean that I didn't get giddy when I spotted this beautiful boat come from around Fort George Point and start heading into safe harbor!  After a short trip to Trinidad next week to get his STCW, he's back on land for the month of November while we have a whirlwind of visitors aboard Rasmus.  Lots of good stuff to come!

Love,
Brittany

Back to Grenada!

After nearly four weeks in Trinidad, we are heading back to Grenada!

We have had a wonderful time here and met some fantastic people.  Because this visit was 95% work, it left us little time to explore but regardless, we had a blast staying with our good friends!  We plan to return in January or February when we haul the boat out before we fly home to have our baby, so we'll 
have plenty time to explore more by then when Scott isn't working 10 hours a day.

We must give a heartfelt shout-out to our hosts (and friends) Karly and Jason who so graciously let us stay with them for almost four weeks.  That is a LONG time for house guests!  Not only did they make us feel right at home, but (when time permitted) they showed us their beloved Trinidad and gave us a glimpse into their lives as expats.  We owe them one BIG TIME and are hoping to repay the favor
sometime in the future. Thanks guys - we love you!

In addition - we'd like to give a public shout-out to our wonderful friends Andy and Sharon on m/v Finally Fun who watched after our boat while we were gone. They flushed our watermaker weekly, took down our tarp when a nasty squall blew through, periodically checked our lines and, in general, kept our Rasmus safe and sound.  The cruising community is wonderful that way - and we are very,
very grateful for them! Thank you guys!

We plan to shove off either sometime this afternoon (depending on the engine part) or bright and early tomorrow morning at 5am for the passage to Grenada.  If all goes well, we should arrive back at Port Louis Marina sometime soon.  We are so looking forward to being reunited with our boat!  Check the Track Us page if you'd like to follow our path!

See you back in Grenada!

Love,

Brittany & Scott

What has Scott been up to?

We found him - he's been up here!

A lot of you have asked us exactly what Scott has been up to these past few weeks...

Let me tell you - he has been busy! Unlike me, (who has been enjoying a life of leisure; reading, running, writing, growing a baby...etc) Scott has been working hard.  While I would love to help out with the work - a boat yard (which I am convinced is one of the top 10 most toxic environments in the world) is no place for a pregnant lady.

Scott gets up every day between 6 and 6:30 am to begin his day.  He catches a "maxi taxi" (a local Trini taxi/bus; really a minivan chock full of people) and makes his way down to Peake's Boat Yard in Chaguaramas - which is over an hour commute.  Once there, he works all day; doing woodwork, laying floors, taking measurements, painting, sanding, scraping, building and cleaning.  He leaves around 6:30 pm, catches another maxi...then another...then walks a half mile home (the whole commute can take as long as 2 hours depending on traffic!), where I am waiting to give him a big huge hug (even if he is stinky and sweaty).  Then, he wakes up and does it all over again.  He loves it.  Nobody enjoys a project like my Scott!

Here are some photos to prove that it's not all play over here!

Love,
Brittany & Scott

Trinidad Main Market

I had the pleasure of visiting Port of Spain, Trinidad's main market on Saturday with our lovely hosts, Karly and Jason...  

It was by far the biggest market I've been to in all of the Caribbean...it actually reminded me a lot of the markets in Africa.  You could buy everything from flip flops to cow's heads and everything in between.  Clothes, food, spices, plants, flowers, pig snouts...you name it, it was there.  Be sure to check out all the pictures down to the end and check out my first stab at video making/editing!

Love,
Brittany & Scott

Markets in Trinidad...

...are surprisingly different than those in Grenada.

They are typically bigger and have more to offer than their Grenadian counterparts, which is no surprise considering Trinidad is just over 1,800 square miles larger than Grenada, but aside from their offerings, they are much more meticulously maintained.  The thing I love the most is how they hang the larger fruits from twine creating a beautiful back drop for the other fruits that are all stacked in perfect, shiny pyramids. Genius!  I don't know why I love this so much, but it certainly catches my eye every time we pass a fruit stand and just makes me want to take a picture (and buy some fruit!).  I think it looks so pretty and makes me want to take a big juicy bite out of one of those fresh, fragrant pineapples.

Love, 

Brittany & Scott

Trini Doubles

“Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture."

- Mark Kurlansky

When people weren't warning us about the 'dangers' of traveling here, they were emphatically telling us that we simply had to eat "doubles", the unofficial culinary delight of Trinidad. When it comes to food (especially food that I don't have to cook) - we listen.

The other night Karly and Jason took us for an authentic Trini dining experience on the Savannah, which is reportedly the worlds largest roundabout. Covering 260 acres, the Savannah is Trinidad's largest public park and is popular with runners, cricketers, picnickers and (lucky us!) food vendors.

At night, the parking lot of the Savannah comes alive with ramshackle food stalls and trucks selling everything from roti to Buffalo wings, home-made soups to fresh-squeezed juices and, of course, doubles:  the definitive Trinidadian tour-de-flavor.

A "double" is a something like a soft-shell taco made of two pieces of fried flat bread ('bara'), filled with curried chickpeas ('chanaa') and topped with chutney. To say they are delicious would be an understatement. They are a perfect blend of sweet and savory and oh-so-yummy. Doubles are  typically eaten for breakfast (which is curious to me, being that the main ingredients are chickpeas and chutney), but are just as easily enjoyed as a late-night snack.

Eating them is a bit of an art but not unlike eating a runny soft-shell taco. You must gingerly grab the top piece of bread by two sides (making a sling of sorts) and try your best to keep the chanaa from spilling out.  Shove it in your mouth, take a bite and enjoy! It's a messy ordeal, but as far as I'm concerned: the messier the food, the better it is.  So dig in, get dirty and don't forget an extra napkin.

Doubles in the making

Mixing my delicious juice!

Karly getting some corn soup. 

Scott also got a "Peanut Punch" - another local trini favorite!

Love,

Brittany & Scott

Trinidad

"We build too many walls and not enough bridges." 
- Isaac Newton

Trinidad is blowing our expectations out of the water.  So many cruisers (when we told them we were coming here) raised their eyebrows, shook their heads and muttered half sarcastic phrases like 'hope you make it back alive'.  Having lived in Tanzania, East Africa during a time when there were many 'travel warnings' advising people against travelling there and 'known sects' of Al Qaeda operating within the country, I learned a thing or two about the scare tactics of the media and just how much people like to blow things out of proportion.  Unfortunately, people love a good drama.  Yes, Trinidad has declared "Marshall Law" and has arrested over 1,000 people in the past month - but you know what?  Hiking to the waterfall, walking on the beach or strolling to a nearby roti stand to get some dinner you would never know it.  The people aren't taking to the streets in angry mobs and, according to many people who live here, it's business as usual (minus having to close early) while the cops get all the bad guys.

This country is beautiful - it has so much to offer, and so far, we love it!  Granted - having wonderful friends as hosts helps a lot!

Love,

Brittany & Scott