Chapter 6: Trip to Trinidad

After starting the engines, I weighed anchor and started heading out. She proved a capable hand as she secured the anchor properly. After 15 minutes of motoring I raised the sails and we headed on a northeasterly course. About 5 miles further out we started getting some wind so I shut the engine down and we were sailing.

Charlotte brought me a cup of coffee and my ubiquitous bowl of oatmeal with raisins in it. She was having some coffee and a couple cookies or biscuits as the Brits call em.

"Did you do any steering on your husbands yacht?" I asked.

"Not much. He showed me how to help with anchoring and tying up, but the rest of it he kept a mystery. It wasn't much fun sailing with him," she said.

"Shame, are you interested in learning? It would be good if something happened to me" I said.

"That would be nice. I don't like feeling I am ill-equipped to be here," she said.

So I began giving her basic sailing instructions explaining the halyards which opened and furled the sails and the sheets which controlled the sails. I explained the fairleads and showed how the different lines lead aft to the cockpit. I showed her how to lock and unlock the rope clutches and how to use the Lewmar winches.

There are two sets of rope clutches mounted on each side of the boat beside the hatch. They are similar in concept to a group of four cam cleats housed in one convenient enclosure. They are mostly used for locking the lines down. After that came helmsman lessons.

She was an avid student and ate it all up. If nothing else, I had someone who could relieve me when things got rough. While teaching her to steer I noticed she was not averse to being in close quarters with me. Who knows, she could work out to be a perfect mate in different ways.

We sailed into the afternoon and just off Natal, Brazil we turned to the northwest as we rounded the eastern most tip of the continent.

Six days later we were nearing where the Amazon empties into the Atlantic when a storm swept in from sea. I closed the hatch and explained to her that if she went down below she would probably get seasick. She needed to stay topside at least for a few hours to get used to it. Even with the Bimini we were getting lots of spray and it was uncomfortable. I almost had to put the bimini away but held off, praying that it wouldn't get too bad.

She told had been seasick on much of the voyage over and had not understood that staying below caused most of her seasickness. When there is a lot of motion to the ocean, being able to see a horizon helps your mind and stomach cope much better. Even in a mild sea, just going below could be enough to get many people feeling ill.

We ended up battling the storm for two days before we decided to find some shelter if we could. Looking at the chart I found a decent anchorage in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Suriname used to be called Dutch Guiana. We got there the following morning about 4:30 a.m. We ended up motoring in a circle and wallowing off the coast while we waited for the sun to come up. I don't like going into an unknown place in the dark.

We motored in and anchored in a protected area up the river a half mile. I rigged the two shower bags and she had a quick shower in her bikini. I followed suit. We were exhausted so we closed everything up and went down and crashed.

I woke up a little later as Charlotte came in mumbling about the settee being too hard and she slid into bed next to me. I patted her shoulder as I fell back asleep. After almost three days of fighting the storm we were both worn out.

She had been a real help, taking the helm and giving me breaks feeding and letting me have real head calls. There is nothing as exciting as trying to take a dump in a bucket with water coming over the bow at you. I had experienced some real problems while alone. I had peed in my swimsuit and gone without food and drink many days when it was real rough.

Later I awoke and had to slide over her to get out. She woke up and looked up at me for a second as I moved past her. I went out and put on some coffee. It was three in the afternoon. I opened the hatch and went on deck. I straightened out the lines a little and grabbed a couple buckets of water to clean up the cockpit. I used a gallon of fresh water to rinse the seat covers and helm off.

I grabbed my coffee and quietly went forward to look around the area. I was forward of the mast just enjoying what I was smelling and seeing. Suriname is just above the equator. It is hot and muggy here year round. The jungle smell is prevalent and it almost shuts your nostrils it's so strong.

This is the first time I had ever been here. The buildings were mostly two story affairs and most had a colonial period look to them, although they appeared well maintained. There seemed to be a few with a middle eastern look to them. The river was brown and muddy looking.

Rough blue painted piroques made from rough planks were backed up onto the muddy beach not far from where we were. They were evidently fishing boats of some sort.