"In the old days, foreign yachts only came to Trinidad for brief, but intensive visits during the Carnival Season", says Richard Potter, Manager of IMS Yacht Services. "Normally, they would not venture further south than the Grenadines and Grenada. Trinidad was just too far. Besides, the island was thought to be too close to the run-off from the Orinoco River in Venezuela. Pollution from oil rigs and related activities was another problem." Even so, there has been an explosion of visiting yachts in the last few years. The numbers speak for themselves: In 1990, yacht arrivals were at 637, by 1996 the figure was 2552.

"Hurricane Haven"

So what happened? Well, there are many factors. First of all, Trinidad is situated south of the active hurricane zone. North of 12 degrees north, insurance companies won't cover private yachts during the hurricane season. Furthermore, Lloyds of London rates the deep Gulf of Paria as an A-1 anchorage. With its many sheltered harbours inside the narrow entrances of the Bocas, it is considered to be one of the best "hurricane havens" in the Caribbean.

Chaguaramas, the north-western peninsula of Trinidad, was an American military base during the war. With most of the infrastructure, including docking facilities already in place, the area was ideal for a yacht basin. So when the land became available, local entrepreneurs began to develop it.

Boat Yards galore

In 1991, the pioneer, Power Boats, already involved in the local power boat industry, invested in a 50 ton travel lift offering a capacity to hold approx. 45 yachts on land. The industry continued to grow tremendously through the early 90's. In 1994, Peake Yacht Services came on stream with a 150-ton lift and IMS with a 70-ton lift. More recently, Crews Inn Marina and Boatyard brought in a 200-ton lift. The yards, all lying more or less side by side within the Chaguaramas Bay area, are now established with reliable haul-out facilities, large storage capacities and well appointed marinas, catering to all aspects of the yachting market.

Now, cruisers are a demanding lot, so the service element is very important. With experience from the oil sector, sugar cane industry, agriculture and manufacturing, the locals are already skilled in a broad range of technologies. We even have a boat building industry here," continues Richard Potter. A glossy brochure with sleek and racy powerboats boasts export to many countries. "So it should come as no surprise that our workers are familiar with fibre glass and teak work, engine installations and repair, and so on. Actually, the yachting industry is a natural progression of what was already happening here, but on a much smaller scale, of course. The Trinidad and Tobago Yacht Association has been active for years, promoting the sport of sailing with regular courses and regattas. If there is something we don't know, we make it our business to learn it. In the meantime, we call on the expertise of yachties and expatriates for those special requirements, such as rigging, sail making and repairs."

It follows then that Trinidad's long established marine, industrial and manufacturing sector has produced a wide range of services that are in short supply in most tourism-based economies. Professional machine shops and welders, diesel mechanics and electricians, carpenters and upholsterers are available to undertake almost any job. There is even locally grown teak here, which sells for a fraction of the cost elsewhere in North America. Prices in general are considerably lower than those further north in the island chain.

Service vs. Infrastructure

"So, you see, Trinidad is hard to beat when it comes to expertise, manpower and competitive rates. What is frustrating, though, is that the infrastructure has not kept up with the sudden and tremendous growth experienced in such a short time. The distribution of services is a big problem with demand being much higher than supply. The electricity, water supply and phone systems have all had to be upgraded a definite strain on the public utility companies. Power shortage is a constant worry. At the moment, new power lines are being run, necessitating regularly scheduled cuts. However, it is the unscheduled ones that are most frustrating," says Richard Potter.

Third World

This was experienced first hand. NOR SIGLAR was like an oven in the tropical heat. IMS very kindly offered me a desk in their air-conditioned office for some writing assignments. During the first week, 3 electricity cuts disrupted production both in the yard and the office. The girls shrugged it off. "It happens all the time. Trinidad is still a third world country in many ways".

"What about water, then?" "Not a problem. Normally, there is plenty from ground wells and rain catchments. Only if the wet season between July and December is unusually dry, do we have a problem. Like this year. If we don't get heavy rain soon, we may experience a shortage during the dry season. Looks like El Nino affects even the Caribbean this year.

It was great to be able to run the water hose whenever we felt like it, particularly to cool down during the hottest part of the day. Incidentally, there were only two showers for the 140 yachts on the premises. Another area suffering from growing pains. In the larger marinas, the problem was even more acute, with long line-ups causing a great deal of irritation. All the yards need to improve these facilities. But they seem to have other priorities.

We were happy to be in IMS' smaller yard, tucked away at the end of the row. Compared to its much larger competitors, where conditions seemed rather chaotic, the atmosphere at IMS is relatively peaceful, while still busy. Originally, we had intended to go to one of the larger yards. However, after trying to see the manager 3 days in a row without success, we gave up. Besides, their travel lift was booked up several weeks ahead. At IMS we received personal attention at once, and were expertly hauled out within days.

Still, the marinas keep expanding. Services already include small grocery stores and laundromats, restaurants and bars, sail lofts and work shops. Some even have in house car rentals and travel agency, hotel accommodation and banking facilities. General office services complete with e-mail are all part of the developing scene.

A big plus is several well-stocked chandlers with easy international access for receiving equipment and spare parts. The removal of VAT on marine related goods and services and the presence of full time immigration and customs officers in Chaguaramas, allows for the relatively easy importation of duty free marine items for yachts in transit. The location is convenient for the checking in and out procedure, which is usually a time consuming exercise for yachties.

Behind Wrought Iron Bars

Security is provided for the entire Chaguaramas area. All boat yards are fenced in. Entrances and exits are manned by armed guards 24 hours a day. Watchmen with guard dogs patrol the yards during the night. The first impression is pretty scary, but one gets used to it. Outside, in the "real world", some businesses operate behind wrought iron bars with only small peepholes for communication. So what appears to be "overkill" may be necessary. Rumours of crime and theft in Venezuela have brought many yachts to Trinidad, where they certainly are putting on a big effort to protect the cruisers.

At times the cultural differences between yahties, who want everything done "right now" and "our way", clash with the relaxed and slow island ways. It is really hard to adjust to the attitude, which is so much more "laissez-faire" than we are used to in the north. But who can perform 100% in 30 degree + temperatures? Not even the locals can be expected to work at full capacity in such heat. Besides, didn't we all leave home to slow down and get away from it all - away from the stress and rat race? Even so, it is difficult to handle this laxadaisical style, especially when waiting for a part or a job to get done - so we can get out there cruising......

Taken to the Cleaners

Another factor, which is particularly hard to deal with, is the confusion that reigns around the issue of what to pay for unskilled labour. Yachties are allowed to hire their own work crews. However, there are no set rates unless the yard provides the labour and is paid directly. A word of caution is in order here. Don't repeat our mistake of hiring a local before you have a feeling for what the wages should be, and what the currency is worth. We jumped too soon and were "taken to the cleaners" by an enterprising local, who cornered us the day we arrived from our Atlantic crossing. The boat was a mess so his timing was right. He wanted a flat fee so we agreed on an amount, which we thought was fair for a job we expected would take a week.

The next day he turned up with a helper and went to work. That evening, he announced that he was finished. We were most unhappy and insisted he complete the job to our full satisfaction. Now, this fellow was a big guy, so when he started to threaten us, we paid him off just to get rid of him. We were actually concerned that he would damage the boat, or worse, ourselves. So we wrote it off to bad experience. Besides, we should not have got ourselves into this situation in the first place. We had been most naive, falling for his pleas of poverty, large family, etc. etc. Having aborted the job prematurely, he milked us for as much per hour as he should have been paid for a whole day.

The incident was reported to The Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago. YSATT is a non-profit organisation, established by the boat yards and marinas to ensure the proper and controlled growth of the yacht industry. "I am so sorry that this happened to you", said the Association Secretary. "It is really terrible. We are trying our utmost to prevent this kind of thing from happening. However, when yachties hire their own people, there is no control mechanism to fall back on. And you yachties are an independent lot, so there isn't much we can do about it. But we certainly want to hear your complaints, as well as compliments, and will do all we can to ensure that you receive proper assistance and treatment."

This is an issue, which must be taken very seriously. Cruisers share information with eachother all the time. If they are unhappy, word gets around quickly. Business can plummet just as quickly as it can boom. There is always Venezuela a short day sail to the south. It is a known fact that Venezuela lost business to Trinidad when yachties, who initially had been attracted by the cheap rates, subsequently felt they were taken advantage of. Trends can reverse very fast.

Treasures of the Bilge

A wealth of information gets around through the daily VHF cruisers' net. Yachties take turns as net control and run it according to a set procedure starting with emergency, medical or priority traffic. Next come security problems, tides and weather, arriving and departing yachts, social activities, help and services needed, and finally, "treasures of the bilge". It goes without saying that with such a broad range of issues not much is missed around the marinas.

On a positive note, there is no end to the services available. There are the weekly propane runs, the ice man, the vegetable and "roti" vans, maxi taxi runs, trips to the Saturday market, laundry service, movie nights, trivia, bridge, book swaps, video rentals, exercise and Spanish classes, and on and on. With supermarkets and shopping malls not more than 15 minutes away, provisioning is easy. The choice of local and imported goods is extensive and attractively priced. Some businesses even provide free delivery to the Marinas.

But when yachties are working on their boats, the last thing they want to think about is preparing meals. With the unbearable heat and mess onboard, it is a relief to get away and have a break in the middle of day. At "Father John's", who is open 7 days a week, we enjoyed good, wholesome lunch specials - a bargain at US$2.50. You couldn't make it cheaper at home.

Calypso & Carnival

At the end of the day, during the balmy evenings, it was fun to take part in some of the many social activities around. And this is where Trinidad is so fascinating with its rainbow of peoples tracing their roots back to every corner of the globe: To Africa and India, Europe, the Middle East and China, creating a multi-racial society with an astonishing richness of culture and music, language and dance, food and festivals. The creative energy that comes from this fusion has produced the famous Carnival, which even the yachties get caught up in. Together with the locals, some join a costumed masquerade band and "play mas" for the two-day "jump-up". The exhilarating beat of the Calypso and steel bands create an atmosphere only possible in a country where people have rhythm in the blood and are born to dance and play.

When Sunday comes along, there are hikes into beautiful mountain ranges, rolling hills, rain forests and flat savannahs. On the north coast, the enormous leatherback turtle comes in to lay her eggs in the spring. Birdwatchers have a heyday sighting rare and colourful tropical birds on peaceful river tours through nature swamps. The smell of burning sugar cane lures the curious to plantations, where one can still watch cane cutters in action. Not far away, Tobago beckons with beautiful beaches and coral reefs, offering snorkelling and scubadiving second to none. Trinidad has so much to offer that it is no wonder some yachties never leave.

NOR SIGLAR has been "on the hard" at IMS for 8 months. Half a year was spent away from the boat. On our return, we were relieved to find it in as good a shape as we left it. A ladder had even been set up in anticipation of our arrival, a proof of how kind of thoughtful people are around here. So it will be difficult to say good bye. However, being devoted offshore cruisers, other destinations are calling. Some places are more difficult to leave than others. Trinidad is such a place. We'll be back.