Since I was in Trinidad for two and a half to three weeks and staying in Chaguaramas where all the yacheting facilities are, I figured I should get a few projects done between all the exploring and Carnival. 🙂
The first thing I did was take the ParaSailor spinnaker to the Sails & Shade sail loft in Crews Inn Marina. I needed to get a couple buckles sewn back on and have the entire thing inspected after the event I wrote and talked about two days ago (make sure you check it out!!!!). I helped inspect it and the buckles were the only damage (YEA!!!!!) and they did a great job sewing them back on, with lots of strength this time, but when I got it back 8-9 days later they never got around to rinsing the sail water off of it. I said I would do it myself, because I wanted to get it rinsed and dried and who know how long it would sit until they got to it. To rinse it off I filled my ice cooler half way and soaked about a third of the sail for five minutes. I had to do this three different times and then I hung it up with the sock pulled over the whole thing so it was a big tube hanging for 12 hours. This got most of it dry, but the bottom (the widest part and lots of material) and the middle (where the wing was and lots more material) were still damp and had no chance to dry completely in the sock. I therefore laid the sail out and tied the clews together at the bow and ran the thing aft. I only brought the sock up to expose the bottom 10 feet and let it dry. To get he middle I used lines and bundled the bottom together and then the top together so it could not fill with wind and let it hang for an hour. Total cost—$55 US.
When I first went to the sail loft I saw Custom Sign Designs (customsigndesignstt.com) a couple doors down and went in to talk to them about replacing the two lighthouse logo on the bows (6 years of sun damage), take off a logo that faded completely on the transom, add a hailing port on the sugar scoop, and replace the lettering on the bows of the dinghy (being walked on for 6 years). Troy & Lisa were very nice, professional, and got the job done quickly and it looks great. Total cost—-$285 US.
The final project I did was to replace the mirrors on my three bathroom vanities. The old ones were showing corrosion around the edge and I figure why not. Several people told me King’s Hardware in Port of Spain was they place to go…..and they were correct. They took the doors, removed the old mirrors, and glued new ones in place, all in 24 hours. The new mirrors look great. It was one of those things most guests have not noticed, but it will make the bathrooms nicer. Total cost—$30 US
Are you seeing the theme I am playing? In Trinidad you can get good work down for way cheaper then elsewhere. Another example is when I had laundry to do. I had two sets of sheets and towels plus all my cloths, so it was a VERY big bag. In fact, it weight in at just under 100 pounds. I usually pay $1 to $1.50 a pound, but here it cost $50 US. Score!!!!!
Drying the ParaSailor out
