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Chaguaramas, Trinidad to Store Bay, Tobago proved to be an excellent "shakedown" run being a 12 hour, approximately 75 mile trip, each way. Actually, the trip back is faster since wind & current are in your favour.
From Trinidad our first stop in Tobago was Store Bay. There is no dinghy dock & so beach landing is necessary on either side of the beautiful hotel's saltwater lagoon. The southern side has a lovely sandy recreational beach but few adequate places to tie up, let alone lock a dinghy. A dinghy anchor is important. Conveniently located here are a group of shops and a sheltered eating area. The northern side is a little better for landing and leaving a dinghy, but be courteous to the swimmers there!
One of the nicest bays along the North Coast of Tobago has to be Englishman's Bay. The trip is only about 3 hours motoring at about 6 knots. This secluded anchorage can hold only 3-4 boats and boasts a beautiful, sandy beach, nice snorkeling, and 2 or 3 small vendors selling rotis & assorted crafts.
Man O War Bay is about 2 hours from Englishman's Bay. Overlooking this large bay is the little town of Charlottesville perch on the hillside. There is a single dock for dinghy tie-up, and groceries & fresh produce are readily available. Furthermore, Charlottesville has its own Immigration office, library, & 3 internet cafes!
Along the main road is a yellow house - Lyda Murry's (see photo on right). Here you can find beer & rum punch along with entertaining locals. In the evening, this place seems to be the center of the universe, when the main street comes abuzz with activity.
London Bridge (photo left) is just North of Charlottesville - a long dinghy ride - and is the home of a variety of large pelagic fishes including barracuda & tarpon. Around this corner can be found Anse Bateau & Speyside. This is a trip to be taken in broad daylight as there are numerous rocks and a tricky line to get in. Anse Bateau is a lovely anchorage, although you must be sure to line up the house on Goat Island & the hotel in order to avoid the reefs on either side. Sand provides good holding, even in 28 knots on a lee shore!
From Anse Bateau it is possible to dinghy over to Little Tobago, although it is a wet ride. There are hiking trails and some beautiful views. As this is a protected park, be sure to pack out what you bring in, and respect the paths, flora, & fauna.
From Anse Bateau we made our run back to Trinidad. Much of the way we sailed on a broad reach between 6 and 8 knots. Once we reached the coast of Trinidad, about half-way along the top of the island, we lost all wind and had to proceed under diesel power. It is important to be careful of the fishing banks and freighters along this route – many small fishing boats can be found out here, so keep your eyes open!!
The “Tobago run” became an important testing route for us with Darwin's Passage. On our first trip up we discovered that the fore hatch was leaking like Niagara Falls – a good thing to discover BEFORE leaving Trinidad! The excessive banging around on this first trip also helped us gain confidence in the “water-tightness” of the rest of the boat, and the integrity of the new systems we installed.
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