Sailing for Adventure (On the Big Blue Wet Thing): Trinidad to Namibia... A Transit for Christmas

For Christmas this year I got a 17 Day Transatlantic Crossing from Trinidad to Namibia, in Southwest Africa...followed by a few nights in Namibia before the work actually started.

Also at the top of South America in the Caribbean... Its a nice little place also!

Trinidad (Spanish: "Trinity") is the largest and most populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just 11 km (6.8 mi) off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of 4,768 km² (1,841 sq mi) it is also the fifth largest in the West Indies.

Many believe the original name for the island in the Arawaks' language was "Iëre" which meant "Land of the Humming Bird". Some believe that "Iere" was actually a mispronunciation/corruption by early colonists of the Arawak word "Kairi" which simply means "Island". Christopher Columbus renamed it "La Isla de la Trinidad" ("The Island of the Trinity"), fulfilling a vow he had made before setting out on his third voyage of exploration.

Caribs and Arawaks lived in Trinidad long before Columbus encountered the islands on his third voyage in 1498. Tobago changed hands between the British, French, Dutch and Courlanders, but eventually ended up in British hands. Trinidad remained Spanish until 1797, but it was largely settled by French colonists from Martinique. In 1889 the two islands became a single crown colony. Trinidad and Tobago obtained self-governance in 1958 and independence from the British Empire in 1962.

We crew changed in to Trinidad where we met the Asima... its a beautiful country. While we waited to clear out of imigrations we found the harbor side hotel restaurant was a nice place for a breakfast of shark and fried plantains.

From here we boarded and set out for our transit...

Its always a bit sad to leave such a pretty place without getting to explore it properly.


Harbor Pilot Vessel

We crossed the Atlantic, and eventually the equator off of the coast of West Africa... the Equator means a number of things... BBQ, and Line Crossing Ceremonies for the Polywogs...

Captain Robert FitzRoy of HMS Beagle suggested the practice had developed from earlier ceremonies in Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian vessels passing notable headlands. He thought it was beneficial to morale: "The disagreeable practice alluded to has been permitted in most ships, because sanctioned by time; and though many condemn it as an absurd and dangerous piece of folly, it has also many advocates. Perhaps it is one of those amusements, of which the omission might be regretted. Its effects on the minds of those engaged in preparing for its mummeries, who enjoy it at the time, and talk of it long afterwards, cannot easily be judged of without being an eye-witness."

"Deep was the bath, to wash away all ill;

Notched was the razor

of bitter taste the pill.

Most ruffianly the barber looked

his comb was trebly nailed

And water, dashed from every side, the neophyte assailed."

- FitzRoy quoted Otto von Kotzebue's description