We spent about a week in Tobago and most of it in the water. We arrived in a busy anchorage in Charlotteville after our nightpassage from Barbados, the first one with just 4 crew, without Franzi.
(Photos: having fun checking in, lionfish are a problem here, view over Man Of War Bay by Charlotteville, making friends on the hill and the best chipshop!)
There was a vast abundance of marine wildlife on the reef just next to our anchorage and we saw lots of different fish. Because the rocks were sticking out of the water too, there was lots to see even without diving down. I have been practicing freediving quite a lot with my new mask but find it harder to go lower than 4m but that was more than enough for this reef. There were also a lot of Pelicans around again, and we had a great time watching them sit on the fishing boats and diving for fish.
The next day, the 24th of December we have a quiet day and start prepping our christmas dinner. We made some swedish christmas dishes such as a kale salad with apples, a potato gratin with canned fish and I weave us a christmas tree out of a palmleaf that we brought to the boat from the small beach next to the anchorage, surrounded by forest and due to its turbulent history, named Pirate’s Beach.
We spend a really nice christmas evening, eat dinner and listen to christmas music, both swedish and not and decide that for desert we would go back in time and do a dish from the 80ies, canned pears with melted after eight’s on top, made in the oven. Sounds horrible, tasted surprisingly good I have to admit!
(Photos: our tree, gratin in the making and the final result)
The next day we leave the crowded anchorage and move along the northwest coast of the island to Castara, where Richie the diveguide lives who will be training Tom and Ellie for their PADI Open Water course.
We arrive in yet another beautiful bay, there are about 10 fishing boats moored in the bay but we ar the only yacht. We dinghy ashore to one of the 2 small beaches, separated from each other by some big steep rocks. Anton and I explore some of the bars and the beach while Tom and Ellie meet up with Richie. They are busy diving for the next few days so Anton and I enjoy exploring Castara, except for the one day when we also go diving.
(Photos: waking up to paradise, good snorkeling on the rocks, golden hour in Castara, fresh fish! and a dangerous beach, happy divers and some fish)
We also went on a rainforest walking tour early in the morning, which was very beautiful even if you're not super into birds! It was nice to be surrounded by trees for a while and we had a very knowledgeable guide, who told us a lot abou the flora and fauna on the island.
(Photos: lost on land, the light!, bird-nerd Thomas took lots of amazing photos, us with Roachee the guide, we ended the day with a swim in the waterfall)
We also spend a night at Englishman's Bay, which is beautiful and we are the only ones there, but the bay is less protected and the swell is picking up, so we decide to leave again after a rocky night.
(Photos: Englishman's Bay and goodbye Tobago at dusk)
Back to Charlotteville to check out and on the 31st we are on the way to Grenada!