Trouble at Anchor
Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago

Last night I drifted off to sleep under a moon- and star-filled sky, with my back against the cockpit bench of the Odessa, and awoke to find myself at the tail end of an intense conversation between Captain Bill and Andy (with Andy saying "…tomorrow, I'll just get off the boat").

Much has happened within the last 24 hours on the Odessa, and much has been developing over the past week. I can't believe it's only been seven days that I've been on board, it feels like weeks—a combination of my extreme lack of enthusiasm of "Trinibago", crew tension, and boat issues have culminated in a wonderful sense of "blah". I look to a change of country to help resolve some of these problems, but I know that it won't be so.

I could go into detail about why Andy left the Odessa, and how I just said goodbye to him as he boarded a maxi taxi for the Port of Spain, but he has been writing his thoughts in great detail (as is his fashion), and figure I'll let them speak for him. A sampling of his recent observations:

• Sailboat Comedy, Feb 8
• Leaving The Boat, Feb 7
• Learning Solutions to Sailing Problems, Feb 7
• Jakob Lost Credit Card, Feb 7
• Sailing with Motor Running, Feb 6
• Spaghetti Head Traveler, Feb 4
• Chaguaramas Trinidad on the Hard, Feb 4

Aside from the location, the past three weeks that I've spent traveling with Andy have been very enjoyable. Andy can be a very giving and outgoing individual when he chooses to be, and I acknowledge and thank him for the respect and trust that he gives me. Small remarks he would make like "it usually takes travelers two years to figure out what you've got in your backpack," are nice to hear. I'm hoping to meet up with him again, possibly in Grenada.

Andy's cautions to me of safety aboard the Odessa hold merit; the ocean is no joke and there are countless numbers of ways that I could be maimed, or worse. Andy's trust and tolerance in the captain and Jakob has completely dissipated, and mine isn't far behind. Right now, I'm just happy that Captain Bill got the anchor winch (known as the "windless") repaired a few hours ago. The prior failure of this device had left us arduously pulling over 150 feet of solid anchor chain off the floor and onto a slippery deck—dangerously unnecessary.

So here I am, currently in country limbo again—stamped out of Trinidad and Tobago and officially a crew member of the Odessa bound for Grenada. If I have to make one more entry from this country, it's going to be about following Andy's lead and buying a ticket to the next island. Wish me luck.

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