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Plymouth is a delightful small town set on a hill above a long pristine beach on which turtles lay their eggs. One can sit for hours anchored close to Pelican Rock watching the antics of the seabirds. In the spring and summer when the laughing gulls are here, they badger the poor pelicans mercilessly, trying to steal the pelicans’ fish by sitting on their heads and pecking at their bills. The pelicans have learned to keep their beaks underwater and spin in circles to get rid of the gulls before they lift their beaks to swallow their catch. We woke at dawn one morning to the sound of a heavy downpour. When we came on deck the source of the noise turned out to be tiny jumping fish that were so plentiful all the water in the bay was boiling. A flock of about a thousand seabirds, mainly gulls, pelicans and roseate terns crisscrossed the bay snatching at the fish and calling to each other.

Plymouth was the first English capital of Tobago and the site of a very early Dutch settlement in 1628. Later the Duke of Courland established a settlement here. The Swedes captured the Duke and imprisoned him for a short time. While he was safely out of circulation, the Dutch grabbed Tobago. When he was free, the Duke got his godfather, Charles II of England, to give him a hand and the Dutch were expelled. After this the English kept a garrison of 50 men at Fort James but the French outwitted them. Twenty-five French soldiers sailed into Courland Bay at night, sneaked close to the fort and made an enormous racket the next morning, giving the impression that there were hundreds of soldiers. The leader of the French force sought out the English commander and told him his position was hopeless, as there were thousands of French soldiers poised to attack. The English commander, who had not yet had his first cup of tea, surrendered on the spot.

The indefatigable Duke of Courland claimed sovereignty again in 1682 in a joint venture with an Englishman, John Poyntz. Poyntz’s role was to attract settlers and as part of his mission he wrote and published a description of Tobago that was so enticing that it is believed to have inspired Daniel Defoe to write Robinson Crusoe. Crusoe is quite a popular figure on Tobago. His cave has been identified, car rental agencies are named in his honor and a dive shop commemorates Man Friday.

Both the ruins of Fort James, now surrounded by a park, and a famous tombstone bring tourists to Plymouth. The large tombstone, for 23-year old Betty Stiven and her baby, dates from 1783 and states mysteriously that "she was a mother without knowing it, and a wife without letting her husband know it, except by her kind indulgence to him."

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Navigation

About 200 yards southwest of Pelican Rock is a sunken rock, two feet underwater, called Barrel of Beef. It is part of a chain of rocks that extend from Pelican Rock. The rest of them are about 10 feet deep. Keep well clear of this area and approach Plymouth from the beach side.

Anchor off the dock in about 25 feet of water. Do not anchor off the Turtle Beach Hotel; fishermen seine net here and you will be in the way.

If there is a surge, you may find you can make yourself more comfortable by using a stern anchor to keep your stern to the seas.

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Ashore

There are several small supermarkets down the main road. Check also Price Right on the road to Arnos Vale. If you want to do a large provisioning, it is only a short ride by bus, taxi or route taxi to Scarborough.

Out on the fort you might find some handicrafts. Kelvin sometimes hangs out here, busily carving Bamboo into art and if Calypsonian Rafael Davis is around he will royally entertain you.

Click to enlarge Kelvin

There are only two restaurants in town. When I wandered into TJ’s (right by the gas station), Anton told me they serve the best food in Tobago, with great local dishes including fish, pork and crab. Since Anton is the barman he might be biased, but both he and Kurt, the chef, were cool guys and you will enjoy a meal here. They are open all day every day.

The Cocrico Inn also serves good local food at a reasonable price.

If you wander down to the Rex Turtle Beach Resort you will find a well-stocked boutique and a choice of places to eat. The Kiskadee ($B), has something special every night with entertainment that varies from a brass band, fire eating and limbo to folk dancing and a one man band. On different nights they have barbecues, buffets, set dinners and a la carte menus. There is also a coffee shop/beach bar where you can while away the hours, buy snack type meals, and listen to a steel band, (usually Saturdays). Tuesdays at 1730 David Rooks gives a nature talk on the various tours available in Tobago, including the rainforest and Little Tobago.

Just north of Plymouth is Adventure Farm, open everyday except Saturdays. It is a 12-acre estate that specializes in organic fruits. For about US$3 they will take you on a guided tour and point out the different trees, flowers and wildlife. Many of the trees and plants are labeled, and feeders scattered around bring the birds in close. They sell refreshments and a variety of fresh fruits.

A little further along the same road is the romantic Arnos Vale Hotel ($B) which is built out of an old plantation in a heavily forested hill that slopes to the sea. The restaurant is cool and breezy, in a large colonial room with antique furniture and a muralled wall. It overlooks the sea, and birdfeeders attract a large variety of birds in a daylong show. It is within walking distance of Plymouth and the snorkeling is reputedly good enough to be worth taking your gear over.

Water sports

Turtle Beach Hotel has a water sports shop for renting windsurfers or small sailboats, or for water skiing. They also have a dive shop; Tobago Dive Experience, and are well placed for good dives up and down the coast.

Once you have rounded Barrel of Beef in Plymouth, you can sail east along the shore all the way to Bloody Bay, and a quarter of a mile offshore clears all dangers. If the wind is east or south of east Tobago gives some protection from the seas and the sailing is usually very pleasant. After Bloody Bay you can pass between the Sisters and the Brothers. The two off-lying sunken Brothers are a danger, though you can often see one of them breaking. If you cannot see it, stay at least halfway over to the Sisters from the Brothers that you can see.

Several small anchorages lie between Plymouth and Man of War Bay. These can be wonderful calm overnight anchorages, or they can be so rolly it is impossible to land a dinghy on the shore. The only way to know is to go and look. If they are rolly, or conditions are not settled, it is better to consider them as daytime anchorages. We have not included Bloody Bay as this is poorly protected in most conditions.