Despite escape plans, we ended up staying in Nelsons dockyard for New Year.  Mainly because in the end it took some time to get a man to the top of the mast to change the wind instrument thingy over and also because I decided to change the batteries.  Although I had got to the bottom of my charging problem, the originals were just too suspect to risk going to more remote places with, er and I went diving and we were generally just too lazy.  New Year was a rerun of Christmas but in the dark (hence no photo this time) – loud band, loads of people, too much to drink and some great fireworks.  We are now swinging round at anchor away from the mosquitoes and large quantities of Americans, trying to pluck up the courage to mosy around the Island for the next few days until the kids come out.  This mainly consists of lying in the cockpit reading a book or going for a swim off the back of the boat – tuff life.

Hope the Troutbridge delivery went well – let us know the gory details

Oh and for all you fishspotters out there – I discovered it wasn’t a Wahoo after all – it was a Spanish Mackerel – but that would have spoiled a good title for the article and any way it still tasted great!!

Well Christmas came and went - Fi says she is never going to drink again (note the size of the glass in the photo).  The band played all day and everyone was very friendly.  We decorated the boat a bit and the kids really cheered us up when they sent some flowers out on Christmas Eve. A video call to the family on the internet was also a good way of staying in touch.   Back to reality tomorrow, when the engineer from the electronics company should arrive to fix the wind instruments.  I've sussed out the battery charging problem and hopefully this is now sorted as well.  Probably be back at anchor by the weekend and then we are going to use the time until the kids come out to explore the Island.  However we might just have a quiet Boxing Day, it is traditional after all.

The final escape from French St Martin happened with a good weather forecast and we had a great 3 hour trip across to St Barts.  By the time we arrived, for some reason,  we were both feeling a bit low so decided to stay a day in the little anchorage of Columbier in the North of the Island.  We made a complete pigs ear of picking up a buoy as it was very windy and the French decide not to put painters on their buoys, only rings and with just the two of us it was quite interesting, especially after we lost the boathook! – I am reduced to having to thank the unknown French chappie who took our line for us in the end.  Still we had a great time the next day doing nothing except consuming two bottles of wine in the sunshine and getting ever so slightly sunburnt. 0400 the next morning, we set off for Antigua.  The wind stayed off the nose for half the trip then we had to motor sail the rest. Apart from one squall the weather behaved and we arrived in Falmouth harbour at 1730.  About 15 miles out, Fi noticed the brand new fishing rod was bent over a tad and we immediately put our ‘fish overboard’ drill into action – which to our surprise actually worked and the result was a nice big silver thingy which I had later identified as a Wahoo.   Half of it is marinating in the fridge as I write this and the rest is in the freezer.  The barbecue is in action tonight.

We are possibly going to sneak into the posh marina in English harbour for Christmas as it is right next to the Champagne and we can pretend we are on a superyacht, even if we are actually the little boat over in the corner.

Finally we would just like to thank all of you for your comments and Christmas wishes on the BLOG, it is much appreciated and we wish you all a good one in return.

We finally made it out of Simpsons bay lagoon on Thursday morning (photo shows us leaving under the swing bridge), anchored out in the bay, got the dingy onto the foredeck with a struggle as it was still quite windy and headed of SouthEast to St Barts.  5 hours later we were in the marina in Marigot Bay on the French bit of St Martin.  We could have made St Barts but with a 25-30 knot wind dead on the nose we decided to follow our policy of not being uncomfortable unless we really have to. We had a really great downwind blast back the way we came, even got the fishing rod going for a while and decided to at least see somewhere new. The French side of the Island is totally different - starting off with a very nice customs and immigration chap who was actually pleased to see us, unlike the miserable lot over on the Dutch side.  My only problem is that there is a really upmarket shopping mall just in town and Fi has already made dire threats to visit and 'suggested' that she doesn't want my company!!.  Still we've already found a restaurant with a large tank full of lobsters so my Saturday night is sorted.  Forecast is for winds to drop Sunday/Monday so hopefully it will be a quick dash to St Barts and a slightly longer one to Antigua a few days later.  Still beats working for a living.

Now in Island Waterworld marina with a rotten forecast for the weekend.  We were thinking of going out today but the Christmas winds are well set in for the next few days and Sunday is due to have thunderstorms (the rain is still warm!).  We've had a productive week, the KISS wind generator is fitted and works very well and most importantly is very quiet.  The steering is fixed along with a lot of minor stuff.  Not sure whether I've got the electronics working - I will need to get to sea to check the wind indicator out.  On Wednesay we collect our cockpit cushions and a riding sail to cut down the boats tendency to 'horse' at anchor. Then its off the St Barts and then maybe St Kitts and Nevis before Antigua for the New Year.  The couple who operate the marina are really nice (Ben and Monica) and we'ver met several other Brits who like us are fitting out before heading off,  we had a memorable jetty barbeque the other night -  nuff said. Wi Fi here is rubbish there are so many networks they all interfere with each other - which means we have to come ashore to a bar to connect - hard life. Still we really want to get on now, hence the title of this entry.  However we can always console ourselves with the temperature and price of rum!!!!!!!!

Arrived in St Martin a couple of days ago.  Quite an interesting trip, all the advice said to go overnight, to arrive at first light, which we did.  Spot the odd ones out, warm blue seas, flying fish, phosphorescence in the wake, steep short seas, heavy squalls with seriously heavy rain, and 12 hours on watch with no sleep.  We met another boat the next day who did the trip in daylight and had a great sail – I am going to be more inclined to make my own decisions in the future. Another mistake was to ask Fi to put the supper on after we sailed, which she bravely did –she gave me mine, ate none of her own and then spent the rest of the trip horizontal and a rather interesting shade of green.

St Martin is the home of the super yacht and anchored out here in the lagoon we feel very much the poor relations. There are at least 20 yachts/motorboats of over £20m in sight as I write this – but are they all really happy??  Actually judging from the party noises coming from some, the answer seems to be yes.  However it does mean the island is blessed with some really good chandleries which is why we came in the first place. I have already bought the fishing gear and this week we are getting some cockpit cushions made as well as buying some diving tanks.  Experience with the solar panels is that although they are good in daylight, we are not getting enough total current from them, so I will be installing a wind generator this week as well.  What with having to fix some seriously squeaky steering gear which saw me dismantle half the rear of the boat yesterday and with half the electronics still telling me porkies, this week should be pretty busy.  So we are really looking forward to the Caribbean idyll of lazy days in quiet blue anchorages – I just wonder when!!

Seems a lot of you are actually reading this so just to completely rub it in - taken today just before a nice cup of tea.  Machionele bay, Cooper Island the BVIs.

Now had two days on Village Quay marina getting the boat sorted after we picked her up at 2330 on Saturday night from the freighter. Obviously Ten AM in the BVIs really means Eleven PM – must remember for the future.  Not too sure about all this ‘lazy days in the Caribbean’ bit.  We haven’t stopped, what with re-rigging the mast, setting up the Bimini, shopping, finding gas, fixing the SSB, refitting the sails, servicing the engine.  Why do I think I will get no sympathy!!  Still on the bright side a bottle of 43% Mount Gay rum is only £4.  We are off tomorrow for a sail about and currently plan to leave for St Martin Thursday night when the weather looks bestist for the week. Looking forward to posting the first photos of sun kissed, palm fringed Islands in a few days.

For those contemplating joining us for a tad of lotus eating, we aim to be in Antigua the first two weeks in Jan when our kids are coming out.   Neil Revington has currently bagged the first two weeks in March, in Martinique and FIs sister is probably coming out soon after.  So that leaves Feb when we should be about Guadeloupe/Dominica and April onwards – probably south of Martinique ie,  St Lucia Down to Grenada  although serious request to be elsewhere will be considered.  Looking at booking into Trinidad mid June.

Larry  

Arrived in Tortolla last night, after a very good trip.  Now esconced in a really nice hotel that came free with the flights - Dialaflight do very good deals.  Don't ask how many rum and cokes Fi had at Antigua airport but she was lucky to be let on the plane to Tortolla!! (unlike me of course).  Off to Road Town today to confirm TFs arrival but it should be tomorrow morning.  I am writing this at 0630 as the brain is still on UK time.  However it shouldn't be long before we are both 'runnin on Island time'.

We left Plymouth early on Saturday morning 27th Oct,  in the dark. The first problem being the Port nav light bulb failing and I had not been able to get any spares.  (Its amazing what you can do with a torch, gaffer tape and the orange plastic from a Sainsburys shopping bag.)  However the trip to Weymouth was excellent - a quarter wind of between 18 and 25 knots saw us hitting 12.5 knots on one occasion when surfing and sustaining a good 8 knots throught the water.  Despite 6 hours of foul spring tide we entered Weymouth 12 hours after leaving.  The hospitality of the Royal Dorset Yacht club was excellent as was the few hours kip.  The forecast was not good and we set of at 0600 on Sunday to a point about half a mile out of the harbour and decided that as we couldn't see the cliffs, the wind was over 30 knots and we were still partly in the lee of the Bill that we would go back for a second breakfast.  As some of my crew had to do something called 'work'  we changed plan and they set off home and I managed to rustle up some other help for a second attempt on Tuesday.  Many thanks to Peter, Pete and Bas for their help.

Tuesday was bright and clear and we set off at 0630 along with the really nice Dufour 52 which we had been alongside and was also off to Tortolla on the same ship.  By St Albans we were sailing well and set out for the Needles in bright sunshine with a good NW wind.  With a fair tide we made Portsmouth in 6 hours which is pretty good by any standard and even better we left the Dufour standing as we crossed Cristchurch bay.  Many thanks to the other Peter for his help on this leg.

Fi drove the car around and we had a quiet week in the Hornet sailing club until Saturday when I motored her around to Southampton where she was loaded.  See previous photos. 

Conclusions:

a. the boat flys, for a 42 footer her performance is fantastic, its only a shame Fi says I can't race in Antigua week as she would surprise a few people.

b. we like living on board but are now looking forward to not waking up with the condensation raining onto us from the deckhead in the morning!!

Note: some people have said they are having trouble leaving comments - I am looking into this but please note you have to enter a code at the bottom of the comment screen before saving the comment - and if you get it wrong when you go back all your text has been lost!!!

She's lost all her virginities now inlcuding the first disaster when the propellor went bang going up the Tamar. It looks like we hit a submerged something as when we got her out of the water one blade was almost completely gone (plastic Kiwi prop).  Put the original spare one on but not as good so hope to put the Kiwi back asap.

Spent a good week with Tim from Plymouth sailiing school and Fi learnt a lot.  Looking like shipping in early Nov so maybe a few  more days out depending on the weather - need to run in the engine before we go if possible.

Finaly took delivery on Friday the 21st and had a commisioning in the marina at Plymouth on Saturday.  The weather stayed fine and we followed it up with a good lunch and then dinner.

Lots of little niggles - minor issues to fix but very pleased with the boat.  Didn't sail as there is too much loose gear around.  Should take her out the week after next with Plymouth Sailing School ot help shake her down.

Eight O'clock Wednesday 18 April  2007 - first entry.  Boat on order, notice handed in at work aim to leave in September.  Delivery should be in August.  Fingers crossed