Trompeta is up for sale

Had a meeting with Brian Duff yesterday the yacht sales broker from BVI Yacht Sales. He has taken lots of photos of Trompeta and will add these to her listing details which are already on their website. We have been over to check on Trompeta every day and she seems OK. It is a very sheltered and protected dock so the strong winds of the last few days have not been a problem. We hope to have a buyer soon as the broker already has two interested people and she has only just gone on the market!

BVI again

We sailed Trompeta from Grenada to St Lucia overnight Friday and anchored off Pigeon Island Rodney Bay St Lucia on Saturday night. Good sail from St Lucia to Dominica and made Portsmouth by early evening but it was dark so it was a good thing we were greeted by Titus a boat boy who led us safely to a mooring buoy. Dominica still has one of the lowest charges for moorings at US$10 per night! Next morning we left at first light to sail up to Guadeloupe. Made the anchorage at Pigeon Island mid afternoon in good light which is just as well as the approach was littered with fishing pots so not a good place to enter motoring in the dark! The anchorage was alright even if the wind did turn us around during the night as the anchor was well set. Another early start the following day to make the last 200 odd miles up to the BVI and the wind was very light and right behind us so a poled out genoa was the best option which meant it was slow so we did motor for a large part of the journey. We reached the BVI through Salt Island passage and dropped anchor in Road Harbour at 10pm Wednesday night. The next day Peter cleared in with customs and paid our US$200 to import Trompeta for a year. We now have to empty the boat ready for sale. Trompeta is now on a dock adjacent to Village Cay which is a short dinghy ride away from Heartbeat our charter boat at The Moorings.

Trompeta back in the water!

All went well yesterday at Grenada Marine although putting the sails back on was a fiddly job so so we did not manage to get away until after 2pm but we had a good downwind sail around the corner to Port Louis which is where we are now. Peter decided to change our start battery as it was reading low so Island Water World supplied one whilst we were on the dock at Grenada Marine. There are a couple of spare raw water pumps for engine and generator which had new seals put in which we received back before leaving. Very good technician called Green ran up both the engine and generator whilst we were still on the hard and these have performed well now we are back in the water. Plan is to leave this morning to head up the island chain to Tortola. Not sure yet if we will stop en route as the winds are forecast to be light over the weekend so we may just make a straight run for the BVI which will be a better wind angle rather than trying to curve around the islands. It all depends on conditions and how tired we feel!

Grenada again

Arrived back in Grenada Monday afternoon and Peter called into the boat yard to check on Trompeta and I carried straight on to the hotel La Sagesse where we are staying for a few nights whilst the boat is prepared for launch. Yesterday was spent chasing up outstanding jobs and getting ropes and lines set up. The stack pack went back on so it is ready for the main sail. It is a little too breezy to put the sails up when the boat is in the cradle so we have to wait until she is in the water. The mechanic has just about finished in the aft cabin so today I should be able to clean up and make up our bed. The boat was anti fouled with two coats of Seahawk Islands 44 which is the same that we used in St Lucia at the start of the rally and it lasted really well. Today we are having the boat polished all over so she is shiny and smart for our trip up the island chain back to the BVI. Peter will set up as much as he can so once she is in the water it is just the sails to put back on. We may possibly launch later today but more likely it will be first thing tomorrow to give Grenada Marine staff chance to fit our new bow thruster propeller whilst she is still out of the water.

Back in Grenada

Arrived back in Grenada Tuesday so after a night in La Sagesse we spent yesterday in the boatyard at Grenada Marine catching up with the staff on jobs done on Trompeta. We are pleased to report the boat has been well looked after and apart from a lot of dust is very tidy. Have taken the opportunity to make a proper inventory list and check what stores we have on board! The sail loft have completed minor refurbishment work on both sails and these were returned to us in good order.

Today we will spend another day at the boatyard just finalising outstanding jobs before launch at the beginning of December. We have time off work to fly down to Grenada on 2 December to check and launch the boat which will have been anti fouled before she goes back in the water. We then plan to sail Trompeta back up to the BVI where we can keep an eye on her whilst we are working.

Trompeta ready for Hurricane season

Trompeta is finally secured in her cradle at Grenada Marine for the Hurricane season. We left Port Louis on Wednesday and had quite a tough sail into wind and tide to reach St David's Harbour so it took us 5 hours in total but at least we sailed and did not motor like the last time. Our intention was to pick up a mooring buoy in the harbour but when we looked around it seemed we would get more protection if we anchored so that is what we did - in very muddy sand - as we discovered when we came to lift the anchor on Friday! The two nights at anchor allowed us time to take the sails off in preparation for haul out. Friday morning dawned and we were in the slip for 9 am to get lifted out of the water. It all went very smoothly and the boat yard workers are clearly practised at what they do so it gave us confidence in what to us was an unknown place. Friday saw a team of people visiting the boat to agree what needed to be done whilst the boat is out of the water. Grenada Marine offer a full care taking service so we are having a monthly boat check and a fortnightly battery check initially. The yard will update us by e mail on a regular monthly basis so we know what work has been done and how much to pay. This way we pay as we go along and there are no surprise bills. Peter has arranged with the Volvo Penta mechanic to replace various things on the engine which is being ' winterised' as is the Generator. The water maker was pickled already by Peter and we have added water purifier to the water left in the tanks ( around 50 gallons!). Our plan is to leave the boat here in her cradle tied down until the end of November which is the official end of hurricane season. We get the benefit of full insurance cover this way. Grenada Marin will apply anti foul just before we come back so they ask for a couple of weeks notice so this can be freshly done for our return. Whilst the boat was in the boat yard we have been staying at a lovely hotel called La Saggesse which s a Nature Retreat and one of the top 10 places to stay in the Caribbean ( according to the Sunday Times). It was lovely t ave 4 nights of pampering and a beach right on our doorstep going to sleep at night listening to the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach. The only downside is the sandflies which come out at dawn and dusk to nibble you! We had the company the first two nights of Tim who had an Oyster boat in Grenada Marine also on the hard. Tim flew back to London on Sunday so the last two nights we have had the place to ourselves. Today we took our final swim in the sea before lunch as we are due to fly home tonight so will get picked up from the hotel at 4.30pm for our 7 pm Virgin flight home.

Grenada

Hurrah we are finally here in Port Louis Marina Grenada having left St Lucia yesterday around 6am. In the end it was a fairly easy sail once we got some wind. The trip down th coast of St Lucia was slow as no wind so motor sailed for the first 3 hours but then once past the island some good strong wind down to St Vincent and we were making steady progress under sail alone. The engine behaved itself so fingers crossed all is well on this. Now we are here in the Marina we will take the opportunity to get the boat clean and tidied up before heading south to St David's Harbour where we are due to be hauled out of the water on Friday. The plan is to arrive there maybe as early as Wednesday so we can get the sails off and the deck cleared for lifting. There is a good chandlery here in St Georges so Peter will be able to stock up on bits he needs for the storage. We used a Damp Rid bag in each wardrobe and in the cabin whilst the boat was in Marigot Bay and these kept the inside nice and dry but as we only have on bag left it will be good to get some more here if we can. Although we do not have a cockroach problem it is always wise to set traps whilst the boat is in storage so we need to buy some of these also. Bedding and towels will be vacuum packed in a storage bag to ensure they stay dry. Clothes need to be sorted out as we have to decide which we carry back to England and which we leave here. Some of our clothes including our Moorings crew uniform are already stored in our lock up room in the BVI. There are probably lots more jobs to do but these are just some of the ones that come to mind now.

Ready to leave for Grenada

After a stressful few hours we are now all fixed and ready to sail. Peter has changed the raw water engine pump and put in a new impeller so she is all good now. We did go to the expense of getting the local Volvo technician to look at the engine and he supplied the new impeller but we already had a spare new water pump on board. So in the end it was a fairly straightforward fix and we are now good to go! Have moved off the dock again and we will leave at first light. There seems to be a little more wind today so hopefully we can sail rather than motor! Relaxing on board now with tea and cake.

Still in St Lucia

We set sail early Friday morning and had to motor sail as there was NO wind!! Unfortunately we only got as far as the Pitons when Peter realised the engine turbocharger was over heating and we were seriously low on oil. Topped up the oil and put in a call to the local Volvo Penta technician who was able to offer some advice and it seemed the mechanism that oiled the turbocharger may be sticking. So Peter decided the only sensible option was to turn around and head back into Marigot Bay Marina so a technician can check out the engine. Very disappointing that after all the miles we have done using the engine it should be a problem now. So to treat ourselves we booked into the Marina Hotel (discounted rate for boat owners) and had a good nights sleep with full AC for a cool night with no mossies! Breakfast was included so we have been set up for the day now. The Volvo technician is due at 11am to look at our engine and fingers crossed it is nothing too serious and we can get underway for Grenada tomorrow morning.

Back in St Lucia again

Flew back to St Lucia last night after a month gainfully employed in the BVI. A late night as we did not get onto the boat until well after 10pm but in bed by 11pm so not that bad. After a good nights rest we are now preparing the boat for her sail down to Grenada and Peter has been checking all the systems and engines. He discovered a coolant leak on the main engine and spent some hours trying to replace a broken fitting but has now managed to achieve a temporary fix which will at least get us to Port Louis in Grenada where there is a good chandlery. It is amazing we did not use a drop of engine coolant all the way around the world and now she is idle we discover a leak! Have turned the fridge back on and restocked for the short passage to Grenada (around 120 miles). The plan is to leave tomorrow after lunch and arrive in Port Louis by late afternoon assuming our normal cruising speed of 5 knots. There is a bit of a weather system going through at the moment with gusty strong winds and big seas so we aim to leave when the swell has subsided a little. We have to get Trompeta to the boatyard in St David's harbour by 27 June as she is being hauled out of the water on 28 June. The month in the BVI worked out well for us and flights and boat storage and Marina costs are now covered. It was actually fun to be working again and we had a good time with some lovely people.

Trompeta back in Marigot Bay St Lucia

It has been a hectic few days since the last blog. The sail to St Lucia was quite tricky with a head wind and swell so after we past Saba Bank we had adverse current which slowed us down somewhat. Having said that we made Rodney Bay anchorage on Saturday night so that was better than last time we did the trip when it took us 3 days. Sunday morning we sailed around to Marigot Bay and Trompeta is now safely tied up and all loose items on deck stowed below. We met another couple from Gainsborough whilst we were there who have a boat called Puddlejumper which is also registered in Whitby!! The boat was actually on the dock when we stopped in Marigot Bay with World ARC and we remarked at the time it was Whitby registered but there was no one aboard. The couple that own Puddlejumper are called William and Karen and he is actually a farmer too! We met William and Karen the day we arrived as they had just flown in from London Gatwick so were a little jet lagged. However we met up with them for drinks the following evening and promised to stay in touch as they are having a holiday now with friends flying in to join them but they will also be taking their boat down to Grenada for the hurricane season and do not fly back to the UK until 23 June. We have now flown back to the BVI but return again to St Lucia on 18 June to sail to Grenada. So now it is back to work again and soon getting into the swing of things here. It is lovely to be back amongst friends and we are enjoying the socialising!

On the move again

Have a couple of days on the Moorings dock again to finalise our preparations for going back to work and sailing back down to St Lucia for the start of the hurricane season (officially 1 June). We have rented a store room (or rather an attic above some rooms) for the princely sum of $30pm to store our surplus clothes and other equipment we want to leave in the BVI. Have been offered temporary work starting 23 May to 17 June on a crewed yacht so will fly back to the BVI from St Lucia to do this then return back to our boat on 18 June. Then sail to Grenada for storage in a cradle in Grenada Marine boatyard which is a designated hurricane storage facility and approved by our insurers. Met up with some old crew in Village Cay today for lunch (Peter and Bobbi) who are still working on the same yacht they were on when they were here at The Moorings but doing private charters now. Their boat looks very different as they have really implemented all the little comfort and design improvements we all talked about before. So tomorrow is our last day of preparation before setting sail again to St Lucia. It is about 310 miles so will probably take us a little over 2 days if we get some decent winds. Have booked into Marigot Bay Marina from 19 May. The Marina has good WiFi so will be able to report on progress when we arrive!

Goodbye World ARC boats

Saturday saw the start of ARC Europe and we waved goodbye to 4 World ARC boats all heading back to England/Europe. One boat is heading back to the USA with the Atlantic Cup which sails to Bermuda with the rest of ARC Europe boats. It was a good send off at Nanny Cay with 10 World ARC boats in total in Nanny Cay Marina. The only remaining boats in Nanny Cay Sunday morning were Trompeta, Zoe and Anastasia. We all agreed to meet for traditional Sunday lunch at Brandywine Restaurant and we sailed Trompeta around to Brandywine Bay and dropped anchor in the bay to dinghy ashore to the restaurant. It was a good job we left Nanny Cay early as when we unpacked the dinghy and blew her up she had developed another leak!! So after much swearing and cursing Peter was able to glue the seam up and stick another patch on the dinghy. It was the opposite aft end that had leaked in Grenada so he is now well practised! Anyway we made it on time to the restaurant and were just enjoying our drinks when Phil & Andrea turned up in their hire car with Ed & Zoe as passengers. We all enjoyed a lovely roast beef and Yorkshire pudding lunch with extra yorkies!! Phil and Andrea are leaving Anastasia in Nanny Cay for 3 weeks whilst they fly home to England to sort out some stuff before returning end May to sail up the East coast of the USA. Ed & Zoe are sailing to the USVI to get a rigger to check their rig before setting off back to the USA. Ed was impressed by our rigger Isaac who did a very thorough job of inspecting our rig using a little mirror to look behind wires. He noticed a stray wire in one of our shrouds so has replaced that and has done a lot of minor rig adjustments so now we are good to go back to Grenada. Unfortunately he is very busy so was unable to do a rig check on Zoe until next week and Ed did not want to wait that long as he has a family reunion to get home for! So Trompeta is in good shape with only minor things to fix like the automatic bilge pump which has been driving Peter crazy as he tries all sorts of ways to stop it tripping. It is probably down to an incompetent Electrician in South Africa who spent all day putting in a switch. We are renting a storage unit here in Road Town BVI so we can take surplus clothes and personal items off Trompeta before we sail back to St Lucia on 15 May. Work commitments mean we are busy from 24 May to 16 June then we fly back to St Lucia to sail Trompeta down to Grenada for hauling out on 1 July. Our flight back to London is booked for 2 July so timing is tight! At least we have some work which means money coming in again for a change and we should comfortably cover our flight costs. So now we have a few days relaxing and enjoying the BVI whilst we prepare our boat for the next stage of her journey!!

Peter's Birthday

Today is Peter's birthday and we are in Nanny Cay Marina having left the Moorings dock yesterday morning. We had a birthday dinner party last night joined by 20 other crews from various World ARC boats who are all here in Nanny Cay to either depart with ARC Europe or wave them off like us. ARC Europe is the return Rally for many boats as it sails to Bermuda then the fleet splits and the American boats head up the East coast back to the USA and the European boats head to the Azores then onto Portugal or England. We stay here though!! Having sailed all around the world there is no place quite like the BVI which is beautiful and definitely home for us. ARC Europe leaves Nanny Cay on 4 May so we are booked into the Marina here until Sunday. Our plans have changed slightly in that we are now sailing back down to St Lucia leaving here on 15 May and arriving in Marigot Bay for 19 May. We have flights booked to return back here on 21 May to do two charters the first of which starts 24 May and the second 11 June ending on 16 June so we fly back to St Lucia on 18 June. All very tight but we only get 28 days in the BVI when we fly into the country compared to 30 days by boat. Although when we bring our boat back here in December we will have to pay $200 to temporarily import the boat and this allows us to stay for up to a year! Once we are back in St Lucia we have time to enjoy the countrty again and sail back to Grenada where we are booked to haul out the boat on 1 July to go in a cradle for the hurricane season. Have not yet booked flights back to the UK as we are still researching the best deal as it is complicated. We need to fly out from Grenada then back to the BVI as work starts 1 October 2013. We then need to find a window between charters to fly back to Grenada to sail our boat back up to the BVI for the winter season. This will have to be the end of November at the earliest for insurance reasons. All very complicated!! Today we have the riggers coming to carry out a full rig inspection now we have finished our long passages. We are also expecting the sail loft to arrange for someone to measure up our hatches to make some waterproof covers for use whilst the boat is stored in the hurricane shelter. Unfortunately we still have leaks every now and then but usually only small amounts of water get inside the boat but obviously we need to keep the boat dry over the summer to avoid any mould and mildew problems. We have actually bought some Damprid which is a product made up of silica crystals designed to eliminate damp from the air. We will place these pots in each bathroom and another in the wet locker (wardrobe for outside foul weather gear). My job today is to pack away our coats and foul weather gear in storage bags so we can take them off the boat. There are lock up store rooms available near to the Moorings and we are hoping to rent one of these for our surplus clothes and other boat stuff which we prefer not to leave on the boat whilst she is in storage. We also have to appoint someone to carry out a guardianage service whereby they check the boat on a regular basis (batteries, pests, damp etc) and open hatches to air the boat. It is not cheap but essential for insurance purposes. We will visit the Royal BVI Yacht Club at lunch time to collect our membership cards as we have kept up our membership on an overseas basis whilst we were away sailing. Now we are back the secretary wants some photos and stories for her newsletter!

Back in the BVI

Having left Antigua very early on Tuesday morning we sailed to St Maarten where we anchored for the night in a very swelly and rolly Simpson Bay. Needless to say not much sleep that night but at least we had a rest. The following morning we then left very early to sail back to the BVI. On our final approach to the BVi we were unlucky enough to snag a fishing pot but fortunately Peter was able to free this off and we carried on our way.Arrived around 1am this morning and dropped anchor outside the Marina. Now on the dock in The Moorings Marina and back with our old friends. Everyone has welcomed us back and we love it here! Looks like we have some temporary work in June doing charters in the USVI for a change. Full time work depends on getting us work permits but the Manager thinks there should not be a problem for us to start again on 1 October. We have even been offered our old boat Heartbeat as she is staying in the fleet for another year. The question now remains as to what do we do with Trompeta? She is beautifully equipped for ocean sailing but I doubt Peter will be in a hurry to do more of this for a while! It has been fun but hard work at times. Going back to work as charter crew will feel like having a holiday again!!

English Harbour Antigua

We have had a lovely time here so far. Yesterday we had a Parade of Sail of the Antugua Classic Yachts Regatta who have been racing this week. Trompeta was in prime position on the dock and Peter rigged up the hammock chair so we could watch from the foredeck. The champagne tent was pitched right by the side of us so lots of people were gathered on the dock to watch the procession of yachts some of which fired cannons as they toured the harbour. It was all very well done and provided a good spectacle. The official Antigua Race Week starts next Sunday but we will be back in the BVI by then so will not be here to watch. Dinner last night was excellent at a French restaurant called Le Cap Horn and quite reasonable in price too. We both opted for the special which was Mahi Mahi with scallops cooked in ginger and coconut milk for EC$75 or around £18. The food generally here we have found to be excellent. Saturday we ate at the Admirals Inn and had the chefs special tasting menu which was 5 courses for EC$110 (£27.50). There is a really good Museum here of the Dockyard giving lots of information about the history of the Dockyard from the time it was first used as a British Naval Base up to the time of the official reopening after restoration in 1961. There is no charge to look around the museum so we did make some purchases at the gift shop. Today will be our chance to do some boat shopping as the Chandlery will be open and as usual we have some things to look out for. Nothing too major so if they do not have the bits it will not matter too much. Last night we actually walked to Falmouth Harbour and back as the Restaurant was on the road between the two harbours. It is not far!

Dominica then Antigua

Have just spent two nights in Prince Rupert Bay Portsmouth on the island of Dominica. This island is very green and lush because it rains a lot!! We were anchored on a mooring close to Zoe and the four of us spent a busy day on Thursday doing a trip up the Indian River then after lunch we had a tour of the island by taxi and Sam the driver was very informative about all the fruits and trees and wildlife. He took us to the Carib territory where the local Carib Indians were selling their baskets and handicrafts so we had to stop and buy some - naturally! The evening we arrived in Dominica we went to the local BBQ hosted by the PAYS (Professional Association of Yacht Security) which is a group of boat boys who assist yachts finding moorings/space to anchor and acting as water taxis and supplying anything you might need here otr helping to source items for you. A very worthwhile group. The BBQ cost us EC$50 each (£12.50) and was good value with some tasty fish chicken salad and rice plus the obligatory rum punches!! So after our busy day of tours we had an early night. The plan was to leave the following day and visit Les Saintes and Guadeloupe next. However when Peter read in our cruising guide that these countries are actually part of France we decided it was not worth risking a bill for VAT on the boat so plan abandoned. Instead we left Dominica Friday afternoon and sailed overnight to arrive here in Antigua in English Harbour around 9am this morning. The first part of our journey was good but the wind and sea kicked up whilst we were sailing up past Guadeloupe so we had to motor sail to keep a course and it was rough. So glad to be here tied up in Nelsons Dockyard Marina which is full of history as all the old buildings have been maintained and now house various businesses. we are booked in here for 3 nights and will leave on Tuesday to sail up to the BVIs which is around 200 miles so another overnight passage. Should arrive in the BVI Thursday all being well!

World ARC comes to an end

Yesterday was our final day of the Rally. We left Marigot Bay in the morning and formed a Parade of Sail with all the boats in the fleet smallest to largest. We were 5th in line leaving the marina to head up to Rodney Bay calling in at Castries on the way to motor around the bay for the benefit of the local press and holiday makers. There were two big cruise ships in the bay and we waved at the passengers standing on the decks who were all lined up watching us. The fleet then made it's way up to Rodney Bay for the final farewell party. Once in the marina plenty of staff were on hand to take our lines and there was also a guy holding a huge bouquet of flowers and a bottle of chilled champagne!! This was a lovely surprise for us and thank you Jenny and Bill from Yorkshire who were kind enough to send us the flowers and champers! Once all the boats were docked it was time to head up to the marina swimming pool where rum punches and food were waiting. There was a lot of jolility and some frolicking in the pool too. Later that evening we were transported off to the Royal St Lucian Hotel for a farewell dinner followed by speeches and gifts. We came away with a lovely souvenir album of the trip plus a bottle of St Lucian rum and a plaque to mark our achievement. It was an emotional event with a lot of messages from former yacht crews conveyed and the fleet gave their own personal thanks to Paul and Suzana our rally control who have done a brilliant job keeping us informed and helping with docking in port and numerous other things including dealing with all the formalities entering and leaving each country. So today Peter is doing routine maintenance on the engine and generator and I am cleaning and doing laundry. We have 3 nights free berthing here so will leave on Tuesday to island hop up to the BVI along with several other rally boats including Zoe our sailing buddy boat. We rendezvous in Nanny Cay Marina (BVI) on 1 May which is where ARC Europe actually depart so we will be waving off the boats Dreamcatcher, Peat Smoke and Working on a Dream. Peter and Phil from Anastasia both have birthdays on 2nd and 3rd May respectively so a party is organised for 1 May to celebrate. We could not hold our party on 2 May as that is when ARC Europe have their event. It will be great to see a few rally boats in the BVI.

Marigot Bay St Lucia

So at last back in St Lucia! We arrived on Tuesday afternoon and picked up a buoy for the night as dock space was booked from Wednesday. Tuesday night we had dinner with Ed & Zoe in Rainforest Hideaway Restaurant which was a beautiful setting nestling in amongst the trees on the opposite side of the Bay to the Marina. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. Peter thought the portions could have been bigger but it was just right for me. Anyway we both need to lose some weight now as we have done too much eating and drinking lately with very little exercise so it is good there is a swimming pool here at the Discovery Hotel which we can use. We moved Trompeta onto the dock next to Zoe yesterday lunchtime and were all ready and handy for the arrival party which was a Barbaoke. It was a good opportunity to get together with all the crews we had not seen since Grenada as everyone has been free cruising. There is a Moorings Base here and there was a brand new 4800 Catamaran on the dock and the chef on board was known to us from the BVIs so we had a good time catching up on news from Debs who is originally from New Zealand. Debs is actually leaving the boat today as she has work in France with The Moorings working with another friend of ours Paul Sowman who is also from New Zealand. Paul & Carmel (his partner) actually came to see us whilst we were living in Harrogate! Anyway it is a small world and it is amazing who you bump into!! Also whilst we were here we got an e mail from the Crewed Yacht Manager in the BVI offering us work for May & June so at least we will earn money again which is good. Now Peter and I are trying to organise our Hurricane plan for the boat as we get hauled out in Grenada but will keep the boat in St Lucia June and November. The Marina Manager Bob has agreed we can stay on the dock here for June and November which is good and he is also offering us 20% discount on normal berthing fees as we are part of the World ARC rally! Now it is just a question of logistics and making sure the boat is in the right place at the right time. So today we finish cleaning the boat and get prepared for the Parade of Sail on Saturday by putting our flags up. The MD of World ARC Andrew Bishop is also here and he wants to talk to all the Skippers about their rally experience so he is coming to see Peter this morning. It is a good feedback opportunity for him. Tonight there is another party up the hill at Glenn's house. Glenn is a friend of one of the rally skippers and he has kindly invited all World ARC crews to a BBQ at his house which has a swimming pool so we have to take swimsuits and towels and there is a fantastic view of the sunset so we need to be up there no later than 6pm which is when the sunset is here. Marigot Bay is where Dr Doolittle was filmed so it is very pretty and the Marina complex has lots of small shops and arty crafty places to visit. The supermarket here on site is not too bad with a good stock but pricey.

Mayreau - Tobago Cays

The last two days were pretty busy as we left Hillsborough in Carriacou to clear out of Grenada and sailed up to Union Island to check into the Grenadines. The main port in Union Island is Clifton and it is a very busy anchorage with not a lot of room to anchor. It did take us a while to find a good anchoring spot. We arrived at lunchtime so had to pay customs extra fees as it was between 12 and 1pm!! Immigration was up at the airport (a 10 minute walk away) and a very kind lady looked at our passports and papers and no fees to pay here. It was about 2pm by the time we left Union island and made our way up to Mayreau which is part of the Tobago Cays and anchored in Saline Bay a lovely wide sweeping bay with a long sandy beach. Last night we were so tired we just ate dinner on the boat but tonight we are booked into Dennis's Hideaway for dinner ashore. We did venture around the corner this morning to Saltwhistle Bay but it was rolly and very crowded so we came back to Saline. Peter is in the dinghy now playing with his new toy - a hand held depth sounder so we know where it is safe to anchor and how close to the beach it is possible to be. Tomorrow we will sail up to Bequia ready to check out with customs on Monday morning before heading back up to St Lucia for the end of rally events.

Carriacou

A very pleasant sail up the Western coast of Grenada thursday and we anchored in Tyrell Bay Carriacou which is an island but still part of Grenada. We booked for dinner in the Slipway Restaurant which is full of old boat things as it did use to be a boat slipway! Dinner was very good and cheap too with 3 courses plus wine for EC$257 including tip so around £64 for the two of us. Friday we are moving around to Hillsborough to clear out with customs as we leave the country today to check in to the Grenadines at Union Island. Carriacou seems quite rustic compared to Grenada and the anchorage in Tyrrel Bay has some old rusty boats in that look as if they have never been used for ages. There are also a couple of wrecks on the rocks which we assume were from the last hurricanes here in 2004/5.

Secret Harbour

We are re living old times as we are anchored just outside Secret Harbour Marina which is where we stayed nearly 20 years ago as we took a cottage for 4 days and a cruise on a yacht for 3 days. The place has a new owner now and he closed the main restaurant so there is just a yachties snack bar which is OK for lunch but not really dinner. The place is still as pretty as we remembered though with beautiful flowers everywhere. This morning we took a hike over the hill to Prickly Bay which is where the Budget Marine chandlery is located and Peter was able to buy some more dinghy repair kit (just in case!) although his repair seems to be holding for now which is why we were able to come ashore this morning and explore. Now we are checking weather forecasts to see when will be the best day to leave and so far Thursday is looking good!

Whisper Cove Marina

Today we picked up a mooring buoy belonging to Whisper Cover Marina. This is a lovely French run Marina and restauarant with an excellent butcher and meat shop. I ordered several steaks and other meat cuts to be collected tomorrow all frozen and ready to pop straight in our freezer. We arrived this morning about 10am having left Le Phare Bleu around 9am and went ashore in our dinghy to visit the meat shop and book a table for dinner and brunch on Sunday. Back on the boat we relaxed and rested. Just as we were getting ready to go ashore for dinner we noticed the dinghy was deflated on one side! So outboard engine off and we hoisted the dinghy on board to investigate. The rubber had come unstuck at the front so Peter attempted a repair but it did not work. So....we called up the Marina and a very kind man called Silva came over to collect us and also took us back to the boat after dinner which was by the way excellent (as you would expect from the French!). So tomorrow Peter has a task to repair the dinghy. If not we just have to get another lift ashore with Silva. There is a firm that repairs inflatable dinghys here .....in Le Phare Bleu where we have just come from!! Maybe he can visit us here? Anyway if Peter cannot make the glue stick we have to get the dinghy professionally repaired on Tuesday as it is Easter holidays now. Easter Day and Peter has stuck a patch on the dinghy so we will have to see if it holds whilst we go ashore to the Marina for Brunch. We had a lovely buffet with roast beef and roast ham salads and even eggs bacon and sausages! We shared a table with a couple from Denmark who had their boat on the dock in the Marina. They have their son staying with them for 2 weeks before their boat gets hauled out for the summer and they fly back to Denmark. Their boat is called Pura Vida meaning pure life. After lunch we checked the dinghy and it had deflated a little so a bit of air was required to get us back to the boat. Once back on board Peter stuck some more glue on another patch and we will leave the dinghy inflated on the deck overnight to see if it holds...fingers crossed!! Tomorrow we will motor around the corner to Prickly Bay which is where the Budget Marine chandlery is and Peter can buy more boat bits. There is always something you think you need for the boat - even if it is only more dinghy repair kit!!

Le Phare Bleu

Today we left St Davids Harbour and moved around to Le Phare Bleu where there is a small Marina and a few shops. We picked up one of their mooring buoys which are really for hurricane use only but were allowed one night. Dinner was a lovely tuna steak with salad and potatoes at the restaurant. On the way over to the Marina restaurant the dinghy outboard suddenly stopped but fortunately we were nearly there and coasted onto the dock. It took Peter several minutes to find out a spark plug connection was at fault so thankfully we did not have to row back as it was against the wind and tide! There is another World ARC boat here Mr Blues who was attempting to get his repaired rudder back onto his boat. He was unlucky enough to hit a reef coming into Le Phare Bleu. It got too dark to continue but the owner Willi is hopeful tomorrow morning another diver can go down to do the job. Tomorrow we will move again to the next bay Clarkes Court Bay where there is several small marinas and shops. Hopefully we can pick up WiFi from the boat again.

St Davids Harbour

We left Port louis Marina yesterday morning for a short motor sail around to St Davids Harbour which is where Grenada Marine are based who will haul our boat and store it for the hurricane season. Well what a ride!!! It was slow progress as we were heading into the wind with tide with us so the combination of wind against tide created some big steep seas and we crashed our way up and down the waves. It was a good job the mileage was not great as Peter was finding it tough going. It took us 3.25 hours to do 10 miles. Anyway we are here now and the harbour and anchorage are lovely. The surroundings are idyllic and well worth the journey getting here. There is an upmarket resort with a few small cottages on the hillside next to Grenada Marine and apart from that there is nothing here so superbly peaceful. Last night we had the best sleep since arriving in Grenada. We had sailed around with the dinghy on the davits so it was easy to drop the dinghy and go ashore yesterday to explore and check out the facilities at Grenada Marine. The boatyard is not busy at the moment and there is plenty of room for storing boats and it is very well protected being surrounded by wooded hillsides. The staff are very friendly and the bar is actually full of workers who had just finished work as it was around 5pm. There is a small chandlery here but stocking the essential items you might need if you are working on your boat. We also talked to a French boat owner who confirmed that this was indeed a very good place to leave your boat as they have good 24 hour security as well as being a protected place. Apparently during the last hurricane in 2005 only 10 boats out of 200 stored here suffered any sort of damage so that is good news. He also told us the other hurricane shelter in Grenada is Spice Island Marine and they had numerous casualties as boats tumbled on top of each other. So...this is where we shall leave the boat for the hurricane season. Before we left Port Louis we did hire a car for the day and visited Belmont Estate which is the main tourist attraction in Grenada and where there is a large cocoa plantation. So we learnt how to turn cocoa benas into cholcolate and got to sample the dark organic chocolate produced by the Grenada Chocolate Factory! We also took the opportunity to visit a supermarket on the way back so we could stock up with bulky items whilst we had a car to transport them back to the Marina. We have paid for 2 nights mooring here at the ridiculously cheap price of US$6 per night!

Grenada Prizegiving

It was the usual prizegiving event last night here in Port Louis Marina where all crews gathered around the swimming pool and had rum punches listening to the steel band playing. Very Caribbean!! Trompeta managed to come first again in her class despite not being the fastest! We did sail the whole way though and had no engine hours recorded which does make a difference. Anyway Peter was delighted to receive a $100 voucher to spend in the Chandlery and together with a bottle of local rum it was the perfect gift! It is hard to believe that this was the last official leg and we have nearly completed our circumnavigation. All we have to do now is sail up to St Lucia for the final dinner on 13 April. There is a rendezvous in Marigot Bay (where Dr Doolittle was filmed) which is where The Moorings also have their St Lucia base on 10 April. So now it is sit back relax and enjoy the Caribbean. Today was the World ARC tour of Grenada where we visited a working rum distillery which was set up in 1785 by the British and still runs today using the old fashioned machinery including the original water wheel! The place was called Rivers Rum as it is on the River Antoine. We also visited a Nutmeg factory and saw how the nutmeg and mace are extracted from the kernal. Some nutmeg was purchased to try later. The bus stopped at the Grand Etang national park where we saw the local monkeys. Tomorrow must be a rest day as we are both tired out from the last two days!

Grenada

We arrived here in Port Louis Marina Grenada on Sunday afternopon and it is lovely! Our sail from Brazil was very fast as we had current with us most of the way so we had some good boat speeds and completed the passage in a record 9 days!! The seas were calm and the sailing was good using white sails all the way. No need to fly the Parasailor as no real downwind conditions. In fact arriving in Grenada once we rounded Point Saline we were beating to windward and took ages to get into the harbour but at least we did not resort to turning the engine on. Yesterday was spent getting stuff organised and repairs done (minor stitching in sails etc). I think it will be possible to get new cockpit cushion covers done here to match our existing ones and replace the one that blew overboard in Forteleza.So already achieved quite a lot here. The Marina is only 2 years old and everything is very smart and the bathrooms are so posh with individual en suite facilities and loads of room plus even a hairdryer! The Marina restaurant is very good so the last two nights we have not even gone into town prefering just to eat here as it is nearby and so convenient. We did manage a trip to the Chandlery yesterday which is a very short dinghy ride away and Peter bought lots of things for the boat plus lots of cleaning and polishing materials. We have asked a local guy called Ashley to polish our boat and he is also going to clean the waterline as well for a very reasonable US$130. It will probably take him around 6 hours to complete the job. He should be able to get rid of a scuff mark we have where the St Helena water taxi managed to scrape our side. At least we have no major jobs to do or big sail repairs unlike some of the other boats. We have booked in here until Monday 25 March as the Rally prizegiving is on Friday and the tour of the island on Saturday. Rally office closes on 24 March. Our plan is to go around the South side of Grenada to St Davids where Grenada Marine is based and where we intend to haul out and store Trompeta in a cradle for the hurricane season. There are some other good anchorages and Bays on this coast line so it is worth spending a few days here. Once we leave Grenada we will cruise up to St Lucia where we meet up in Marigot Bay with the other Rally boats on 10 April. We pass through the Grenadines so will stop in Tobago Cays which is where we spent Christmas before starting the Rally and it is very pretty and a Marine Park so a protected area. Today we are tidying and cleaning the boat and off loading surplus torn sails and other rubbish!!

Farewell Brazil

Tomorrow we leave Forteleza for our sail to Grenada which should be a fast passage as we have good winds forecast and a good positive current to help us along. Peter is predicting a 12 day passage but I think we may do it in 10 days. Just watch the fleet viewer to see who is right!! Start time is 12 noon local time which is 3 hours behind UTC. In the meantime we have fuelled up and topped up water and got provisions on board so we are ready to go. This is our last official leg with World ARC as when we arrive in Grenada our next trip is to free cruise up to St Lucia through the Grenadines. The Marina in Grenada is new so should have good facilities including a chandlery where Peter can stock up on boat parts.

Brazil cruising

We have arrived in Forteleza where the Rally rendezvous takes place after a very quick passage up from Recife. Only just got good reliable internet access here in Forteleza. Whilst in Recife we were at anchor with no convenient WiFi. So we left Salvador and had a slow trip up to Recife as the wind and current were against us so it took slightly longer than expected. Arrived at Pernambuco Yacht Club a week last Saturday afternoon and were met by a very friendly manager Eduardo who was happy to row us ashore in his little wooden boat whenever we needed a ride. The mooring was reasonably cheap at R$30 a night (about £10 a night). We stayed in Recife for 5 nights before leaving to sail up the coast to Forteleza. This sail was great as we had a good positive current of 2 to 3 knots with us so the ironic thing was we were actually trying to slow down so as not to arrive at night when it is more difficult to see the small fishing boats in the dark and these work close to the shore. Hence we tried to stay offshore a good distance so as to avoid the fishing boats which work on just off the continental shelf. Now we are here after a tricky berthing which involved dropping the anchor then reversing onto the floating pontoon which moves around alarmingly! There is a bit of a surge in the Marina so Peter has rigged up two old car tyres with ropes to act as spring lines to stop the snatching. It seems to be working! Yesterday I managed to find a really good hairdreser in a lovely air conditioned shopping centre so treated myself to a good hair do. The best one since Galapagos! Today we have been doing jobs on the boat. Peter repaired some carrs on the mainsail as we had ordered some new parts which came via another crew from Germany. Tomorrow we will refuel and go provisioning. Hopefully the supermarket will deliver to the Marina! Here in the Marina we can use the Hotel swimming pool which is delightful and there is a small bar which serves drinks and snacks so perfect for relaxing at the end of a busy day. Departure day is Friday when we will have our last long passage to Grenada which is around 1700 miles so will probably take us about 12 days or less if we have lots of positive current. In preparation we have customs clearances on Thursday morning and a skippers briefing later that afternoon.

Baia de Todos os Santos

For the last few days we have been exploring the anchorages in the Bay around Salvador. We left the Marina on Monday morning with our sailing companion Zoe and headed to Aratu Bay initially. Here we found a very pleasant and friendly Iate Club (Yacht Club) where they provided free mooring for a couple of nights. It is a very friendly club and the boat boys were happy to take us back and forth from the boats to the club on the shore any time we asked in their wooden tender. There was no charge for the service either! Needless to say we did tip them anyway. The club had a lovely swimming pool which we made full use of just by the bar and restaurant. The WiFi was good at the Club and with our booster we were able to access the internet on the boat. The restaurant was good but as it closed at 6pm we had an early dinner on our last night there. The restaurant did not serve wine but they allowed us to bring our own wheich was good! Wednesday we headed up the river leaving at 9am to catch the tide to take us up the Rio Paraguacu to a place called Maragogipe. We had to anchor as there were no mooring buoys provided. Another Rally boat Working on a Dream were already anchored so we dropped anchor alongside them. Zoe had a problem with their anchor windlass so they rafted up to Working on a Dream whilst the crew investigated the problem. There was no power getting to the windlass so Peter suggested a loose connection was to blame and this was traced and fixed so now their anchor windlass is good. Zoe stayed rafted up overnight and we all had drinks on board Working on a Dream before heading ashore in our dinghies to find a restaurant serving dinner. After walking what seemed like miles we did come across Restaurante Juliana and had a lovely Bahian dinner comprising small dishes of beef and chicken and fish served with bowls of rice and salad. There was only beer available to drink no wine unfortunately. The following day Peter went ashore with the crew from Zoe before we left the anchorage to make for the island of Itaparica. Thursday afternoon we anchored behind the Mooring Buoys off Itaparica Marina and had champagne and blinis on Trompeta as it was Valentines Day. Zoe gave me a cute pair of denim shorts they had bought at Maragogipe which fitted perfectly! Later we all went ashore to the Marina restaurant for dinner and had some very good Brazillian sparkling wine to go with our meal. Ed and Zoe wanted an early start today so Peter took us ashore at 7am to go and find somewhere open for Breakfast. We did find a local bakery that was serving savoury pastels and juice and coffee. Peter also had a Banana pastry (Pastel). The plan is to stay for another night here before heading back in to the Marina ready to check out on Monday.

Salvador Carnival

Last night we went to take part in the famous Salvador Carnival. Caroline (Peat Smoke) had organised tickets for a Balcony in a prime position to see all the floats as they went past in the parade. A minibus picked up 12 of us from the Marina including Phil & Andrea with Daniel(Anastasia) Janet & Mark (At Last) with 2 friends plus Caroline & David with Hilary (Peat Smoke) plus Trompeta crew. We arrived a little early to get in so we had to queue for maybe 20 minutes before we were allowed into the Balcony area. Everyone had an identical T shirt as part of their package so the staff knew you had paid plus a pass ticket. It was not cheap at around £660 equivalent for the two of us. Men pay more than women as it is all inclusive food and drink they assume men will consume more. The drinks were mainly vodka or whisky or beer plus soft drinks. There were plenty of waiters bringing drinks around constantly. The food chice was amazing as there was a buffet meal plus burgers or pizza or sushi plus cold buffet and fruit with a chocolate fondue for dessert - delicious! The Carnival itself is huge with large trucks carrying a band and singer and sometimes dancers with many many people walking the streets in front and behind of each float. The music was so loud!!! Your whole body seemed to vibrate. There were a lot of 20 somethings in the Balcony which was surprising given the price of the tickets as it is not cheap. There were cheaper options but we decided to go the whole hog and go for the most expensive and best option available. The Balcony had a disco performing constantly apart from when a float actually went by and it was all being televised. The Balcony had a room where you could go and get a massage plus your hair braided. There was even a beach with lounger chairs on the ground floor. The Balcony accomodated 1500 people so it was very busy all the time. As a group we decided by 1am we would have had enough so arranged with our driver to pick us up at this time. The drivers buddy actually met us outside the Balcony and escorted us across the crowded streets back to the bus as the Carnival was still going on so we formed a human chain all holding hands so no one got left behind! So we were back at the Marina just after 2AM which meant we could have a good sleep in this morning. Today we are getting the boat ready to go exploring in the bay tomorrow whilst Carnival continues unitil 13 February. We then come back to Terminal Nautico Marina to clear out and cruise up the coast. We do not have to be in Forteleza until 6 March so have plenty of time to make the 900 odd mile trip. Yesterday we went to the supermarket to provision so the boat is stocked up ready to go! Think we will be in convoy with a few boats joining us.

Prizes!!

We have just had the World ARC prize giving event and much to our surprise Trompeta was awarded 1st prize in the class B cruising division for the last leg from Cape Town South Africa to Salvador Brazil. We were not the fastest boat but because we did not motor very much were not penalised so scored better than some boats which arrived before us. Anyway It was a lovely surprise to win a rather good trophy which is quite large so we will need to find a space to show it off! This morning Marie (Dreamcatcher) and I went shopping in the old town and managed to find some pretty shorts and tops to wear. We also bought other souvenir items. Tomorrow is likely to be very busy as Carnival starts then. I need to make sure we both get sleep during the day as we will be up until the early hours in the Balcony. Peter is planning to set sail either Sunday or Monday to explore the local area and then come back into the Marina to clear out in preparation for our sail up the coast to Forteleza. We will be sailing in company with a few other World ARC boats as it is safer to do this.

Salvador Brazil

We arrived here in Salvador Brazil early on 5 February and have spent the last two days getting used to the heat here - it was 36 degrees C yesterday when we went on an organised tour of the city. The tour took us into the historic part of the town which is reached from the Marina by means of a huge public elevator and you pay 15c per trip (around 5p). We were split into two groups and each group had a guide and there was a big air conditioned bus to take us around to the old city. There is a strong African influence here in Salvador because of the slave trade. The city is very old and many of the 18th and 19th century buildings are decaying and it is obvious no money has been spent on the renovation or restoration. There are many churches which seem to be mostly Roman Catholic. We saw a very rich church St Francis of Assisi church which had ornate gold decorations and was very elaborate. There was a Jesuit church and one of the 3rd Order. The streets of the city are fairly narrow and all cobbled or paved with small tiles. After the city tour we had dinner at a local restaurant with crews from Dreamcatcher, Zoe and Ruby so 8 of us in total. The food was excellant and vey reasonable at approx 50 pounds each for dinner including cocktails and wine. The World ARC office will close up today as it is the start of Carnival which runs from 8th to 13th February. The streets are all decorated with banners and bunting. The shops and houses on the sides of the streets have boarded up their fences/gates to protect them from any potential damage!! The programme today includes the welcome and prizegiving event which starts at 13.30 hours and goes on for a couple of hours with food and drink included. This has been changed to free up this evening for those that wish to watch the opening Carnival events. Tomorrow Friday 8 February we are part of a group of World ARC crews who have booked places on a Balcony to view the Carnival. It is expensive at around 700 pounds for the two of us but at least it does inclde all food and drink. The Balcony opens at 6pm and the party goes on until 5am! Not sure if we will be able to stay awake for that long but maybe a siesta tomorrow might help!! This morning I am shopping with the girls and hoping to find some good Brazillian bargains! We expect to stay around Salvador until after Carnival ends and then cruise up the coast to Forteleza for the rendezvous on 6 March before the next leg to Grenada. Have planned to sail in company with Zoe again as it worked well for the South African cruising.

St Helena

Arrived here in St Helena yesterday lunchtime after a stressful passage with a number of repairs required. The only good thing was the weather was relatively benign and the seas were calm so it was a good sailing trip. Winds were generally good with only a few periods of very light breeze near the end of the passage. The passage was not a good one for Peter as he was constantly mending and repairing things. The first day out the Generator stopped working and Peter traced the fault back to the fuel lift pump so he jury rigged a replacement using the dinghy outboard fuel pump. The winds were light so we did have several sail changes to maximise the wind available which is tiring work for both of us. During the latter part of the trip we blew out our spinnaker in a squall which happened overnight bringing 27 knots of wind. The sail is not strong enough to withstand that force so it ripped half of the sail away. It was then all hands on deck at 1am to drop the sail and go back to white sails for the rest of the night. Since the wind was behind us we flew our main on one side and the genoa on the opposite side to 'wing on wing'. The arrangement took it's toll on the main and a broken carr now needs replacing. Now we are e mailing Selden in Sweden to see if spare parts can be shipped out to us in Brazil. The next leg is some 1900 miles to Brazil so we do need to be careful with the sails we have left. Unfortuately our other downwind sail the new Parasailor has a tear at the bottome now as it got caught on the bowsprit whilst we were trying to hoist it in light winds. Luckily there is a sail maker here and Peter has taken it to be stitched. Our arrival in St Helena has been a good experience so far. The island is serviced by a supply ship RMS St Helena that calls once every two weeks from Cape Town. When we arrived the ship had recently been but already the shops have sold out of lettuce and other fresh goods! However a trip to two stores has proved that vegetables can be found if we are not too choosy about what we eat. So instead of brocolli I have squash and turnips to cook! The World ARC function was at St Helena YC last night and as no one from Rally Control is here I made a presentation on behalf of the fleet of a signed framed poster to the Commodore Julie George. It was a bring and Braai so we took steaks for the BBQ and some rice and pasta was available to go with these. Today we are getting provisioned and sorted out for the departure on Sunday. We would like to do a tour of the island and had originally booked this for this morning but with all the urgent things to do we decided to delay doing this until tomorrow. St Helena is like being back in time and they use pounds sterling here but also there is the Bank of St Helena which issues it's own notes so we need to use these here as they cannot be changed in England.

Farewell South Africa

Today we leave Cape Town for our 1700nm sail to St Helena on the way to Brazil. There was a Rally farewell party on Thursday night here at the Royal Cape YC which was very well attended by all the crews including those from the V&A Marina who had come over on two buses for the event. There was a free bar and lots of lovely scrummy food served on platters which could be eaten with fingers while holding a drink. Several people had cameras so maybe some photos will end up on the World Cruising website! So today peter is doing last minute preparations on deck whilst I bake bread this morning. We expect to head out of the Marina around 10am ready for the start at 11am. The first 48 hours will be the trickiest with swell and wind then we should have a good downwind sail all the way tp St Helena with steady trade winds. Next blog will be from St Helena!!

Happy New Year!!

Last night we had a party at the Royal Cape Yacht Club who were hosting a bring and Braai (BBQ) where you take your own food to cook on the Braai and whatever sides and snacks you want to eat along with your own plates cutlery etc. We managed to secure a good table for the 8 people in our group of the boats Zoe (Zoe Ed George & Lynda) and Dreamcatcher (Charles and Marie) and Trompeta (Peter and Jane). Everyone had brought plenty of food and we even had party hats and horns courtesy of Zoe & Ed who had just returned back from the USA where they spent Christmas. There was a good band playing and some of us danced into the early hours of the morning. At midnight we toasted the New Year and watched the fireworks which were being set off on the quay at the V&A. Today it is just as windy as it was yesterday with gusts of up to 45 knots in the Marina. It was a little difficult for the men last night who did the cooking as it was so windy and I have already washed our clothes from last night as they reeked of smoke!! We did see Paul and Suzana from World ARC Rally control yesterday as they are here to set up the Rally Office on 2 January at the RCYC. There is a farewell dinner at the yacht club on 3 January as we are due to set sail again on 5 January 2013! The first leg to St Helena is around 1700 nm which will take us around 12 days. The stop at St Helena is just 48 hours then on to Brazil and Salvador for the carnival. This leg is around 1900 nm so will take us a little longer probably 13 to 14 days. So we need to provision for a month now. My freezer is already filling up as we have eaten so well over the last few weeks there is plenty of cooked turkey ham and beef for sandwiches at lunch time. The freezer got defrosted whilst the boat was out of the water so it is just a matter of topping up with a few more frozen items. The boat is looking very clean and shiny as she has had her bottom painted and also the hull and topsides buffed and polished. We have been lucky enough to find a buyer for our Windpilot which was taking up space at the back as our Insurers are now happy for us to sail double handed without a windvane self steering system. Just as well as we have not really used the windvane since we set off from England! The four holes in the stern left when the Windpilot was removed have been filled in and the stern will get sanded and polished before we leave. Now we can use the dinghy davits whenever we want to lift the dinghy out of the water for short journeys and at anchor. It is much safer and better to hoist your dinghy out of the water if you are at anchor as it is less likely to get stolen than if it was simply tied on by a rope. This is especially true in the Caribbean as dinghies seem to go missing on a regular basis there. There are just a couple of jobs to do on the boat before we leave. We had a new gas solenoid/sensor installed before Christmas so this needs an Electrician to complete the wiring and test the system. Hopefully the Electrician will be here tomorrow. Peter also needs to fill up with fuel but as it has been so windy in the Marina it has not been possible to move the boat onto the fuel dock without creating havoc! Our 9 jerry cans will get filled up and Peter will then transfer enough to top up the fuel tank and then refill any jerry cans used. Happy New Year to all our friends and family. May 2013 be a good one for you all and we look forward to catching up with everyone sometime this summer.