Thursday 1st May 2014: position Nanny Cay, Tortola BVI
Well, it will take far too long to regale the whole narrative of events leading to now since the end of the ARC in St Lucia way back in December but a brief synopsis begins with Christmas in Rodney Bay with the kids and Kate where we survived the great "trough" as it devastated much of the island on Christmas Eve; the couple of weeks with my sister Janet and BIL Nigel on the boat; the fantastic trip up the islands with just myself and Kate to Antigua via Martinique, Dominica, Les Saintes and Guadaloup ( to which Kate admitted she even enjoyed the sailing parts!); various friends visiting in Antigua sailing back up and around the islands again; then a great two weeks on a 50' cat Avanti with Jon and Karen Terry who we met on ARC Portugal; then sailing Webster up to Tortola in the BVI via St Bart's with my brother Ken and Igor Bele where we picked up the "Treacle Miners", Dave Tipton and Neal Ward from the end of the run way on Beef Island; and finally into Nanny Cay marina. There are just too many good things to relate but just to say it's been brilliant all round.
But as I say, here we go again. We are presently prepping the boat for the next leg, leg one of the ARC Europe to Lagos in Portugal via Bermuda and the Azores, some 845 nm away in a northerly direction if my geography and navigation skills serve me correctly.
It has been great renewing acquaintances with Dave and Neal and am really looking forward to sailing with these guys for whom it will be their first Atlantic crossing, and having four sailors on board means we will be able to push the boat a little perhaps - we will have to see what the weather brings, but whatever it is going to be fun. Actually, I am looking forward to the start if only to give my liver a rest!
We have a farewell dinner this evening and we leave on Saturday morning, 1200 start. Ken says as it's his last night we are going to have to "get on it". If we have not already been on it then I am a bit worried that we may not survive til the start.
Where has all the time gone? Just can't believe it that we are now in June at the start of ARC Europe. It's all part of the planned trip but now it's getting to the end of it which is amazing. This is definitely going to be the hard bit though, sailing uphill in effect with the wave direction against us as opposed to with us coming east to west on the ARC itself. Hopefully the wind will be on the beam, if not behind, but the routing charts suggest a real mixed bag so we will take it as it comes.
Meanwhile, I shall try not to split my sides open laughing which is actually quite difficult with the present company, especially with my brother still here who is just as bad if not worse. Rally Control this morning on the daily broadcast, "has any boat any questions this morning?". Yes just one says I, my crew wish to know how a snow plough driver gets to work. Joel of the Rally Control wonders why they ever let us back onto a WCC rally............ It's only just started!
Hi Ho!!
Charlie
image.