Asteroid - Log #1 -T minus 8 Days

Hi there all. Well this is the first of many blogs from the crew of Asteroid.

Just to introduce ourselves. We are a family of five - Mum, Loretto, Dad, Brian, with three children, Cliona (age 14yrs), Ciara (12yrs) & Jack (7yrs). We will be joined on our big adventure by Tracey, (Irish), Billy (English), Manfred (American) and Roger (Welsh/Canadian). So a good mix of crew and it also means we will hopefully get some decent sleep on the journey!

We are now in the US Virgn Islands availing of the wonders of Cost U Less and have just completed a MASSIVE shop. Doing a "dry goods" shop for nine people to last approx six weeks is a huge undertaking but I think (hope!) we have achieved this. The dingy was weighed down and did several trips groaning under the weight of tins of tomatoes, corn, pasta, rice etc. And this was not our first shop - we had already sampled the delights of Cost U Less in St Martin last week!

Now it is time to find homes for all this food. And I know just when I have it all put away we have to do the "fresh shop" - all the cheese, bread, yogurt, meat for dinners, meat for lunch, salads for the first leg to Bermuda - the list goes on. I know we have big fridges but I know when we leave on 5th the boat will be stuffed with food and I will probably still remember that one item I kept on forgetting each time we shopped! I keep telling the kids that it is unlikely that we will starve - they may not like what they have to eat but at least there will be food.

As well as shopping we are getting the boat ready - ensuring everything on the boat works as it should, cleaning the boat inside and out, getting theflags ready to dress the boat, organising the sleeping accommodation (this involves moving Jack and Ciara along with all of their worldly goods - its amazing how much "stuff" children accumulate!). Again the list goes on.

We will be in Nanny Cay, the starting point for the rally, on Tuesday next where we will meet all our fellow sailors and enjoy a few nights of marina luxury before D-day.

Hope life is treating you well wherever you are. Talk to you again soon.

Loretto