Hi Everyone
Very nearly there and what a great trip.
Shame that we have had to motor the last three hundred miles but it has allowed
us to clean and tidy Casamara. A few minor repair jobs scheduled for ST
L. Thanks to everyone on board and bigger thanks to my wife and family who
have indulged me in this adventure. Love to you all. Simon P
Over to Charles for the history lesson and Julian
for gastro news.
Battle for St Lucia - the feather in my
cap
Charlie's second contribution and one that he's
keen to write as he has a story to tell; its one that isn't however
related to life on Casamara over the last 24 hours but is pertinent to our
imminent arrival to St Lucia. In 1778, the British Army was sent to St
Lucia to make battle with the occupying French and restore British sovereignty
over the Island. The Northumberland Fusiliers, the 5th of Foot, was the
unit selected to take on this task. Battle was joined on St Lucia, and the
white feather hackles from the headdress of the defeated French soldiers were
taken by the Geordie victors and worn in their hats. The popular myth is
that the white feather hackles had red tips because they were dipped in French
blood. The truth behind the story is that the Northumberland Fusiliers new
addition to their uniform was so admired back in England that all infantry
regiments were ordered to wear them; to give the triumphant Northumberland
Fusiliers the recognition they deserved they were given a Royal status, thus the
red tips. I (Charlie) am a serving soldier in the Royal Regiment of
Fusiliers, the descendent regiment of the Northumberland Fusiliers, so
have worn the hackle with pride every day of my service and will be wearing one
in sailing hat today as we land. A few days in St Lucia gives me the
opportunity to understand the detail of the run up to the confrontation in
1778 and visit the battlefield(s); very exciting if that's what fires your
rockets. If you want to know more about the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers do
visit the Regiment's Headquarters in the Tower of London adjacent to the Jewel
House. Charlie
Well we are now only 6 hours from our destination,
our ETA is just past midnight local time. I do have a similar feeling now
to when I finished a trip I did some years ago, when we sailed from Hawaii to
Tahiti. That trip was 2,500 miles straight down the middle of the Pacific.
Essentially myself and my traveling companion Tom had overstayed our welcome on
the US mainland and rather than try to leave via an international airport,
we decided to fly to Hawaii (classed as an internal flight) and to
slip away by boat instead. Having spent some time on Maui, we left around
midnight one night and just sailed off in a 37 foot yacht that was very basic to
say the least. It had no engine and no heads and the only means of navigation
was a sextant. After nearly 4 weeks at sea and having overcome all
sorts of challenges, we landed on Maupiti which is one of the
outermost islands in the Tahitian island group and then had the pleasure of
visiting Raiatea, Bora Bora and finally Tahiti itself!
As you know this trip has has been somewhat
different in terms of the total quality of the vessel we have sailed in, but the
feeling of achievement is none the less because of that! I'm not yet
sure quite yet, what we will have as our final supper before heading into
the local restaurants for the rest of the time we all have in the Caribbean, but
lunch was a filling pasta dish with prawns, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts and
herbs all wrapped up in a white wine and cream sauce. I have very much enjoyed
writing about my culinary adventure on this trip and hope that you have enjoyed
reading about it. If you would like to keep up with my cruising cuisine column,
you will find it in the Sailing Today Magazine, where over the following
few months, I will be featuring some of the dishes that I have prepared
over the past few weeks. Also a selection of the recipes will, as always be
posted on our website www.gn-espace.com
or you can always email me directly for information at [email protected] on any of the
issues and galley equipment highlighted on this trip.
One final mention is that of a new GN Espace
cookery course that we will be launching at the London Boat Show in January
2012. Adam Gray, my Michelin starred colleague, who has his own cookery school
in Northamptonshire and I will be doing a series of cookery courses, partly
land based there in Northamptonshire and partly yacht based in the
Solent, for anyone who would like to get more acquainted with the rudiments
of galley catering. Again for more details please email me at my email
address above or come and see me at the London Boat Show in January
2012.
Thanks again to everyone who has followed our
progress and good luck in all your sailing adventures, wherever they may
take you. Julian Kimberley