Pos: 14:04.47N 60:56.94W
What a welcome! We're now in Rodney Bay, St Lucia, gradually returning to earth both literally and metaphorically after successfully completing our crossing of the Atlantic.
Going back 48 hours, we were about 70Nm off St Lucia in very light winds. During the night we alternated between engine and sail as the wind rose and faded between about 4-8knots. Anything over 6 knots
allowed us to get 3knots towards Rodney Bay - which was about the threshold at which it was worthwhile from a competition point of view. Unfortunately, we needed to motor the last few miles across the line
and finished shortly after sunrise.
We crept into Rodney Bay marina feeling as though we were entering a different world. Different people, different landscape, different continent from the one we left 3 weeks before. As we docked, we were
plied with rum punch, beer, fruit and a small reception committee from the Tourist Board playing the steel drums in our honour.
After calming down for a while, I then headed off to do the inevitable bureaucracy. My cool almost failed in the Customs and Immigration office and I needed to vacate the premises since there was a danger I
might express my views of their efficiency ('yes, you've been waiting an hour and yes, you might have registered your arrival on-line as requested but no, the system isn't working and here are the forms you
need to fill in. In triplicate. with a pen you don't have. And no you can't borrow ours'). Anyway, Sarah sorted the Customs later with a sweeter smile and cooler temperament.
The rest of the day and indeed today has passed in a mixture of food, drink, many meetings, fantastic hospitality and helpfulness from everybody - especially the locals. Stories of swimming with whales,
near death adventures, a tragic real death on board, fish caught and larger ones that got away. Days without food for some, drifting without diesel for others, sails shredded, showers missed and squalls
that hit. A small amount of useful work has been done cleaning up - it's taken 2 days to achieve what could probably have been done in 2 hours were it not for the heat, tiredness and the almost constant
stream of friendly meetings.
It looks as though we are likely to have won our class on handicap, with all the nearest rivals having motored substantially more than us. So we hope to have some silverware to pick-up next weekend.
So, at the end of this, the last ARC blog, the camera pans away to leave the heroes sitting in a bar with steels drums in the background and the sun setting over the lush hillside behind.
If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this blog and
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