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American Spirit II - Day 458; We Go To the Local Craft Market & Have Pizza for Dinner; Thursday, April 9, 2015



One year ago today:

"Day 96; 40 Knot Squall, Peal Farm and Lots of Rain; Wednesday, April 9. 2014. Rain showers at 3:25 AM. Joel got up to close the boat hatches. The reason he always gets up to do so is that with the hatch over the V-Berth always open at night, he is the first person on the boat to know it is raining because the rain drops on his head.

Got up at 5:35 AM. Stephen spotted a nice rainbow rat 7:00 AM rising up over an island and bracketed by one of the Rally sailboats."

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Joel and Darlene are up first today; I get up at 9:20 AM. Joel is amazed I slept in so late.

Breakfast at 10:05 AM consists of 4 pieces of bacon, 3 eggs, potato, and chilled peach slices. Darlene has a protein drink and some yogurt.

Andrew Bishop, head of the World Cruising Club, stopped by to ask some questions about our thoughts on the Rally and to leave with me a questionnaire to fill out and turn in later. The questionnaire asked questions such as:

1. With the benefit of hindsight, was the time taken to plan your circumnavigation sufficient?

2. What preparations (not equipment based) do you regret not giving sufficient time to, before departure (training, keeping in touch, crew, personal health, etc.)?

3. If you were to give advice to future World ARC participants on managing crew changes and family and friends rendezvous, what would it be?

4. Of all the crew on board, what percentage were: family, friends, other?

5. Comment on the tours during World ARC.

6. Comment on the frequency of official receptions and prize giving events,during World ARC as a whole.

7. List any places you regret not visiting. And why?

8. Which stopover location(S), if any, would you have been content not to visit, and why?

9. In order, list other locations visited outside the rally route.

10. Please comment on your use of the following equipment that you may have had onboard by ticking the appropriate box below.

Other questions involved equipment repairs, equipment spares, boat maintenance, equipment failures, navigation and communications.

Question No. 27 was: "List 5 highlights of your circumnavigation:" My highlights included Mt. Yasir volcano at Tanna, Vanuatu; swimming with whale sharks in St. Helena; our 3 day safari in South Africa; watching humpback whales breach (jump out of the water), spy hop, tail slap and pectoral fin slap in Australia and South Africa; the Tuomotos and Suwarrow atolls - swimming with black-tipped sharks; going on the MV Fragata for a 5 day tour in the Galapagos with my wife, Janet; and the Kicker Rock snorkel at San Cristobal in the Galapagos. To name a few.

29. Having participated in World ARC, what general advice would you give future participants? Do not limit the # of places you visit during a free cruising period. For example, we went to 2 Tuomotos atolls. We should have gone to 4.

30. Please sum up, in not more than 25 words, your experience of World ARC, that might be used by World Cruising Club in the promotion of a future event. The World ARC provides a level of service that I call 'concierge.' The route, timing, clearing in and out of countries and tours, is primarily handled by them. It's been a very professional experience, and I'd recommend them without qualification.

Lunch at 12:50 PM consists of hamburger patties and hot dogs grilled on our grill by chef Joel.

At 1:20 PM Darlene and I, along with Russ and Laurie from Nexus, hop in my rental car and drive to the craft market in Castries, located by the cruise docks. When we get there two different cruise ships are there than were there yesterday. After walking around the market and buying some souvenirs, we do some shopping in a supermarket that is in the same building we had parked in, then back to the boat by 4:00 PM. Joel stayed on the boat dealing with pictures on his computer.

Once back I run into Jonathan and Jenny from Merlyn of Poole; and Tim and Claire from Ghost. The 'gang' is all here now except for Vlado and his crew from Civetta II.

At 5:10 PM we're reading in the cockpit.

For dinner we went to a restaurant on the water, with Eric from Nexus, and have a beef pizza and a pineapple pizza; along with some strange drinks. I had a drink called 'Sex on the Boat,' made with spiced rum, banana creme and orange juice. It wasn't that good. Darlene had a drink called 'BBC,' which contained banana, Bailey's and coconut creme. It was pretty good. Joel had a glass of red wine. Joel has turned in to quite a red wine drinker. Another interesting drink was called a 'Pain Killer,' with dark rum, pineapple juice, triple sec and nutmeg. Of course another local favorite is 'Sex on the Beach,' which has vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice and cranberry juice in it.

Before leaving Michael, Peggy, Aaron and their daughter (I forgot her name) from Polaris, sit down at a table next to us. Peggy had just joined the boat, again, and gave Joel and I each a bottle of Verpoortinis with 5 chocolates. Its a German liqueur that is to die for. Thank you Peggy!

Back on the boat we read and then go to bed.

Brian Fox

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