Fantastic sail from Antigua - beam reach most of the way - hard on the nose for the final 6 hours - not Debbie's favourite form of transport!

Saw a Sperm Whale off Guadaloupe - got pretty close and he/she was about the same size as Amelie

We got into Marigot Bay about an hour before dusk and are made up to a mooring buoy in the outer harbour - photos to follow.

Very sad day today for Stephen & all his family his Mum passed away. She was taken into hospital at 04:00 and slipped away around 12:00. Photo attached shows Mum & Dad in Jersey, on Amelie, in 2008 - - rest in peace now Mum.

We managed to erect our very fancy awning without falling out and the Oyster support team would be proud of how it looks. Keeps the sun and the heavy rain downpours off us. 

Boat boys are very friendly and leave us in peace when we're eating but are a constant source of bananas, fish and taxi services whenever we want them.

 So this is it - retirement - clear out the old land life - fly away to a new floating life.

Finally we escape Antigua’s clutches exactly 2 weeks after the Rally start. Our mast has been taken off, fixed and put back on. We’ve also taken the time to get both generator & main engine professionally serviced and beefed up our supply of spares for both; had the installation of our Hydrogenerator (Wally Watt & Sea) strengthened; had new fixings for our deck awning; the Rib has been completely overhauled and generally everything has been rubbed & scrubbed.

So now we have a full diesel tank, we provisioned for England yesterday at Epicurean for food and Crab Hole Liquor store for drink so now our waterline has gone down yet more.

So what of Antigua, we will remember the friendly people, the lush hillsides, the green/blue clear sea, Shirley Heights Parties, BBQ’s on the dock and of course getting to know the Oyster family and Sun-downers. Finally the saying of this part of the trip was “they know how to charge here”!

We’re now off to Saint Lucia and more from us when we get there.

From a Happy Smiling Amelie

On Sat 27 Oct Family, Friends, past & Present Colleagues joined us to celibate our new life as sea gypsies - and what a party.

Since then we've been on an emotional roller coaster with goodbyes, to some who we won't see for a long time. messages keep coming in. The excitement is building - the tears still there. 

It was a great relief to leave our letting agent in our house this morning and apart from finishing off the normal household chores we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the Jack in the Green.

Now settled in a Gatwick Hotel - with our luggage checked in - a bank holiday in Lanzarote means we can't leave for Gran Canaria until Friday. Looking forward to seeing our new friends in Las Palmas on Saturday.

Debbie & Stephen