St. Lucia - Antigua

So we bought a canoe in Rodney Bay. My dad and I were carrying it back to the boat and as we reached the start of the dock, my dad stopped. Now take note that this canoe was quite heavy and our boat was at the END of the dock. So my dad put our brand new canoe in the water and told me to get in it. A little shocked, I obliged. I was worried that I would hit some of the boats whilst trying to get to ours. I made it to the dock close to our boat and luckily there was a guy there to help me. Ian helped me get out of the canoe and carry it onto our boat . . .I was ever so grateful for him! We had planned to leave Rodney Bay that evening and as my mother and I were coming back from the office to pay for water and electricity, we saw Robert at the Thai restaurant. It was his turn to make dinner that night so he decided on take out. Robert had been eyeing the Thai place since we had gotten there, we even went earlier for lunch but the Thai chef only got in at 3 so we couldn’t get any Thai food. So we pretty much got take away Thai as well. We left later than expected, and our sails went up just as the sun went down. 

Talisman sailing in the sunset

Mom's first catch!

Now the sail up to Antigua was up and down. We had patches where the wind was fantastic and we were reaching speeds of 12.4 knots! And then there were patches where we had absolutely no wind for hours on end! Both rods were out (as usual) and my mother and father were downstairs fixing the water pipe that came undone beneath their bed, and my sister was in the bathroom. So that left me on watch. I was doing quite well and then the fishing rod went off. I ran to catch it and just started reeling in the fish when the other fishing rod went off on the OTHER side of the boat! I began yelling frantically for someone to grab the other rod. Eventually my mom appeared and started coming towards me and I’m busy yelling at her to grab the other rod. So she did a 180 and headed for the other rod. Whilst I was trying to reel in my rod, I was shouting directions at my mom on how to use the rod! At that point my fish unhooked, so I put my rod in the holder and ran over to my mom. Luckily she had followed my instructions, so she began reeling in the fish. As the fish approached the boat, I saw the beautiful colours beneath the water . . .Dorado. We finally had a fish on board that we could eat! My mother was like a little kid at Christmas with her first catch! My sister refused to eat the fish when I explained to my mother that both rods went off because Dorado feed in pairs. She thought we were horrendous people for taking away one partner from the pair. Needless to say, we had fish for dinner and she didn’t. 

Dorado!

We arrived in Antigua at 22:40 pm on Tuesday night. It was very confusing coming into the harbour as we were trying to look for the green and red flashing beacons but all we could see were hundreds of tall masts lit up like Christmas trees. Luckily, Lee was on the radio and guided us in to anchor right behind Talisman. Once we were all settled in, we hit the sack and got some much needed sleep, which we missed on all of our night watches.

We walked to Englishmen’s harbour the next day to check into customs and immigration. On our way we ran into a friend of my parents who they haven’t seen for seven years! Her name was Sylvie and she was on a boat called Jambalaya, which had just won its category in the classic races in Antigua. We were both going different ways so we organized to meet that night for drinks. We spent the afternoon on the beach with the Talisman crew and went swimming, paddle boarding, canoeing . . .etc. We had a competition to see who would fall off the board first . . .everyone lasted until my dad created a big splash as he toppled over into the water. He then decided to push my mom in when she tried! We went for drinks that night and my parents had a good catch-up with their old friend. When we got back to the boat, there were six or seven huge fish swimming beneath our night-lights. One of them was a Dorado and I am not sure what the rest were but needless to say, in the water my rod went! The fish weren’t interested however, as they just kept on doing circles in the pretty blue light. 

Robert and I attempting 2 man paddleboarding

Mom goes in the water

Dad falling in the water

Mad Mongoose bar

The next morning was running . . .with Robert. We took the dinghy to shore and started with a huge uphill. I did quite a bit of complaining on this run. We ended back on the beach where we started and I took my shoes off to dip my feet in the water and Robert tackled me from behind, so in the water I went! Lee and Ashton paddled over on the paddleboard. We swam around for a bit before I decided to swim back to the boat. I went for a haircut later on in the day and we met up with Robert at the Mad Mongoose bar. We spent the whole afternoon in the bar and my dad came to join us. We found out that if you drank 3 rums then you got 3 red tickets to get a Mount Gay Rum t-shirt or hat. Needless to say, Robert and I both left with a t-shirt and a ticket to collect our collector’s hat at the rum party the next day. After the rum, Robert got everyone doing tequila shots. . .even some of the girls behind the bar! We eventually took the party back to Robert’s boat and then the coast guard boat came by to do their night watch and Robert called them over. He hopped onto the coast guards boat with a bottle of whiskey! They did a bit of a circle with him in the boat but they decided to give him back to us. After an eventful day, we all went to bed early that night.

Red shirts!

Tequila shots. . .

Joe from Cocomo

Robert and I arrived at the rum party early to collect our collector’s hats that we had gotten from drinking rum the previous day. We were standing in the line when a guy came up to us and started talking to us. I wasn’t sure if he was in his right mind, but by the end of the conversation my dads name was Paul and my moms name was Pam (a couple from America standing next to me in the line) and Robert ended up being my brother! This guy’s name was Joe from cocomo. He was dancing and then he gave me a mango and a leaf from a tree. He even said to my ‘dad” that he wants his daughter! He wanted to take Pam and I on a ride through the clouds apparently. Haha, he even said that my ONE dimple is a blessing from God, so at least I want to believe that. Robert and I eventually got our hats! The rest of the crew arrived and great fun was had! Ashton even got on stage and started dancing! Robert wanted to stay a bit later so everyone else piled into our dinghy to go back to the boats. We chugged along slowly as the seven of us were squished into our little dinghy but we all eventually made it to our beds!

rum, rum, rum

got our hats on!

The next day Robert, my mother and I went in search of a geocache! We were taken to an old fort where we had to decipher a code for the location of the final cache! We eventually found it as we headed uphill on a trail. After our eventful morning, I spent the afternoon hanging underneath the trampolines on our hammock . . .what a life!

Chilling in the hammock

Another week in Antigua and there is so much to do! Here we come . . .

Friends

There is nothing better than friends who capture your hearts <3

St. Vincent - St. Lucia

I was in the middle of doing my Biology schoolwork when Ashton came rushing into my room, climbing over me and demanding that I play with him. I told him I was just going to finish the paragraph I was reading. So I put my gaze back upon my Biology workbook and moments later, I felt something moving up and down my leg. I looked down to see Ashton running his nose up and down my leg, sniffing me. I asked what on earth he was doing and he said, “I am smelling you to make sure you are alright.” Doctor, Doctor games are always very interesting with Ashton. He runs a torch over my arms and legs to check that I’m ‘clean’. He kisses invisible sores better and puts invisible plasters on them too. Ashton always makes things interesting.

Talisman and Jangles together

We had to catch a taxi to the airport to sign out of customs and immigration. As the skippers were sorting out all of the paperwork, my mom, sister and I walked over to the supermarket to get a few things. Outside of the airport was a guy who was making snow cones. . .his snow cones however, had a little bit of a twist. He used condensed milk on them! They were really sweet but very yummy! Once we had all cleared up with customs and immigration, it was back to the boat, dinner and bed.

snowcone

my first catch!

We left St. Vincent and headed for the pitons in St. Lucia around 4 am on Thursday morning. Both rods were put out . . .and we finally caught a fish!! Hearts raced as I sprinted for the rod. It was a fairly easy pull in, as he didn’t put up much of a fight. It was a small barracuda, so we put the very lucky fish back into the ocean. We got a radio call from Talisman that they picked up a barracuda a little while after we did . . .must of been the same fish. We were heading towards black clouds that were building up ahead of us. Hearts sprang again as the rod began to sing . . .my muscles were working hard as I began to frantically reel in the fish. As it came close to the boat, the unknown fish unhooked. My heart sank as the fish swam off. But fear not as the rod went off once again! It was a bit disappointing when we found out it was a barracuda again. . .that fish must have been following us. Luckily, we missed the brunt of the storm and received a light rain, which washed Jangles down nicely. We were also in luck as we saw pilot whales. We furled away our genoa and put up the screecher. . .we began powering as our speed sat between 9 and 10.5 knots, even reaching 11.8 knots at one stage!

lazy days

We arrived between the pitons and picked up a buoy close to Talisman. It is a beautiful bay, and an incredible feeling being between two giant volcanic plugs. The men went to customs and immigration whilst us girls headed for the beach. We spent the afternoon sitting on beach chairs and drinking milkshakes and rum punches. It started getting late and the men hadn’t returned in the dinghy yet. . .we assumed they got lost in the bar. And when they eventually arrived back, we were right! They were waiting for the immigration guy to show up cause he took his door handle off of his door (that is how he locks his office). And then they ended up having a beer WITH the immigration guy in the pub! Well the pub continued to Robert’s boat as we found ourselves there for the early evening. Ash had Rebecca and I up front playing pirates. After we sent the bad guy to heaven, Ashton exclaimed to Rebecca and I, “Arrgg maties now you’re my hotties!” Man do we love that boy! We decided to head to shore for an early dinner at the resort. 

at the start of the hike

We were up and at the dock at 8:30am the following morning to be taken to hike the Gros Piton, which is 771 m high. It took us 2 hours to climb up and 2 back down. At the top, there was a Canadian couple who were taking photo’s at the edge of the piton. My dad walked over and offered to take a photo of them together. My dad called us over for a photo so we began strolling to the edge of the piton. The Canadian lady gave my dad a piece of coconut candy and as soon as I heard the sound of that, I was on the move! Rebecca was in front of me and I was hastily saying, “hardloop!” Robert was behind us and he just laughed as he was totally oblivious as to what I was saying. . .I stopped to explain to him what it meant but by that time, I had missed my opportunity for some coconut candy. Robert and I powered ahead on the way down, and as we got closer to the end where flat ground started appearing again, we went for a run. Now it had been raining, slippery rocks etc. someone was bound to get hurt. . .that someone, once again, was me. I jumped on a rock and my one foot slipped so my shin bashed into the rock I was jumping onto. Robert hurt his finger but that was from trying to prevent me from injuring myself . . .which didn’t work anyway. Needless to say, I now have a bruised leg. After the hike, it was back to the boat for us as we had some preparing to do for Lee’s birthday that night. 

summit!

Ashton bringing pitons to the boys

We had pork on the braai and breaded shrimp! It was a great night. . .we lit a candle on Lee’s birthday cupcake and sparks flew. . .literally! Everybody had a reasonably early night as the long hike that morning had started taking its toll.

Happy birthday Lee

Mud people

The next morning we had hoped to go diving. . .that hope died however, when we looked out of our portholes and rain was pouring, the wind was howling and the sea was choppy. So we settled instead for hot chocolate, popcorn and a movie. By midday the weather had cleared and Robert, Rebecca, my mom and I headed for shore to go explore the island. We began at the sulphur springs . . .our noses all crinkled as we headed towards the springs. Steam arose from the ground, bringing with it a smell of rotten eggs. A guide took us around the springs and explained a bit of history about the volcano we were standing in. She told us that according to scientists the volcano is overdue for an eruption . . .she finished off with a quirky little comment of let’s hope it doesn’t erupt today! Next stop was the mud baths. The bath was 38 degrees Celsius . . .we were all pink when we got out! It was good fun rubbing mud all over each other. We had all gotten out and had been through the fresh water showers when Robert said that we should of covered ourselves in mud and baked in the sun . . .well, back in the mud we went! We went from hot mud baths to mineral baths at the piton waterfall. At the entrance to the waterfall there was . . .coconut candy! Yes, I finally got to try it after all! We spent a while in the mineral baths and even climbed up underneath the waterfall. Rebecca and I explored around a little bit until we found a great place to hide a little geocache for our friends from Catlyn. Daylight was slowly slipping away so we decided to head back to the boats. We stood on the dock waiting for my dad to come and fetch us . . .needless to say we got a very pleasant surprise when Marco and Joe came on our dinghy to get us! Rebecca jumped up and down and did her ‘squeal/high-pitched voice thing’ again. After some catching up, Marco and Joe stayed for dinner and a movie. At the end of the evening, Rebecca and I went to bed with big smiles on our faces.

The next morning we put the dinghy in the water and Rebecca and I went to say a final farewell to the Catlyn crew. It was a bittersweet farewell, as we will miss the beautiful people aboard that beautiful boat. But alas, it is not so much as a goodbye, but more like a see you later! By the middle of the day, we left our buoy between the pitons and headed for Rodney Bay. The wind would not make up its mind on our way up. It kept on changing direction, which made the sail not so pleasant. Robert and Lee were awaiting us on the dock, ready to take our lines. Once we were settled in, we all headed for pizza. They had to set up a separate table for us to the side on the grass cause there was not enough space in the tiny seating area for us. We were all fine with it though. . .private table under the stars, how amazing! Pizza was followed with ice-cream. . .blueberry yoghurt is all Robert ever thinks of now. It was good ice-cream though, if I do say so myself. The next morning came with a run and Rebecca and Kerry joined us this time. All that is left to do now is provisioning . . .food, parts, supplies etc. . . and then next stop, Antigua for race week.

And on a side note, it is rather shocking, as I actually have to hide food on the boat! I have to protect my very tasty cereal from my dad by hiding it in my room! Every last bite is savoured . . .man, cereal is good! Especially my crunchy granola cereal with almonds.

Grenada - St. Vincent

We awoke to be greeted by a sunny Grenada smiling upon us. The generator raw water impeller had failed, so my mother and I decided to explore the island for a few hours whilst the captain tried to sort the problem out. My sister was still sleeping . . .as usual . . .so my mother and I hopped into the dinghy and headed towards Port Louis. We parked our dinghy and caught a taxi to Annandale Falls. A big cruise ship had arrived this morning so the island was covered in people from around the world. The waterfall was 16 meters high and local divers jump off it over and over again throughout the course of the day so the tourists could get their shots. Naturally . . .thanks to Robert. . .I asked a diver to take me with him. We gave him some money and up I climbed to the rock. I was told to jump into a bunch of leaves and that way I will land in the spot deep enough in the water. The leaves made the jump look less high. As my heart leapt out of my chest, I took a step off the rock. Needless to say once you clear the leaves it is a lot higher than you initially thought!! Pain shot through my body as I hit the water, the wind had been taken out of me. The pain surpassed a few seconds later though and I was just so glad that I could say I’d done it. My mom jumped off the little jump into the water and we went to go have a natural back massage beneath the waterfall. As we left, a man on a guitar came up to me and started singing to my mother and I . . .you look like Jennifer Lopez and you look like Jennifer Aniston. We laughed as we were slightly taken aback. As we drove back to Port Louis we stopped at a stall on the side of the road and then again at the spice market and we picked up a few local things . . .nutmeg syrup, nutmeg oil, almond essence, and nutmeg liqueur. We thanked the taxi driver and hopped back into the dinghy and headed back to Jangles. 

We arrived back at Jangles, only to find my dad fixing something else, the salinity probe in the water maker again!!. My dad sent my mom and I back to shore to fetch a few parts from the boat shop. My mother and I started towards shore in the dinghy and as we had gone a couple of meters away from Jangles, the engines died. Uh-oh we thought, what do we do? We tried to start the engine a few more times and it just wouldn’t start. So we did what we had to do . . .we rowed. My mom and I were hysterical; we could not stop laughing the entire time we were rowing back to Jangles. Only to realize that we were both very blonde as the problem was that the petrol pipe had pulled out of the Yamaha engine. A very simple procedure was to plug it back in and just pump petrol back into the engine! Something we could of easily done. . .well us blondes headed back to shore to get parts that the shop didn’t actually have. 

The next day we left Grenada and arrived at Sandy Island, a small, secluded beach in the middle of the water. We picked up a buoy and headed to the little beach for sundowners, we didn’t stay very long as night overtook quickly and an army of mosquitoes began to attack. 

The next morning, I put on my snorkeling gear and snorkeled from the boat to the island. There were hundreds of small silver fish that parted way as I swam through them. Once I got to the shore I glanced back at Jangles, only to see Catlyn parked right next to us! I made my way back to our boat and swam around for a bit until Marco joined me. My sister, Marco, Joe and I spent the whole day snorkeling, building coral castles, and just being on the beach. Night fell upon us and Marco and Joe came over for some stargazing and hot chocolate.

We anchored at Hillsborough the following morning to check out of  Granada customs and immigration. It was a very quaint little town with one main street that everybody seemed to be on. We stocked up on a few food supplies and then sailed off once again to Union Island. We arrived in Union Island to . . . Catlyn once again!! Once anchored, my dad and I took the dinghy ashore to check into The Grenadines Customs and Immigration. Meeting locals is all part of the experience of sailing from island to island. My dad had me on dinghy watch whilst he was in customs so I sat on a very colourful bench by the dock. This is where I met Toto and Little Johnny and there was a mad man too who I was disturbing in some way by doing absolutely nothing. He continued to take his shirt off and swear at everybody on the side of the road and tried to slap a few people too. Once we cleared immigration we went to the water dock where a guy named Abdul said he would bring us some ice to the boat. He arrived at our boat shortly after we did. He took one look at Rebecca and I and told us if we wanted to stay at the island he could provide us with an option. . .we just laughed. We headed towards Salt Whistle Bay in Mayreau to spend the night. On the way we hooked a fish! A small benito that jumped off the line before I even got to reel it in the whole way. We are having no luck with these fish! We arrived in Salt Whistle Bay once again to . . .Catlyn. I’m sure they must by now think that we are a bunch of stalkers. . .if they are reading this post, I can assure you, we are not stalkers. 

My sister and I took the dinghy to shore and walked along the beach, lying in hammocks along the way and climbing up palm trees. We then arrived at the islands pub for a drink. There was such a good vibe with the music blaring, the lights flashing and the feel of sand between your toes. We met and chatted with a few more of the locals, and generally had a really good time. Night drew on and it was time for us to go back to the boat. The sky was covered in stars, which meant another magical night of stargazing for me.

St. Vincent was the next stop on the list. We covered the 34.4 nautical miles to Blue Lagoon Bay in 4 hours and 40 minutes. The winds were kind to us (15-22 knots) and we didn’t have to do a single tack. Our maximum speed even reached 9.9 knots. We arrived in Blue Lagoon and picked up a buoy right next door to Talisman, where Robert, Lee, Kerry and Ashton awaited. 

The beautiful thing about traveling with another boat and being attached to a buoy right next to them is that when they crank there music right up and start dancing on the bow, we start dancing with them on our bow. The nice thing about Blue Lagoon Marina is that it is full of boats, but Talisman and Jangles are the only two boats with actual people on them cause all of the other boats are just charter boats. So nobody can yell at you to turn down the music! We took our dinghies to the dock and went to the restaurant for dinner. We were pretty much the only people in the restaurant besides a couple who left shortly after we arrived . . . I think we disturbed their peace and quiet. We had a reasonably early night as Robert had a run planned for my sister an I in the morning.

So we did run a little bit. . .but we embarked on more of an adventure! There was a big mountain as you enter the harbour with a flashing beacon on top to guide boats into the harbour. We decided to climb it. We took the dinghy and attached it to the small dock on the side of the mountain just to discover it was actually an old fort! We climbed to the top and explored the abandoned buildings and took in the breathtakingly beautiful views. Starting the day with a little bit of adventure is always the best way to go.

 

 

Now that we have met up with Talisman, it is time to go exploring this crazy beautiful part of God’s magnificent creation known as the Caribbean.

Trinidad - Grenada

So when are we going to leave Trinidad you ask? Well I asked myself that question every day. . . and the answer always turns out to be tomorrow, but you know what they say. . .tomorrow never comes. There were many points where I was ready to attach a sheet to the dinghy and go dinghy sailing, only to be found in some random place days later!

We took Jangles out to Chacachacare for two nights just to get everyone accustomed to her once again. We arrived in Chacachacare late on Saturday evening and were unsure about where we should anchor. Luckily a really friendly Trini/French guy told us to anchor next to him. He hopped into his dinghy and took my dad to shore to tie a line onto a tree. . .a new experience for us all! We managed to get the boat all in order and headed for a good nights sleep.

The next morning we awoke to French toast and. . .Easter eggs!! What a breakfast!! Everybody has got to love those caramel filled chocolate bunnies! We spent the rest of the day being lazy . . .with a little tender exploring thrown in their somewhere. As my parents departed to the Trini/French man’s boat for an afternoon drink, I had my sister up and about for gym class!! I have never heard someone complain so much . . .I mean I have never seen anyone who can plank for 3 seconds and then fall over. We had a nice light dinner with some shocking dance moves thrown in there too . . .Rebecca and I eventually ending up falling over onto the floor! The next morning, Rebecca awoke thinking there was something wrong with her as her body hurt all over. . .she remembered our gym class and was convinced that I was trying to kill her.

We left Chacachacare on Monday and put the sails up for a test run. It was a very stressful afternoon as we tried to remember how to do everything once again! The sea was rather choppy and had Rebecca and my mom feeling a little bit under the weather. But we made it back into Coral Cove all in one piece . . .and I am satisfied to say that nobody fed the fishes! The only injury recorded was me being my clumsy self . . .and burning my finger on the oven as well as bashing my knee against the stairs. I truly should be wrapped in bubble wrap and maybe then bruises will stop appearing on me!

On Tuesday evening, Robert brought over some Lobster and prawns and we had a braai with Lee, Kerry and Ashton. . .and of course beer was also attending the party. The big sail came Wednesday. . .the sail to Grenada. I went running with Robert in the morning for our last doubles (local Trini dish), which I must say were rather delicious! Just before we were about to leave. . .we had a man overboard. . .whilst we were still attached to the dock. Everybody has a ‘chop’ moment at least once in his or her lifetime but my sister had a “CHOP” moment. She went to check that the bowline was ready to slip and leaned against the bow as she checked. Naturally the boat started moving away from her as she leant against it. On the plus side she did hold plank for more than three seconds before dropping like a pin between the boat and the dock. She was not the happiest of chappies.

We left Trinidad at 8:45pm after having dinner with Robert at the Wheelhouse.  We left Chaguaramas and arrived in St. George 13 and half hours later. Winds ranged between 10 and 24 knots, spiking up to 26 knots as we neared Grenada. Our speed averaged 6.7 knots reaching a maximum of 10.4 knots.  We began with full main sail up as well as full Genoa. By the end we were on our third reef of the main sail and half Genoa. On the approach to Grenada and 5 minutes after putting the rods in the water, excitement pulsed throughout the boat as the fishing reel ran. Only to be disappointed as the diving fish swam away with our pretty pink lure. We had a surprisingly good crossing, the ocean was a bit rough but we made good time. My mom commented that she felt as if she was in a washing machine. It was so good to sail again . . . I felt as if I were given wings as we powered across the ocean. I have been away from sailing for far too long . . . my spirit soared as I was reunited with my past love.

We arrived in St George’s Bay to be greeted by Yacht Catlyn floating beautifully upon the water. Rebecca made a noise that would probably be a mixture between a scream and a squeal as she jumped up and down, smiling like a happy child, as Marco was close once again. We anchored in the bay and then took the dingy to clear customs and immigration as well as to get a bite of lunch. On our way back to Jangles, we stopped by Catlyn to say hello to our friends. It is a very good feeling when one reunites with friends once again. Unfortunately we only got about 20 minutes with them as they were moving on to a new port of call. . .but 20 minutes was better than no time at all. Hopefully we will run into them upon the great big blue sometime soon.

We headed back to Jangles and everyone took a well deserved afternoon nap. . .with everyone but me extending into the evening. So as day passed into night, I took my music with me and went to lie on the trampoline beneath the starry night sky. There are a few moments in life . . .moments like these. . .where all your worries and concerns disappear into thin air. You get so lost within yourself that you lose track of the world around you. Just for a moment it feels as if that little piece of magic is within your grasp and you surround yourself in it, allowing it to uplift your soul and show you how truly magnificent life really is. Gravity loses itself as you float away into some distance space. As I lay beneath the starry sky, it almost seemed possible . . . n’ Piekniek Opie Maan.

Everyone aboard Jangles sends their hugs and kisses around the world to all of our friends and family. . .whether they get there by post, email, skype or by vhf radio, you are all in our hearts <3. Be safe and smile. xxx

In the water!

She floats! (Which is kind of a requirement you know given the fact that it’s a boat). So the appropriate statement would probably be: “she floats with no leaks!” Jangles was given wings just after 2pm on Thursday as she was lifted off her earthly perches to be placed back home once again. My heart raced as she was hoisted into the water.

As she was lowered . . .she came alive once again. She bobbed happily as we tested her out . . .engines running smoothly with no leaks . . .equipment all working . . .everything in check. We decided to take her for a test run . . .and she decided to remind us that she was a boat . . . never ever quite right.

Two sailormen joined us on this voyage - Lee and Robert – and as we motored away from Peaks, we were greeted with some unexpected vibrations. The whole boat vibrated as the motors moved us along.  . . only to figure out that the propellers were imbalanced. Thanks Jangles . . . clearly we aren’t supposed to leave Trinidad yet. We motored on though, eventually hoisting the sails. The genoa unfurled graciously, spreading her wings as the wind lifted her up.

Smiles were ever in abundance aboard Jangles. The question was then asked, “Where are the beers?” I thought back to the days when we just started sailing . . .”you may have one beer with dinner, captains orders” . . .man did that rule die quickly!  Beers were dished out whilst we all basked in the glory of Jangles coming alive! We slowly made our way back to land, back to reality. We moored at Coral Cove and headed for a celebration dinner at the Wheelhouse Pub! After a few more beers (rum and vodka for some), we nestled into the heart of Jangles for a great night’s sleep.

We all slept like babies on our first night aboard Jangles. As the day went on three friendly faces came knocking on our back door. Our South African flag drew some new friends aboard. A beer and stories were shared amongst us all. Once our new friends departed, the cooking started. Jangles awakening party would be starting in a few hours.

We had great company, meat on the braai and a cooler filled with beer, wine ,champagne, you name it! Jangles was happy to be back, as were her crew! Even the vegetarian on board (Robert) got some form of food, whilst the rest of us meat eaters had ample supply!

Ashton had Rebecca and I at the front of the boat playing horsie! He climbed all over us as we crawled around on all fours! He burns up all of our energy quickly, yet he has a never-ending supply. “Like sonic,” he says.

Over the next few days, quick crash courses in sailing will be taking place just so we are prepared for our next voyage AWAY from Trinidad. That’s all from the Jangles crew for now, happy Easter to everyone! xxx