Helen: In St Lucia now trying to get over the unbelievable heat and get used to all the greenness - all we've seen for 3 weeks has been blue but this island is so lush... It's nice to not be rocking about all over the place anymore - I did a little land dance when we finally got in yesterday.
Not got much time (think this will be a regular feature of trying to keep a blog in stolen minutes in internet cafes), so here are the edited hightlights of the trip:
- being on a boat is like being a student - you stay up really really late (to be on watch), lie in really really late, stumble about all over the place and eat shit food out of tins!
- everything on the yacht fell apart! I kid you not - it was the least sea worthy yacht in the whole world and all the gear failed - 5 halyards up the mast (C went up in a climbing harness while at sea which was quite adventurous), a genoa (which we had to stitch up), and we shredded the genniker. We also took on about 2 ft of water in the engine room on day 1...
- the skipper was unbearable - arrogant, unprepared and useless - but the rest of the crew were great - we've made a wonderful friend in the most laid back Swede you'll ever meet :)
- we were boarded by illegal immigrants off the W African coast - was v scary to begin with as all we knew from the other yachts was that there was a speed boat with 25 people on it coming our way much faster than we could outrun them - didn't know if they were armed or what their intentions were. we had to fire flares over their heads and stamp on their fingers to stop them from swamping our boat but 2 of them got on board. after it was clear that they weren't trying to hurt us though, it was just really really sad. i felt ashamed that we were trying so hard to stop them having what we had when they had so little - all they wanted was food and water but we didn't have enough for all of them so we couldn't help. we called the coast guard and they sent a military boat to pick them up so we did the right thing, and without our help they would all likely have died, but that doesn't make it any easier on my conscience. Eventually a Danish cargo boat picked up refugees (reluctantly) before the military boat arrived and we went on our way - apparently there were 48 people on the tiny open launch, in 12 ft seas, 300 miles from land, 12 days at sea. 2 of them were already dead. Can't imagine how shit life must be for that kind of a journey to seem like a good idea.
Anyway, now we're here, we've got clean and been to a couple of parties. We're off to Trinidad on Tuesday for some more Caribbean sailing - will be different this time as we'll just be island hopping and not night sailing thank goodness
Hxxx
5 comments:
Delighted to hear you ok and congratulations on your crossing. Sounds like you had a baptism of fire! I imagine you must have been pretty worried when the immigrants approached - and can understand your mixed feelings.
We followed your progress every day on the arc website and Google earth - noticed that you made quite a change in your trajectory a few days ago, and we wondered what was happening.
Take care - Susan
Congratulations guys! Really glad to hear you made it across and are well. Enjoy the islands, it certainly should be easy going compared to open ocean sailing.
Best,
Bill
The two-line email from mid-Atlantic said it had been an experience but all was now ok. We saw news of the immigrants on the ARC news... but I'm glad I didn't know the whole story 'till you'd got across the pond. Good to see the climbing experience came in useful - what a surprise!!
Good luck,
Bob
Well done!
Sounds like a real life changing adventure. Also noticed the boat doing some funny backtracks. Impressive technology though.
Your high sea adventures of swashbuckling and crazy captains is putting me off sailing, but I suppose this is life. Ruth and I talked of sailing part of the way to NZ.
You'll be glad to know it is freezing here in Edinburgh (literally) - hope the green stuff in the gardens has survived the frost... I am just about to sign contract for new flat. Pet Lodge Steve and I are going to be neighbours! No other news from home other than Council Tax has been frozen for next year... But I suppose you need not worry about such trivial things now =o)
Be good.
Eoin
Hello!
You are having such amazing adventures! It's like reading Tintin! ;o) Congrats on surviving everything so fantastically, land-dance sounds appropriate.
Take care and enjoy the chilling out in the islands. Mike and I 'chilled' in the Cairngorms last weekend, I almost got blown over by snow!
Charlie, I went to see Emilia and I really enjoyed it (although the thing does look like a torture device!). Setting up regular sessions, will be adventure racing soon :o)
Big hugs to you both from us both.
Best wishes for festive cheer and bright breezes!
Lizzie and Mike xxxx
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