Return to Chagaruamas, Trinidad to re-commission Bootlegger and sail her back up the islands to Jolly Harbour, Antigua and later home.

Bootlegger of Mann
Frank Newton
Thu 31 Dec 2009 14:30

For health and business reasons I find it necessary to bring Bootlegger back
across across the Atlantic to Europe for a period of time. The plan is to do it
over two legs. 
 
I am delighted that my good friend Kevin Buckley will again be re-joining Bootlegger
to assist me throughout in bringing her back home. 
  
The first leg will be from Trinidad to Antigua, via Grenada, Cariacou, Moreau,
Union Island, Mustique, Bequia, St Lucia, Dominica, Le Saintes, and Guadeloupe,
which will be undertaken over a 4 week period. It is expected we will leave Trinidad
in late January and reach Jolly Harbour, Antigua by the 3rd week in February. 
 
An old friend ( in both senses of the word) Mike Henthorn, fellow Hamblin
director and well known Isle of Man business figure will be the first of a number
of people to be joining us for periods along the way.
 
Mike will be waiting for us in Grenada, Bootlegger's first port of call after we've
run the pirate gauntlet off Chagaruamas and the northern Trinidad and Venezuelan
coasts.
 
This is all a whole new experience for Mike; he recently retired from full time
employment and is very much looking forward to the adventure. He possesses
no sailing, mechanical or cooking knowledge of any kind, is accident prone
and allegedly was once seasick on a canal boat, or so I'm told !  There is a plus
side however..He is a great racontuer and wit whose company in the self appointed
and unenviable role of cabin boy - we were much in need of one aboard, will be
greatly appreciated. I am delighted ( I think) that Mike is going to be joining us
up to Antigua,
 
It is then home for six weeks before returning to Antigua late April to prepare
for the second and by far the longest leg back home across the Atlantic. 
 
The second leg will take us be from Antigua to the BVI, then on up to Bermuda.
From there we set off across the Atlantic for Horta in the Azores. From Horta we
head north to Crosshaven (Cork) and on to Dunlaghaire (Kevin's home port).
Having taken Kevin back home I set off for the final passage to Bootlegger's home
port - Port St Mary, Isle of Man. ETA PSM will be the 12 June 2010.
.
The three of us fly out with BA from Gatwick on the 18th January to Antigua where 
Kevin and I  change to a Liat domestic flight to Trinidad whilst Mike flies to Barbados
where he will spend a few days at a resort before flying on to Grenada to await our
arrival.
 
We are due to lift in after having completed all the various commissioning work on
the 22 Jan.and to be making the passage from Trini  to Grenada on the 25 Jan.