Monday lunchtime, we said our farewell to Colin and Julia. I don't think they were looking forward to the 20+ degree temperature drop and snow in London!

Beds stripped, salty towels collected up and left with the wonderful Suzette with a promise to be back late afternoon so time to dry. Simon spent the afternoon fixing the speed log. After much searching he found the problem, a broken wire. It is all fixed now. 

Nigel and Simon went along to the Tot club at 18.00, whilst Sally and I prepared some small eats and drinks for our tot club hosts back on-board Cassini.

We hoped to leave Antigua on Tuesday, but due to a combination of too much wind and a few jobs to complete, we decided to stay another night. Sally and I caught the bus and taxi to the large Epicurean supermarket at St John's to stock up on groceries. A second load of washing taken to the laundrette, dinghy anchor bought, final repair bill paid and we checked out of Antigua immigration with outstanding fees paid. 

After cooking a Ninja meal ready for the coming days, we treated ourselves to a final visit to the Mexican bar for a platter of the delicious tacos and a jug of margaritas, followed by pizzas next door in the Italian. Not very Caribbean but very tasty. Due to a delay with our order we had a second round of drinks on the house, a bonus. 

Today, Wednesday we sailed to Nevis. This is a downwind sail, so a different sail plan for Sally and I to learn. The main sail and staysail are on the same side, the head sail is on the opposite side and ‘poled-out'. This involves a lot more ropes, a 'preventer' to stop the mainsail crashing over to the opposite side and pulling 2 ropes on the mast to put the pole in the correct position and two guy ropes to keep the pole in a fixed position relative to the deck and mast. Quite a complicated set up, and when we need to gybe, change direction, the head and stay sail have to be rolled in, preventer changed sides, pole moved down and across, gybe done then sails and pole reset (with guys on the new ’side’), not a 2 minute task! In the Atlantic crossing the crew got this own to about 15 minutes - we took nearer 25!

Whilst it was only 53 miles as the crow flies, the sail took us nearly 10 hours, we can't sail in a straight line due to the wind direction. A further delay occurred when we moored onto a buoy only, to be told it was a private one, so engine on again, and we moved further down the coast and eventually moored up for the night. After showers off the back of the boat, we all enjoyed the chilli meal that we prepared yesterday. Tomorrow's first job is clearing customs and immigration, hopefully this will not take too long.

Catherine