With the wind dropping on our final day we realised that we would have to find our way into the

anchorage in the dark. However with our usual luck the wind picked up to 35 kts just as we

approached the island so that we had to navigate around unlit ships buoys etc with a full gale blowing

and a crowded anchorage with mostly unlit yachts. (With the exception of a couple that had a

full set of Christmas lights !).  Having found a likely spot and just about to let go the anchor a

nearby yacht started shouting " not there - it has a sunken wreck". We tried the next likely spot

and were just looking forward to a good nights sleep when we realised that there was a tramp

steamer on the commercial quay being loaded despite it being 11pm and that we were going to

be blocking its exit should it decide to leave. At 4 am it duly did so we moved temporarily to let

it out and finally got off to sleep.

First thing in the morning - GREY WET WINDY & COLD - you can't be serious -

what were we doing here?? Could this really be the tropics?? The island didn't have a blade

of greenery on it because it never rains so what was this wet stuff falling on us? Global warming -

please - what a joke. Based on our journey so far it's more likely the start of the next ice age.

Didn't have time to contemplate these matters as some men on the quay were whistling and

gesticulating at us - why? Looking around we saw waiting on the far side of the bay a much larger

and posher ship waiting to get alongside the quay and we were holding up proceedings...

Quick up anchor and now at least in daylight we could find somewhere else to drop without

inconveniencing anyone - phew.

However it was still raining and a barren desert landscape in the pouring rain is hardly enticing.

Took Anne in to do the paperwork, spoke to a couple of the other yachts whose inhabitants

had ventured out into their cockpits and gave a lift back to a local boatboy.

Only consolation so far is that EVERYONE is friendly!

As the day showed no signs of improving we decided that we would look at and update our

budget so gloom all round !!!

Hopefully tomorrow will dawn a little brighter!