We had watched the start of the RORC 600 on Monday and on Wednesday morning, 05.55 I was just awake when there was an almighty crash! Assuming that a boat had dragged into us or we had swung into another boat we were on deck in seconds but we were not close to any boats! We checked that nothing had fallen off the mast and down below but nothing was obvious. Then we relaxed and decided it must have been a gun from the 600 finishing line a few hundred yards away! However no yachts appeared and then it dawned on me so into the water for a quick swim- the centreboard lift mechanism had sheared inside the case and the board had dropped and “Moonbeam” now had a draft of 10’6”!

We do not use the centreboard so rather than spend hours hanging in slings trying to gain access to the joint I decided just to haul “Moonbeam” at Antigua slipway and pin the board up. The slipping process was rather hair-raising but it succeeded in the end and we relaunched next day back to our usual draft!

 

   

 

The social life continued and we met up with Chuck and Ann on “Reflections” whom we had last seen in La Gomera in December 2010. The Sunday late afternoon beach BBQ’s are fun and one family there with a Moody which was the old Marna IV/Sequin – a familiar boat at Ardfern in the past!

Another morning was spent helping a RCC member fix his wind generator.

 

   

 

Jolly Harbour to check out at Customs

 

We plan to leave Antigua this weekend heading for St.Barth’s.