24^TH MAY 2008

Today we set of to go to Atwood Harbour at around 7.30am through the reefs again and got lucky with the wind for a while.  We had the Genoa and the mainsail up but not for long but at least we had an hour or so without the engine noise.  In the meantime we had Geoff changing outfits from breakfast to the end of the day about 8 times – John and I were in the same outfit from breakfast.  The idea was that we went to Atwood Harbour which is a very shallow draft bay to see if we could get into it and anchor because if could not we had to carry on and sail through the night to Rum Cay which was recommended by some very well versed mariners who have sailed the world for the last 5 years.  Fortunately we made good time and got to Atwood bay in time to see the reefs and get anchored.  Once we had anchored and hosed down the boat, I, said to John let’s get the dingy out and go ashore as the sandy beaches which looked so inviting to which he said “you and Geoff go whilst I prepare dinner”.  So Geoff and I went with our VHF radio to the beach and walked and collected shells and said how wonderful it was as the sun was setting and then we looked back to see our dinghy had floated away!!!  So we ran and tried to get as close as we could with Geoff swimming out to capture the dinghy whilst I am screaming at John the Skipper who was on the loudspeaker but unfortunately the boat was moving and the wind was blowing the wrong direction so we could not hear anything and Geoff had left the VHF on the dinghy but fortunately all ended well.  John swam to the dinghy, picked up Geoff and thence myself on the beach – I had visions of being stuck there for the night.  Anyway Geoff and John had their exercise for the day and we learnt a very valuable lesson – “drag the dinghy as far up the beach as possible”.

Note for Aunty Sylvia – I love you and you wouldn’t have wanted to be here except the beach is stunning and hopefully I might get there in morning with my husband.

Anita