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Take one 60 year old woman – take her out of her comfort zone – and what do you get? After 8 months on a yacht and 6,000 nautical miles – you get a different person. New skills – new confidence – and a fantastic flair for bringing the skipper tea and biscuits in bed!

A few statistics.

1,000 miles in the Mediterranean – Sicily to Gibraltar

4,000 miles crossing the Atlantic – Gibraltar to St Lucia via Madeira and Gran Canaria

1,000 miles cruising round the Caribbean

8 National boundaries – Italy, Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal, St Lucia, The Grenadines, Antigua, France

22 Islands – Sicily, Menorca, Formentera, Porto Santo, Madeira, Desertas Grande, Selvagem Grande, Gran Canaria, St Lucia, Bequia, Union Island, Petit St Vincent, Petit St Martinique, Palm Island,  Baradal Island, Petit Bateau, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Marie Galante, Martinique, Terre-de-Haut, Barbuda.

Swam in mid ocean – over 1,000 miles from anywhere. Over 2 miles deep.

Seen whales, dolphins, turtles and the biggest frigate bird colony in the world. Eaten sea urchins.

Can now identify several stars and constellations and survived a volcano trying to bury her.

But now she’s moving on to pastures new and I’ll have to bring Peejay back across the Atlantic without her.

Congratulations Masher. It was a tough test but you came through with flying colours.

I guess I’ll just have to train someone else to make the skipper his tea!

Enjoy the memories below.