I don't really know where to begin!

 Plan A went to plan B in April after Susie, part of the crew back to the Chesapeake, smashed her patella. Tom and David Hoskins moved the boat to Antigua where she was hauled, strapped down for hurricanes and abandoned. The summer was spent in England looking at weather forecasts. Fortunately no disastrous storms and Tom returned in early November to scrape her off the hard and get everything going. Quite a few boat units later most systems were on the go but the boat's batteries are all geriatric so requiring careful nurturing and much dependence on the generator. 

I arrived on Wednesday. The boat is anchored in Freemans Bay, close to English harbour. We are waiting for an engine start battery which is on a slow boat from somewhere.

Tom had been concentrating too much on the Tot Club ( no prizes for guessing what that is - suffice it to say they meet EVERY night at 6.0 pm and drink rum), such that the inside of the boat makes Slum Dog Millionaire look savoury.

At the rate we are going Christmas will be in Antigua - there are not many more delightful places to be "forced"  to sit tight. Our water maker is not functioning so,each day, we pick up 5 gallons of water to put in the tank. The transfer from dingy to deck is dodgy to say the least and testing Tom's previous hernia repair to the limit.

If I don't put pen to paper again before the 25th Happy Christmas to all.

xxx Jos - and Tom