Tuesday  April 14th,  2015

Jolly Harbour Marina, Antigua 17 04.2N 61 53.2W

Today's Blog by David (Time zone: BST -5.0; UTC -4.0)

Well, here we are again making preparations for the off. The 'Old Firm' are assembling: Terry and Lenie already on board and Peter to join us in the British Virgin Islands -  if we ever get there!  Our plan is to spend a month cruising up to Nassau, Bahamas, to pick up Richard (and deposit Lenie) before setting out into the blue yonder again on the last Ocean Crossing of our circumnavigation: Bermuda – Azores – Falmouth…….?

After a couple of days back on board we are now settled back into a familiar routine.  The provisioning is nearly complete:

Just a few more cases to source!

The crew have settled into their customary routines.  Here is a typical picture of  Terry hard at it – this time washing potatoes on the deck ……and  - as usual - nowhere to be seen!

Q: Where’s Terry? (A: In the bar)

A little time has been necessary to deal with various mechanical issues - for example where loneliness and disuse has allowed corrosion to take hold – for example a temperamental dinghy engine needed to be encouraged into life – but the process is now nearing completion.   

So far advanced/laid back did we feel that we took yesterday off to visit a local spectacle:  An England v West Indies Test Match!

And what a party it was!  Perhaps fifty barbeque stalls around the ground and probably as many bars  guaranteed a jocular atmosphere – and a good thing too because we arrived 30 mins after the start when England were 22 for 2.  By the time we had got to our (very good) seats they were 34 for 3.  At 49 for 3 at lunch,  things were not looking particularly rosy – particularly because whenever a wicket fell there was loud party music and dancing:

Didn’t happen in MY day, I can tell you!

Eventually, common sense prevailed - on the cricket field at least - as Bell and Root dug us out of trouble and then Bell and Stokes put England into a commanding position (only to be frittered away today):

Saved by the Bell – as they say

Meanwhile a rather under strength  Barmy Army was just warming up for the traditional last hour:

But the music was so loud for a man of my years  -well, my ears anyway.  By mid-afternoon the music and dancing was between overs – just like in 20-20 Tests in the UK – DeLIGHTful!

IN interesting insight into how test cricket has developed over the years …………and they call it “progress”?