It is interesting to reflect upon the decisions that we have made to get us here.  It is too easy to blame other people or events, but actually had we made different decisions....

So in spite of my sadness at not sailing back into Scilly, I am content with my decisions.

Our first inkling that Covid might be going to be an issue was on the 23rd January when Chris changed his travel plans so as not to fly via China.  But even when we left Namibia on the 27th February It was not an issue.

We arrived here on the 10th March a week before restrictions were imposed.  Suddenly the world had changed.  At that point we could, as some boats did, have chosen to head out to either the Caribbean or the Azores.  Fortunately we rejected that option because a few days later the engine and inverter had failed.  We would have survived, but it would have been very unpleasant and extremely stressful.  Certainly not the way we want this phase, and my lifelong dream, to end.

So we have now been here for 5 months, and are loving it.  We have made many friends and enjoyed sailing Star Charger, and other people’s boats racing, and just for fun.  Our plans have changed and changed again, and still we can’t be certain what is round the corner.  But we do know that if we had been sailing back into Scilly today then getting Guiding Light shipped back to the U.K. would have been much more complex.

We will fly home for Christmas and hopefully get to see people, and we will be home next summer. 

Fair winds and calm seas

Alasdair