Having said that, I have.  We were very fortunate to have Sweet Dreams on our dock.  A very lovely wooden boat, built by her owner. Somehow I managed to wangle a ride onboard for Antigua Classics.  It was great to be back and was a much needed morale boost for work on Guiding Light. 

Following Classics I helped Ed, the skipper, sail Sweet Dreams back to the U.K.  We completed our official circumnavigation back in 2020, all 360 degrees of longitude, twice through the equator, and cross the out track. But for me, the circumnavigation I always dreamt of was also…leave port in Northern Europe and return to same.  For me Hugh Town, on the Isles of Scilly where I learnt to sail 50 years ago.  It was with huge excitement I watched the Bishop Rock lighthouse break on the horizon and creep towards us… It was a huge moment for me personally and I can (as always) only thank Gill for letting me do it. 

Which brings me to the title of this blog, where is home?  All my life, the Isles of Scilly has been the one place on earth that held my heart, the place I felt that I could spend the rest of my life if I was forced to choose just one place.  I grew up in Esher and have spent much of my life in and around there.  For the last ten years we have lived on Star Charger and sailed the world, ending up here in St Lucia nearly three years ago. Returning to the U.K. and sofa surfing for the summers. 

This year returning to St Lucia reminded that this wonderful island is home.  From the moment we walked out of the airport to be greeted with a cold beer and warm welcome from our friend and taxi driver Peter, through bumping into several other friends in the supermarket and of course at the bar, we have felt, at home.  

Now for various reasons we are looking to move back to the U.K. next summer, probably to Scotland.  Will it be the same?  Who knows but it will be an adventure!

Fair winds