Goodbye Koshlong, hello Jack and Andy

Tamarisk
Wed 3 May 2006 23:58
We are almost ready to leave the British Virgin Isles for Bermuda. It's 850 miles and will take us about a week. We've had to say some more goodbyes. We had a traditional British curry onboard Tamarisk with Regina and Koshlong. Regina are going back to Sweden along the same sort of route as we are taking. They left on Tuesday for Bermuda but we should catch up with them there.
 
Koshlong are going North to Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and then back home to Canada so it will be a bit longer before we see them again. We first met Dan, Sue, Emma, Rachael and Chloe on Madeira. We'll miss all of them. Anna really enjoyed having some cool girls to play with. Sue was a regular participant in Penny's Pilates sessions and Dan has to be the most professional performer on the SSB ever heard in Caribbean waters. Like us, they are going back to restart school and careers. We hope very much to keep in touch.
 
Wild Alliance are going to join Koshlong for a couple of weeks before heading to Bermuda. We hope to meet them again in the Azores.
 
And very happily, we have now been joined by Andy Wilkinson and his son Jack, friends from Suffolk, for the trip to Bermuda. Andy has been across the North Sea a couple of times already on Tamarisk. Jack is in Anna's class at school and gets on really well with Eddie. Today we went over to Virgin Gorda to check out with customs and immigration and to go for a swim in the famous 'Baths'. These are seaside pools formed by giant granite rocks. Andy, being a geologist, knows exactly what they are and told us but, unfortunately, I glazed over after a bit. There are big signs warning of fierce undertow. The children loved it.  
 
We are planning to set off tomorrow. The forecast is for very light winds so Tamarisk is loaded to the gunnels with diesel. Diary entries for the next week or so will be by satellite and short. 
 
 
Koshlong in Road Town, Tortola - Chloe, Sue, Emma, Dan and Rachael
 
 
Anna, Eddie and Jack in Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda
 
 
With Andy in the taxi on the way to the Baths, Virgin Gorda
 
 
In the surf at the Baths
 
 
Andy refuses to stop working 
 
 
More crashing in the surf