Setting sail from Antigua on the 9th May bought mixed emotions. The lovely thoughts of seeing family and friends again in Spain and in the UK, but the wrench of tugging ourselves away from the Caribbean.

Our Caribbean experience has exceeded all expectation. Sailing in crystal clear aquamarine water with the warmest tradewind sea breezes we have ever felt on our faces.

The joy of sailing from island to island and the expectation of another island nation and culture. our voyages between islands have spanned 120 miles to just 6.

We all know the archetypal Caribbean cultural experience but the idiosyncrasies of each island brings new flavour.

The vegetation of the islands has been different to what we expected. The glorious white cedar and mancheel trees create great shapes coating the mountainous islands with a varied green textured canopy. The palm trees we expected to see everywhere were generally in planted areas on beaches and old plantations.

The houses vary from tin shacks to palacial foreign holiday homes.

Some islands have a timeless, windswept quality. Boat building on beaches such as the Grenadines, wooden houses with gingerbread pierced facias and bleached white wood washed by trade winds and time.

In contrast to this the Caribbean people who exude colour, wonderful white smiles in lovely black faces and strong coloured clothes which shout 'sunshine'.

Rastafarians in their gold, green, red and blacks, dreadlocks, beards and a practiced walk which is slow and long which gives great presence.

We have had the pleasure of meeting some really great characters.

We have spent all but a few nights of our trip on anchor and have never tired of walking up the companionway every morning to the pleasures of another beautiful day, turquoise water and another bay.

We have of course had our moments----having a 52 metre, 600 ton super motor yacht T- bone our bow, a monitored drag at anchor in St Barts and re-setting in early hours, 24 knots at anchor in the grenadines and my friends the Barracuda's and sting rays having too close a look at me when swimming !!

These moments pale into insignificance when balanced by the Caribbean.

We have savoured the colour, sights, scents and music and have giggled our way through the Immigration experiences. For me the Sea Turtle epitomises the Caribbean spirit as we have seen so many and had the pleasure of swimming with them. I have a wooden turtle necklace to keep the memory. For Tony it has been the Steel pan music, so I bought him one to enjoy a tune occasionally.

We would both be very sad not to be able to do it again. Crossing the Atlantic is not to be taken lightly but the joys of 'blowing where the wind blows' in your own boat or 'home' without time restriction is a gift we have waited fourteen years for.

So now our thoughts turn to the Mediterranean and Tioram's second home based with my Mom and Dad in Mazarron, Spain.

We bought our first boat in 1996 and before she arrived from the factory we bought our Greek courtesy flag to fly when Tioram reached Greek territorial waters. Fourteen years later it is still in the bag as we are of course en route to Greece just a little diverted !!!

This summer will hopefully see us spend time with family in Spain before heading to the Balearic islands, Italy, Sardinia, Corsica and down to Malta. We hope to winter in Malta and in 2011 set off for Croatia, Turkey and Greece. Beyond that who knows ??

We have just come out of a 28 hour blow with big seas and high winds. At those moments we feel seasick and tired and thoughts of a Camper van called Tioram 5 seem inevitable!!

However, Oceans change quickly and today we have been rewarded with clear skies, a calm sea and a warm breeze, Tioram skipping along at 6 knots in 11 knots breeze----- and to put the 'icing on the cake', whilst I have been writing this blog we have had two playful dolphins around the bow......................................

Love to all

Tina and Tony x x