Crew change

Yacht Ariel
Henry Adams
Sun 25 May 2008 17:26
Well, the old bat checks out today, to be replaced by a newer, younger, fitter, better looking and altogether more useful (except perhaps in the paying-the-bills dept) crew model.  Jez flies in this evening on the plane that I then fly out on.  Meanwhile, we eagerly await the arrival of our friends the Bennetts on their yacht Aquila, who have sailed from Norfolk, Virginia en route for the UK.  They're due in in about 1/2 hour so we look forward to swapping seasalty stories that will no doubt become taller in relation to the amount of celebratory drinks consumed.  Ian arrives on Thursday to join Aquila for the rest of their journey home.
 
I'll be sad to  leave Bermuda which is heavenly and which we haven't had time to explore much of yet.  Everyone so friendly with time to chat.  For eg, the skip and I were picked up on spec and given a lift by grandmother Lucille in her smart red suit and hat on her way to a prayer meeting while we were perusing a bus timetable and just realising we had missed the last one and had a long walk ahead of us.  Things seem to work like that here.  It reminds me of growing up in England in the 60's in many ways.
 
Sad too to leave Ariel and what for me has been a huge adventure, although standard fare for the skip - he's been very tolerant and is looking forward to exchanging his cargo of female paraphernalia for no-nonsense boys' own stuff (hope you've no excess smellies and gels in your baggage Jez).
 
Anyone following this can now enjoy another change of blog style with Jez's arrival - it seems to be one of the crew duties.  Skip and new crew plan to leave for the Azores in a few day's time.  There's a small 21 ft motorboat berthed at the Club on its way from St Martin to France to try and sell itself at the Boat Show there which will be leaving for the Azores at roughly the same time, doing roughly the same speed - but I'd rather be on Ariel any day.  Bon voyage Ariel - safe crossing ......