The Finish
|
Position:
14:04.666N 060:56.885W We
set off to compete in the ARC And
sailed through light and through dark On
the 21st day We
reached Rodney Bay Without
the crew throwing me to a shark Our
first contact with land was from Martinique this morning, a mayday relay from
Phare de France in Martinique where a swimmer was missing. Description: Blue
shorts and dreadlocks. St.
Lucia in sight, we expected a big welcome on arrival, the sound of steel drum
music on the radio as the island appeared, the smell of land, vegetation and
fruit, half naked Caribbean ladies dancing and serving rum on the pontoon as we
dock. Much
to our surprise, our first tangible St. Lucian welcome is Irish! “Welcome
to Digicell”. We immediately drop speed and approach with great caution,
for if the rum serving, flower clad dancer on the pontoon is Denis
O’Brien…“Ready about” Cerys and out of there like a
chocolate whippet. As
I finished my watch, what I realise that what I originally thought was a cruise
ship in the distance is St Lucia Island. With the binoculars I can make out the
individual lights, and the island of Martinique is lighting up to the north of
us. Pigeon Island now in sight, the finish line is just south west of it,
another boat is coming up astern but as we harden up coming closer to Pigeon we
know we will beat them to it. Well healed over now ,the finish line committee
on the radio, and we have spotted the yacht flying the orange banner. It is
just dawn and perfect timing as we luff up last minute to the line and cross at
0625.01. We are the 129th boat across the line. Motoring
into J Dock we are greeted by cheers and claps from a Norwegan crew, it sounds
a bit over the top to us and we soon realise why as two of them fall off the
pontoon.... they are totally pissed. Bottles of Scotch in hand they can
literally not stand. Its 0630. We
tie up stern on and there is a large Digicell office 150 m behind us, welcomed
with music, a fruit basket, rum punch and a bag full of digicell, we are
delighted, no Dancing Denis. On
our voyage we have encountered seas of 5-6 metres and winds of Force 10. We
have covered 2850 miles sailed for 501.5 hours. We have consumed 600 litres of
water, 750 baby wipes, we still have eight full auxiliary diesel tanks and 75%
of our main tank. We have eaten two boxes of tomatoes, one of melons, two kilos
of pasta and a mountain of chocolate. We have read nineteen books and twenty
two magazines (we have looked at the pictures in a further three). No razors
have been used. We
have baked 25 loaves of bread, used two cylinders of gas and eaten all the
cornflakes. Had no showers. We are now waiting for the measles to break out and
we cannot find the captains auld dog. Its
a great feeling to be here and as I walk up to check in with ARC, Customs and
then Immigration I am very proud for us all. In customs I am referred to as
Captain which makes a refreshing change from what the crew have been calling
me.. The Island is moving, I want my money back, my kneecaps have two horizontal
pains like eyebrows over the tops.That finished its 11am local time and a good
time for a beer. Slainte
and thanks Ursula, Jeanot and Tom. We have arrived safely and with as much
sanity as when we left. That
was the Ocean! |