Our last dawn at sea was spectacular, the best so far.

 

 

In the movies, we would then sail briskly towards our destination in the steady trade winds, bathed in Caribbean sunlight, watching as the palm fringed beaches beckoned and the sound of steel drums permeated the air.

In reality we spent the entire day motoring through damp humid air, with the sun  never managing to break through the dense cloud cover. Our arrival will be in the middle of the night, about 9 hours from now. We travel in company with a small group of other boats that are all converging on Rodney Bay together.

Despite the weather, spirits are high as we eagerly anticipate our arrival and we have spent the day readying the boat to spend at least part of a night in a marina.

The highlight of the day was when Doug landed a large barracuda just before lunch. As the book declared it inedible, it was humanely returned to the sea after a photo guaranteed the event was recorded  for ever in the annals of great fishing achievements.

The time has gone incredibly quickly; it hardly seems 17 days since we left Las Palmas. For some, the time on Island Wanderer is coming to a close, as they return to the UK next week. For others, it is just the start of six months exploring the Caribbean. Whatever our future plans, the crossing will be long remembered.