Position: 17:00:88N 61:46:37W

For a change of scene, we motored the short distance round the corner into Falmouth Harbour.  This is a much bigger harbour than English, and consequently it has more super- and mega-yachts in it.   Wow – there are some lovely boats about, and this is the place to see them.  Ranger, the new J-class, ICAP Leopard, plus a whole stack of polished, varnished beauties with armies of local lads taping, brushing and polishing all day long for US$150 a day – almost worth giving up the day job for this!  We anchored off so were able to enjoy the comings and goings for free.

There was a sign up saying that the Antiguan Laser Nationals was being held that coming weekend.  Sarah was keen that I had a go, and I was keen to have a sail in a dinghy, so we went down to the Antigua Yacht Club.  This place reminds me about what is great about a good yacht club.  Small enough to be friendly, yet professional enough to get events organized, it was really nice.  Sarah and the girls settled in for the weekend!

I had a chat to Richard, the club manager (who used to crew for David Giles in Enterprises – so we probably shouted abuse at each other on the water 20 years ago!) and he persuaded me that I should enter.  There then followed a scrabble about for something resembling dinghy kit, and I ended up sailing in my Crocs, with a bit cut-off wetsuit  to protect my ankles for hiking out.  Very attractive.

There were 16 entries, a mix of very fit local lads, and a few non-local guys off some of the racing yachts, who took it very seriously.  Racing was inside Falmouth Harbour and it blew a solid 20 kts both days.  We had 3 races on Sat morning, 2 in the afternoon and 2 on Sunday.  When we came in for lunch on Saturday, I was a broken man!  I had forgotten how much pain is involved in sailing a Laser upwind in 20kts.  Those local lads were super-fit, not an ounce of fat on them!  I think my body was in shock, but funnily enough it didn’t hurt as much in the afternoon. 

I think some of the non-locals also found it tough as there was a certain amount of whinging and a number of no-shows on Sunday morning – which I thought was pretty pathetic, especially from the guys off the racing yachts who clearly found it a bit much for them!  Laser sailing is a great leveler, especially for those big egos that you find in a place like this, who are possibly better networkers than sailors.  Anyway, I ended up 4^th overall and had some cracking close races and really enjoyed it.

I went ashore one day to do some errand or other, and met Shane, a guy we’d met in St Lucia.  He invited me to sail on his Swan 48 for Antigua Week.  Shortly after, I bumped into Karl, the Laser coach from the Yacht Club, who invited me out for some evening racing in the Lasers.  Although I couldn’t do either, it is nice to be asked and makes you feel a sense of community.

On Sunday night, we went up to Shirley Heights for the weekly Sunday jump-up.  This is a must-do when you are in English or Falmouth Harbour. Shirley Heights is a lookout post with a superb view over the harbours, and they have a party/barbeque every week.  It was funny, when Sarah and I looked out over English & Falmouth Harbours, I found tears welling up in my eyes – to think we had sailed there, and were there as a family together, looking out at this vista which I had seen in magazines and brochures hundreds of times before, was quite an emotional feeling.

We’ve made it!

We met up with various friends, including John, Selma, Ella and Jack from Brimble, and Ed and Sam from Blue Juice, and it was great to be there and be amongst friends.  Jemima invented a new game, batting goat poo down the hill with a stick, and was very pleased with herself.

Jemima playing poo hockey

Emilia looking up to her friends Ella and Jack from Brimble

It has felt like a real achievement to be here, in the Caribbean home of sailing, amongst friends, and feeling almost part of the community.  We are very happy with ourselves, and I have reflected several times recently that the key thing is that we are here on our own terms, not under anyone else’s orders, not duty-bound to any person or company but ourselves, and that is a rare and priceless position.  There will not be many times in our lives to match the time spent rowing about this historic harbour, having got here under our own steam, living our simple self-sufficient life together as a family, and I think we are happier than pretty-much every yachtsman or woman in these harbours for this reason.  It all seems to have come together.

Sunset over English and Falmouth Harbours

But even in the most perfect anchorage there will be a turd floating somewhere, and the turd in this situation has been the uveitis in my eye.  My left eye is under control with steroid drops but unfortunately my right eye has now developed the same symptoms of feeling like someone has punched me in the face, then poured gravel under my eyelid.  So I am continuing my ophthalmologist safari of the Caribbean. 

What has been surprising (to me but not to Sarah) has been the disproportion between the relatively minor physical symptoms (which, in summary, is a sore eye and some blurred vision) and the surprisingly high psychological symptoms, which have included indecision, anxiety, lethargy, and just being generally pathetic.  I can’t believe how much something like this can knock you sideways.   Anyway, enough of that.